Carlson Point Utilities > Search Published control Customize

Hi guys,

I've been using Carlson the past 2 or so months and have found that I can do alot more in a single program like this (Carlson on Civil3D) than using the 4 different programs I used to use in the past. I am learning but since Carlson was developed for the US market alot of the features need to be slightly modified to work. One such thing is the WCS (more a Autocad issue than carlson) but got around that by inverting the directions. Tried using the built in SurvNet to see how a Least Square would compare to my other survey program but I think I need much more hours because the DC file I imported looked nothing like the tutorials.

I have a few questions that I hope someone might be willing to answer.

1. How does the "Project Explorer" work and what is its functions? Have tried to see but not making much sense.
2. using the "Search Published Control" only works in the US? Is there a way to make it read a KML, or KMZ or maybe a CSV file instead to find Trig beacons, Town survey marks and my own database of control?
3. Is there a function to create a database to store all my control points in?
4. How do I set my points style so that my point # text, desc text, elev text is always the same size as a default. It seems to reset to some other value and I then have to "Edit Mutiple Pt Att" and then load a saved .pt file to get the sizes correct and sometimes I have to do it twice to get all the points to resize.
5. What is best way to get points into "Point Groups" when importing from a CSV file? Should I use the "Import ASCII File" and in the "Point group to assign" use that function and create a database of possible point codes and Carlson will then add them to those automatically?
6. Is there a quicker way to add points by clicking on the screen than using the "Screen Pick Point". It is slow or I am missing something. I keep on having to click the button > clicking where I want and then it goes back to the "coordinate file utilities" menu form. Then I have to click "Screen pick point" again. Would like to just click click click click and it adds as i go along> I know I can use the "Create point from entities" but that only for existing features (lines, arcs, polylines etc)
7. I've gotten a FLD file set up fairly well to do F2F but I am thinking my surveying style in the field doesn't match my F2F FLD file well enough so F2F does only maybe 40% of my work to do linework, add manhole LL etc. I have attached my CRD file and FLD file and DWG file and the finished product in PDF. If someone is willing to have a look and maybe guide me in where I am going wrong I would appreciate that very much.
8. So let's say I have a DWG file with normal text. Can I have carlson or autocad concatenate certain text based on the Carlson define coord system? Like I have a note saying "1. Survey based on WGS84 WG29 Coordinate system". Next day I am surveying in WGs84 Wg27. Can I have Carlson or autocad update the text based on the projection settings from carlson?
9. When I add my cadastral boundaries (which I calc in my survey software and brought in as a CSV), I want to annotate the direction (az) and distance. That I can do but as our coord system is south azimuth = 0å¡ and increase 360å¡ clockwise and we work in degrees solely, it means a line that does from a zero point and goes directly N 45å¡ W is at 135å¡ in our system. Hope it makes sense. If i then annotate that line (azimuth_distance) the direction will awlays come out 180å¡. To get it correct I have to go to each annotated piece and "switch bearing/azi quadrant". Is there a way to get it correct in the first go?
10. I am trying to do all my surfacing in carlson, but it's difficult and I've tried watching the CAD Girl videos on Youtube and they have helped a fair bit. 2 things I am struggling with is, that let's say I survey a building corner roughly 2m above the NGL, then that is survey with 0.00m target height and 0.000m prism constant and as CODE = .WC or .WCNR. the dot represents all side shots taken reflectorless so that they are not considered for contours. My previous software would include all points for contours but automatically know that .***** points need to be excluded for whatever reason. So that is why the point groups as above interest me. If I import the data and all the .********* points go into their own groups (need to configure that setting as stated in question 5) can I then by default set up by contour creation to tag them as non-surface. Like a built in setting. Secondly once I have done all my triangles but there is no live view of what the contours are now looking like after swopping a triangle and also if I accidentally delete a triangle on the edges of my area I can't seem to get it back. Had to add a new triangle to another point further from the edge of the area to get it back in. I sometimes survey small areas and would then maybe like to be able to add all my triangles by hand or if a survey is done and 2 weeks later and area across the road gets done also. Is there any way to draw triangles manually?