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If it's not already available by some other means, it would be helpful if the Line Name field was also available in the Label type dropdown in the Label Style Manager. It would make checking the linestring names much easier. In this case, I would be checking that the line name matches the structure name before writing the file out for field layout. When the field tech selects the line, the structure name is available. #

You are correct that you cannot currently Label a Lines Name using the Label Lines routine, however you can do this using the Draw Text using the string @<NM,L>@ as Smart Text and label lines individually - this may not be what you wanted but at least that does work today.

I will look to get Line Name added to the Properties that you can Label. We need to make some other changes in there currently like Labeling the Full Length not just the Segment Length of a line and the same in Tables - to get the Full Length of selected lines not all of the segments only.

Thanks for the input

Alan

Thank you for your response Alan - Looking forward to using the feature in an upcoming release.

The main challenge of the Label Lines is that it is designed to Label Line Segments with e.g. Bearing and Distance for

Survey Plats, It is not really designed for the purpose that you are asking. 

The other challenge is that if we did provide this as a support in Label Lines, is that it would currently label all line segments no matter how long or short and that would generate a huge amount of Text data in the project - again this is likely not really what you want either - I guess you would want to Label the Open Ends of lines, and then Label Lines at the Mid and or Quarter points as well - but for sure not every segment. We would also likely need to limit labeling to lines that had a minimum length for each of the Mid and Quarter points etc - so that we did not try to label a very short line 4 times etc. While this all sounds "easy" it may not be as good as it sounds, and we should explore other options here - like that listed below.

If your prime interest is to make sure that all of the lines that you are sending out to the field have names on them, then I would take a look at Selection Explorer - I will record a short video and show you how this could work for you

 I had a similar discussion with one of our SITECH partners a few months back, and they were unaware of the Selection Set Explorer and how you could use that for this exact purpose. It seemed to solve their problem.

Here is a video

Thanks again Alan,

Unfortunately, I'm not seeing the video or a link you've mentioned above.

My interest wasn't "if" the lines were named, but a quick visual confirmation on "what" the line names are. I currently have to select each and every line one at a time and review in the properties box. Not so bad but, I envisioned simply replacing the % label circled in my clip with the name field. That way, once all the lines have been set up, elevated and named, they can be selected "by layer" and labeled in one fell swoop. Then both the elevation of the line and the line name can be visually confirmed by simply panning around the project.

But understandably, things ain't so simple in the software world. The scope I've mentioned is pretty narrow whilst you have the big picture to consider. Anything that helps the narrow effort will be greatly appreciated, otherwise we'll persevere clicking one line at a time.

Apologies - Windows Update took over my machine as I was doing the response yesterday and I ran out of time to capture the video - will try and do that tonight for you

Apologies

Alan

Sent from my iPhone

Here is the video

Thank you again for your efforts Alan

While the Selection Explore feature doesn't really accomplish the intent of my original inquiry, it certainly will help and will be useful in my other workflows.  

Does this mean access to the Name field for the Line Labels is nix'd or is that still being considered?

If you want a tool that labels all lines with its name i.e.

Select the lines you want to label

Specify where you want to label the line e.g.

All segment centers

Mid point

Quarter and end points

Third points

Nodes with call outs

Minimum length (helps make smart decisions about which lines to label and where to label them

I would like your views on how this would work for lines that are too short to label as selected or if you labeled e.g. A contour line that has 1000 segments and you pick e.g. "Every Segment" and let's say all the segments are really short

I likely need to go back over your initial request and follow up to see what I missed there

I would not say the idea is nix'd more that I want to know exactly what is needed and the absolute use case so we can evaluate the work needed and the reward it provides and to check that there is not an alternative process or an expanded need that we are missing

I am not sure that the label line segments command is the right tool (at least not as it is today) that is all

Alan

Sent from my iPhone

Understood.

For the scope I am bringing up, we use 10 or 20' lines to layout utility structures for construction along with other misc items. The lines are entered perpendicular/radial/parallel to the controlling feature, elevated to the lowest invert, and named per the structure name. When the field tech selects the line for layout, he's presented with the name of the structure and cut to lowest invert for labeling the stake.  There are many ways to skin a cat but we found this method to be easy and flexible.

The intent of the request was so that the name assigned to lines, along with the elevation via the line marking toggle, can be quickly visually checked for accuracy and content before sending to the field. Once everything checked out, the layer containing the name labels would be turned off in all likelihood. Currently, quality control would be all I would be looking to do with the feature. But given the ability, I'm sure other uses would surface.

For the example above, they would all be single segment lines only. As they are relativity short, a single label at the center would probably be ideal. What I envisioned was, selecting all the lines by layer, calling for the line name field, and BAM! all the structure names can be verified visually by only panning the project opposed to panning around and individually selecting each line (sometime several hundred) and verifying via the properties panel. 

I can't speak for your other users but, I am currently at a loss as to why there would be the need to display name labels on multi-segment lines. Especially contours and the like. But again, given the ability, who knows what your crafty uses will come up with.

I don't feel like I've helped and answered your questions as I'm pretty much narrowly focused on my needs verses the big picture that you need to consider. However, I hope my long winded post is of some help. I'm starting to feel like this may be a candidate for the new _TML feature. But to find the time to figure that out..............

Rich

Rich

I really appreciate you taking the time to explain what you want - I understand and will do what I can to assist

Alan

Sent from my iPhone

Richard

I think Christmas must've come early this year!

The guys were doing some similar work so we managed to squeeze your request in also to a command that now does two different things

1) You can take a set of unnamed lines that are on Layers that have names, and change the Name property to be that of the Layer that the line is on. We also added the ability to Label the Line at it's mid point as an option (with a Layer and Text Style for the text that is created.

2) You can also select Lines that already have names and then Label the Lines at their mid point as you have requested - again the Text has a layer and a Text Style that you can define.

The video below shows how the two functions work

Have a great weekend and a Happy Christmas!

You can download the Macro from the TML Macros Forum

Click Here

Ho Ho Ho ....

Alan

This will work out exceptionally well. I'd venture to say it's a resounding success!

Easy to check if the Name is correct or omitted.

Now to see if the boys want the labels left on for their collectors. I can't imagine why they wouldn't. 

Curious to see what happens if the name is changed and the command is re-run. I will report back.

Thank you Alan and the TBC team!

Awesome

Service in less than 3 days - cannot be bad (please dont expect this turn

around on everything - this was a small easy change to something we were

already doing so not a biggie)

Alan

On Sat, Dec 1, 2018 at 10:05 AM rtyndall@petillo.com <trimble@jiveon.com>

Ahhh no Alan..... the precedent is set... 3 days MAX each and every time! LOL just kidding. Any help no matter the circumstance is always appreciated.

Anyway, looks like i'll be needing to learn _TML.

HaHaHa LoL

On Sat, Dec 1, 2018 at 10:20 AM rtyndall@petillo.com <trimble@jiveon.com>