OLD TERRAMODEL FILES

> What company would do something so stupid as to not allow older files to be opened, or at the least include a conversion program to convert the older PRO files?

That would be Trimble, after a fashion. Terramodel was taken over by Spectra Precision and then Spectra was bought by Trimble. Trimble wasn't buying Terramodel, it just got swept up in the package. Trimble hasn't really supported Terramodel much, I guess.

But, in fairness, I recall that in 1995 I was using C&G for DOS. Good luck converting those old data files to a useable format today - assuming they would be on some sort of readable media. In 1994 I was using a dandy little program called "Rapid Transit". Good luck even finding another user to commiserate with. There are a lot of archaic formats from those days whose names we cannot even remember.

This whole business of data archiving is serious business that none of us gave much thought to in 1995 and many don't take seriously enough today.

With every upgrade there has been a way to open older files. When it went from ver 5 to ver 6, there was a 5to6.exe program to open then save. I believe 8 would open 6, 9 would open 8, and 10 opens 9. I think 9 went from DOS to windows. That's how I remember it, anyway.

That's true.

BUT one needed to run 8.41 on the dos platform to load the older files.

When 8.41 came out, TerrorModel(TerraModel) switched over to the windows platform and with 16 bit architecture(if I remember right).

I've never had so much work that I spent much time looking up old files. Maybe once a month or maybe much less.

Nonetheless when 8.41 dos came out, my business was going through a transition and I had just gotten married.

It just so happened that it was some time afterward that I began looking for files which were made before mid-May 1996. By that time my dos machines were gone and I was into windows 95. In windows 95 I had backward compatibility and made use of it transparently(didn't realize I was getting my last chances at the older files).

ANYWAY, the hard drives began growing and Windows 95 didn't like big hard-drives(they wanted a max of 2 GB . . . IF I remember right.)

SO when Windows 98 came along I jumped on board.

I got an upgrade, lost all my dos dongles and again, I went for a while didn't realize what was going on until it was what one basically would call "too late".

I called Spectra and was told the old files were compatible. After a few more calls . . . maybe not compatible.

When 9.6 & 9.7 came out I only upgraded for what I was told "backward compatibility" to all my old dos files. Well, they got that wrong too, because it was only backward compatible to 8.41 dos.

By this time I had the red dongles, which I don't think would even run the old dos program.

As far as 5-6 I did quite a few of those conversions too.

BUT TerrorModel, in their infinite arrogant way, decided not to make old dos files compatible to their new completely re-written 32 bit program.

I don't disagree with the 32 bit and non-compatibility of older files, but I completely disagree with their not making of a simple program that could take an old *.PRO file and make it 32-bit compatible.

I do not know of ANY software that didn't have some sort of way to get the data from old projects . . . some sort of work-a-round for the benefit of the long-term users of the software.

I can't open an old dos(prior to 8.41) and I cannot read the binary file to see if I can get into the file and work on it or even get the most basic information, such as just points . . . nothing at all.

I remember the belly-aching about AutoCad doing this same thing, but at least they had a decent work-a-round for the problem.

I don't think much of a company so willing to completely screw their older more long-term users like this.

AND to this day, no one has even contemplated a conversion program . . . or even a simple "viewing program", that would allow someone to just look at the old files in windows XP, 7 or whathaveyou.

SO here am I with over a 1000 projects that I no longer have had access to since May 24, 1996 . . . what an absolute crock.

I recall the horrible feeling I had when I got the letter saying that Plus3 sold the software. I'm sorry to say I was right; things have gone down hill. Trimble has not done a good job maintaining the Terramodel package; they just seem to want to collect support fees. All that being said, it is still good stuff...

Me: I want slant distance between these 2 point.

Them: Ummmm. [time passes] Can't do that. Horizontal distances only.

Me: You've got a point based (xyz) CAD system and you can't do slant distances?

Them: No.

Me (to myself): *%#)@@!+=&!!!

Fortunately, I don't think I'm going to be using Terramodel all that much longer for it to pay to switch to something else with the learning curve and all. I'm sorely tempted though. No significant improvements in 5 years but you sure pay to insure that dongle doesn't go bad!

Tyler

To get slope distance, just change the units settings from horizontal to slope.

If you want to enter slope distances, just put an S in front of the distance.

Did you actually try that?

Put in 2 points 100 feet apart at radically different elevations. draw a set between them. Label with the units set to horizontal. Now label with the units set to slope.

What's the result?

Specifically what file are your trying to convert? Usually the import /conversion routines are developed by the "other" company trying to get large companies to switch over to new software packages.

Perhaps someone else has a routine to import???

JRL

Don't know that I've ever needed to actually label a line in plan view with a slope distance. I can see why that might not work, given that it is a 2D view. It does report the correct slope distance if you select geometry inquiry.

Yes, it does report correctly when you use the geometry inquiry, but there is nothing in the help file that says that when you select Slope, that it still labels as Horizontal. Everything else in the Settings/Units menu directly affects the Draft/Label Segments. Except Slope.

Last time I contacted them, they were uninterested in correcting this.