Introduction to the Snapshot Feature
The Snapshot feature in 3Dsurvey is a useful background tool designed to save time and prevent the loss of CAD work. It automatically records snapshots of your CAD progress as you work, allowing you to return to previous stages of a project whenever necessary.
Whether you are drawing lines, deleting vertices, modifying objects, or changing layers, snapshots help preserve different stages of your work. This provides greater flexibility when editing CAD data and makes it easier to recover from unwanted changes.
Activating CAD Auto Snapshot
To enable the Snapshot feature, open Options and navigate to the General settings. Enable the CAD auto snapshot option to activate automatic snapshot recording.
You can also configure the saving interval, which determines how frequently snapshots are created. This interval acts as a temporal resolution, allowing you to control how often your CAD progress is recorded.
When you make changes in the CAD tab, such as drawing a line, deleting a vertex, or changing a layer, 3Dsurvey saves a snapshot when the configured time interval has elapsed.
Creating Custom Snapshots
In addition to automatic snapshots, 3Dsurvey allows you to create custom snapshots to mark important stages of your work.
To create a custom snapshot, click the plus (+) button in the Snapshot panel. You can then double-click the snapshot name to rename it, making it easier to identify a particular stage of your project.
For example, when cleaning up a CAD project by deleting unnecessary lines, you can create a snapshot before making further modifications. This preserves the current state of the project so that you can return to it if needed.
You can continue editing your CAD data by adjusting line weights, using the Explode tool, applying the Intersection tool to create accurate corners, and deleting unwanted lines. After completing these changes, create another snapshot to preserve the updated version.
Using custom snapshots at important milestones provides a convenient way to track progress and safeguard your work throughout the editing process.
Reverting to Previous Snapshots
One of the main advantages of the Snapshot feature is the ability to return to any previously saved stage of your CAD project.
To restore an earlier version, right-click the desired snapshot and select Revert to snapshot. The project will return to the state captured in that snapshot, allowing you to undo changes made afterward.
You are not limited to moving backward through your project. You can also return to a later snapshot to recover a more recent version of your work.
Selecting the first snapshot allows you to return to the project’s original state at the beginning of the recorded workflow. This makes it easier to experiment with modifications without permanently losing earlier versions.
Exporting Snapshots as DXF Files
Snapshots can also be exported for use outside 3Dsurvey by saving them as DXF files.
To export a snapshot, right-click the desired snapshot and select the option to save it. Choose the destination folder where you want the DXF file to be stored.
This functionality allows you to preserve specific stages of your CAD work as separate files, making them available for sharing, documentation, or further editing in compatible CAD software.
Recovering CAD Work After a Program Crash
The Snapshot feature also provides an additional layer of protection in case 3Dsurvey crashes unexpectedly.
If the program crashes, the autosave file preserves your CAD work, helping you recover changes that might otherwise be lost.
To locate the file, navigate to the project’s Results folder and look for the autosave file. This can help you restore your work and reduce the time spent repeating completed tasks.
Conclusion
The Snapshot feature in 3Dsurvey is a practical tool for managing CAD edits, preserving project history, and protecting your progress. By enabling CAD auto snapshot, adjusting the saving interval, creating custom snapshots, and learning how to revert or export previous versions, you can work more confidently and efficiently.
Using snapshots throughout your workflow helps minimize the risk of losing important changes and provides a reliable way to revisit earlier stages of your CAD project whenever needed.
