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Snapping Objects to Other Objects in WinCan Map

A common technique used during data processing and also useful at a site inspection level is being able to snap objects together in 3 dimensions in WinCan Map. While WinCan Map only presents itself on screen as a 2 dimensional plan, it is actually fully 3 dimensional and all coordinates are always being handles in 3 dimensions at all times.

So, if we need to know the height above sea level of a connector node on a section, then we do not have mathematically calculate it. All we have to do is snap it to that section and the software will take care of the rest.

Look at the following example:

Snapping options for gully GY3000.

In this example we have gully GY3000 and maybe we want to create a section or a lateral that will connect it either to;

1. the JXD observation code on the section inspection from CP1 to CP2, or

2. an arbitrary point along the section CP1.1, or

3. the catchpit CP1.

What will be the WinCan object types for the pipe that is generated from GY3000 with each of these 3 options?

1. Lateral, because the pipe has a connector node at the downstream end - we need to plot this connector node and ‘snap’ it to the observation code JXD.

2. Lateral, because the pipe has a connector node at the downstream end - we need to plot this connector node and ‘snap’ it to any point we desire along the section CP1.1

3. Section, because the pipe has a gully at the upstream end and a catchpit at the downstream end, so no connector node in sight.

In order to draw the pipe from GY3000 to either options 1 or 2 above, we must plot a connector node on the section CP1.1. We do not need to do this for option 3 because we are simply going to connect 2 known nodes together with a pipe.

For options 1 and 2, the connector node ID will be (using the standard HADDMS naming convention):

• CN_GY3000_CP1.1

Whether we create the node first in WinCan VX with no coordinates and then plot it in WinCan Map, or if we simply create the connector node in WinCan Map from the start makes no difference and both workflows are equally as valid as each other.

For the purpose of the description here, we will do it both ways.

Snapping to an Observation

For this example, we will create the connector node CN_GY3000_CP1.1 first in WinCan VX and then plot it in WinCan Map, and finally create the lateral pipe from GY3000 to CN_GY3000_CP1.1.

First, go to the nodes grid area of WinCan VX and create a new connector node with details similar to this:

Creating a connector node in WinCan VX.

Notice the details of this data entry:

• The Asset Style is a ‘Modelling Node’. Remember, a connector node is a node point which you cannot see but you know where it is. The ‘Asset Style’ is the internal WinCan VX object type as described in Understanding Object Types.

• The ‘Supplier’s Reference' is the node Id of our choice, here created manually using the default HADDMS naming convention for connector nodes.

• The ‘Node Type’ is the HADDMS object type as described in Understanding Object Types and is marked as a ‘Connector Node’.

• The X, Y and Z fields are blank, because we have not yet plotted this node. This is Ok. We will plot them soon in WinCan Map.

• The ‘Node Depth’ field is blank. As described in Being Smart with Z Values, we do not need to worry about depth values of connector nodes because they do not have a cover level, and WinCan will take care of plotting the ‘actual’ Z value by locking it to the pipe that we are going to snap it to in the next step.

Save the node data entry detail form, and then in Map click on the ‘Draw’ button in the ‘Tools’ ribbon to show the list of nodes that are currently ‘un-plotted’ inside the WinCan VX project. As expected, we see that the connector node that we just created is in this list:

Snapping a node to an observation.

Using the normal WinCan Map technique of working clockwise around the screen and with the connector node that we wish to plot highlighted on the right hand side:

1. Select the ‘WinCan Manholes’ layer.

2. Select the ‘Tools’ ribbon.

3. Select the ‘Draw Point’ tool.

4. In the ‘Snap to’ drop down list, select ‘WinCan Observations’ (because we are going to snap to an observation in this example).

5. In the ‘Magnets’ (below the ‘Snap to’ selection) select the Magnet on the point that has a dot in the middle (this is for snapping to a ‘point’).

6. Hover the mouse pointer over or near to the observation code that you wish to snap to and you will see a cross hair pop up when you are close. This means that the point observation code artefact is being selected.

7. Left click the mouse to plot the connector node.

8. You will be given a small prompt for the type of node that you wish to plot - select the ‘DDMS’ option.

9. Enter as much data about the connector node as you can in the node template form and save:

Node data entry form in WinCan Map.

Notice that:

• The node ID is pre-populated, because you had the node selected on the right hand side before starting this series of mouse clicks.

• The node has X, Y and Z coordinates which are taken from the observation that you snapped to.

• You will need to enter the ‘Type’ and ‘Node Type’ again like you did previously in WinCan VX, but this does not take any serious amount of time.

• You can add some other information if you wish. Do not enter a ‘Node Depth’ value when plotting any type of Modelling Node, but it is Ok for manholes, catchpits and other Drainage Asset types, due to the reasons described in Being Smart with Z Values.

Go back and review this connector node in the WinCan VX header data:

Reviewing the new node data in WinCan VX.

See that the coordinates are now in the data, and also the ‘Connected Continuous item’ now has the correct value in it which is the ‘Supplier’s Reference' of the section that this connector node is attached to. This field is mandatory for connector nodes in the HADDMS data format and is a critical validation error on upload to HADDMS if it is left blank, so using the software to take care of this for you is a good idea that removes the chances of error.

So far, we have plotted the connector node, and there are 2 more steps to really tie this data all together and ensure there are no new issues introduced when we import new node coordinates at a later point.

First, simply create a lateral in WinCan VX from GY3000 to CN_GY3000_CP1.1 (it’s a lateral because it has a connector node at the downstream end and save it. maybe you have a CCTV inspection of this pipe, maybe you don’t. At this stage, it doesn’t really matter. If you have then you can add it and if you don’t you can add it later, but the important point here is that the object is created in the data.

The result now looks like this as expected:

Gully leg snapped to an observation code.

The last step to finalise the data is to tie the lateral to the section using the lateral linking tool in the section observation grid, as is described in Connecting Laterals to Mains so that the section inspection data in WinCan VX looks like this, and the lateral icon in the pipe graph is greyed to show that it is linked to a lateral:

Lateral linked to the section observation.

This data is now in a really good place for further processing. This whole process takes little more than a minute maybe with experience, practice and know-how.

Snapping to a Line

For this example, we will plot the connector node CN_GY3000_CP1.1 in WinCan Map VX and then create the lateral pipe from GY3000 to CN_GY3000_CP1.1.

In this example, we will not create the connector node first in VX, and will work more directly inside WinCan VX and assume that there is no observation code to snap to, so we are just going to create a connector node on the section line at a point that suits us.

The process is here is very similar to the previous section except that we ignore the first part about creating a node in WinCan VX and go directly to WinCan Map. As expected, there is no connector node waiting to be plotted on the right side because at the moment it does not exist in the data.

Again, working clockwise around the screen as before, select the WinCan Manhole layer, then the Tools ribbon, then ‘Draw Point’ and this time when you get to the ‘Snap to’ part:

• Select the ‘WinCan Sections’ as the snapping layer because we are going to snap to the pipe this time.

• Select the other magnet button which does not have a dot in the middle. This is for picking up a line object in WinCan Map.

• Hover the mouse pointer anywhere over the section line and see the cross hair come up - you can click at any point to create the connector node and then fill in the details in the node entry form as before:

Snapping to a line on another layer.

Again, you can go back to the connector node that you have just created in WinCan VX and review its data, and then create the lateral.

In this example, it will not be possible to make the section-lateral link because there was no junction/connection observation code to snap to, so this is as much as you can do right now. Maybe there will be some additional inspection data that comes into the project at a later date after which this can be cleaned up.

Snapping to a Node

For this example, we will do nothing more than create a section from GY3000 to CP1 in VX and review the results in WinCan Map.

The result will be a section from GY3000 to CP1.1 and there is nothing else to do. Remember, it is a section because it does not have connector node at the downstream end. The clinical difference between sections ans laterals has nothing to do with the asset’s size, material or length.

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