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Structures can be used to represent buildings, excavations, shafts, storage tanks, storage silos, and storage piles in 3D. Prior to being displayed in 3D, these structures must first be designed in 2D views.

 

Below is a brief introduction on how to create and edit views, buildings and structures, detailed information is provided in Chapter 11.

 

 

Creating a Building/Structure View

 

To create a new building/structure view either select File > New > Building/Structure View or click on the Structures category on the sidebar and then select Popup > New (to display the popup menu click the right mouse button). After this the New Building/Structure View form will be displayed where you can specify the extents, grid interval, and unique name for the view. The view will then be displayed and can be edited as described below.

 

 

Selecting a Building/Structure View

 

An existing building/structure view in the project can be opened by either selecting File > Open > Building/Structure View or by clicking on the Structures category on the sidebar and then selecting Popup > Open. If there is only one building/structure view in the project it will be opened, if there is more than one view in the project the Open View form will be displayed where you can select which view to open.

 

 

Editing a Building/Structure View

 

After a building/structure view has been created or selected, it can be edited. On the sidebar the buildings already in the project are listed as well as the GIS project overlay. The display of the buildings and GIS overlay can be turned off and on using the sidebar.

 

 

Adding a Building/Structure

 

Several types of buildings and structures can be added to the view; such as:

 

•Rectangular buildings

•Irregular buildings

•Storage silos

•Storage piles

•Shafts

•Excavations

•Storage tanks

 

To add a building/structure to the view select it from the Building/Structure toolbar and then click on the view where it is to be placed. If it is an irregular building or excavation you will need to click on the vertices of the outline of the structure in the view. Otherwise, just click on the center of the structure in the view.

 

 

Editing a Building/Structure

 

To edit a building/structure, select it in the view by clicking on it with the mouse. Once a building/structure has been selected it can be edited in the following ways:

 

•Its properties can be adjusted using the edit or popup menu.

•Its position can be moved using the mouse or by adjusting its properties.

•Its size can be adjusted with the mouse or from the edit or popup menu.

•It can be scaled and rotated using the edit or popup menu.

•Its size and position can be locked and unlocked using the edit menu.

•It can be cut, copied, and pasted using the edit or popup menu.

 

Multiple buildings/structures can be selected for editing by drawing an outline box around them with the mouse. When multiple buildings/structures are selected the following can be edited:

 

•They can be locked and unlocked using the edit menu.

•Their size can be adjusted using the edit menu.

•They can aligned using the edit menu.

•They can be cut, copied, and pasted using the edit menu.

 

 

Deleting a Building/Structure

 

To delete a building, select it in the view using the mouse and then select Edit > Delete or Popup > Delete. When a building/structure is deleted from a view it is deleted from the project and all views.

 

 

Printing a Building/Structure View

 

Buildings/structures can not be printed directly. To see them in a printout they must be included in a 3D view and then the 3D view included in a project view.