Trimble Business Center

 View Only
Expand all | Collapse all

VCL file to machine control

  • 1.  VCL file to machine control

    Posted 06-06-2023 08:37

    I am trying to find a way to create a file for our machine control that allows an operator to turn layers on and off. I was told some time ago that a VCL file exported out of Business Center (highlighted in pic below) will allow an machine operator to do that. I do see in the export command that there is a way to export to a VCL but what should I select to export? Do I include the surface as well? How about calibration? Right now I export to GCS900 file and then use file flipper to create an Earthworks file in a ProjectLibrary folder.



    ------------------------------
    Tom Silicato
    Corrado Construction
    New Castle, Delaware
    tsilicato@corrado.com
    www.corradoconstruction.com
    ------------------------------


  • 2.  RE: VCL file to machine control

    Posted 06-07-2023 06:22

    So Trimble has a built in method to create the VCLs for Siteworks and Earthworks. It doesn't work with the method of how we build models so I don't use it. The problem you're going to run into is that when you use that method in your project file, it's going to grab a bunch of objects that aren't supported by Siteworks or Earthworks. Let me save you a headache with using VCLs. I wish Trimble would create a command that utilizes the same methods I do to create the Siteworks/Earthworks VCL. 

    If you're not using the Field Data tab to create your project/design in TBC, you need to learn that and start using it. It's pretty straightforward once you do it a few times. Create your designs as you normally would in Field Data. Then open a blank TBC file and drag in the DXF/TTM/CSV file into that blank TBC file. Run "Convert to Linestring" on all the linework. Then turn everything on including the surface/surfaces (VCL supports multiple surfaces) and then run your normal export to VCL like you show in the screenshot. 

    That is the best foolproof way of exporting a VCL. When we build subdivisions for example, we add multiple corridor surfaces and lines to the finish design surface in TBC. If you do any of the VCL exports, including the one Trimble created specifically for the machine file VCLs, it will bring in every other surface used to create the finish design surface which we don't want in the machines. That's why you have to use your TTM in a blank file to create that VCL. I wish Trimble would come up with a way to do this in TBC. It's a simple work around but annoying to do. 



    ------------------------------
    Adam Bower
    ------------------------------



  • 3.  RE: VCL file to machine control

    Posted 06-08-2023 05:06

    Adam, thanks for getting back. Since I am using TBC V5.80, I do see the construction Data tab which has a sub tab called Works Manager. In that tab there is button "Field Data to USB". I will gives this a try. Thanks



    ------------------------------
    Tom Silicato
    Corrado Construction
    New Castle, Delaware
    tsilicato@corrado.com
    www.corradoconstruction.com
    ------------------------------



  • 4.  RE: VCL file to machine control

    Posted 06-08-2023 05:21

    https://www.loom.com/share/1c834df4916649f6baabae3c104d4f3c



    ------------------------------
    Adam Bower
    ------------------------------



  • 5.  RE: VCL file to machine control

    Posted 06-15-2023 05:03

    You can push the VCL directly to Trimble WorksManager using the Construction Tab - you just need to create the project on worksmanager.com first.

    Then in TBC hit "WorksManager-project" and "Create WorksManager-design".

    Swap the model-type to "User defined" and simply select all the linework, including multiple surfaces, and push "Publish". This will generate both VCL for Earthworks/Siteworks, and SVD+SVL for GCS900 machines and upload them to WorksManager where they get pushed to the machines.

    Only issues we are coming across is missing CAD-text in Earthworks, but surfaces and layers come through just fine.



    ------------------------------
    Lasse Hanberg
    ------------------------------



  • 6.  RE: VCL file to machine control

    Posted 06-15-2023 08:16

    Thanks Lasse. I will give this a try.



    ------------------------------
    Tom Silicato
    Corrado Construction
    New Castle, Delaware
    tsilicato@corrado.com
    www.corradoconstruction.com
    ------------------------------



  • 7.  RE: VCL file to machine control

    Posted 06-15-2023 08:32
    Edited by Tom Silicato 06-15-2023 08:33

    One question I do have is when we added the VCL in tablets in the past, when one of our foreman exports the design to a machine out of Siteworks, it seems to still create a .dsz file in the project under project library. Could this be because we only added the VCL to the tablet folder rather than create it from TBC?



    ------------------------------
    Tom Silicato
    Corrado Construction
    New Castle, Delaware
    tsilicato@corrado.com
    www.corradoconstruction.com
    ------------------------------



  • 8.  RE: VCL file to machine control

    Posted 06-21-2023 03:32

    No. Siteworks does not currently support exporting a VCL-design.



    ------------------------------
    Lasse Hanberg
    ------------------------------



  • 9.  RE: VCL file to machine control

    Posted 06-21-2023 12:40

    If you have a VCL, it will export to ProjectLibrary as a VCL, of course nothing ground breaking. I never thought of how awesome it would be to be able to export a dxf/ttm/csv from Siteworks to a ProjectLibrary VCL. That would solve so many VCL problems in the machines!!



    ------------------------------
    Adam Bower
    ------------------------------



  • 10.  RE: VCL file to machine control

    Posted 06-17-2023 12:58

    Another HUGE concern is that when you publish a surface that has for example, a surface tie to OG, it will bring both surfaces in which is not good with how large OG surfaces can be. Also, if you're like us and you add multiple surfaces to one big surface with boundaries, it will bring every surface in that is referenced to the main one. I don't like the built in exporters at all.



    ------------------------------
    Adam Bower
    ------------------------------



  • 11.  RE: VCL file to machine control

    Posted 06-19-2023 00:18
    Edited by Matthew Pitt 06-19-2023 00:18

    Little life hack I use.

    TBC brings in dependant entities for surfaces (eg. if your surface is made of multiple other surfaces all of those will be exported to earthworks.) Offset your surface by 0.000mm and all of a sudden you have a surface with no dependant entities that can be exported to Earthworks by itself.

    Matt



    ------------------------------
    Matthew Pitt
    ------------------------------



  • 12.  RE: VCL file to machine control

    Posted 06-19-2023 04:24

    This is a good tip. I used to do this but I don't like the idea of there being a locked surface in one of our files. I want the only surface to be live and change when we change anything. A big reason for this is that we use a collaborative approach to building models so multiple guys' can be in one model throughout its lifetime. This isn't normal though. Yeah, I could do the 0' offset before every time I need to export, that would probably be easier



    ------------------------------
    Adam Bower
    ------------------------------



  • 13.  RE: VCL file to machine control

    Posted 06-19-2023 09:03

    If using the "Job SIte" method for exporting design files, there is an option to "Cleanup VCL file". By default it is set to no, but if you change it to yes, it says it will remove dependent objects included in the VCL file (See picture).

    It is my understanding that this will remove the dependent surfaces that are unwanted in the final VCL going out to devices. I have not tested this, but I believe this was implemented when there were reports of very large VCL files that were being exported out of TBC using Export > VCL Project Link exporter 



    ------------------------------
    Ed Levandoski
    ------------------------------



  • 14.  RE: VCL file to machine control

    Posted 06-19-2023 09:14

    Last time I tested, it does not remote other surfaces. I did a really detailed post on the Cleanup VCL Exporter. I'll try to find it. 



    ------------------------------
    Adam Bower
    ------------------------------



  • 15.  RE: VCL file to machine control

    Posted 06-19-2023 09:17

    Please enjoy: https://community.trimble.com/communities/community-homepage/digestviewer/viewthread?GroupId=397&MessageKey=6ac84c09-a0f5-4bd8-bf20-06893b9a93df&CommunityKey=d961b046-1661-40f3-8d7e-0bde6866a14d

    I spent a lot of time on that test and writeup. 

    Just to summarize, I selected ONE surface, my combined finish design surface to export. I did the normal VCL exporter, the Cleanup VCL exporter and just a normal TTM exporter. 



    ------------------------------
    Adam Bower
    ------------------------------