Map Takeoff Layers

After setting up an external standard layering convention using the Material and Site Improvement Manager, use the Map Layers command to quickly move imported CAD data from its unfamiliar source layers onto your organization’s standard layers. These standard layers can be assigned to takeoff categories and appropriate site improvements defined within the external material and site improvement library can be assigned to them. When doing multiple projects with similar layering standards, this command automates layer mapping.

Note: This functionality can also be used independently from any takeoff workflow; for instance, mapping layers is also useful when doing data preparation. If you are licensed only for the Data Prep module, the Display Options group described below will be collapsed as it is not relevant to non-takeoff-related workflows.

Mapping data to your organizations standard layers provides these benefits:catego

Gives a sense of familiarity that comes from working with a consistent, standard set of layer names, the meaning of which is commonly recognized by those in your organization
Eliminates the need to manually assign site improvements to layers and layers to takeoff categories, as are required to generate a Takeoff Report
Automates the process of copying the site improvements (and their material definitions) that are used in the project from the external library to the project library

Creating new layers

As a new layer is created using either the New Layer command by importing data, that new layer is categorized (by default) using the Unknown layer category. The Unknown category indicates that you have not yet identified the theme of the layer and categorized it otherwise. Nevertheless, as the unknown source layer is mapped to one of the standard layers, its objects are placed on that standard layer, which has presumably been categorized, thereby leaving the source layer empty and able to be deleted, either manually or automatically.

Note: There are icons to launch the New Layer and Categorize Takeoff Layers commands at the top of the command pane.

Prerequisites:

License; See the Subscription Plans page. For a license matrix by command, see the License page in the TBC Community. Also see View and manage licensed features.
An external material and site improvement library that includes information defining an external standard layering convention

To access the command:

Select Map Layers in Data Prep > Layers.

To associate an external material and site improvement library with a project file:

Select Map Layers in Data Prep > Layers.
In the External Library group, there are four buttons, the following three of which relate to this topic. Those three enable you to do the following.
- Open a previously saved external material and site improvement (*.mxl) file in order to associate it with the current project. This is expected to be one in which you have previously defined a complete library of materials and site improvements, and in which you may have previously established an external standard layering convention, and one in which you may have previously mapped source layers to your organization’s standard layers. When you open a new external library, it will be empty.
- Create a new external material and site improvement (*.mxl) file in order to associate it with the current project. Note that this operation can also be performed within the Material and Site Improvement Manager. However, when you create the .mxl file from the Map Layers command, it will have two additional sections associated with the subject of layer mapping and a standard layering convention.
- Edit the currently associated external material and site improvement (*.mxl) file by launching the Material and Site Improvement Manager.
After opening or creating a new external material and site improvement library, the path name to that .mxl is displayed at the top of the External Library group.

To control the display of objects based on takeoff categorization:

The Map Layers command provides a number of options (radio buttons) that enable you change the current view filter in order to see the objects that are on layers having been associated with the individual takeoff categories. As the Map Layers command is launched, all of the options remain unset in order to avoid changing the objects that are displayed in the current view, just as a result of having launched that command. You can subsequently select any one of the options to display the objects residing on layers that have been categorized as noted.

As data is imported, new layers are created matching those described within the imported data file. As a new layer is created, it is categorized by default, using the Unknown takeoff category.

Select Map Layers in Data Prep > Layers.
In the View Filter Manager, select an appropriate unlocked view filter (one that does not display the beside the name).
In the Display Options group, there are a number of options that enable you to control the current view filter from the contextual viewpoint of displaying only those objects on layers that have been categorized as one of the various takeoff categories. When you select one of those options, as long as the view filter used by the current view is not locked, then only the related objects will be displayed. There is an option associated with each of the takeoff categories. In addition, there is one option to display all layers.

The subject of layer categorization is one associated with the Categorize Takeoff Layers command, which is secured to specific modules addressing that subject. If you have not licensed an appropriate module, the Display Options group will be collapsed as the Map Layers command is launched as an indication that you have no way of categorizing layers.

To establish and maintain layer mapping correlations:

The process of mapping the source layers that you have encountered when importing a data file from a third party, to your organization’s standard layering convention is a manual process, whereby you must investigate the imported data and determine to which of your standard layers each of those source layers should be mapped. That process can be aided by using the View Filter Manager, employing its Zoom extents when the filter changes mode and/or its Isolate layer mode.

After having imported the source data, select Map Layers in Data Prep > Layers.
If the external material and site improvement library in which you wish to maintain the layer mapping is not displayed, click Open in the External Library group and navigate to a suitable .mxl file (if necessary, see Set Up an External Standard Layering Convention).
Click Edit to open and review the linked external library.
Note: The subsection within the external library that is named Standard <--Source Layer Mapping, will contain a list of all of the source layers that have previously been mapped to your standard layers, if you have previously mapped layers.
Note: The last subsection within the external library, named Standard Layering Convention, contains a list of all of the standard layers that you may have previously defined within that library. If you click one of those standard layers, its color and line style will be displayed and can be edited. Additionally, the takeoff category to which it has been assigned will be displayed, as well as the site improvement that may have been assigned to that layer, if applicable.
While evaluating the imported data and mapping it layers to you standard layers, you will find it advantageous to display only the data that remains on source layers, turning those objects off after having moved them to one of your standard layers.
As a new layer is created, it is assigned a takeoff category of Unknown by default. That is the case when importing CAD data, as new layers are created matching those defined in the source file. The Unknown category is intended to indicate that the objects on layer so categorized have not yet been determined to relate to one of the operable takeoff categories. In other words, the subject matter and its implication in regard to the generation of a takeoff report has not as yet been determined. Objects located on a layer of the Unknown category will therefore play no role in the creation of a takeoff report.
In the Display Options group, select the View 'Unknown' layers option. This will display only those unknown objects. As you determine which of your standard layers the objects on a source layer belong and have them moved to that layer, assuming that it is categorized as other than unknown, which should always be the case, all of the objects on that layer will disappear, leaving only those to which continue attention is necessary displayed. The objective will be to make all objects invisible with the View 'Unknown' layers option selected (radio button depressed).
The source layers can be mapped to your standard layers using the controls found in the Manual Layer Mapping group. You will normally use the Map Layers command in conjunction with the View Filter Manager in order to investigate the imported objects and find one that you know should be placed on a particular one of you standard layers.
When you do, you can select that source layer within the From box. Note that that control lists only those layers that are currently categorized as Unknown since the object is to map all of those to known standard layers and move the objects on those layers accordingly. You can selected a layer by name from that layer control, or placing the focus in that control, you can pick an object to select the layer on which it lies. In either case, all of the objects on the selected layer will be selected and highlighted.
In the Map to layer box, select the standard layer to which you wish to move all of the objects found on the above selected source layer. That control will list all layers meeting the following criteria:
- All of the standard layers found within the external standard layering convention, as listed within the currently referenced .mxl file.
- Additional layers that have been found to be categorized as any takeoff category other than Unknown.
- All Protected layers (other than those categorized Unknown).
After making layer selections within the From and Map to layer boxes, click Add to include that layer correlation within the layer mapping portion of the current external material and site improvement library. By adding layer mapping correlations to that .mxl file in this way, the next time you encounter data from that same source (using the same layer naming convention that it used this time), you will be able to eliminate this manual layer mapping procedure and automatically map the source layers to your standard layers (see Understanding Layer Mapping).
Note: By clicking Add, as described above, you are instructing the command to add that layer mapping correlation to the .mxl file for subsequent usage. However, you still need to have all of the objects on the layer designated in the From box moved to the layer selected in the Map to layer box, thereby leaving the source layer empty. Before doing that, decide whether you want to automatically delete the empty source layers, and if so, check the Delete empty source layers check box.
Click Apply (at the bottom of the command pane) to apply the layer mapping stored in the external library, which will now include the layer mapping that you just manually accomplished in the above steps as well as that previously accomplished.

To apply stored layer mapping correlations:

In the Display Options group, select the View 'Unknown' layers option to see just the object on layers that have not been mapped to your standard layers.
Determine whether you want to automatically delete the empty source layers as their content is moved to the related standard layers, and if so, check the Delete empty source layers box.
Click Apply (at the bottom of the command pane) to apply the layer mapping stored in the external library. Each object found on one of the listed source layers will be moved to the indicated standard layer, as established in your standard layering convention. As that occurs, the following things will happen:
- As the objects are moved to standard layers, which are categorized as other than Unknown, those objects will disappear, due to the fact that the View 'Unknown' layers option is selected. After the mapping occurs, you can select the other option to see the objects that have been move to layer that have been categorized accordingly.
- Objects that have a color property of By Layer, will change in color to reflect the color assigned to the standard layer to which they were moved.
- The line style of those objects that have a line style property of By Layer, will change to reflect the line style assigned to the standard layer to which they were moved.
- If the standard layer to which an object was moved has been assigned a site improvement, that site improvement and all of the materials on which it is dependent will be copied from the external material and site improvement library to the project library. However, if the project library already contained such a site improvement or a related material then the matching material and site improvement definitions will be retained as they were in the project library.

To update the external standard layering convention:

Click Edit to open the Material and Site Improvement Manager and to review the linked external library.
Note: The last subsection within the External Library is named Standard Layering Convention and it contains a list of all of the standard layers that you have already established within the external library.
Click Close to close the Material and Site Improvement Manager.
In the External Library group, click Update to update the external library to include all of the layers found within the project, within its Standard Layering Convention. See the Options section below for more information on the process of updating an external library.

Options:

New - Click this to create a new external material and site improvement library.
Open - Click this to open an existing external material and site improvement library.
Update - Click this to update the current external material and site improvement library to include an entry within its standard layering convention for each layer found in the project. Each standard layer stored in the external .mxl file includes the following information about that layer:
- Name (read only)
- Color
- Line style
- Takeoff category (read only)
- Site improvement (read only)

The 'read only' values cannot be edited within the Material and Site Improvement Manager. The layer’s associated color and line style can be edited there. The layer’s takeoff categorization and site improvement assignment can only be edited using the Categorize Takeoff Layers command.

Warning: When updating the current external material and site improvement library, if a layer within the project file is found to have the same name as one in that external library, and if any of the other of the above noted layer properties differ, the layer properties found within the project file will overwrite those contained within the external library for the layer of that name.

Edit - Click this to review and modify the external material and site improvement library to which your project is currently linked.
Display options - These options provide a takeoff-category-focused means of altering the current view filter. Selecting any of the options requires the use of an unlocked view filter.

At the start of the layer mapping process, select View ‘Unknown’ layers to display only those objects that remain categorized as unknown. Those then represent the objects that remain to be mapped to a standard layer. The objective is to leave no layers categorized as unknown.

There is a meaningful difference between the Unknown and Unused takeoff categories. The takeoff category meanings are documented below:

Unknown - Reserved for source layers that have yet to be identified as to usage or character and either not mapped to a predefined standard layer or not yet categorized based on the user’s understanding of that layer’s content.
Unused - Layers containing data that plays no role in containing objects that are to be measured or counted when generating a takeoff. Examples include the layers on which boring logs, surface textures, title block lines, sheet borders, etc., are placed.
Original - Layers containing 3D data that will be used to form the original ground surface associated with a takeoff report, and which may contribute to the formation of existing in ground site improvements to be demolished.
Design - Layers containing 3D data that will be used to form the finished design surface associated with a takeoff report, and which may contribute to the formation of proposed site improvements.
Other - Layers containing data that is not intended to contribute to the formation of a takeoff generated surface, but which is expected to represent data contributing to the formation of site improvements that will be measured or counted and included within a takeoff report.

Note: Use the Zoom Extents" when the filter changes option at the top of the View Filter Manager to keep all visible data in the view.

Scenarios:

If any of these situations exist, layers will not be mapped to the material and site improvement library:
Either materials or site improvements have not been created.
Site improvements do not specify the materials from which they are created.
Standard layers have not been assigned to takeoff categories.
Site improvements have not been assigned to the categorized takeoff layers.

Dependencies:

None