Trimble Business Center

I thought this was mentioned before but couldn't find anything on the community.

The ability to snap to a point on a vector PDF would be very useful. Yes you can import the linework but you also get all of the extra junk that you may want and then have to deal with cleaning and deleting this, creating more work than a simple snap to 2 points would be. Sometimes you just need to create a quick phasing line as shown in my video.

Please consider. Thank you!

I will add this to the list of entrancement requests.  Note that we have a very large list and we are only able to implement a fraction of what we would like to do.  Keep them coming, we rank these based on effort required and anticipated value to customers.  Every release we take the most valuable ideas in addition to our larger goals to make a release.

tim

If they add the feature (please do), there needs to be a seperate toggle button handy, preferably added to the status bar separate from the osnap toggle at the bottom of the main window. 

I agree with Pat. I have a ton of clients that complain about this all the time.

I second this request.  Bringing in all of the vector information and then cleaning it up just to do something simple is a big time waster.  This feature would help tremendously.

I agree that this would be very helpful.  

would be helpful for sure

Just like in the Digitize Cross Section.  Such a Pain to clean up.  it would be nice to show vector data so you can snap to the lines you want to draw quick lines. 

Yes please!

I would like to see this function as well!

Frank

You can already use Vector data to select linework in Digitize Section and it can be turned on and off using CTRL V. it doesn't snap to nodes, but it does snap to the lines and extract the lines automatically - good for existing for sure.

Alan

Agree with all of you that this would be a great addition - however .... To do what you are all asking for try the following

1. Go ahead and import the Vectors for each sheet. After import relayer all of the imported Vector Data to a Layer called PDF Linework - Sheet 1. Set the layer Color to Light Grey (I think that you will want to see the linework not just the snap points if you are trying to draw over linework) and set the lineweight to something like 0.2 mm so it is easy to see on the Black Linework of the PDF Sheet.
2. Set your Snaps to use End Point, Free Point and Near Point. Free Point is optional if sometimes you want to add data that is not in the Vectors that you imported.
3. Now you can trace lines using bolder colors like red or Blue with lineweight .5 and use the Vectors as snapping locations. 
4. If you have multiple sheets of PDF data - import each set of linework and Relayer it by Sheet to different Layers - that way you can delete it anytime you want, and you can turn lines on / off by layer for each sheet as needed
5. Before you Relayer the imported vectors, you may want to Name the Objects using the Layer Names of the imported Vectors. That way you can select by name to get all the lines (like contours) that may be on one layer initially back onto one layer pretty fast when you realize that this layer is actually useful data. This would apply to non Bold Lines that are drawn as a single line in the PDF. 

While not 100% what you wanted, it works exactly like you wanted - OK it adds a Layer per PDF Sheet imported and adds Entities to a Project making it bigger - however that is only in theory because if we held all vectors in background we would be doing the same thing so not really a saving in Size or Speed of use, just in the visibility of the objects. You can turn the "Selectable" flag on or off on the PDF Linework Layers as needed to stop inadvertent snapping or selecting if needed. I have used this approach quite a bit and what I do like about it is that if there is a layer of Good Linework that I want to use I can select by Name (Advanced Select) and get the data and relayer it for e.g. Contours or Buildings where it makes sense to do so that can save a lot of digitizing time.

This works for Plans and we have some exciting things up our sleeves for Sections ..... 

Alan

Alan,

What would make this process easier would be the ability to set a prefix and layer group to lines imported from a pdf. This would help us organize the lineworks data from the pdfs. Linework imported from a pdf is not tied to the pdf, so if you already have a pdf imported into the project it can be a nuisance to separate data.

Yes you can select newly imported vector linework from a pdf, export it out as a dwg/dxf, re-import and set a prefix but this is a lot of extra steps that should be available. This is especially a pain for revisions. Using the pdf over the CAD file is sometimes quicker because you just need to bump out the curb, move a sign, make small adjustments or tweaks. It doesn't always warrant going through the whole CAD file and you may miss something going this route. 

Things that would help the current process until pdf vector snapping is implemented:

1. Option to set a prefix to imported layers

2. Option to set a layer group

3. Have the lines imported from a vector pdf be tied to the pdf

   - This would allow users to select all members

-Useful when a revision comes out, users could grab all and delete

I have a "PDF Layers" layer group in my template, and when I import vector

information, all the vector layers automatically have layers that start

with PDF.  I then go into the Layer Manager, shift+select all the layers

that start with PDF and move them to the "PDF Layers" layer group.  I can

then turn that whole group on and off as I need the vector information.

On Thu, Oct 3, 2019 at 3:38 PM plheureux@severinotrucking.com <

Thank you for that workflow.  I will be trying it.

One other step I have started to do with importing sheets.  Doing a Save As for only importing PDF Sheets then export any line work from there.  that way I don't over crowd my main project.