Trimble Connect User Forum

Hello!

I'm developing a plugin or extension for TASDK (and already watched all the youtube videos by @Nico Becke  ) and im trying to change the type of input (see the image adjunt) right now it is a text that is export from the Feature Definition Manager.
I want to know if its posible to change that kind of text by an image or the symbols modificating the Code with the TASDK or I have to change it from the Feature Definition Manager Code? Is it even exits? Some kind of API or SDK but in Feature Definition Manager…

And the other option or question is if I have to modificate the Feature Definition Manager code to change this code line that the .fxl archive send to Trimble Access to read it the type of code or symbols.


Thank you, for everything you can tell me about. I really apreciate it.

Hi Melissa, 

we internally discussed what you are trying to do - but we frankly don't know what you finally want to achieve.

So a couple of generic things:

• the fxl is usually created via the Feature Code Definition Manager which comes with TBC. This is a xml file which defines meta data to a point - so stuff like decoration, color etc. But its just a definition file - a template. It does not contain instances.
• Trimble Access links fxl files to a job - so it links the template definition. When you measure a point you can select a feature code from the library. In this step an instance of the selected object is created and attached to the point. Therefore you can only edit/ change feature code attributes IF the correct fxl is attached. So the type of a field (string, int etc) is defined in the fxl and Trimble Access loads the control based on the definition in the fxl. The instance (the measured point with feature code and attributes) has no idea about the type of data it contains.
• you have different interfaces to work with fxl in TASDK; so the tsc_Feature class for example allows you check the current type of feature (tsc_ListAttributeType, tsc_TextAttributeType). Based on the type you can load a custom control if you don't want to use the default stuff. 
• there is no API to the Feature Code Definition Manager - but you can of course 'fine tune' the xml. BUT - keep in mind that as soon as your fxl and the instances in a job don't match you will run into trouble editing those field. 

So thats all generic stuff. For a better answer or at least comment we'd need to unterstand what you actually try to do. Ideally a picture like 'this is what I have - this is how it should look like in the end'.

Cheers

Nico

Hi Melissa,

Assuming I understand you correctly I fear you can only get closer to your wish - but not fully.

So there is a difference between a symbol and a photo. 

Symbols are pre-defined drawings - usually imported via a 'sym' file or dxf etc. The screenshot shots the default Symbols file shipping with the Feature Code Definition Manager

On the other side Photos are dynamic attributes:

So if your symbol library contains different symbols for trees you can change the feature code of the point to switch from tree symbol 1 to tree symbol 2. But it will still be a symbol - no real-like photo.

The photo gets referenced in the job file (so the path to the jpg is recorded in the job/ jxl). 

In the end you can have multiple tree symbols - and maybe try to make them more 'real life' likeish. But afaik you can't load images into a symbol. Plus those images would also not be shown on the map. So maps are usually tuned to show lightweight symbols (for performance) - they don't load images... At least not in GIS/ survey type of applications (not talking about Google Maps or what so ever).

So TASDK won't help much. 

Nico

Ok, if it's not even possible to do it by Feature Definition Manager. 
There's a chance on TASDK to show the default symbol on the submenu on Key in point "Code". 

Right now it shows the complete word "Arbol" -tree- (see the image) so:

- Is it possible to change the visual mode?

Change the actual visual as it is the word "Arbol" by the default Symbol - Arbol symbol-  that is generated by Feature Definition Manager? Do not show the word "arbol"(tree) , just show the tree symbol (as showing the iamge below, the trimble Acess one).

( I hope the image completes the explanation)

Thanks!

@Nico Becke