6 simple hacks for surveying and general CAD work
Deswik.CAD users have some powerful in-built survey functionality at their fingertips. Here is a short compilation of some useful tips for making the most out of Deswik.CAD for surveying purposes and some standard CAD tips for all users.
Manage different survey methods in the Tunnel As-Built Wizard
In some situations, the as-built data is in a different configuration. Old data may have only a floor and roof lines (also known as backs), and the newer areas of the mine will have more lines to construct the solid. You can generate two (or more) Tunnel As-Built layers on the project but if you want only one layer for all development solids, then there is a solution. The Tunnel As-Built wizard allows for more than one configuration to be used in the one wizard. Create each one using the configuration required, and when you click Refresh it will refresh the last settings used. In this way the old method can be run, and then the new method run, just by clicking Refresh each time the solid needs to be updated.
The blue solid represents the OLD SURVEY METHOD as it only has a mid-survey line and centerlines for the backs and floor. The NEW SURVEY METHOD uses more surveyed lines to build the solid and is the brown solid.
Using the block manager
Updating plans, such as emergency (fire) plans, can be time-consuming when appending new blocks for the mine infrastructure. To save time and streamline the process, the blocks used in the legend on the title block can be loaded into the Block Manager for a simple drag and drop onto the Model Space. Using the Insert | Block from Manager command, you can create a block list to suit your requirements. Load your own blocks into the Block Manager, or load the default blocks that come standard with Deswik (using the Australian standard blocks). You can also adjust the block properties to suit each one.
Create a digital setout plan on a total station
While Deswik supports the native formats for Leica (*.dbx) and Trimble (*.jxl), it also exports data in other formats suitable for total stations. By selecting the layers for setout and the layers for the plan, the grid is populated using the Tools | Survey | Export to Instrument command. This example uses the Leica *.dbx and the Captivate emulator.
The design walls and centerline will be given a setout ID to be used with the Reference Line program while the survey stations, drive names, and drive outline are exported as a *.dxf file. The *.dxf file is then loaded into the setout file on the instrument to be used as a digital field sheet.
The data above viewed in the emulator.
Transforming data from an un-coordinated setup
Occasionally, an un-coordinated setup is performed underground and the surveyed data needs to be positioned into the correct location. One method to achieve this is to use the Modify | Transformation | Multiple Points command to run a 3D Helmert transformation on the selected data. You could use the existing rules and set them up, but this is a quicker option. By selecting three points in the un-coordinated data and the same in the destination, it will move it to the correct location.
The blue stations and the dashed polyline represent the un-coordinated setup, and by selecting the common wall stations, the pickup is moved to the correct location.
Create a filter using the Interactive Filter
There are times when you need to generate a complex filter using one or more attributes and potentially using more than one value from an attribute. Rather than creating these the manual way, there is a feature within the Interactive Filter function to generate a hard filter from the selection.
In this example, I want to filter the DEV SOLID layer by the Area and Level attribute and only make visible the entities with the A Area and 2055 & 2030 Level values.
By selecting these in the Interactive Filter, and then generating the hard filter from it, I can now use this within Layer Presets and other features in Deswik.CAD and Deswik.Sched.
Document Settings within a Process Map
The Modify | Erase | Duplicates command is often used when processing point data, and it tends to use the same settings every time. You can avoid having to manually enter these settings by running the command from a process map using the Menu Command, and using the Document Settings command in the previous row to automatically populate the settings for the Duplicates command for you. The Document Settings command works by applying selected imported file settings to the active file. In other words, you can use it to import the settings for the Menu Command that follows, so you do not have to enter them. In addition, if all that is required for the command you are running is to click OK, select the Hide dialog check box in the Menu Command settings. This will close the dialog box for you. In other words, the Duplicates command will run using the imported settings, but you will not even see it.
In the following example, the Document Settings command in row 6 will import the settings for the Duplicates command, and load them in the active file.
The Menu Command in row 7 then runs the Modify | Erase | Duplicates command using those settings. And because we have selected the Hide dialog check box, the Duplicates dialog will not appear. The process map will just proceed to the Message Box command in Row 8. No settings or clicking required.
To learn how to populate the Document Settings command, refer to Process Maps | Create Or Edit A Process Map | Document Settings in the Deswik.CAD Help file. A clear example is provided there. If you need further assistance, please contact your local support office (or support@deswik.com).
Stephen Rowles
Product Manager — Survey
