Trimble Business Center

Is there a way to view a TBC project in a view only mode?

• Multiply colleagues could collaborate and view it without accidentally making changes to the project.

• One project  versus  One project and multiple project copies for each sub user.

• One location to update when there are changes.

Example:

John (Office - Model Department) - Builds and manages any updates to the model.

Fred (Office - Project Manager) - Access to view in plan and 3D views, surface slicer, turn on and off layers, check properties, measure items, etc.

Steve (Field - Superintendent) - Access to view in plan and 3D views, surface slicer, turn on and off layers, check properties, measure items, etc.

Chris (Field - Foreman) - Access to view in plan and 3D views, surface slicer, turn on and off layers, check properties, measure items, etc.

You can just install TBC on their computer. The unlicensed version has the ability to "Access to view in plan and 3D views, surface slicer, turn on and off layers, check properties, measure items, etc." without  having any sort of license. They can also do multiple other things with the unlicensed. Check out the excel spreadsheet posted in TBC v5.00 Commands by Edition and Module fore Ver. 5 and BC-HCE 4.10 Licensed Features.xlsm  for Ver. 4. It will you show what features you can use.

Thanks for responding. Yes, that is what we are currently doing with some projects. Either we make a copy or export as a vcl. Then when there are revisions made all will need a new copy or vcl.

I was thinking more if there is a way to lock it or view only so it can't be edited besides by the creator?

Then all others could view the one. When revisions were made on the one, all other would already be up to date when viewed again. This would eliminate someone from viewing old data if they did not receive the revised copy.

The Free Viewer component of TBC v5 provides the type of functions that you are looking for. The only things that someone can do in the Viewer that could affect the project are as follows

1. Delete something - the Delete function is enabled in Viewer so someone could open the file, select something and delete it - that may not be desirable of course
2. Import some additional data - The Viewer allows data to be Imported (it is there so you can import data and export it to field systems. Again this may not be desirable.
3. I have to check, but it may be possible to change the Properties of something because the properties Pane is active in the Viewer and I don't think we suppress changes to Properties
4. Creating Sites, Designs, Workorders from the project
5. Deleting Sites, Designs and Workorders
6. Changing Project Settings - I have not tried this but I don't think this is suppressed, however since Building a Surface Model is suppressed (from scratch at least), if you change Edge Length property for example a Surface may reform incorrectly
7. Changing Computation Settings - e.g. for a Corridor, if you changed the computation setting for a Road project (Interval Setting) it may cause the Road to reform.

The Menu that I posted earlier in the week, that presents just the Viewer functions to the user could be changed to eliminate these functions from the Menus, however the functions will still be there if you hit F12, reconfigure the menus, Right Click after selecting an object etc. so you cannot eliminate them totally today.

No matter what you do there is a chance that even with the Viewer Menu, that someone could inadvertently change something - even a setting could throw you off - like changing the Units for a project etc. Turning off Snap Settings or something like that. If you want to be 100% safe on all of this then share a version of the project not the original - keep the master in the hands of someone responsible etc.

Could we dumb down the viewer more - sure that is of course possible - give us feedback on this.

Alan

Thanks Alan. A lot of the things you have listed is what I was thinking could affect the project. Sounds like sharing a version of the master is still the best way. I wouldn't think it would be good to dumb down the viewer or take away functionality from the core module. Unless there could be a viewer and a advanced viewer.

Originally what got me thinking about this was we are looking for a way to view the utility networks created in TBC in a 3D view on any device (computer, ipad, smart phone or tablet) in the field. The pipe networks created in TBC are not displaying correctly in Trimble Connect. The manholes, catchbasin and pipe runs (sewer & storm) show up correct but the utility lines (sewer forcemain & water) do not.

Can you share an example of what you mean with me. Are you referring to

Connect or Connect Desktop. What method are you using to get data from TBC

to Connect - LandXML or ???

Let me know and I will take a look next week if I can get an example from

you. You can email me on alan_sharp@trimble.com if you dont want to share

publicly

Alan

On Fri, Jan 11, 2019 at 8:29 AM erics@rotschyinc.com <trimble@jiveon.com>

 I believe it is Connect. I'm using the LandXML exporter.

Eric

I took a look at your data and have forwarded a long email to the Development team around this. I did manage to get the Forcemain and Watermain elements to export but I saw some issues in that between the Export of data from TBC and the import back into TBC. 

Then I looked at the Landxml support in Connect and Connect Desktop, and neither one was good for this data - I have sent a set of comments into the Connect Team (which is a separate group to the Team I work with, and will see what comes back from that - I have little to no influence over Trimble Connect so I am not sure how fast we will be able to resolve those issues. 

As announced at Dimensions if you were there, we are utilizing the Connect Backend Services in the Connected SIte 2.0 solution that should be out in Q2 for Customer Preview - that replaces the TCC solution by the end of 2019. That is the platform for all things Browser for CEC going forwards. The best solution for your Field teams would be the TBC Viewer to get the best use of the Utility Data in the Field. The Connected Site will load more and more "Smart Data:"over time I am sure and that may then become the long term solution here. I will keep you in the loop as things progress there.

I will let you know what I hear back from development.

Alan

Ok, sounds good! I did attend a couple classes on the Connected Site at Dimensions and seen/heard a preview of it.

Thanks Alan!