AutoChart version 3.0.12125 was released last week, providing compatibility with AutoCAD 2013 and introducing some new functionality as well as a number of modifications and bug fixes.
You'll notice that the version number has changed from the previous 2010.xx.xx to 3.x.xxxxx. This is because as part of Wish Software's re-engineering of its products, a common version numbering system has been introduced across all products.
In this Blog post, I'm going to concentrate on the new Multiple Routes functionality that has been added in this version of AutoChart.
Traditionally, the time saving benefits of AutoChart were most apparent when creating multiple charts along a single long route. However, with the growth of offshore windfarm developments, often now a charting project may consist of a single (or low number) chart along multiple short routes such as the in-field cable array between wind turbines.
The new Multiple Routes functionality of AutoChart addresses this requirement and with a little orgainisation with respect to Route and Data file naming, can provide significant time and effort saving on these types of projects.
In the 2010.00.03 release of AutoChart we added the ability to Create Panels-Multiple Routes, where the Panels would be created on each AutoChart Route entities and then you could use this Panel Dwg with multiple panels in Create Charts, to make a set of charts for each route. However, after that everything had to be done on a route-by route basis. Now, in the latest development version of AutoChart we have added the commands Create Profile-Multiple Routes, Add SBP-Multiple Routes and Create Events-Multiple Routes that match the file name of the Profile/SBP/Events data files with the Route IDs and Panel IDs in the charts to automatically create the Profiles/Add SBP/Create Events for each chart/route using the appropriate data and route ID.
When you use Create Panels-Multiple Routes, all your Routes need to be in a single dwg and stored as AutoChart Route Entities (i.e. Imported with AutoChart or turned into an AutoChart Route entity using Attach Route Info) The Route IDs used are Important because these are used to name the Panels/Charts and to match with the appropriate data files, so each Route should have a unique ID (and it’s best to sick to simple naming conventions). Once the panels are created you should have a single Panels Drawing with a number of Panel Sets contained within it (i.e. a Panel Set for each Route). The Panel ID for these should be directly related to the Route IDs from the Route polylines.When you call up this Panel Drawing in the Create Charts command, you should see a list of all the Panel IDs in the Panel Set List:
When you use Create Panels-Multiple Routes, all your Routes need to be in a single dwg and stored as AutoChart Route Entities (i.e. Imported with AutoChart or turned into an AutoChart Route entity using Attach Route Info) The Route IDs used are Important because these are used to name the Panels/Charts and to match with the appropriate data files, so each Route should have a unique ID (and it’s best to sick to simple naming conventions). Once the panels are created you should have a single Panels Drawing with a number of Panel Sets contained within it (i.e. a Panel Set for each Route). The Panel ID for these should be directly related to the Route IDs from the Route polylines.When you call up this Panel Drawing in the Create Charts command, you should see a list of all the Panel IDs in the Panel Set List:
Just Highlight (Shift-Select) all of the Panel Sets in the List, and then Create Charts will make a set of charts for each route. Note that all charts must be the same scale and run in the same direction, etc. (if you want different directions you’d need to run the command once for all Ascending KP Panels and again for Descending KP Panels changing the relevant options).
Create Grids can be run as normal, as can Xref Data, etc.. For things like KP Flags/Routes, I use Cut Data->Panel Set and Insert/Xref Cut Data and then delete/freeze layers for the entities I don’t want to show in each chart (e.g. KP flags for adjacent routes).
Create Grids can be run as normal, as can Xref Data, etc.. For things like KP Flags/Routes, I use Cut Data->Panel Set and Insert/Xref Cut Data and then delete/freeze layers for the entities I don’t want to show in each chart (e.g. KP flags for adjacent routes).
For Creating Profiles, your ASCII Profile data files MUST be named exactly the same as the Route IDs that were used to create the Panels, so that AutoChart can match the relevant data file with the appropriate Route in the appropriate chart (and your Route Drawing should therefore contain all of the routes).
E.g. The Route IDs are OR-A1_OR-A2, OR-A2_OR-A3, OR-A3_OR-A4, etc. so the Profile XYZ files are called exactly the same names as the Route names:
The Create Profile-Multiple Routes command will then ask for the Chart Directory, the Route dwg containing all of the Routes and the Folder containing all of these profile data files:
It’ll then draw the Profile in each chart using the appropriate data file and Route ID to match the Panel UCS name. Note that all the Profiles will have the same settings/etc. and that the Initial Route KP must be 0 for all routes or the Routes must have interpolated KPs.
Add SBP Data-Multiple Routes and Create Events-Multiple Routes work in the same manner – as long as the Data File name exactly matches the Route ID, it should use the appropriate Data with the appropriate Route to match the Panel UCS name, so the correct data is used in each chart and the KPs are calculated against the correct route.
Add SBP Data-Multiple Routes and Create Events-Multiple Routes work in the same manner – as long as the Data File name exactly matches the Route ID, it should use the appropriate Data with the appropriate Route to match the Panel UCS name, so the correct data is used in each chart and the KPs are calculated against the correct route.
A video showing the process can be viewed or downloaded from the Wish Software website:
http://www.wishsoftware.com/AutoChart.aspx
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