Trimble Business Center

Is there a way to copy sheet sheets? If not #enhancementrequest. I have my sheet set all set up with a dynaview collection. All I want to do is copy the sheet set and change the view filter that is active for the sheet set.

I have to do this multiple times so I am looking for a quicker way than starting from scratch.

I think this would also be useful for cross sections and plan and profiles.

Thanks!

Great question @Pat L'Heureux!

Select the sheet set in the project explorer

Export it to vcl and import again

build the sheets

change the view filter

If you have a blank sheet you can also copy the objects from one sheet to another.

tim

Thanks Tim. This is helpful.

One downside to this though is it also exports dependent entities, so in the case of plan and profile it will export you alignment corridor and any associated surfaces. I imagine this is the same with cross sections. When you import this vcl, you get doubles of all of the data exported, shown below

I did try with a plan grid sheet and it looks like it only export/imports the dynaview collection which would get taken care of with the project cleanup duplicate line function. 

Really you need to:

1. Select Sheet Set
2. Export as VCl
3. Open a blank TBC file
4. Import VCL
5. Scrub data
6. Select Sheet set 
7. Reexport as vcl
8. Import into working drawing

This is a manageable work around but can add some time to scrub out the data. This can also create some serious problems if the user is not aware of this creating duplicates of data. 

Before import:

After import:

Notice how in the Project Explorer/alignments and corridors there are now 2 Daybreak Drives and the drone surface is doubled. 

Edit the properties of the sheet set and set the corridor to none.  Then export the sheet set.  When you import it you will have to set the corridor  from none to the desired one.  You will not get the alignments.  This is the same process used to set the drafting templates.

See how this works for you.

tim

Tim,

Is there a way to export to VCL without dependant entities?

Which Export Format would allow me to do it? VCL Project Link Explorer surely exports everything.

I am not talking just about sheet sets but i.e. surfaces.

If you select lines and points to make a surface, then the surface is parametrically defined and when you export it to VCL the entire definition goes, so you have the lines and points and the full definition.  The surface is the objects and the settings for the surface and the current triangle relationship.  Changing the objects changes the surface. This allows you to edit the definition of the surface when imported to another file.

You can use the offset surface command to create a new surface or export to ttm and import to make an "internal" surface that is no longer dependent on the objects.  When you export this surface to VCL you will have just one object, but you will no longer be able to edit it.

If you are using the takeoff workflow then the surface is defined based on the layers used to make the surface.  If you export this surface it will carry the triangles but not the objects from the layers specified as "Design layers".  The VCL will have the surface, but if you make any change that requires the surface to be rebuilt then the data needed is not present and the triangles are removed.

The same goes for a surface defined from a point cloud.  The triangles go but not the point cloud.  Any change and the surface is lost.

Formats such as landxml and dwg are not parametric and require that we create objects understood by other systems.  You typically get more data but without the intelligence and object relationships.  Importing data from other systems typically creates more objects than originally needed within TBC.

Thanks Tim.

That's exactly what I was doing so far -> Export to TTM -> Import again...

Workflow of: Offset surface option combined with export to VCL answers my question.