TPC Technote

TPC Desktop for Windows
No CAD Zone Drawings Quick Start

This technote describes the typical sequence of creating a drawing in TPC Desktop for Windows.  By following this sequence for your drawings, you can avoid some common pitfalls and produce great looking drawings.

Please refer to the Technote on Views to understand how the Survey View and Traverse View affect your Drawings. To better understand how drawings work, refer to the Technote on Drawings. Refer to the Technote on TRV and DRV Files for information on where your drawings are stored.

Steps to Produce a Map, Plat, or Exhibit

1. If you are working in a Traverse View, click on the Survey View so that the Quick View knows you are working with permanent drawings.

2. Create a new drawing or duplicate the existing one if you have already added some lines or text.

3. Tag the traverses you want.

4. Edit the control point, side shot and lot label settings. Turn on individual traverse settings if you want to draw each traverse using its own settings. If several traverses use the same settings, edit one of them, then choose Tools | Copy Traverse Settings and follow the instructions on the status bar.

5. Choose File | Page Setup and select the page size and orientation you want for the drawing.

6. Turn on the stock objects (title block, legend, scale bar, etc.) you want to include in the drawing.

7. Drag and drop the survey to place it where you want it, then drag and drop line labels, point labels, and lot labels so none of them overlap. Turn on the line and curve leader options for labels that don't fit on the lines.

8. Switch to paper space mode and add your title, narrative, etc.

9. Print or plot the drawing.

10. When you are finished with this drawing, choose Drawings | Open and choose Drawing1 or some other working drawing. Now you can continue working in TPC Desktop without inadvertently changing the finished drawing.