Trimble Business Center

I'd like to request an enhancement that would allow me the ability to differentiate model space colors separately from "field" colors (i.e. those that show up on data collectors, machines, etc.). This could be a similar feature to AutoCAD's plot colors vs. regular layer colors, and the GUI for the addition would be useful to have in both the Layer Manager and Properties panels. I've attached a very basic mockup for better illustration of this.

The usefulness of this feature would quickly be realized by those wanting to view a multitude of site features and utilities using many different colors (including light colors) in Business Center, while creating an easy way to make sure linework is always easily visible to field crews and operators. For instance, it's very useful for me to be able to designate gas lines in Business Center using a yellow line, which is impossible to see (due to the combination of sun and safety glasses/sunglasses) on older GCS and TSC's, and difficult to see on newer devices. Getting into the wees a bit, when exporting such lines as a DXF or DWG, it'd probably be useful to have the option to export the with either model or field colors.

Along these same lines, it'd be useful to be able to see linetypes and lineweights on field devices, but I'm sure that's for a different forum.

Coupled with this request, it would also be useful to have a "field space" view (i.e. model space vs. field space), which would quickly allow the data preparer to review within Business Center what any exported linework will look like on field devices (thus making it unnecessary to use the emulators to do the same).

Tyler

Our upcoming Macro Release package has a tool called View Filter Override that allows you to set up an override View Filter which maps ByLayer data to different colors and linestyles and Lineweights. When applied this physically changes the colors on screen to the Override Colors. I am looking to see whether we can make that override view filter drive out different colors to the field systems using the Field Data, Project Library and Works Manager workflows.

The older machines have specific 8/16 color palettes that you can use, so you need to set those up as Custom Colors currently, I could add those to a dedicated Color Palette in this command to make it easy to do the mapping of colors for Field System use.

The nice think about this tool is that you can see what it would look like on the field system inside TBC.

I actually have a Template setup in TBC that takes care of all my Color Mapping needs - that is optimized for GCS900, SCS900, Siteworks and Earthworks equipment, and I will set up a custom Override Viewfilter in that template to be able to Preview what the Machines will see 

Great idea

Alan

You should post this as a ideal so it can be voted on as this is something Trimble should look into adding to the layer manager not a 3rd party selling it as a macro this is the kind of stuff we pay a yearly support for.  

Just recently I had a similar discussion. Our company just spend 90000 AUD for TBC licenses with 3 year warranty. We'd like to see updates and bug-fixes in a timely manner in the core product and not having to spend more money on customization.

Unfortunately customization is the quicker way and you'll know that you probably get it, whereas Trimble as a stock market listed company is not allowed to make any statement when and if at all a certain functionality will be incorporated. The developers supposedly read the forum but what actually will end up on their list you'll never know. That's actually very unsatisfying.

Here in Australia the pressure to use a certain competitor is already quite high, so once that project is finished in about 3 years we'll have to reconsider if it's worth it to stick with TBC.