Subassembly Composer (SAC) Parameters and Properties Viewers

[stevenh0616]

SAC is a great tool, but it can be difficult to debug. It would be nice if we had a few viewer tabs to view what SAC is calculating for the inputs currently used in either Roadway or Layout modes right within SAC instead of having to bring the subassembly into Civil 3D and test it there. This would help speed up time in ensuring the subassembly is working properly right within SAC before bringing into Civil 3D for more rigorous testing.

I'm proposing the following views be added:

1. Debug Output Parameters and Variables

A view tab for all Output Parameters and Variables in the subassembly and their currently used values.

Suggesting properties to display are: Name, Display Name, Property Type (Output or Variable), Description, Value

Tab could look something like this

2. Debug Points

A view tab for the calculations used on various Points. This would include point types: Points, Intersection Points, Auxiliary Points, Auxiliary Marked Points, and Marked Points.

Suggesting properties to display are: Name, Codes, Point Type, X Coordinate, Y Coordinate (technically this is Z coordinate since it's a cross section - should probably be noted as such).

See tab example above

3. Debug Links

A view tab for the calculations used on various Links. This would include link types: Links, Curves, Daylight Rounding, Fillet Arc, Surface Links, Auxiliary Links, Auxiliary Curves, Auxiliary Surface Links

Suggesting properties to display are: Name, Codes, Link Type, Start Point Name, End Point Name, Slope, Distance, Delta X, Delta Y

See tab example above

4. Debug Shapes

A view tab for the calculations performed on various shapes.

Suggesting properties to display are: Name, Codes, Points (perhaps a list of the points that make it up), Links (perhaps a list of the link names that make it up), Area, Perimeter

See tab example above

[f_furger]

That would be a great function. I support this idea!!

[TimYarris]

Thank you for your idea. The development team will review the idea while customers continue to add feedback and vote on it.

[neyton_]

I think the best way to debug a SubAssembly would be to be able to use it directly in Civil 3D, without having to go through the whole process of creating the PKT file, importing it and using it.

With that in mind, I would make Subassembly Composer a plugin that runs inside Civil 3D, not outside, that allows it to be loaded into model space as quickly as possible, to be tested.

I did this with my plugin, SOLIDOS (https://tbn2net.com/SOLIDOS?lang=en-us), which has a modeling interface similar to Subassembly Composer

[cyndycyndycyndy]

Have you ever gone back to redo a subassembly and through the process of deleting this and revising that, you get a verbose error about a thousand words long and then the flowchart disappears with a message in its place saying more or less that you have to fix your issue for this thing to work, but without the flowchart, there is no way to navigate and fix the issue.  You have to start over because saving and reopening at that point, gives you that verbose error again.

I agree that there needs to be some sort of debugging process in Subassembly Composer.