Trimble Business Center

I think there needs to be an addition to the vertical design tool or a separate tool that allows a user to create containers of normally 2d linework to drape over surfaces. Similar to the drape objects but not creating copies and truly elevating the original linework. 

How I envision this:

• Name of group
• Select Linework
  • Allow for adding and remove line work
• Select reference surface
• Settings:
  • Drape
    • Drape only at vertices? Maybe this is a line specific question
    • Automatically drape when surface is updated
    • manually run
  • Offset distance from surface
    • could be used for some subgrade purposes or
    • utilities that are usually a constant depth below a grade
      • water
      • electrical
      • forcemain
    • landscape objects

I think this would be a great compliment to the create side slope and vertical design tool and help push 3D models a step further. 

#enhancementrequest

Thanks for considering!

The Change Elevation Command does this today when you elevate using Surface and you can put in an offset to the surface - these are not dependent objects deliberately because sometimes dependencies like Sideslope and Drape are a royal pain in the ass as well as being hugely beneficial at times.

I definitely agree with that statement.  I think the big value in this would be in creating containers of linework or objects that you quickly select and apply the change elevation to.

Short term

I guess this could be accomplished with selection sets. I will have to try this. There is no option to select by selection set in the select options though huh? I think this could be valuable.

Long term

I think a place in the project explorer would be beneficial down the road because you could:

1. Create vertical designs and run this
2. Run takeoff surfaces
   1. I add all of my model data to the take off surface because I find it easier and you can create a shortcut to rebuild the takeoff surfaces
3. Run the "drape" command to take care of everything else.

Similar to the logical of the vertical design tool; step 1, step 2, step 3, etc

Actually you could use the vertical design as a container for this linework with no instructions and then quickly grab all of the linework using the select child command. 

I just did this with some stripping linework.