Convert Objects

Description

Convert between different object types or between different line segment types.

Access

Home / Tools / Modify / Convert

Requirements

Solve module

Controls

The selected convert mode determines the controls available.

Control	Description
Convert	Select one of the following: 2D Circular Arc to 3D Circular Arc 3D Circular Arc to 2D Circular Arc Cylinder to Line - Convert cylinder shapes to pipe shapes or lines. Cylinder to Pipe - Convert cylinder shapes to pipe shapes or lines. Line to Contour - Convert lines to contour lines so they can be annotated using contour text styles. Line to Cylinder - Convert lines to pipe shapes or single segmented cylinder shapes of specified diameter. Line to Pipe - Convert lines to pipe shapes or single segmented cylinder shapes of specified diameter. Pipe to Cylinder - Convert pipe shapes to lines or to single segmented cylinder shapes. Pipe to Line - Convert pipe shapes to lines or to single segmented cylinder shapes. Spline to Straight - Convert a line or polygons spline segment to a straight segment. Straight to Spline - Convert a line or polygons straight segment to a spline segment.
Location	Select the location of the line in relation to the pipe or cylinder: Obvert - Top of the pipe or cylinder. Middle - Middle of the pipe or cylinder. Invert - Bottom of the pipe or cylinder.
Diameter	Input the pipe or cylinder diameter.
Major Interval	Type the interval for the major contour lines.
Object	Input the object to convert. If any objects are currently selected in the model view this control is unavailable.
Retain existing object(s)	Do one of the following: Select the checkbox to retain the existing object when the object is converted. Clear the checkbox to delete the existing object when the object is converted.

Notes

Perform the operation on:
- A selection of objects - Click OK to convert valid objects in the selection.
- A single object input into the Object control - Click OK to convert the object.
Converted objects remain on the layer of the original object.
OK is disabled if the object can not be converted.
When converting arcs, in order to convert between arc types:
- The arcs centre may be recomputed.
- The centre vertex may be unmerged if it is shared with other objects. Unmerged vertices are reported in the Filter report view.
When converting lines, pipes or cylinders:
- Texts created to annotate a line may be deleted when lines are converted to pipe shapes or cylinders.
- Attributes are copied when a pipe, line or cylinder is converted.
- Lines constructed from straights, circular arcs or splines can be converted to pipes.
- Lines constructed from straights, can be converted to cylinders
- Configure the method used to join and close the pipe segments in the layers shape display attributes.
- You can convert splines to pipes when the location is set to Middle.
- Enter a pipe diameter between 0.001 and 100 metres.
- Edit the pipe attributes in the Attributes tool.
- Multi-segmented lines or pipes are converted to single segment cylinders.
- When converting between pipes and cylinders the location is always set to Middle.
When converting straights and splines:
- Lines or polygons consisting of a combination of splines and straights will be converted to all splines or all straights depending on the Convert option selected.
- Texts created to annotate a straight using a bearing or distance text style will be deleted when lines or polygon edges are converted to splines.
When converting lines to contours:
- You can only convert lines:
  - with straight segments
  - where all vertices have the same defined height
  - that do not self intersect or intersect with other lines in the selection that have the same height.
- Major contour lines will be created for all lines that have a height of 0 and any other lines whose heights are divisible by the Major Interval.
- When you perform the conversion on a selection of lines, the lines direction is configured such that when looking from the start of the line to the end of the line, the right of the line is uphill. Then when you create text, offsets will be applied in the same direction and text displayed in the uphill direction will have the same orientation for all up hill contour lines.
- When you perform the conversion on a single line the direction of the line is preserved.
- To assign major and minor contours to separate layers, on the ribbon, click then select Major Contours or Minor Contours and change the layer of the selected objects.
- You can view if a line is a contour in the Attributes tool window.

Possible errors

Error or Warning	Description
Operation failed for n object(s). The geometry, location and/or diameter is not compatible.	Either the pipes could not be intersected without overlap, or a cylinder could not be formed. This could be due to: a small internal angle at the bend. a short segment before or after the bend. a pipe or cylinder diameter to large for the geometry. the pipe or line containing a circular curve or spline when you are converting to a cylinder. the location is not set to Middle when converting a spline.
Unmerged centre vertex of circular arc segment Segment number in the object of Object type Object unique id.	The topology of the models objects could not be preserved. One of the arcs being converted shared its centre vertex with another object. A new vertex has been created for the arcs centre.
Segment Segment number in the object of Object type Object unique id could not be converted to a arc type circular arc.	The arcs geometry prevents it from being converted to a different type of arc.
Line Object unique id could not be converted because it self intersects.	A line could not be converted to a contour because contour lines are invalid if they self intersect.
Line Object unique id could not be converted because it intersects another contour.	A line could not be converted to a contour because it intersects with another line in the selection that has the same height.
Line Object unique id could not be converted because it contains a default height.	A line could not be converted to a contour because contour lines must have a defined height. Update the height of the line using a query or the Modify Height tool.
Line Object unique id could not be converted because it has differing height values.	A line could not be converted to a contour because all vertices in a contour lines must have the same height.