Draw a Degree, Min, Second Boundary Line

[Werner R]

Hi, I have been using ArchiAcad for many years, and I am still battling how to draw site boundaries with degrees, minutes & seconds.
It always comes out wrong.
Can anyone help me with this?

[Anonymous]

Hi Werner,

I have no experience with drawing boundaries using that method, but a search brings up these threads which may be of interest to you -

http://archicad-talk.graphisoft.com/viewtopic.php?p=166795

http://archicad-talk.graphisoft.com/viewtopic.php?t=27751

http://archicad-talk.graphisoft.com/viewtopic.php?p=167717

Hope they help.

[Mark Wallace]

Here is a thread from earlier this year.

http://archicad-talk.graphisoft.com/viewtopic.php?t=31828&highlight=

HTH's

Mark

[andrewzarb]

Hi Werner, It's funny that I was just explaining this to someone in my office less than a minute before reading your question. I assume that in South Africa the surveyors use a similar methodology to the ones in Australia. If not forgive me for using your thread as a mini tutorial for the Aussies having trouble.

This tutorial assumes that the survey's 0 degree point coincides with North and that the bearings increase clockwise.

If you haven't already, go to your Options/Project Preferences/Working Units menu an change your "angle unit:" to "degrees, minutes, seconds"

To enter the meets and bounds of a boundary with degrees, minutes and seconds start with the line tool, position it at the start and press enter or click to start your line drawing. Type "R" for the length value then "A" and enter the bearings by typing the angle, minutes and seconds separated by a space. (eg "132 25 15") then press enter to finish. You probably have a line that is not going in the same direction as the one on your survey. Mirror it at 45 degrees.

The reason is that ArchiCAD's co-ordinates go anti-clockwise from the right and the surveyor's go clockwise from the top. See attachment.

I suggest doing one line at the time because the surveyor's angle could be taken from either end of the line. You'll see in practice that mirroring at 45,135,225,315 still changes the angle of the line correctly so sometimes you may want to mirror at 135 degrees if the surveyor's andgle was taken from the opposite end point.

[Anonymous]

Another way, which is similar to Andrews, but does away with the mirror-ing at 45degrees step:

1. Click to start the line.
2. Drag your cursor in the direction of north (constrain with the Shift key).
3. Hit the R key, input the length.
4. Hit the A key, input the angle from survey (with spaces between degrees, minutes and seconds - if its 0 seconds you do not have to put in the 0)
5. Then hit the -(minus) key and hit ENTER.

This has the effect of adding your bearing to the north direction. You use the minus key as Archicad measures angles anti-clockwise, survey goes clockwise.

This method also works with the Cadimage Survey Boundary object, for those who have it.

Hope this makes sense.

[Mark Wallace]

Andrew has very nicely diagrammed what I've often attempted to describe in words based on similar discoveries about the way ArchiCAD works.

I also now use the method Stuart describes as well.

The truly amazing thing about ArchiCAD's abilities here is; Until these recent programs were developed - doing a survey traverse required a lot of trig calculations and careful plotting (by hand). Demonstrating the Closure Error really meant, was an abstract impossibilty especially if the error was 'within the tolerances of 1st order work.'

All sorts of cumbersome analogue computers (resembling adding machines) had been devised costing hundreds, even thousands of $$'s. The better engineering & surveying firms had them.

Based on experience, and carefully developed skills decades ago, plotting deeds and similar data in ArchiCAD is Easy!

I've shown these features to a couple of retired surveyors who winced, then smiled with envy; epecially after demonstrating & dimensioning in real time; the Closure Error.

Surveying and property description is not attractive work, but it's part of what we do in design.

Thanks for the added info....

Mark

[Paul King]

s2art wrote:
Another way, which is similar to Andrews, but does away with the mirror-ing at 45degrees step:

1. Click to start the line.
2. Drag your cursor in the direction of north (constrain with the Shift key).
3. Hit the R key, input the length.
4. Hit the A key, input the angle from survey (with spaces between degrees, minutes and seconds - if its 0 seconds you do not have to put in the 0)
5. Then hit the -(minus) key and hit ENTER.

This has the effect of adding your bearing to the north direction. You use the minus key as Archicad measures angles anti-clockwise, survey goes clockwise.

This method also works with the Cadimage Survey Boundary object, for those who have it.

Hope this makes sense.

Just remember, you also need to set your working units for angles to Hours Minutes and Seconds (Options/Project Preferences/Working Units) while using this method. ArchiCAD will not otherwise accept spaces in pet pallet/angle dialogue

[Anonymous]

I use a version of the mab tool that I have edited to suit my needs.
Its a GDL object with a few different options. In the code there is commented out code for entering links but I just convert it and enter as mm.

Russ

[denmuk]

s2art wrote:
Another way, which is similar to Andrews, but does away with the mirror-ing at 45degrees step:

1. Click to start the line.
2. Drag your cursor in the direction of north (constrain with the Shift key).
3. Hit the R key, input the length.
4. Hit the A key, input the angle from survey (with spaces between degrees, minutes and seconds - if its 0 seconds you do not have to put in the 0)
5. Then hit the -(minus) key and hit ENTER.

This has the effect of adding your bearing to the north direction. You use the minus key as Archicad measures angles anti-clockwise, survey goes clockwise.

This method also works with the Cadimage Survey Boundary object, for those who have it.

Hope this makes sense.

MANY YEAR LATER AND I STUMBLED INTO THIS...EXCELLENT. THANK YOU!!