Frank
The file formats used by the GCS900 system are as follows
SVD = Surface Design File - this is a TIN Model and provides the machine with elevation information when selected
SVL = Linework Design File - The lines can be an Alignment (provides the machine with Station and Offset and allows operator to know where they are on the road), and linework for guidance -this allows the operator to select a line and use it for guidance of the blade - they can reference the line on the machine to guide the blade (typically the left or right edge of the blade), and with eg a Motor Grader they can have Side Shift installed on the Grader and that will automatically control the lateral movement of the blade to follow the line - helpful when they are trying to avoid structures in the ground already like Curb and Gutter or a Bridge Wall or Columns / Piers etc. or just when they want to track the edge of a surface area perfectly etc. or the base of a ditch or embankment or wall or footing etc.
CFG = This is the Site Calibration or Coordinate System - it is the equivalent of a DC file in SCS900 or Access. It provides the transformation parameters to get from GPS in WGS84 Lat Long Height to the local site cooredinate system in N, E, Z - it contains the link to a Geoid File that helps adjust for elevation error and also if you are using a specific Coordinate System Projection and Datum it can carry that also.
So for example if you start a TBC project and import a Site Cal, TTM (or surface) and DXF (linework) file then when you create the data for the machine the Site Cal from the project is written as a CFG file, the TTM is written as a SVD file and the DXF linework as a SVL file. Those are written into a folder on your computer.
To create the data for a machine you run the Construction Data commands to create a Jobsite first and then a Design second and when creating the Jobsite it associates the Project Site Calibration to the output Jobsite and the Design can be a Surface Model (TTM Data) and Linework (DXF Data) and it will write the 3 files - .cfg, ,svd, .svl into a folder for a GCS900 machine. Typically you use the Controller Manager to create a Machine - that defines if it is GCS900 and then what version of GCS900 you are running - there have been numerous changes over the versions of GCS900 so you have to write each machines data with a specific variant of the SVD/SVL/CFG files. Typically the Machine will be created in a folder called Trimble Synchronizer Data on your c:\ Drive. GCS900 does not have the concept of a Site - it just has Designs and each design is a package of the three files. Those files are prepared so that you can transfer them through the Sync Process to the field systems via Trimble Connected Community. However your machine simulator is installed and points at a different file location - it points to a folder as follows (I am using a CB460 Emulator and v13.15 and that controls the last part of the path name
c:\MCGSim_Data\Earthmoving\MCGData-TRMB-CB460-V13.15\
The design package that you write to Trimble Synchronizer Data can be copied and pasted into this path and the simulator will then find it and allow you to load it.
I will try to find time this week to record you a video of the process
Alan