Sumatra, 9 E-29190 Málaga (Spain) www.aplitop.com Tel.: +34 95 2439771 Fax: +34 95 2431371 TcpMDT Version 7.0 Summary of Differences with Version 6.5 CAD Versions supported TcpMDT 7 works with several CAD system versions, facilitating the exchange of information between users by means of DWG format drawings. They are as follows: AutoCAD 2004 until 2015 (32 and 64 bits) BricsCAD versions V.12, V.13 and V.14 ZWCAD versions 2012+ and 2014+ Operating Systems Supported TcpMDT 7 is compatible with Windows XP, Windows 7 and Windows 8 (32 and 64 bits). Modules' Structure The core is maintained based on the Standard or Professional versions and the optional modules pertaining to Images, Topography and Points' Clouds. TcpMDT 7 Differences with Version 6.5 - APLITOP, 2014 1
Documentation All the documentation has been updated, including the installation manual, reference, user and customisation. The user manual now has 15 revised chapters and other new ones: definition of reinforcements, sections from a drawing, creation of road surface layers, road intersections, image management etc. The new local help and online system have also been regenerated. General Angular Units The angle units' support has been improved for all commands, allowing a selection to be made between hundredths, sixtieths in decimal format, sixtieths in d m s format and radians, with the possibility of automatically interpreting the data. Use of stakes or chainages For the alignments, profiles and setting out chainages can also be used (default option), with several labelling possibilities or stakes of certain dimensions, useful in countries where this form of measurement is used. Context Menus In this version, when selecting objects such as points, longitudinal profiles, alignments etc. a context menu appears with the options available and it is more user-friendly. Points AutoCAD Point Clouds The command Convert Drawing from Entities supports the total or partial conversion of the point clouds of AutoCAD (2013 or superior) and hence indirectly of the LIDAR or laser scanner files that they support. TcpMDT 7 Differences with Version 6.5 - APLITOP, 2014 2
Selection by multiple polylines In the selection method for points near to polylines it is now possible to select several of them, including those at a shorter distance than that specified. Surfaces Export to drawing programs The surfaces and meshes may now be exported to 3D Studio (3DS), Collada (DAE) and Google SketchUp (SKP) files, facilitating integration with other applications and the possibility of carrying out realistic images from the data processed by TcpMDT. TcpMDT 7 Differences with Version 6.5 - APLITOP, 2014 3
Different slopes for each side in earthworks In earthworks commands by explanade or terrain elevations, different slopes can now be applied on each side, specifying intervals and deciding whether the vertices of each corner need to be rounded off or not. Meshes When creating a surface, if points are detected with a zero elevation, the program asks whether it is wished to include them on the surface The surface fusion algorithm has improved, avoiding the generation of very narrow triangles New command for filling up holes on a surface Possibility of specifying a different slope on each side of the explanade Earthwork commands and surface fusion, instead of modifying the current surface a new file is created When obtaining the modified terrain, the wire diagram of the sections is drawn on different layers in line with their vectorial definition Mesh as current surface With TcpMDT 7 a mesh can be defined as the current surface and it may be used to identify elevations, quick profile, generation of contours, longitudinal profiles and cross sections etc. This is particularly useful for working simply with terrain data from LIDAR or digital models downloaded from public or private entities. Drawing of meshes as images In addition to being able to represent the meshes on the drawing as 3D faces or a polyface mesh, an option is now included which allows the automatic generation and insertion of images in GeoTIFF format which are rapidly symbolised without loading the current drawing. TcpMDT 7 Differences with Version 6.5 - APLITOP, 2014 4
New command Mesh from points which allows the generation of a mesh with the desired cell size from points TcpMDT 7 can now work with far larger meshes as the memory management has been optimised New mesh import formats have been incorporated A new command Mesh information describes the main data of the mesh Contour line The menu has been reorganised and it is now called Contour line/mapping allowing speedier access to frequently used commands. Longitudinal Profiles and Cross sections Get and draw profile The commands Get profile and Get cross sections can draw automatically after obtaining the profile without the need to execute any further command. In addition, if a model space is selected, a free area of the drawing is looked for to insert its representation. Automatic Update The new command Update profile modifies the drawing automatically if the original alignment or surface have changed. TcpMDT 7 Differences with Version 6.5 - APLITOP, 2014 5
As well as getting the profiles from a digital model or 3D digitised mapping, it can now also be calculated from a mesh New commands Label Station and elevation in profile which allows these labels to be added to the longitudinal profile or the cross sections, drawing in the desired positions. New command Convert 3D polyline, which creates longitudinal profile from this entity New command Delete profile which removes all the drawing elements of the profile, just by selecting the terrain polyline New command Project points onto ground plan which allows points to be designated on the longitudinal profile or on the cross sections which, in turn, would insert in the ground plan New command Convert cross sections on ground plan which allows the creation of a cross sections file from a surface and the profiles drawn in the ground plan Project polyline in profile now allows the selection of polylines by selection or by layers Quick profile command includes a new button that allows this profile to be drawn as a longitudinal profile on the drawing Two new data elements have been incorporated: widenings and gradient angles Draw composite profile incorporates a new option for representing the end chainages of the structures Numerical edition has improved with the command Check cross sections TcpMDT 7 Differences with Version 6.5 - APLITOP, 2014 6
Horizontal Alignments Draw Alignment With this new command an alignment can be draw interactively, alternating between lines, arcs and clothoids, being able to assign radii, parameters and lengths automatically when the original alignment or surface have changed graphically or numerically, drawing in real time. Alignments calculation TcpMDT 7 substantially improves the design tools, introducing the concepts of fixed, coupled, rotary and mobile alignments. By designating layout elements such as lines, arcs and clothoids, the program automatically looks for the most appropriate solutions, being able to establish restrictions such as crossing points, coupling to an existing alignment etc. The command Convert polyline to alignment now allows automatic binding and the insertion of curved sections between lines TcpMDT 7 Differences with Version 6.5 - APLITOP, 2014 7
The command Connect alignment can connect an individual alignment, a set of alignment or all the alignment of the drawing The command Alignment input allows the introduction of the parameter and length at the clothoids and it can automatically calculate the radius at the output clothoids The Alignment drawing commands are more intelligent and their layout is viewed in real time New command Gauge control which allows the designation of a series of intersections on the drawing and for the program to automatically inform and label their chainages, gradient elevations and differences New import and export formats have been implemented such as Topograph etc. When importing an alignment it is dimensioned automatically The tables of superelevation, widenings and standards are organised by countries in such a way that it is easy to implement specific regulations In each segment the additional widening application point can be defined: outside lane, inner lane or both The labelling of alignments allows the implementation of different representation styles depending on the country Vertical Alignments Automatic updating of the drawing TcpMDT 7 improves interactiveness between the modified project data and the drawing represented in CAD. Now, when modifying in the drawing any vertex or curve of the gradient with any of MDT editing tools, the profile drawing with the associated gradient will be updated instantaneously as well as the numerical data elements associated therewith. The gradient editor incorporates new functions such as definition from a polyline, vertical curves by crossing point, asymmetric parabolic curve support etc. When defining a gradient with the commands, it can be specified whether the vertical curves are of the circular or parabolic type Automatic dimensioning of the vertcal alignment when drawing it Drawing of gradient on ground plan without the need to define the segment Automatic adaptation of the vertical alignment to the profile between to specified stations Adaptation of the standards of the different countries. TcpMDT 7 Differences with Version 6.5 - APLITOP, 2014 8
Standard Sections Road Intersection TcpMDT 7 incorporates a new command for the automatic design of intersections with the possibility of different drawings, junctions on both sides, acceleration and deceleration lanes, links to roundabouts etc. Sections as from polyline in elevation view New command which allows the definition of a standard section from a polyline which represents the section in the drawing. This tool will enable us to automatically interpret the platform, the ditches and the slopes, avoiding tedious definitions based on vectorial increments. New function for copying and pasting platform vectors Definition of road surface layers for reinforcement area TcpMDT 7 Differences with Version 6.5 - APLITOP, 2014 9
Assignment of waysides and slopes between chainage intervals Possibility of conditioning the height of the slopes in line with the elevation of a gradient Application of ditches from road surface layers Assignment of walls conditioned by the height thereof Geology exclusion areas Volumes Optimised representation of Volume by surfaces or meshes difference with colours palettes which can be customised by the user Measurement of road surface layers in sections with reinforcements and structures New types of lists of road surface layers, ordered by chainages or materials Possibility of establishing the representation of the volume as cells in line with the minimum elevation difference Maps/Render Customisable colour palettes TcpMDT 7 incorporates the representation by means colour palettes for commands such as heights map, slopes map, slopes direction map and volumes by meshes. The user can choose between the different palettes available, customise the ranges of application, introducing comments and even defining his own colour palettes. TcpMDT 7 Differences with Version 6.5 - APLITOP, 2014 10
Utilities The Slope directions map may also be generated from meshes The customisation of colours associated with presentation intervals and ranges has improved The Plots module includes new tools such as the creation of plots based on the designation of an interior point, importing from shape files, a new command for the calculation of occupation surfaces, tools for plot subdivision, boundary and surface reports etc. The command Draw crosses may draw the coordinates grid on a window or the region delimited by a polyline TcpMDT 7 Differences with Version 6.5 - APLITOP, 2014 11
Images The command Insert photos with position not only allows the placement in their real location of photos taken by cameras fitted with GPS, but it also affords the possibility of scaling and orienting images from the actual orientation data or sequence, ideal for photos taken by drones. In all the commands of this module that create images, for the output a format other than the original may be chosen The command Delimit image is much more efficient with large images and it allows the background of the desired areas to be concealed Topography The application of the sphericity and refraction corrections, reduction to ellipsoid and combined scale factor have been revised and simplified with the indications of the Geocentric Reference System for the Americas (SIRGAS). An instruments table has also been created with the precisions and characteristics of the most usual models. The menu has been reorganised in such a way that the commands are more accessible TcpMDT 7 Differences with Version 6.5 - APLITOP, 2014 12
The internal reliability test (Baarda) has been implemented in the observations of traverses, networks and direct and inverse intersections The adjustment fitness test has also been carried out (chi-square) for calculations by Least Squares, indicating in each case whether it has been passed or not In the traverses horizontal and vertical error controls in line with the length have been added The presentation of the sexagesimal angles can also be introduced and shown in degrees, minutes and seconds Geodesy The projections were updated in line with the EPSG data base and in addition the comments and revision date in the SRC, datums and datum transformations are shown. Now geographic coordinates' files can be imported in KML formats from Google Earth, GPS exchange Format (GPX) and W84 from TcpGPS Possibility of establishing the units (metres, American feet, miles etc.) of the projected and geocentric source and target coordinates The most usual SRC have been added in favourites and the geoid for Brazil Stereo 70 projection has been implemented for Romania More countries and regions have been added on the list of predefined areas Point Clouds A new points selection method has been implemented based on a closed polyline. This allows point clouds to be cleaned much more conveniently. TcpMDT 7 Differences with Version 6.5 - APLITOP, 2014 13
LAS files are supported at WGS84 coordinates, frequently used in Mobile Mapping Assignment of colour to the points based on orthophotos during the importing of point clouds, avoiding any subsequent filtering of the point cloud to assign it a colour New image format: possibility of using orthophotos in ECW format for colouring point clouds TcpMDT 7 Differences with Version 6.5 - APLITOP, 2014 14