CadTools and xTurn (Vehicle Turning Software) Forum
CadTools General Category => CadTools General => Topic started by: Lars on July 11, 2009, 01:32:05 AM
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In our location in the middle of Sweden the rain has been pouring for a couple of days now. The good thing with rain is that it legal to spend more time in front of the computer. I’m not planning for any major improvements of CadTools so my goal for the summer is to update the printed documentation. Many new commands are only described in the helpfile and I don’t find it polite to let people downloading a documentation that’s out of date.
I was playing around with the “Multi offset” command and realized that it’s easy to create models of simple tunnels. I think some comments on that issue will fit in the documentation.
/Lars
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Hello Lars,
can you change the function Multi offset to be used with lines or simple polylines, not only with 3d polylines ??? ..... pleaseeee ;D
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I'll look into that, will be back.
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The request for lines and polylines in the "multi offset" command will be in next update. (later this week)
That update will also have a rewritten breakline function (triangulate), all test I've done shows nice triangles without any warnings at all. So far I'm very pleased, it has been a problem with skinny triangles since I first implemented constrained triangulations.
The ordinary triangulation code has also been rewritten slightly, the result is more stable triangulations.
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Thanks Lars,
your the best ....
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Is there any chance you could add a routine that offsets a line/polyline/3dpolyline by station and with a start and end offset distance (2 different distances) ;)
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What is the purpose of that kind of function?
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Well I have to apply a road widening or taper the road out from a 3.7 meter to a 6.3m lane. This transition distance happens over 40m, but it also occirs at a horizontal curve. So what I was hoping to do was offset the Road Centreline 3.7m at the start and 6.3m at 40m mark. Hope this makes sense.
Cheers and ty for your early response lars :)
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Hello,
answer for slabs: if you use Civil 3D or Land Desktop or Bentley Microstation your desire is in these softwares (posible to be in any others but I don't work with them). So Cad Tools is made to help you with more function that you have allready in a base software ...... do you agree with me Lars ??
can you please write from now on on the topic Ideas to improve ... please.
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Slabs, I get your point with the request but it’s almost impossible to manage if
the polyline contains arcs. As Aperion says other Civil software probably has what
you asking for. As far as I know many CadTools users do have other Civil software
for heavy lifting but still there are thoose that use plain vanilla CAD. If your
civil work is of a simple kind it’s possible to do all work in vanilla with support
from CadTools.
CadTools doesn’t support ”real civil alignments” only basic 3D-polylines. Offsetting
3D-polylines by station and offset is possible but there’s a lot of work to fix a
interface.
CadTools commands are designed to be used in as many situations as possible. It’s
up to the users creativity to get the most out of CadTools and find work a rounds
and other smart ways to use all commands.
I don’t reject your request, but I need to consider it thoroughly.
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No proplems peoples, thankyou for answering my query. I thought i would just ask to see if it were possible. I must amdit lars its a great lil package, and it does cut alot of time on drafting. Keep up the good work.
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CadTools doesn’t support ”real civil alignments” only basic 3D-polylines. Offsetting
3D-polylines by station and offset is possible but there’s a lot of work to fix a
interface.
CadTools commands are designed to be used in as many situations as possible. It’s
up to the users creativity to get the most out of CadTools and find work a rounds
and other smart ways to use all commands.
Hi,
I have recently found CadTools a real life savior. The more I use it the more I have come to love it, thank You for making it.
I thought would it be possible to directly create 3D-polyline from selected set of points or blocks (with sorting to x or y-axis and duplicate detection)? I would also be in extacy if it would be possible to create 2 separate 3D-polylines from selection set of lines. One 3D-polyline from lines start points and one from endpoints. All these are of curse possible through excel sheet and text editor but it takes always time. These would help with arcs and changing road widths and with multi offset...
Once again THANK YOU for the work that is already done!
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I'm glad you find CadTools useful.
To create polylines from a set of blocks or points you could use following procedure:
First you export the blocks or points to Excel, then you copy desired datat from Excel and paste it into CadTools "Draw from coordinates"
Points and blocks are organized in same order as they have in Autocad's selection set (fisrt picked object is placed first). This works rather well even if you use a crossing to select objects.
I'm sorry for the second part of your question, I cant' understand what you are going for. Please fill me in on that.
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I'm glad you find CadTools useful.
To create polylines from a set of blocks or points you could use following procedure:
First you export the blocks or points to Excel, then you copy desired datat from Excel and paste it into CadTools "Draw from coordinates"
Points and blocks are organized in same order as they have in Autocad's selection set (fisrt picked object is placed first). This works rather well even if you use a crossing to select objects.
I'm sorry for the second part of your question, I cant' understand what you are going for. Please fill me in on that.
Thank You for quick answer,
This is one method that I have used but after 500th line and ALT+TAB it's make you think something simpler. Your method works just fine.
I often deal with source material that is hastily done and are without standards (there may be no z-coordinates or those are on wrong). For example if I have a plan with wearying road widths, it's easy to extend line (witch is in predefined slope and perpendicular to roads center line). You can think that lines start point is in roads center line and end point in roads edge. These lines are easy to draw and extend to roads edge or other objects. After that it's would be handy to draw 3D-polyline through lines endpoints. I would also find this kind of feature handy with bridges etc. when You have to know exact slopes and dimensions from center line. Some times there is just no point to create faces when simple line can do the job for You. Hope this makes sense to You. This can already be done with CadTools but one can always ask something simpler and quicker.
Furthermore would it be possible to export solid volume and region/closed 2d-polyline area/perimeter to excel. You have made this possible with hatches. I use often solids to model complex structures and slice model depending on it's materials. After slice I explode it and use region areas to do calculations.
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Hello again :)
I am wondering if it would be possible to add a option to change angle of annotation? I use "Pick points and annotate in one command" a lot since we always change something in crossections, so elevations are no more valid , and easiest way to change them, i found it in CadTools :D But, it always anottate with horizontal text, then i need to change angle after annotating. I think it would be great to have option to change angle before annotating so it all goes in one command.
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This one will be a reply to both jpvikholm and Kenan.
3Dsolid volumes and Region areas to Excel sounds like useful, probably this will be in next update.
I'm planning for a minor change in the settings form and at the same time I probably add rotation for annotation.
I still don't fully understand jpvikholm's request. How is the data delivered? As coordinate lists or in a DWG?
Could you give a sample in a dwg with some notes.
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I still don't fully understand jpvikholm's request. How is the data delivered? As coordinate lists or in a DWG?
Could you give a sample in a dwg with some notes.
Source material that I was referring are usually dwg or dxf -files (with wrong z-coordinates etc.). I do not have any problems handling these files.
When i draw bridges in 3d (with dimensioning in mind) I usually use points, lines, 2d-polylines and 3d-polylines. In this, 3d-polyline generation from line endpoints would be useful. Usually source plan drawing/map is as an reference in same drawing that I use. Usually lines that I have drawn in 3d (with correct coordinates) are extended to objects in this reference drawing. When I calculate volumes I usually use solids, regions and closed 2d-polylines. Solids that I make are usually created from these previous 3d-line drawings.
Hopefully this clarifies my request a bit.
Thank You Lars for latest update (549). By the way, there seems to be slight problem with region area and perimeter headers in excel. Otherwise it works fine.
Would it be possible to get area information also from closed 2d-polyline? Would it be possible to transfer data in general to current active worksheet/cell? It would help greatly and would pass few copy/paste/close workbook commands.
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Thanks Lars, for considering my idea. :)
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i want to get region object data with Region/Mass Properties
can export Mass Properties data (Centroid) to excel
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Miscellaneous menu have "Export region To Excel". The property Region Centroid is not displayed though but I think it could be added in next update.