LRUD (was Re: Roadmap)

[Eric Madelaine]

I've been following the LRUD thread from time to time, and I think I can give 
my token at this point...

I have been using LRUD fonctions in the french software "VTOPO" for a while, 
and also, on a couple of occurences, with Toporobot.

VTOPO provides more or less what you are speaking about: vertical measurement, 
and a choice of either bissectrices or orthogonal side measures. 
I also use frequently a number of tricks for better rendering of the volumes, 
that make my sources files look somewhat different from the underground notebook,
like duplication of stations at which the dimension change brutally (with a zero 
length leg in between), or addition of intermediate stations within a leg 
when needed.
This scheme works pretty well for printing a plan of the caves with 
understandable walls (I have not said realistic...). 
It is much more difficult with elevations. I guess that the Toporobot idea of 
having non vertical UD measures at the top of a pit, for exemple, could be a 
very desirable addition. Or (may be using the same kind of tricks than before), 
having several UD mesures, like vertical, bissectrice AND horizontal at the top 
of a pit, horizontal at intermediate stations in the pit, etc... Of course, 
this supposes that the direction of measurement is made clear, if you want to 
keep the simple scheme where LR is used for the plan, and UD for the elevation; 
and then combine in a simple, rectangular section, volume model for the 3D.

Eric.