Exchange Data with Trimble Business Center
Trimble Business Center supports the exchange of Mass Haulage data.
Library elements
Within the XML file, you can import:
Mass Area Types - This defines the types of earth that have to be moved and whether the area is a Cut or Fill area.
Haulage Types - This defines haulage types, basically we differentiate if the haulage is done with a dozer (short distance) or with a truck ( long distance).
Mass Areas - This describes the volumes of earth of a certain Mass Area Type in a location (start and end distance).
TAB Hauls - This describes the hauls from the source area to the destination area referring to a Haulage Type.
Distance Profile - In addition, two distance profiles are imported. Elevation: This shows the Land- and road height. Volumes: The summary curve for cut and fill volumes as well as the balance curve.
Later on this page, we describe the steps of importing the data to a newly created project.
The result looks as follows:
The upper row shows the elevation profile which is a Distance Profile (Diagram). 2 Graphs are displayed, Land Height and Road height. It is created from a distance Distance Profile.
The middle row shows a Histogram. They can be placed along the time or the distance axis and can be viewed as lines or bar chart diagrams. It is created from a distance Distance Profile.
The 3rd row shows the Mass Haulage Diagram.
After the import of the activities, the scheduling of the Cut and Fill Activities can start. The result is a linked time distance diagram where all the Activities to operate the mass haulage are planned and has resources assigned.
There are 2 sample imports:
A training sample with a small data set: Use the templates containing SMALL in the name.
A real project exported from TBC.
Create a new project
Start Tilos and use the function: File New to create a new project.
Select the BC MH Small Project Data template to create a new project. For the big sample, use the template: "TBC Mass Haulage Template Metric.hst"
Enter the coordinates: Distance should be from -200 to 4200. If you use the real sample type -200 to 10 200.
Duration should be about 3 months and 18 months for the real project.
Press the apply button and save your project.
Import data
Select the File Import menu.
Select in Step1 of import Wizard the file: "TBC Data Small (metric).xml". You can find it in "C:\ProgramData\Tilos\Tilos91-Data\Exchange\Data\" the data section of your installation in the folder "Exchange\Data". For the big project use the data file: "TBC Data (metric).xml"
In Step2, the profile has to be set. The simplest is to use that profile that is already copied to the data file. If not you can select a profile from the installed files. This is called "...Exchange\Profiles\Trimble BC Profile.Xml"
click Finish and the data gets imported.
Press F5 to refresh your view.
You should now see the picture above with the 3 components.
Troubleshooting: No diagrams are visible. What can be the reason:
Check if you have used the right template or view. In the 01 Planning view, there should be the 3 diagrams visible. If not, redo Step1 and Step2 with the right template. You may also create a new mass haulage diagram in your current project (Mass Haulage Diagram - Basic Creation).
No data is imported. Check in explorer to see if there are entries listed under Mass areas or Mass Haulages (Project Data \ Distance Axis Definition).
Check the distance coordinates of mass areas. They should be in the range in which you have created your projects. Please note that the data are imported with the format of the default distance unit set in Dialog - Options - Distance. Maybe data got imported with the wrong distance unit. For xml formatted imports there is a special distance unit in the template called XML Format. This has as a decimal separator a dot. It might help if you use this unit as the default unit during import. However, the profile has this unit already assigned.
Create activities
Create activities using the wizard to Create Cut and Fill Activities.
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