Prepare data for a site to create high-accuracy surfaces for measurement and stakeout on controllers running Site Controller Software (SCS) or grade control operations on machine control systems. Also, create a variety of surfaces for site takeoff calculations. This page guides you through the steps needed to create surface models for these purposes.

Following are the basic steps for this workflow. For more detailed instructions, see Prepare Data (Organize and Clean Up).

Steps:

Commands:

1.

Open a project or start a new project and import the data from which you want to create a surface.

Open Project

New Default Project - Use the default template.

New Project - Choose a template.

Import

Insert georeferenced background maps supplied by DigitalGlobe Imagery. A free Trimble Connect login is required.

Toggle Background Map

2.

Review the data in a project using a variety of tools for filtering, viewing, selecting and measuring objects.

Workflow: Review Data

3.

Clean up your imported data to fix typical problems found in CAD data.

• Do this step to quickly eliminate unwanted objects, and then delete empty layers to minimize the information that you have to work with. The command also converts CAD lines into linestrings, joins lines, and sets an elevation on outlying objects (if you specify).

Project Cleanup

• Identify and flag where lines cross each other planimetrically (same X and Y coordinate, but different Z level), and generate a list of the crossings in both the command and Flags Pane.

Detect Crossing Geometry

4.

Review your data using the View Filter Manager.

Use the Zoom Extents and Isolate Layer modes concurrently to identify unneeded data.

View Filter Manager

5.

Separate data that you want to keep from data that you want to delete on the same layer.

Segregate data using regular expressions in the Advanced Select command and using Invert Selection.

Advanced Select

6.

Delete objects on unneeded layers.

There is no user interface for the Delete Empty Layers command, so watch the list of layers in the Layer Options pane to see which are removed.

Delete Empty Unprotected Layers

7.

Explode blocks and delete other unneeded objects.

Do this step if your data includes blocks that contain objects that you want to move, modify, or delete individually.

Explode Blocks

Delete

8.

Organize data by layer:

• Create new layers.

New Layer

• Rename existing layers so that they relate to the original ground, finished design, or utilities.

Layer Manager

• Relayer remaining objects so they are logically segregated.
• Make your layered lines, symbols, and text objects easier to identify by changing their names.
• Change the layer of selected objects in the Properties pane.
• Rename selected objects in the Properties pane. This will help field crews find the lines by name.

Properties

• Match (copy) properties assigned to a selected object to one or more other objects of the same type. Properties that can be matched include layer, line style/scale/weight, color, text style, dimension style, label style, label table style, and feature code.

Match Properties

9.

Make your lines, symbols, and text objects easier to identify by changing their appearance.

If you want to further control how lines, symbols, and text appear in printed output, use the managers listed.

Line Style Manager

Symbol Manager

Text Style Manager

10.

Edit the lines in your data by breaking, trimming, extending, and deleting segments. Then simplify the remaining lines by joining them.

Break Line

Delete Line Segment

Trim/Extend Lines

Join Lines

• Clip unnecessary lines away from regions of your data.

Clip Lines

11.

Transform objects in your data by moving, rotating, and scaling them.

Move Objects

Rotate Objects

• Use these tools to correct your data if an object is incorrectly positioned, oriented, or sized.

Scale Objects

Move/Rotate/Scale Objects

Move/Rotate/Scale Objects by Points

12

Create additional objects by copying and offsetting from existing ones.

Copy Objects

Offset Line

13.

Create boundaries around areas of interest from various lines that cross or overlap.

• Do this step if you need to derive the outline of a region from disconnected lines that overlap planimetrically, but may not be connected in 3D space.

Track Region Outline

14.

Manually create other missing objects:

Create Point

• Create points and points from spot elevations.

Create Points from Spot Elevations

• Create linestrings, polylines, and alignments.

Create Polyline

Create Linestring

Create Alignment

15.

Before manually elevating 2D lines, consider creating models (vertical designs) from linework using a variety of rules (parametric instructions) for elevations, slopes, cross-slopes, grades, and other types of connections and transitions. This verfial design functionality provides a rule-based way to create 3D models for roads, intersections, parking lots, landscaping, and other site features.

Create Vertical Design

16.

Elevate all objects with identifiable elevations.

Do this step to convert 2D or mixed 2D and 3D data into 3D data that can be used to form surface models, such as original ground and design, or provide 3D linework for stakeout or machine control operations.

Set Line Elevation

• Elevate a set of objects.

Change Elevation

• Elevate labeled contour lines.

Elevate Contours by Label

• Elevate contours by crossing contour lines where the elevation can be inferred by two or more lines with known elevations.

Elevate Contours by Crossing

• Elevate contours one at a time for each of the remaining contours.

Elevate Contour

• Elevate lines using nearby and intersecting objects.

Elevate Lines

• Elevate building pads.

Elevate Pads

17.

Check your data for accuracy:

• Review the elevation at any distance along a line.

Explore Object

• Measure distances and angles between objects.

Measure

Measure Angle

• Exaggerate vertical distances and orbit around contours and other lines in 3D.
• Opening the 3D View will hide this workflow. Click the workflow guide's tab to return to it.

3D View Settings

3D View

• Review the attributes of any object.

Properties

18.

Create generalized surfaces or surfaces for takeoff, or proceed to one of the field data workflows.