Removing colinear points on a line string?

Is there a tool in MicroStation that will let me delete colinear/redundant vertices?

  • Hi Jan,

    Thanks for pointing me to that macro. It could definitely help with auditing line strings. A macro for the colinear vertices issue that I have may be the best approach but I know little about VBA programming. This is not a process I am running every day so I can manage with the Delete Vertex tool for now.

    Joe
  • You might want to try using the Cleanup Mesh tool before extracting the boundary. If you check the Coplanar and collinear options it will simplify the mesh and then the extracted boundary should be cleaner.

    I would just make a copy of the mesh, apply the Cleanup Mesh tool to the mesh copy, extract it's boundary, and delete the mesh copy.

  • if the  mesh simplify solution  doesnt work for you ....

    Then if the line is as obvious as it looks in you example ( which I doubt)  you could just trace over it  using only the  verticies that look   inflected...

    if however its  too many .ie more than 50 then ....->.

    What about extracting the  coordiantes from the properties  then pasting into excel  you could then filter the angle column and just get the coords or the inflected points

    Then make new table and redraw the line with script file using the  coordinates and plaqce line comand or place points via import coordinates and redraw the  line via the  points...

    Without a real world example its a little difficult.. perhaps you could post your real dgn  and we  could have a play with it...

    Here  is my simple example of extracting the  points of a string  I made  by hand ( I think it only works with strings  I havent tried curves etc)

    click on the dots in Geometry > segments  and  new table pops up which can be  selected and  copy pasted into excel  but it doesnt copy the headings you need to insert  a blank line and  fill in your self in excel... see column direction when this has a change from the previous its the  inflecton if its not  the same value as the  one preceding it... 

    So filter in excel will list them or you can just write equations  to find the  change  pretty easy in excel....

    Lorys

    Started msnt work 1990 - Retired  Nov 2022 ( oh boy am I old )

    But was long time user V8iss10 (8.11.09.919) dabbler CE  update 16 (10.16.00.80) 

    MicroStation user since 1990 Melbourne Australia.
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  • Not too sure exactly what type of elements was produced after your extraction of the mesh boundary. You might find the Facet Curve tool that can be found under the Curve Utilities helpful. It allows you to convert curved elements to other types of elements using various methods to possibly reduce the amount of points or specific various distances for those points.

    Tool SettingsEffect
    Method

    Sets how the dropped element is constructed.

    • Equal Arc Length — The B-spline curve is evaluated evenly along the arc. Each segment has the same arc length, as defined by the value for Number.
    • Equal Chord Length — The B-spline curve is evaluated at a given number of points such that the distance between each successive point is the same.
    • Fixed Chord Length — The distance between each pair of successive points evaluated is the same as the chord length.
    • Max. Chord Height — The maximum chord height for all of the line segments is less than the Chord Height.
    • Equal Parameter Length — The B-spline curve is evaluated evenly in the parameter space by the Number value.
    Facet To

    Sets the element type to which the selected B-spline curve is converted.

    • Line String — The B-spline curve is dropped to a line string.
    • Lines — The B-spline curve is dropped to a number of connected lines.
    • Stream Curve — The B-spline curve is dropped to a stream curve.
    • Arcs — The B-spline curve is dropped to a number of connected arcs.
    • Points — The B-spline curve is dropped to a number of points.
    Number

    Sets the:

    • Number of points when Method is set to Equal Parametric Length.

    • Arc length when Method is set to Equal Arc Length.

    Keep Original

    If on, the original B-spline curve is retained.

    Regards
    Andrew Bell
    Technical Support
    Bentley Systems

  • Thanks for the workaround suggestions. They all helped me to achieve the desired result.

    Answer Verified By: Joe B