Trimble Business Center

I started a new position at a rural municipality as a surveyor/drafter where we just received three excavators with trimble machine control. In the past they have used Map Info to edit and determine the suitable grades for the ditches we will dig/clean out. As of right now I am still surveying (usually quading down the center of the ditch, one line of shots usually around 100 points) then importing my data into Map info where I edit and come up with the proper grade, then i bring my coordinates into TBC to create machine control files for the excavators. I have been trying to figure out if there is a simple way on TBC to create a profile of the ditch and then determine the appropriate grade for each ditch. (Map info does this very well with the drainage program). Basically I am trying to get rid of the Map Info step and do everything on Trimble Business Center. Any tips would be greatly appreciated!

Tim

The string of points that you have for the Ditch (Existing) - you can import those into TBC as Points or as 3D lines depending on where they are coming from (what data collection system etc.) 

Once you have that 3D line in TBC creating the "Proper Grade" should be straight forward - but it depends on how you want that to be done - We probably need to discuss on the phone how you do that today and then I can advise you how to do that in TBC - could you either call me on +1 720 323 0481 or email me your contact details to alan.sharp@rockpilesolutions.com and I will call you to work out what you do today and how best to replicate in TBC. Getting an example of your Surveyed data and your resulting "Ditch profile" for one project would be helpful so I can see the process from that - send me an email with that data if possible as a VCL file from TBC (Export, Construction, bottom of list of exports) or as a 3D DWG or Landxml will work.

Alan 

Following up here Tim - thanks for sharing the data so I could take a look at this for you. I have captured a video of the process that I would use to do this type of work. For the benefit of others looking at this post, Tim shared the following info with me

1. The min slope required is 0.03%
2. The Mac Cut that ideally they want is .03 to .04m however more is sometimes required. I am not sure yet whether they always want to cut, or whether some degree of Cut and Fill is also OK. The example shared shows mostly cut - I am asking for clarification.
3. They want a smooth flow profile, today at least they do simple grade breaks and no vertical curves in the profiles - however we could easily add vertical curves if needed since they are using machine control so cutting curved profiles would be possible if needed.

The video shows how to 

1. Import the csv file of measured points
2. Use the Connect Points (Linestring from points) command to draw the current profile of the ditch
3. Edit the line to get it as needed for the process
4. Use the line to create an alignment of the Ditch Profile (HAL and VAL)
5. How to create a Profile View and then exaggerate the profile greater than 20 times using CTRL SHIFT ALT and Wheel Mouse 
6. How to create offset lines high and low of the current ditch profile to give the +/- 0.03m guidelines
7. How to add the High and Low tolerance guidelines to the profile View of the alignment using CreateProfileProxy
8. How to create a second vertical alignment for the Ditch Profile Revision
9. How to draw and edit the profile of the revised ditch grade line
10. How to create a corridor from the new Ditch Grade Line
11. How to interactively edit the Ditch Grade line to adjust the corridor

This process leads to the creation of a surface model that can be given to the excavators as either a 3D Alignment or as an alignment and surface model for grading guidance / automation.

I hope that this is useful

Alan