Is it better than Trimble?

[jamesbarnett]

I am currently using Trimble Business Center (TBC) to help with my layout work, and I have a few questions about Point Layout.

1. I use Civil 3d 2017, but will I be able to load up Revit drawings to create points or will I still only be able to use Civil 3d drawings?

2. Does it create more surface types, such as Trimble's ttm?

3. Can you export profile information from C3d?

4. Can you export a corridor with all items attached to it?

5. Does it help with working with point clouds?

6. Does it have software that works with the field equipment?

I've never heard of this and I'm really interested so thanks in advance for any answers.

[s.hamel]

Hello James, welcome to the Point Layout forum, happy to help with these questions.

So first thing to know is that we are not really comparing apples to apples here, and I don't have any experience with the business Center software, and limited experience with Civil 3D, but I will answer as best I can.  Keep in mind that Point Layout's focus is on layout/QA/QC/AsBuilting for vertical construction.

1. I use Civil 3d 2017, but will I be able to load up Revit drawings to create points or will I still only be able to use Civil 3d drawings?

Point Layout is a set of plugins which work within AutoCAD and its verticals (such as Civil 3d), Revit, and Navisworks.  So to work with Revit drawings using Point Layout you would need both Revit and Point Layout installed.

2. Does it create more surface types, such as Trimble's ttm?

No, Point Layout does not deal with surfaces like this.  While you can place points on topography within Revit, you would only be able to export those points, not a surface type or file type based on them.

3. Can you export profile information from C3d?

No

4. Can you export a corridor with all items attached to it?

No

5. Does it help with working with point clouds?

Potentially in a few ways.  If you have a point cloud loaded in ACAD/Revit/NW you could use it to create new coordinate systems based on visible control within the point cloud, or mark those with points that you could then export for use within recap or elsewhere.

6. Does it have software that works with the field equipment?

It does, this is the BIM 360 Layout software which is part of BIM 360 Glue.  Note however that it does not work at this time with Trimble robots, only Topcon and Leica.

Feel free to post follow up questions.

Thanks,