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Is there a mirror function within BC so that cad line work can be mirrored?

Thanks,

Brent

There is not. I had the same question on this. I wish there was also an array function. 

You might able able to accomplish a mirror with a combination of the offset and rotation functions. Not as quick but may do the trick. 

Thanks

Hi Guys,

We hear you. The ability to mirror CAD objects is high on the TBC Product Managers' list of frequently requested enhancements.

David

There is a hidden command in BC-HCE that is not officially released (that is why it is a hidden command) called mirrorobjects (use the F12 to open command pane and type mirrorobjects in the command line) and you will find that it works in v4.11. The command in v4.11 has some issues with Text and with Blocks but if all you are mirroring is linework you can use it successfully.

Hope this helps

Alan

Love this forum.

Whoa.  Thanks!  Looks like I'll be foraging thru the command pane frequently from now on for hidden gems. 

Is there also a "Polar Array" command hidden somewhere? It would be really handy on the project i'm currently on. 

Sorry no there is not today - I have had that request once before and I did

log it in at that time - assume you are working on a Tank Farm or something

...

Alan

On Wed, Apr 3, 2019 at 8:48 AM kdeguzman@landmark-sc.com <trimble@jiveon.com>

Bummer.

Working on anchor bolts for a silo. 

Another thing that's handy right now with the way i'm doing it I guess is the ability to make multiple copies of an object. 

That is where a Gaming Mouse helps - you can program the keys to do some of

the heavy lifting for you and give you access to things like Forward Tab,

Back Tab or Double Back Tab and Enter etc so you can do it all from your

mouse - If I have a lot of that stuff to do - depending on how the Copying

has to be done - I create some Copies and then select all the data I just

Created and then create the next Copy and so on until I get the area

completed (Parking Stripes which are very repeatable are my favorite ....

but you can knock them out pretty easily.

The quickest way to create a polar array that I know is as follows - If you

Create an Array at a unit radius (1ft) comprising the Circle and Radial

Lines - you can create the Array Points using the Create from CAD command

at the Intersections of the Circle and Lines. You can copy that array to

each of the Tank Centers (if all the tanks / silos are the same layout

either Now (if each Silo has different offsets) or after you created the

first one (a complete array copy) you can use Copy (select the Circle and

Points only)  and then use the Scale Command to create the Next Radius

points (use the center of the circle and a scale of say 25 to create the

Radius 25 points and repeat for each circle that you need. etc If these

arrays are at common evenly spaced radials - you should be able to create

these pretty quickly without a Polar Array command - however I agree that a

dedicated command to do Polar Array would be nice to have - this is what I

think it would need - please tell me if I am missing something

The polar Array will have

1) Select Center of Array (X,Y and Optional Z)

2) Select the Orientation of the Array - default 0 but can input any

rotation angle / bearing as a start)

3) Radial Interval e.g. 30 degrees (or do we need a radial Intervals List

so you can put in a Random list of angles from the Orientation point?)

4) Offsets from Center (The Radii of the Circles that you need in the

Array) should we enter that as a list of Radii - e.g. 10, 15, 23.5, 32,8

etc

5) For Elevations we could have each circle radius has its own fixed

elevation or compute using a Slope from the Center point if 3D so you could

enter e.g. 25' Radius and -2% slope or 25' Radius and 102.6 as a constant

elevation

6) Starting Point ID

7) Code - should the Code be defined once for all points in this array or

does each circle have its own code like Silo1 - R25   and Silo 2 - R35 etc

because then each circle would have to have its own Radius, Slope/

Elevation and Code

8) Layer for Points

9) Option to Create Circles and Radials - the Radials would spread from

Center to Outer Circle Defined, the Circles would be 3D Lines at the

Elevations and Radius of the Circles. Would the Radials be elevated by each

circle also - I would have thought so so you get a 3D Model of the Linework

and Points.

10) Save the Definition with a name in current project and option as a file

(XML) so it can be reused at different locations and in other similar

projects if needed - so you just have to define the Center and Orientation

and can then place it quickly.

11) Assume that this command would loop - all settings defined would be

retained - except the Origin - you can of course change any values to

adjust for a specific Silo / Tank

You can create unlimited Circles and even spaced radials or unlimited

circles and randomly defined radials

Go - Compute all the Points and lop back to the start for the next tank

center and setup.

Let me know if this would cover the needs and If I am missing something

here that would be helpful - just want to have a definition of this in our

system in case someone wants to build the Command or a Macro.

Alan

On Wed, Apr 3, 2019 at 9:08 AM kdeguzman@landmark-sc.com <trimble@jiveon.com>

Thanks Alan. 

I did requested one from Santa (a.k.a Mike Marshall) for a Gaming Mouse last Christmas after reading your post about it.

Never thought about this until you mentioned it but a radial interval list would be nice. Maybe set in a clockwise order. 

With this option, I will be able to position my bolts in one command in this case. 

Looks like certain Radials apply at different Radii also based on your

image - is it a problem to create all points at all Radii and then delete

those that you don't need - that keeps this automated and relatively simple

to do?

On Wed, Apr 3, 2019 at 11:08 AM kdeguzman@landmark-sc.com <

It is actually just one radius but different degree angle interval. The outmost lines that you see around my bolt centerline are angular dimensions to help me double check myself and compare to the plans. And the end of the orange lines are the center of my bolts. 

So the list of Radial Intervals is necessary - I guessed as much - but if

you had three rings at different radii and say 16 radial intervals - we

would create points at all of the Intersections of the Circles and Radials

- and if you wanted to delete some then you would do that after they were

created.

Alan

On Wed, Apr 3, 2019 at 12:30 PM kdeguzman@landmark-sc.com <

Alan,  Your suggestion about creating copies of copies, etc. reminds me of a comment I've had for awhile:  There are many times where I want to copy sets of points, say anchor bolts, from one location to several other locations but the copied points have the same point number which is terribly unuseful for sending to the field.  There should probably be either an option or just default setting to create new point numbers when copying a point(s).

You can use the Rename Points command to name the points that you just copied and that gives a lot of flexibility on how to Name the Points - e.g. you could use AB = Anchor Bolt then a Pattern Number and then a - Point Number i.e. AB13 - 1, 2,3, etc.

If you turn off the report it goes pretty fast and gives you all the tools - after the Copy and Move, the points remain selected so you can Name just those points - this was kind of deliberate because Naming can be complex requirement and the Rename Points command does most of what people ask for and because Copy / Move is not always working on Points you may not want to Rename Objects every time of course.

Alan

PV Wick Drains were an example of where we needed an array function. We were able to work around this using staggered reference lines but I think being able to create points with an array might have been easier. 

We had (and still have) a 5 x 5 triangle grid that we have to layout for the wick crews. 

(Their drill rig did not have machine control. I thought about throwing it on there though). 

I want to say the "Create Points at interval" function came out right around the time we were doing this. This helped but you still had to offset all of your lines and then select them and run the "Points at Interval function". 

The Drilling and Piling capability has an Array function to do exactly this

for Wick Drains, Piles, Drill Holes etc.

That process can also create Points as well as Drill Holes, Piles etc.

Alan

On Thu, Apr 11, 2019 at 8:56 AM plheureux@severinotrucking.com <