TRICON Process
To access this process:
- Enter "TRICON" into the Command Line and press <ENTER>.
-
Display the Find Command screen, locate TRICON and click Run.
See this process in the Command Table.
Process Overview
Generates contours directly from irregularly scattered data points or from a triangulated digital terrain model.
Contours are either simple unsmoothed straight-lines interpolated within the triangles, or are smoothed using the parametric quadratic Overhauser curve with linear blending function. The contours produced are annotated in either case.
Input Files
Name |
Description |
I/O Status |
Required |
Type |
IN |
Optional input data file. Must contain fields X, Y, VALUE. |
Input |
No |
Undefined |
WIREPT |
Optional input wireframe point file. |
Input |
No |
Wireframe Points |
WIRETR |
Optional input wireframe triangle file. |
Input |
No |
Wireframe Triangle |
PROTO |
Plot prototype file. Must contain the fields X, Y, S1, S2, CODE (numeric, explicit) and XMIN, XMAX, YMIN, YMAX, XSCALE, YSCALE (numeric, implicit). If these last 6 values set in PROTO , then corresponding parameters need not be set. If no plot prototype file, then XMIN, XMAX, YMIN, YMAX taken from the model file on IN. |
Input |
Yes |
Plot Prototype |
Output Files
Name |
I/O Status |
Required |
Type |
Description |
PLOT |
Output |
Yes |
Plot |
Output plot file. |
Fields
Name |
Description |
Source |
Required |
Type |
Default |
X |
X co-ordinate field in input file. |
IN |
No |
Numeric |
Undefined |
Y |
Y co-ordinate field in input file. |
IN |
No |
Numeric |
Undefined |
VALUE |
Field to be contoured. |
IN |
No |
Numeric |
Undefined |
Parameters
Name |
Description |
Required |
Default |
Range |
Values |
||||
VMIN |
Minimum contour value. |
Yes |
Undefined |
Undefined |
Undefined |
||||
VMAX |
Maximum contour value. |
Yes |
Undefined |
Undefined |
Undefined |
||||
CINT |
Contour interval. |
Yes |
Undefined |
Undefined |
Undefined |
||||
DMAX |
Maximum separation of points to be joined. |
No |
Undefined |
Undefined |
Undefined |
||||
SURFACE |
Optional surface identifier. +1 for upper surface, -1 for lower surface (+1). |
No |
+1 |
-1, 1 |
-1, 1 |
||||
OPTIMISE |
Linear or quadratic contour tracing; =0 linear; =1 quadratic (0). |
No |
0 |
0,1 |
0,1 |
||||
BOUNDARY |
|
No |
Undefined |
0,1 |
0,1 |
||||
DUPELIM |
Set to 1 to allow elimination of duplicate points (0). |
No |
0 |
0,1 |
0,1 |
||||
TOL |
Tolerance distance below which points are considered to be duplicated (0.00001). |
No |
0.00001 |
Undefined |
Undefined |
||||
NDP |
Number of decimal places for annotation (0). |
No |
0 |
Undefined |
Undefined |
||||
CHARSIZE |
Character size in millimeters (3). |
No |
3 |
Undefined |
Undefined |
||||
ASPRATIO |
Aspect ratio, width / ht. for chars (0.9). |
No |
0.9 |
Undefined |
Undefined |
||||
|
Colour [as 'pen' number] for plot (1). |
No |
1 |
Undefined |
Undefined |
||||
APPEND |
Plot append flag. If set to 1 then the new plot will be appended to the PLOT file, if it exists and is a valid plot file (0). |
No |
0 |
0,1 |
0,1 |
||||
XMIN |
Minimum value of X for plot. None of XMIN, XMAX, YMIN, YMAX, XSCALE, YSCALE need be set if this information is already in the prototype. |
No |
Undefined |
Undefined |
Undefined |
||||
XMAX |
Maximum value of X for plot. |
No |
Undefined |
Undefined |
Undefined |
||||
YMIN |
Minimum value of Y for plot. |
No |
Undefined |
Undefined |
Undefined |
||||
YMAX |
Maximum value of Y for plot. |
No |
Undefined |
Undefined |
Undefined |
||||
XSCALE |
X scale in user data units per millimeter. |
No |
Undefined |
Undefined |
Undefined |
||||
YSCALE |
Y scale in user data units per millimeter. |
No |
Undefined |
Undefined |
Undefined |
Example
!TRICON &WIREPT(TOPOPT),&WIRETR(TOPOTR),&PROTO(TOPOPROT),
&PLOT(TOPOCONT),@VMIN=150,@VMAX=250,@CINT=5,
@DUPELIM=1
Error and Warning Messages
Message |
Description |
>>> XMIN, XMAX = nnnnnnnnnn.nn nnnnnnnnn.nn >>>YMIN, YMAX = nnnnnnnnnn.nn nnnnnnnnn.nn >>>XSCALE, YSCALE = nnnnnnnnnn.nn nnnnnnnnn.nn |
Either insufficient scale information had been entered (at least two of XMIN, XMAX, XSCALE or Y equivalents must be entered either from the prototype of from parameters) or the combination given of XMIN, XMAX, and XSCALE (or their Y equivalents) was impossible. Often caused by entering a null plot prototype and no parameters. Fatal; the process is exited. |
>>>CANNOT APPEND TO NON-EXISTENT OUTPUT FILE. >>>A NEW OUTPUT FILE WILL BE CREATED. |
The @APPEND parameter has been set to 1, but the specified plot file does not exist. A new file will be created to contain the new plot being produced. |
>>>ERROR - CANNOT APPEND TO PLOT FILE AS IT DOES >>>NOT CONTAIN ALL THE REQUIRED FIELDS. >>>THE PLOT FILE WILL BE OVERWRITTEN. |
The @APPEND parameter has been set to 1, the specified plot file exists but is invalid. The existing plot file will be overwritten by the new plot being produced.
|
>>> ERR 121 <<< ( n) IN TRICON |
An error has occurred when reading the input raw data, point or triangle file. Fatal; the process is exited. |
>>>TRIANGLE FILE DEFINED, BUT >>>NO ASSOCIATED POINT FILE |
Fatal; the process is exited. |
>>>POINT FILE DEFINED, BUT >>>NO ASSOCIATED TRIANGLE FILE |
Fatal; the process is exited. |
>>>FIELD aaaaaaaa MISSING FROM POINT FILE |
One of the essential fields XP, YP, ZP or PID is missing from the input wireframe point file. Fatal; the process is exited. |
>>>FIELD aaaaaaaa MISSING FROM TRIANGLE FILE |
One of the essential fields PID1, PID2, PID3, TRIANGLE or SID is missing from the input wireframe triangle file. Fatal; the process is exited. |