Trimble Business Center

As the title suggests, I'd like the ability to create a trench model at pipe flowline. TBC currently only allows for the trench surface to be created at bottom-of-pipe, which is limiting me from fully incorporating the use of this module into our regular workflow.

Tyler

f you want to work to Invert for the base of your trench, you could enter a 0.01 wall thickness for the pipe so that the Invert = Bottom of pipe for the purposes of your Trench computations.

I guess it all depends on what you want out of the system - if you want Takeoff Qtys that is one thing, if you want to use it to compute a Trench Model to suit field operations that is a different thing as what you are describing is a use case for the calculation tools rather than the defined use case which was to model the Pipes and Trenches and backfills for quantity takeoff primarily.

Maybe this will help?

Let me know

Alan 

This is an acceptable workaround.

Yes, I'm trying to utilize the utility module as a way to simplify trench modeling for our machines.

We usually receive elevated pipe networks from the designer, and by exporting those networks as XML's we can bring fully elevated utility models in to TBC. The ideal of course is to use these pre-made models to create trench models with as few steps as possible. Unfortunately, as I've gotten deeper into the module, I've found more limitations than automations, and it takes just as long, if not longer to create an accurate, buildable trench model.

So far I've been introduced to a number of workarounds, but it doesn't appear that Trimble is interested in adding additional features to the module, which is disappointing.

I would not say that Trimble is not interested in adding additional features to the module, it has been a while since they worked on the module, and I am sure that at some point they will put resources on it again to take on some of the enhancement requests that have been requested. TBC is a large product and covers many areas, and they cannot all be worked on at the same time unfortunately.

Alan