What is RPS Smart Suite?
The RPS Smart Suite of tools are a selection of RPS Tools - our most heavily used commands, that are the first commands to get “Special Treatment” in our command library. The commands selected are still part of RPS All Tools, we are just branding those tools that have Smart Suite capabilities because they are our “flagship tools”.
What is the Special Treatment that a Smart Suite Tool Gets?
Over the past few years we have innovated a number of things in the Rockpile commands that makes them somewhat unique. These include
- Ability to easily create New Layers and Layer Groups in a Layer Select function in a command. The New Layer control also integrates Takeoff functionality for Categorization of the Layers and assignment of Surface Boundary or Site Improvement boundary properties as well as the selection and assignment of specific Site Improvements at the time of layer creation.
- Filter controls on Layer Lists, allowing you to create your own filters or use the standard TBC Takeoff category filters when selecting layers. You can also enter a free form filter as well, reducing the layer names presented to a manageable list.
- Header Bar commands - all RPS Commands have context related commands directly available from the header bar of each command, allowing you to rapidly switch between commands from within a command.
- Hot Key controls - not just to start a command but to quickly access and change between options in a command, and to also control / activate and modify key settings like elevation direction, elevation value, start a new line or command loop.
- Show Direction arrows can be shown on lines when a Left / right direction or direction of increasing station is required for execution of the command.
So what else is new here in smart suite you may ask?
Smart suite continues this evolution with following key values.
- All Smart Suite commands now have a Switch Command button rather than a close button. This allows you to start up any number of Smart Suite commands and then simply switch between the commands. The Switch Command button provides the ability to Switch Command, Close a Command or close all commands. What’s more, hitting the ESC key allows you to pop up the running command list right by the current cursor position, allowing seamless movement between Smart Suite commands.
- Smart Suite commands all have Hot Key controls appropriate to the command use case, allowing you to rapidly change command mode, command options, to start a new line or command loop, to change key values like Elevation or Elevation Direction (elevating contours etc.).
- Smart Suite commands integrate all key functions into a single step process command like Smart Draw (for drawing objects), Smart Edit (for editing objects), Smart Elevate (for Elevating Objects), Smart Select (for selecting objects) - allowing you to "live in a command for extended periods of time to execute all of your drawing or editing or elevating needs.
- Smart Suite is boiling the mass of TBC commands down to key process steps like PDF Management, CAD Cleanup, Drawing, Editing, Elevating, Selecting … and while these are still discrete step commands, with Smart Switch capability, this allows you to switch commands extremely easily and quickly while working. Our goal is to reduce commands and integrate processes tighter and tighter to deliver productivity gains.
- All Smart Suite Tools expand standard TBC command capabilities, allowing you more dedicated methods to execute - simple commands like Break, Join, trim, Extend, Fillet, Edit Lines, Fix Surface Flags all provide dedicated tools and processes that allow you to get the job done faster and easier with fewer clicks and mouse movements.
- All Smart Suite Tools, where appropriate have an information pane that provides feedback and visual display of results of a process, so you can check what you are doing as you execute each step.
With each RPS Command Library update, the Smart Suite Tools are our primary focus. Be assured if there is a need we will take care of it in the appropriate tool. We are continuously looking at usability, work process, speed, productivity, effectiveness, mouse clicks and mouse moves to create a smoother faster solution for our users.
Looking forward, you can expect fewer but bigger, smarter and more integrated tools and work processes rather than more and more tools that have a single function or purpose. You can expect to see the entire workflow for Data prep and Takeoff boiled down into key work process steps, but with the ability to switch quickly between those steps as needed.