Requests for 2009's Next Update

[Matthew Fore]

I'll just keep adding to this first post as I get to them.

1) COGO Command - Would like the command to remember my last bearing entered when asking for a new bearing.

2) Add Coordinate Table - Would like the ability to create a table based on an alternate datum as defined in the new updated active coordinate editor. ( I like this new feature for ACE a lot!) Edit - To be more specific It would be nice to choose the additional datum(s) to create the table. Right now I use the ACE table from selection but I then have to go back and delete the main datum which may not be needed.

3) When using the 2D Inverse command I would like to see the elimination of the dialog box where I can either pick on the screen or start typing point numbers and the program "intelligently" knows whether I'm doing it graphically or not.

4) For the 2D Inverse command I would either like to be able to inverse between graphic points in the drawing that do not have a pnt # or when picking pnts graphically the ESnap should not default to use endpoint or intersection snap and should only default to a pnt.

5) I have to turn off the new polar tracking to work. The nearest snap on the polar line messes me up when trying to work with pnts and objects which are close to the bearings associated with polar settings. What would be nicewould be the ability to show the same type of line when inputting a bearing with a COGO command to visually check that you are working in the right direction but have it disappear once the command is completed.

Field Genius 2008 - Wanted to add that I would like the ability to copy a pnt from one job to another just like we can in MSCad without having to export and import ascii files.

[surveyor6925]

Let's add to the list - Automatically change the scale to 1 when toggling into paper space. Would make the adding of text or blocks so much easier when going between paper and model space.

[Gord]

Let's add to the list - Automatically change the scale to 1 when toggling into paper space. Would make the adding of text or blocks so much easier when going between paper and model space.

Count another vote for this one. I'd much rather use Leroy 80 in paper & model rather than try to remember what is what.

[mjtaylor]

Add another vote for automatically switching scales when moving from model space to paper space...I've suggested this in the past but it didn't seem to gain any traction...it would make life a whole lot easier when applying the finishing touches to a drawing.

[Gord]

... and fix the glitch where the model/layout tabs disappear.....

[Glen Cameron]

Gord, as far as I have seen 2009 does have this fixed.

[Gord]

Nope. Just took a screen shot of them gone again if you want to see it.

[Glen Cameron]

I think we are looking at slightly different things.
- You are seeing he entire model/layout bar missing (which can be turned on/off from the View menu).
- What I was referring to was individual unique layout tabs going missing while the rest remained, or layout tabs merging incorrectly.

[Gord]

It's the same thing I was looking at in 2008. Out of the blue, you will be able to see the tabs but they're not actually there. If you click on them, you're actually clicking in the drawing window and the tabs will disappear. Resizing the window brings them back.
Gord

[Chow]

1) COGO Command - Would like the command to remember my last bearing entered when asking for a new bearing.

I would also strongly appreciate if this feature was added. I enter in the plan data from municipal survey plans and sometimes there's 10 lots with the same bearing and distance along one line. I use MunSurvey and it's COGO package has this feature.

[Richard Sands]

COGO: More integration between settings/toggles for scale factor, bearing additions (also in Traverse functions). They need to be at just a mouse click away and not buried down in the system and in different parts. (I've been told they are under investigation, but add it here)
BATCH COGO: Ability to add bearing additions and scale factors into the file.
This is one of my most used features of MSCAD as I do all my cadastral survey processing this way. (Typing in old surveys on various datums)
Often surveys are different from each other and to be able to run the original, compare with existing, then apply scale factor and bearing addition for many surveys is timeconsuming enough without manually editing the Batch Cogo file to add notes such as bearing diffs and scale factor used.
Maybe in COGO where we type a + at the bearing, a ++ would tell the program to add the additive to every bearing until we tell it (somehow) to stop use that additive. This could then be included in the Batch Cogo file.

I realise one can scale and rotate in MSCAD but that loses the originals if needed to be rerun again.

When new Batch Cogo file is created then by default MSCAD should turn the file 'ON'. I imagine the purpose to create a new BC file is to start using it. Its easy to delete stuff, but one can't add whats been typed but not recorded. Been there many times!!

MOUSE SNAPS. Some way to temporarily by key stroke to disable the snaps. Just until after the next onscreen mouse click. Hold down Spacebar?, Function Key? or just one of the keys from keyboard. TurboCad had (assume still does) some excellent features here.

Field Genius and MSCAD to work together better.
AutoMap in FG doesnt work same as in MSCAD. An entry with SPACE in Description in Mscad is treated as one for all similar descriptions up to the space. FG treats them all as individual. Makes on screen depictions of for eg Station points tedious if the type of mark is part of the description - STN Sp, STN SH, STN Pipe egs. Each must have its symbol set in FG.
Bring a FG job into Mscad that has 3D lines. Any shift of the points (rotate, scale, shift) doesn't affect 3D lines, only 2D ones. And yet if its done in FG then all is well. This needs to be a feature of Mscad so that all line work moves with the points.
Roadworks in FG - (mentioned elsewhere) Mscad to be similar in functionality.

FIELD GENIUS: Ability to calculate 3D positions from bearings to distant objects from different station setups to the same point.
Station setup to have a 'backup' to enable parameters to be changed. Currently mess up a point number or height and one has to completly exit the station setup routine and start again.
FG has some routines that uses points to do calculations with and create a new point. But it then discards those points just surveyed.
I have often recorded pipe positions where the location is known but the bend is not and needs recording by intersection. FG handles that easily but currently we have to survey the intersecting points then complete the routine and resurvey, or survey the points then calulate manually the intersecting point which takes longer and can be prone to input error.
Just a few thoughts for now
regards
Richard

[Gord]

How about fixing the inability to accurately offset a polyline? Why is it that when I try to offset a polyline, there are always multiple sections that are not correctly offset?
Would be nice to see that fixed.
Gord

[surveyor6925]

And another thing, How about a fence option for the erase command? Much easier to wipe out a particlar area of point data.

[Gord]

And another thing, How about a fence option for the erase command? Much easier to wipe out a particlar area of point data.

I have no trouble using the fence command in MSCAD. Maybe I'm not understanding what you're trying to do. Do you not mean a simple line that selects everything it crosses?

[surveyor6925]

The State of Ohio has ASCII grid files available on the web for free. Flown in 2006. On occasion you will have to topo a certain area which was regraded since the original flight or shoot a ditch bottom for the break lines. I would enclose that particular area, probably an irregular shape, with a closed polyline. I would want all the original points within the polyline to be erased and then replace with the new points. If the erase command included a fence option, it would simplify things.

[Gord]

Fence command is just a simple line that selects everything it crosses.
I think I can do just what you're asking for by clicking on Window Polygon in the selection menu that comes up after running erase (or any other command looking for a selection set.)
I don't know of an option that allows you to select an existing polyline but that certainly would be nice! (Just did a topo where we do yearly updates on a landfill. Would be nice to have the polyline around the limits of this year's points selected to erase all entities within the polyline.)
As it works now, (and I could very well be wrong) you have to draw out the shape you want everything selected in. If your new points are already in the drawing, lock them in the Coordinate Editor before running erase and it will ignore them.
Gord

[Matthew Fore]

Found two more.

The ability to set the MSModeling Configuration file settings as default. Right now it's set to save a file but instead of reloading said file I'd rather have them persistent.

When labeling negative contours the program does not cut enough out from the contour line so it looks like the negative symbol is just a continuation of a contour. Instead of -------- -2 ------- we see -------2-----.

[Glen Cameron]

There is a file C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\MicroSurvey\MSCAD\2009\qs\qs.qcf that contains all of the defaults loaded for the Modeling. It is simply a text file that you can edit with Wordpad. If you make the changes there, they will be loaded automatically each time the program is started.

I see what you are reporting for the negative contours - I will report this as a bug.

[Matthew Fore]

When calculating area using Fast Area command it would be nice if the program would highlight the boundary once the acreage is displayed and then the highlight removed once a new command is given or the screen is moved.

[knoxtech]

Are shp files going to be added?

Knoxtech

[Matthew Fore]

Back to inversing ....

Would like the ability to use the command "lines by inversing" graphically but without the ability of the command to create new points. As it is now if you try to draw a line between points graphically with esnap on and you accidentally miss a point the command will create a point near the point you intended to pick if you are not careful.

[Gord]

I'd prefer to be able to have it not even draw the line if you miss the point. I caught a couple of occasions where the drafter was drawing lines this way and ended up with a line that wasn't to the surveyed point. With point numbers layer turned off, you don't see that a new point was just created.

[Matthew Fore]

Label Alignments -

Not sure if this was intended but when trying to label alignments using new points - station offset method the numbers are incremented by two instead of one with chainage turned off.

[Brian Sloman]

2) Add Coordinate Table - Would like the ability to create a table based on an alternate datum as defined in the new updated active coordinate editor. ( I like this new feature for ACE a lot!) Edit - To be more specific It would be nice to choose the additional datum(s) to create the table. Right now I use the ACE table from selection but I then have to go back and delete the main datum which may not be needed.

Hi Matthew, this table command by default includes all of the datum(s) defined in the coordinate editor, but you can control this by selecting only the desired columns (or rows) in the editor. So if you highlight say your Point ID, Latitude, and Longitude columns - then the resulting table will contain only these.

[Brian Sloman]

The ability to set the MSModeling Configuration file settings as default. Right now it's set to save a file but instead of reloading said file I'd rather have them persistent.

There is a file C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\MicroSurvey\MSCAD\2009\qs\qs.qcf that contains all of the defaults loaded for the Modeling. It is simply a text file that you can edit with Wordpad. If you make the changes there, they will be loaded automatically each time the program is started.

Hi Matthew, When you save your configuration file, just overwrite the qs.qcf file Glen mentioned and that will make it the new default. No need to edit it manually with notepad.