Trimble Business Center

Our designer provided a LandXML surface file for subsoil excavation with all areas in one file. I'm able to import it into TBC, and use the triangle option as per FDOT procedures, but TBC connects all of the areas with triangles to make one giant surface. The trim surface edges tool doesn't work. Explode surface doesn't seem to do anything. I am able to create a boundry around one of the areas, but then the rest of the surface disappears. I've searched all over and can't find a solution on how to break this surface up into multiple surfaces. Any help would be appreciated. The xml is attached if that helps.

Our designer provided a LandXML surface file for subsoil excavation with all areas in one file. I'm able to import it into TBC, and use the triangle option as per FDOT procedures, but TBC connects all of the areas with triangles to make one giant surface. The trim surface edges tool doesn't work. Explode surface doesn't seem to do anything. I am able to create a boundry around one of the areas, but then the rest of the surface disappears. I've searched all over and can't find a solution on how to break this surface up into multiple surfaces. Any help would be appreciated. The xml is attached if that helps.

Import>delete surfaces>make new surfaces out of each area with the points>combine surfaces command

Our designer provided a LandXML surface file for subsoil excavation with all areas in one file. I'm able to import it into TBC, and use the triangle option as per FDOT procedures, but TBC connects all of the areas with triangles to make one giant surface. The trim surface edges tool doesn't work. Explode surface doesn't seem to do anything. I am able to create a boundry around one of the areas, but then the rest of the surface disappears. I've searched all over and can't find a solution on how to break this surface up into multiple surfaces. Any help would be appreciated. The xml is attached if that helps.

I'm not following your steps. I did get your email and it solved the issue, but I'd like to be able to do this myself. I don't see Import>Delete Surfaces option, and then I think you mean to select the points left over and create surfaces from that? So you imported as breaklines and points rather than triangles?

Import>delete surfaces>make new surfaces out of each area with the points>combine surfaces command

Our designer provided a LandXML surface file for subsoil excavation with all areas in one file. I'm able to import it into TBC, and use the triangle option as per FDOT procedures, but TBC connects all of the areas with triangles to make one giant surface. The trim surface edges tool doesn't work. Explode surface doesn't seem to do anything. I am able to create a boundry around one of the areas, but then the rest of the surface disappears. I've searched all over and can't find a solution on how to break this surface up into multiple surfaces. Any help would be appreciated. The xml is attached if that helps.

1. Import the XML surfaces
2. Delete the surface/s it generated after importing
3. Make a new surface out of each region where the points are be selecting them, there's twelve regions, so that would be twelve different surfaces.
4. Run the combine surfaces command, Name the surface and select all twelve surfaces that you generated in the previous step.

So you imported as breaklines and points rather than triangles? Correct

I'm not following your steps. I did get your email and it solved the issue, but I'd like to be able to do this myself. I don't see Import>Delete Surfaces option, and then I think you mean to select the points left over and create surfaces from that? So you imported as breaklines and points rather than triangles?

Import>delete surfaces>make new surfaces out of each area with the points>combine surfaces command

Our designer provided a LandXML surface file for subsoil excavation with all areas in one file. I'm able to import it into TBC, and use the triangle option as per FDOT procedures, but TBC connects all of the areas with triangles to make one giant surface. The trim surface edges tool doesn't work. Explode surface doesn't seem to do anything. I am able to create a boundry around one of the areas, but then the rest of the surface disappears. I've searched all over and can't find a solution on how to break this surface up into multiple surfaces. Any help would be appreciated. The xml is attached if that helps.

Thanks for clarifying, I was able to reproduce. 

1. Import the XML surfaces
2. Delete the surface/s it generated after importing
3. Make a new surface out of each region where the points are be selecting them, there's twelve regions, so that would be twelve different surfaces.
4. Run the combine surfaces command, Name the surface and select all twelve surfaces that you generated in the previous step.

So you imported as breaklines and points rather than triangles? Correct

I'm not following your steps. I did get your email and it solved the issue, but I'd like to be able to do this myself. I don't see Import>Delete Surfaces option, and then I think you mean to select the points left over and create surfaces from that? So you imported as breaklines and points rather than triangles?

Import>delete surfaces>make new surfaces out of each area with the points>combine surfaces command

Our designer provided a LandXML surface file for subsoil excavation with all areas in one file. I'm able to import it into TBC, and use the triangle option as per FDOT procedures, but TBC connects all of the areas with triangles to make one giant surface. The trim surface edges tool doesn't work. Explode surface doesn't seem to do anything. I am able to create a boundry around one of the areas, but then the rest of the surface disappears. I've searched all over and can't find a solution on how to break this surface up into multiple surfaces. Any help would be appreciated. The xml is attached if that helps.

Our designer provided a LandXML surface file for subsoil excavation with all areas in one file. I'm able to import it into TBC, and use the triangle option as per FDOT procedures, but TBC connects all of the areas with triangles to make one giant surface. The trim surface edges tool doesn't work. Explode surface doesn't seem to do anything. I am able to create a boundry around one of the areas, but then the rest of the surface disappears. I've searched all over and can't find a solution on how to break this surface up into multiple surfaces. Any help would be appreciated. The xml is attached if that helps.

Scott, you can add an outer boundary to your surface, this can be a polygon that encompasses the surface. 

Then add individual boundaries to each of the surfaces in the model.

This will still be one single surface but the triangles will be limited to the internal boundaries that you have created.

**Note that I have found instances on imported surfaces where the triangles will still spill out of the boundaries, the fix for this is to retriangulate in TBC.

If you want individual surface for each then I would use command Offset Surface and offset by zero height using a clipping boundary.

Our designer provided a LandXML surface file for subsoil excavation with all areas in one file. I'm able to import it into TBC, and use the triangle option as per FDOT procedures, but TBC connects all of the areas with triangles to make one giant surface. The trim surface edges tool doesn't work. Explode surface doesn't seem to do anything. I am able to create a boundry around one of the areas, but then the rest of the surface disappears. I've searched all over and can't find a solution on how to break this surface up into multiple surfaces. Any help would be appreciated. The xml is attached if that helps.

The outer boundary is not necessary in this case. That's why I proposed to just add the 12 outlines of the single areas.

Scott, you can add an outer boundary to your surface, this can be a polygon that encompasses the surface. 

Then add individual boundaries to each of the surfaces in the model.

This will still be one single surface but the triangles will be limited to the internal boundaries that you have created.

**Note that I have found instances on imported surfaces where the triangles will still spill out of the boundaries, the fix for this is to retriangulate in TBC.

If you want individual surface for each then I would use command Offset Surface and offset by zero height using a clipping boundary.

Our designer provided a LandXML surface file for subsoil excavation with all areas in one file. I'm able to import it into TBC, and use the triangle option as per FDOT procedures, but TBC connects all of the areas with triangles to make one giant surface. The trim surface edges tool doesn't work. Explode surface doesn't seem to do anything. I am able to create a boundry around one of the areas, but then the rest of the surface disappears. I've searched all over and can't find a solution on how to break this surface up into multiple surfaces. Any help would be appreciated. The xml is attached if that helps.

Apologies Ronny, I must have missed your reply.

There must have been a change along the way somewhere that I missed as I wasn't aware you could do this now without the outer boundary.

The outer boundary is not necessary in this case. That's why I proposed to just add the 12 outlines of the single areas.

Scott, you can add an outer boundary to your surface, this can be a polygon that encompasses the surface. 

Then add individual boundaries to each of the surfaces in the model.

This will still be one single surface but the triangles will be limited to the internal boundaries that you have created.

**Note that I have found instances on imported surfaces where the triangles will still spill out of the boundaries, the fix for this is to retriangulate in TBC.

If you want individual surface for each then I would use command Offset Surface and offset by zero height using a clipping boundary.

Our designer provided a LandXML surface file for subsoil excavation with all areas in one file. I'm able to import it into TBC, and use the triangle option as per FDOT procedures, but TBC connects all of the areas with triangles to make one giant surface. The trim surface edges tool doesn't work. Explode surface doesn't seem to do anything. I am able to create a boundry around one of the areas, but then the rest of the surface disappears. I've searched all over and can't find a solution on how to break this surface up into multiple surfaces. Any help would be appreciated. The xml is attached if that helps.

Our designer provided a LandXML surface file for subsoil excavation with all areas in one file. I'm able to import it into TBC, and use the triangle option as per FDOT procedures, but TBC connects all of the areas with triangles to make one giant surface. The trim surface edges tool doesn't work. Explode surface doesn't seem to do anything. I am able to create a boundry around one of the areas, but then the rest of the surface disappears. I've searched all over and can't find a solution on how to break this surface up into multiple surfaces. Any help would be appreciated. The xml is attached if that helps.

If you set all of the Linework sharpness to "Sharp and Texture Boundary" you can set a texture of "None" on the outside of the required area and all of the triangles not in the boundaries would disappear.

Our designer provided a LandXML surface file for subsoil excavation with all areas in one file. I'm able to import it into TBC, and use the triangle option as per FDOT procedures, but TBC connects all of the areas with triangles to make one giant surface. The trim surface edges tool doesn't work. Explode surface doesn't seem to do anything. I am able to create a boundry around one of the areas, but then the rest of the surface disappears. I've searched all over and can't find a solution on how to break this surface up into multiple surfaces. Any help would be appreciated. The xml is attached if that helps.