Stringer Topo V23

Stringer Topo V23 has undergone a complete, ground up, rewrite to deliver the following benefits:

  • Significant speed and performance improvements (over 5x faster)
  • Streamline current workflows
  • Expand on current functionality
  • Improve interoperability with Civil 3D points and surfaces
  • Enhance point display capabilities and management of point properties

Our redevelopment goals have been to build on the best of what Stringer Topo has always offered: rapid reduction of raw survey data, intuitive string creation and editing tools to fast-track breakline and linework generation, and click-button output of a legend table.

To find out more, we have created a short overview video showing the key improvements and changes.

Stringer Topo V23 | Critical Licensing Information

Stringer Topo v23 requires a v23 license key.

License keys have been added for all current subscription holder accounts and can be obtained directly from the Customer Centre.

Stringer Topo V23 is only available as a standalone license. 

We are currently in the process of changing our licensing system for Stringer Topo to allow greater flexibility for customers in the future. 

To enable Stringer Topo customers who have network licensing to upgrade to Stringer Topo V23,  we will provide enough single user / standalone licenses to cover the entire workforce until such time as the multi user / network license is available.

If you are a customer with multi user / network Stringer Topo and would like to upgrade to Stringer Topo V23, please email Jack Haughton to discuss single user / standalone licenses for you:

Email:  jack.haughton@civilsurveysolutions.com.au 

Stringer Topo V23 | Resource Videos

We’ve created a collection of video resources to step you through the key workflows and changes in Stringer Topo V23.

Stringer Topo V23 | Migration Tools

Stringer Topo V23 comes with migration tools to facilitate transfer of your current Stringer Topo settings across to Stringer Topo V23. The processes are slightly different between AutoCAD/BricsCAD and Civil 3D users, mainly because AutoCAD/BricsCAD users also manage the COGO point display.

See below for a rundown of the options for transferring settings from previous versions of Stringer Topo to Stringer Topo V23.

Migration Steps

For Civil 3D users, the Stringer Settings (where you control the way points are connected with linework and breaklines) can be imported into Stringer Topo V23.

This process will require you to open the Stringer Settings file using Excel and copy information into a slightly different format (a file with extension .sdb), then there is a click button import to finalise.

Below is a video link outlining the steps:

Stringer Migration Video for Civil 3D Users

Here is the step-by-step process:

  • Using Windows Explorer, find and open the original correlation file you use for your current Stringer Topo (this will be a file with extension .csv).
    The default save location for these files is C:\ProgramData\CSS\Stringer 20##\Templates
    Double click on the file to open it in Excel
  • Download and open the Civil 3D Migration File found below:
    Civil_3D_Migration_File.csv
  • Now you transfer columns from your current correlation file to the Civil 3D Migration File.csv file. The columns to copy over to are shown below.
Copy columns from old to new file, using Excel
  • Save and close the Civil_3D_Migration_File.csv.
  • Using Windows Explorer, click to rename the file. Keep the file name but change fhe file extension from .csv to .sdb. The file should be named Civil_3D_Migration_File.sdb
  • Now you have a file that will directly import into Stringer Topo V23. The next steps are done inside Civil 3D.
  • Start Civil 3D and open the drawing template (or a drawing file) you use for Stringer Topo (we need the layers to be included)
  • Using the Ribbon menu, click on the Stringer Survey tab > Settings Panel > Survey String Settings command. This opens to the equivalent of the previous version Stringer Settings command.
  • From the Survey Strings form, click on the Add Table button bottom left and give a name for this Survey Strings Table
  • With this table selected, click on the Add From Stringer SDB button at the bottom right.
  • Browse to the Civil_3D_Migration_File.sdb file and select it

Note that in Stringer Topo V23 we’ve enhanced the survey string capabilities to allow you to add a breakline without having to add a 3D polyline to the drawing.

For AutoCAD/BricsCAD users, there is a singled command named Migrate Stringer Points that will take your current Stringer Settings file (it is a file with extension .sdb) and convert to Stringer Topo V23 to create COGO Point Styles, a Point Code Set and a String Code Set.

Below is a video link outlining the steps:

Stringer Migration Video for AutoCAD/BricsCAD Users

Here is the step-by-step process:

  • Start AutoCAD/BricsCAD and open the drawing template (or a drawing file) you use for Stringer Topo (we need the layers and current Stringer blocks to be included)
  • From the ribbon select Survey Tab > Settings Panel > Migrate Stringer Points.
  • In the form that displays, enter a name for the Code Set and the String Set you are creating
  • Click on the button Migrate Settings and selected your current Stringer Settings file (the file will have extension .sdb. The default save location for these files is ‘C:\ProgramData\CSS\Stringer CAD V##\Correlation)

Stringer Topo – New and Old Side-by-Side

The previous Stringer Topo (Stringer Topo Legacy) has been updated to operate side-by-side with Stringer Topo V23. During installation you will have an opportunity to add the Stringer Topo Legacy ribbon to your installation. This will add the Stringer Topo ribbon and all functionality will be available.

Legacy Stringer Topo Ribbon
Legacy Stringer Topo Ribbon

Note that there is a new command included in Stringer Topo Legacy called ‘Enable Dynamics’. In order to maintain performance in Stringer Topo V23, some dynamics have been disabled in Stringer Topo Legacy. If it is intended to use only the legacy tools for a session, you can click Enable Dynamics to turn on all event reactors for the legacy commands.

Stringer Topo V23 | Old vs New Ribbons

Stringer Topo V23 has a different ribbon (menu) system to previous versions. So, if you’ve installed both Stringer Topo V23 and (now legacy) Stringer Topo, look out for these ribbon tabs:

  • Civil 3D Users
    • Stringer Topo V23 has a Ribbon tab named Survey
    • Stringer Topo legacy has a Ribbon tab named Stringer Topo
  • AutoCAD/BricsCAD Users
    • Stringer Topo V23 has three Ribbon tabs:
      • Survey (this is core Stringer Topo for surveys)
      • Site (this expands on surface volumes, alignment and long and cross section output functionality)
      • General (this manages core settings, pack mode and data sharing)
    • Stringer Topo legacy has a Ribbon tab named Stringer