Softree News - Winter/Spring 1997

 Version 3 Prerelease

Later this month, we will begin the testing phase of RoadEng Version 3. This version is loaded with new features, that will make it more powerful and easier to use. Here is a list of some of the new features:

• Adding and editing text labels using the mouse.
• Plan view rotation.
• Quickview display option in the Survey/Map module.
• Entry of elevation differences for side shots.
• Multiple reference points.
• User configurable column headings in the Survey/Map module.
• Export multi-plot window to DXF.

Plan/profile and section display of culverts

• Culvert length and skew calculations.
• Culvert lists.
• Transition templates for turnouts and widenings.
• Scrolling in the data window. Totals in the data window.
• Support of radial surveys.
• Height of instrument and target.
• Template and ground type libraries.
• Multi-plot window in the Terrain module.
• Entry of slope in degrees or zenith angle.
• Automatic assignment of ground types by station range in the Survey/Map module.
• Improved traverse adjustments including an undo function.
• Multiple plan and profile windows in the Terrain module.
• Background display of Terrain files in the Location plan window.
• Improved control of linetypes and symbols.
• The maximum number of features and points has been increased in the Terrain module.
• Multiple data and plan windows in the Location module.

It has been a busy fall and winter for training. Softree has held training courses in Burnaby, Salmon Arm, Eugene, Campbell River, Woss, Duncan, Coos Bay, Ketchican, Miri Malaysia, Vavenby, North Vancouver and Williams Lake .

|Dave Mills Teaching in Miri Malaysia

Forest Road in Sarawak

For information about Softree training sessions contact Wendy at 604-519-6222. You might also want to contact:

B.C.I.T. – Jim Rudolf 604-753-3245

Malaspina University College – Barry Ostrand 205-753-3245

REA Consulting Civil Engineers – Rich Hovey 406-587-2225

Selkirk College – Ted Pollard 250-365-7292

 Tips and Techniques

 Q. We use the digitizing portion of the Terrain module to do quick area and length calculations. It takes a few minutes to setup and register the mapsheet etc. each time we do this. Is there any way to streamline this process?

A. There are several things you can configure, so that digitizing areas and lengths is quick and easy. The concept is to setup the screen and digitizing parameters the way you like and then save them in the default layout file, NORMAL.ILT. The following steps describe a "layout" many people find useful for "quick digitizing".

a) Start the Terrain module and select the following
(Options – Digitizing Options)

b) Close the Profile window (the Profile window is not
required).

c) Activate the Status window by clicking on it and then
choose menu View – Status Options. Select Display
List and remove all entries from the Selected list .
From the left side choose Feature Name, Area,
Length, Area Total & Length Total.

d) Activate the Plan window by clicking on it and select
the View–Plan Options. Set the scale to 10000 (or
your preferred scale).

e) From the menu File – Save Screen Layout, choose the
file name NORMAL.ILT and save. This will save all
the above options so they will be in effect next time
the program is started.

Q. When importing a DXF file given to us by an outside consultant, some of the points don’t have elevations. This prevents us from creating a TIN model and generating contours. Is there any way to work around the problem?

A. It is quite common for a DXF file, to contain 2D text, points or lines. For obvious reasons these 2D entities can’t be used to generate a TIN model. If it’s not possible to remove these entities when the DXF file is created, they must be set to NOELEVATION (draped) features. Version 2.123 or higher (available as a free upgrade at www.softree.com). will automatically convert DXF entities with elevations less than a specified Minimum Elevation, to NOELEVATION features. For example suppose you have a DXF file containing surveyed points and lines near elevation 2400. The file also contains text labels without elevations. In the DXF file these labels have a Z coordinate of 0. In this case, set the Minimum Elevation (File – Import Feature Set – DXF Import File – Options) to 1.0. With this parameter set text labels will be treated as NOELEVATION features.

Q. Is there any way to output a single sheet of paper containing several deflection lines.

A. Yes, it is possible to do this using Microsoft Word^TM (Wordprefect or Ami Pro). Create the profile in the Cable Analysis module and transfer it to the clipboard using the menu Edit – Copy to the Clipboard. Start Microsoft Word and choose menu Edit - Paste. This will insert the logging profile into the Word document. By adding several profiles to the same document, it is possible to create the required output.

Q. I use the TERRAIN module for site plans and re-construction projects. Creating breaklines by manually inserting points along a feature, such as the edge of an existing road, is tedious. Are there any tricks to speed up this process?

A. Breaklines control the formation of triangles and therefore the contour lines (as described in Appendix E: Digital Terrain Modeling). Version 2.123 or higher contains a new function to automatically create breaklines by automatically inserting points along a line. Since the newly inserted points along the breakline will become triangle vertices, the breakline feature must have elevations. The following steps illustrate the procedure for creating a breakline.

1. 1. If the initial breakline feature already exists goto step 4.
   2. Create a TIN model without breakline control.
   3. Click on the drawing pencil on the tool bar to start drawing a new NOELEVATION feature. Using the left button, create a feature by adding points at existing survey points. The elevation for these new points will be derived from the TIN model. If the new points are ‘close’ to existing points their elevation will match regardless of the formation of the triangles.
   4. Change the feature to an ELEVATION feature(if it is not already) using Edit – Modify Current Feature – Properties/Append.
   5. Set the feature properties to Breakline and set the insertion point spacing in Edit – Modify Current Feature – Properties/Append.
   6. Recalculate the TIN Terrain Model (Edit – Calculate Terrain Model). If triangles cross the breakline goto step 5 and reduce the spacing.

What’s New in Forest Engineering?

Conference Calendar

June 4-7^th
Elmia Wood International Forestry Trade Fair,
Jonkoping, Sweden
+46-36-152000

June 18-19^th
Road Construction Strategies Under the B.C. Forest
Practices Code.
Vancouver B.C. 416-777-2020

July 28-31^st
Conference on Forest Engineering
Rapid City, South Dakota, 303-275-5022

Sept. 4-6^th
Lake States Logging Congress, 715-282-5828

Sept.18-20^th
Pacific Logging Congress In The Woods Demo,
Bellevue, WA 503-224-8406

Sept. 21-27^th
Canadian Institute of Forestry AGM & Conference,
Prince George, BC 613-234-2242

Sept. 24-26^th
Alberta Forest Products Association 55th Annual
Mtg., Jasper, AB 403-452-2841

Oct/97
Alaska Forest Association 40th Annual Meeting,
Ketchikan, AK (location TB Confirmed) 907-225-6114

Oct. 1-4^th
GPS/GIS'97 - High on Energy - Global Innovative
Solutions, Calgary, AB 403-451-5670

Oct. 3-4^th
Society of American Foresters, Memphis, TN
301-897-8720

There are three new faces at Softree this spring. Mr. Giancarlo Mori, Mr. Jack Rimac and Dr. Nugget.

Jack who recently graduated with a BS Forestry (Forest Operations) at U.B.C., is working on the Version 3 documentation, help files and tutorial.

Mr. Giancarlo has MSc (Dott. Geol. Sc.) in Geological Sciences from University of Florence. Giancarlo has extensive experience in computer applications in the earth science and natural resource industries. Giancarlo will be designing and implementing new software products.

Dr. Nugget who has acquired considerable practical field experience, will be heading up the Softree Complaints Department (give him a call - he’s very sympathetic).

Jack, Dr. Nugget, and Giancarlo

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