Trimble Business Center

I read somewhere that TBC only uses 1 CPU core most of the time, and that only point cloud processing would ever really be a viable task for using multiple cores.

I would think that generating large takeoff reports (i.e. multiple surfaces generated, multiple AOI's considered, multiple site improvement regions, etc.), updating multiple surfaces simultaneously, or even creating cut-fill maps could be optimized by using multiple CPU cores (cut-fill maps are generated by comparing delta elevations between surfaces at every point, so it seems like those surfaces could be divided into regions similar to point cloud processing).

At any rate, each of these tasks could certainly be optimized. These processes in TBC can take an extremely long time, whereas in many cases the same tasks can be completed in Civil3D nearly instantaneously.

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Tyler Lindsay
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Hi Tyler,
yes the lack of multithreading has been discussed before.
https://community.trimble.com/communities/community-home/digestviewer/viewthread?MessageKey=40bc31a5-f513-46ed-9d21-0d3884f5fd08&CommunityKey=d961b046-1661-40f3-8d7e-0bde6866a14d&tab=digestviewer#bm40bc31a5-f513-46ed-9d21-0d3884f5fd08
But I'm with you, there are opportunities to improve it, i.e. the corridor earthworks report. Instead of having one core going through the whole corridor it should be easy to give each core one section of the corridor. Also the earthworks report. It should be possible to split share the volume prisms between all cores.

See this thread here, and especially comment 4 from Alan Sharp.
https://community.trimble.com/communities/community-home/digestviewer/viewthread?MessageKey=f8cf48f9-299c-4c3e-97f5-bc3ecc9c1bcc&CommunityKey=d961b046-1661-40f3-8d7e-0bde6866a14d&tab=digestviewer#bmf8cf48f9-299c-4c3e-97f5-bc3ecc9c1bcc

My guess is actually that it is not profitable enough to improve working functions. It would make it better for existing customers, but they are paying already. Only new customers bring extra money. And they are only attracted by new features on the list.

And that's not just for TBC. An even worse example is Worksmanager. It works just about so, still got heaps of flaws and actual bugs, and I haven't seen any improvement in the last 6-8 month. What a crash landing that one is compared to the Legacy TCC.

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Ronny Schneider
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Original Message:
Sent: 02-11-2021 16:40
From: Tyler Lindsay
Subject: Enhancement Request: Optimize TBC to use multiple CPU cores

I read somewhere that TBC only uses 1 CPU core most of the time, and that only point cloud processing would ever really be a viable task for using multiple cores.

I would think that generating large takeoff reports (i.e. multiple surfaces generated, multiple AOI's considered, multiple site improvement regions, etc.), updating multiple surfaces simultaneously, or even creating cut-fill maps could be optimized by using multiple CPU cores (cut-fill maps are generated by comparing delta elevations between surfaces at every point, so it seems like those surfaces could be divided into regions similar to point cloud processing).

At any rate, each of these tasks could certainly be optimized. These processes in TBC can take an extremely long time, whereas in many cases the same tasks can be completed in Civil3D nearly instantaneously.

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Tyler Lindsay
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It's a shame that for as powerful as the program can be, it feels so archaic now. It's incredibly clunky, which is made even more apparent when using high-performance setups.

With Trimble's new push toward subscription payments and seeming unwillingness to improve on already existing features, our organization has started to look toward other solutions for our data management and production. Existing customers might not bring in new money, but they do provide the economic base, and we're on the verge of dipping out if things don't start improving.

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Tyler Lindsay
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Original Message:
Sent: 02-11-2021 20:56
From: Ronny Schneider
Subject: Enhancement Request: Optimize TBC to use multiple CPU cores

Hi Tyler,
yes the lack of multithreading has been discussed before.
https://community.trimble.com/communities/community-home/digestviewer/viewthread?MessageKey=40bc31a5-f513-46ed-9d21-0d3884f5fd08&CommunityKey=d961b046-1661-40f3-8d7e-0bde6866a14d&tab=digestviewer#bm40bc31a5-f513-46ed-9d21-0d3884f5fd08
But I'm with you, there are opportunities to improve it, i.e. the corridor earthworks report. Instead of having one core going through the whole corridor it should be easy to give each core one section of the corridor. Also the earthworks report. It should be possible to split share the volume prisms between all cores.

See this thread here, and especially comment 4 from Alan Sharp.
https://community.trimble.com/communities/community-home/digestviewer/viewthread?MessageKey=f8cf48f9-299c-4c3e-97f5-bc3ecc9c1bcc&CommunityKey=d961b046-1661-40f3-8d7e-0bde6866a14d&tab=digestviewer#bmf8cf48f9-299c-4c3e-97f5-bc3ecc9c1bcc

My guess is actually that it is not profitable enough to improve working functions. It would make it better for existing customers, but they are paying already. Only new customers bring extra money. And they are only attracted by new features on the list.

And that's not just for TBC. An even worse example is Worksmanager. It works just about so, still got heaps of flaws and actual bugs, and I haven't seen any improvement in the last 6-8 month. What a crash landing that one is compared to the Legacy TCC.

------------------------------
Ronny Schneider

Original Message:
Sent: 02-11-2021 16:40
From: Tyler Lindsay
Subject: Enhancement Request: Optimize TBC to use multiple CPU cores

I read somewhere that TBC only uses 1 CPU core most of the time, and that only point cloud processing would ever really be a viable task for using multiple cores.

I would think that generating large takeoff reports (i.e. multiple surfaces generated, multiple AOI's considered, multiple site improvement regions, etc.), updating multiple surfaces simultaneously, or even creating cut-fill maps could be optimized by using multiple CPU cores (cut-fill maps are generated by comparing delta elevations between surfaces at every point, so it seems like those surfaces could be divided into regions similar to point cloud processing).

At any rate, each of these tasks could certainly be optimized. These processes in TBC can take an extremely long time, whereas in many cases the same tasks can be completed in Civil3D nearly instantaneously.

------------------------------
Tyler Lindsay
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The takeoff report is one of those commands that is famously slow and seems like it could be multithreaded.  I commonly have takeoff reports that take hours to complete on very high computers.  With processors starting to come out with over 1000 cores it really feels like multithreading is necessary.  I understand that it may not always be possible, but it used to not be possible to fly until someone figured it out, lets get someone smarter than the rest of us on staff and get it figured out.

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Wayne Welshans
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Original Message:
Sent: 02-11-2021 16:40
From: Tyler Lindsay
Subject: Enhancement Request: Optimize TBC to use multiple CPU cores

I read somewhere that TBC only uses 1 CPU core most of the time, and that only point cloud processing would ever really be a viable task for using multiple cores.

I would think that generating large takeoff reports (i.e. multiple surfaces generated, multiple AOI's considered, multiple site improvement regions, etc.), updating multiple surfaces simultaneously, or even creating cut-fill maps could be optimized by using multiple CPU cores (cut-fill maps are generated by comparing delta elevations between surfaces at every point, so it seems like those surfaces could be divided into regions similar to point cloud processing).

At any rate, each of these tasks could certainly be optimized. These processes in TBC can take an extremely long time, whereas in many cases the same tasks can be completed in Civil3D nearly instantaneously.

------------------------------
Tyler Lindsay
------------------------------

I to think that Trimble has pretty much dropped the ball on this.  I brought this up 3 or 4 years ago when I got an AMD chip set and it made now difference on my speed.  Very disappointed and Trimble really didn't care much at all.  At that time there was quite a few other people spending over 10k on setups and what we found is that TBC is a single thread old system that they basically have tried to polish up and make it look new.  Just look at the symbol library, it is Terramodel's old library.  You can't even move text that has a leader line and have it update the leader in real time as you move the text.  I could go on and on.  There are things that TBC does well but they really need to put some real time in coming up with a better program if they are going to cram this down our throats and make everyone use one program for the most part.  I don't even talk to people who run civil 3d because they laugh at the problems I have.  Its embarrassing.  And I am glad that Worksmanger was brought up, that to has been a crash landing as you say.  They want you to convert everything to it but when there system goes down you pretty much hosed because they dang sure don't want you transferring files with a thumb drive.  That would create a nightmare to line out on TCC.  While I am at it, why doesn't siteworks let you make notes?  Your surveying and you need to make notes about weather and station set ups that certain jobs require you to do.  Maybe Trimble thinks they are so big that they have created a bubble and they are comfortable working inside there bubble and don't care what happens outside of it.

So if anyone knows of a really fast single or dual core chip let me know lol!

Ben

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Ben Ryschon
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Original Message:
Sent: 02-11-2021 16:40
From: Tyler Lindsay
Subject: Enhancement Request: Optimize TBC to use multiple CPU cores

I read somewhere that TBC only uses 1 CPU core most of the time, and that only point cloud processing would ever really be a viable task for using multiple cores.

I would think that generating large takeoff reports (i.e. multiple surfaces generated, multiple AOI's considered, multiple site improvement regions, etc.), updating multiple surfaces simultaneously, or even creating cut-fill maps could be optimized by using multiple CPU cores (cut-fill maps are generated by comparing delta elevations between surfaces at every point, so it seems like those surfaces could be divided into regions similar to point cloud processing).

At any rate, each of these tasks could certainly be optimized. These processes in TBC can take an extremely long time, whereas in many cases the same tasks can be completed in Civil3D nearly instantaneously.

------------------------------
Tyler Lindsay
------------------------------