Carlson to Civil 3D

There's a lot to cover, and unfortunately I am trying to get something out the door today, but I will try to get you started. You will need to set up a Description Key Set. This is similar to Carlson's FLD file. In that you will have your codes, symbols, layers, etc. There is a basic one provided with Autocad with just a few items that can give you a start. While you are doing that, you can start setting up your different Point Styles. Unlike Carlson, which inserts blocks at points, C3D will make the symbol actually be the point. For example, for a fire hydrant, you will add that code to your Description Keys, and for a Point Style, you specify your fire hydrant point style with your desired symbol. That will cover your points that have symbols.

For linework, you need to set up Survey Figures. These are what gets drawn according to your linework codes such as pavement edges, utility lines, etc. As with the description keys, I believe there is a bare bones set of survey figures to get you started. For both the description keys and the survey figures, I would use the included sets to get started, but would create new sets for your company. Do this in a drawing template file stored on your server so that everyone will have access to the file. As you get this ready to roll, this template file will become your starting point for a project.

This is just a very quick start. There's a lot more to it still. Hopefully someone has more time to give you more guidance. Be forewarned, there will definitely be a lot of setup time involved, especially with styles. Styles are the key to getting C3D up and running.

This is a good place to ask questions. There are several really good C3D users on this forum, so don't be hesitant to ask questions here.

I have no idea...But I would think Carlson would allow you to export the F2F file that you need and may even convert it into a correct C3D file.?ÿ

But if you have to start form scratch in C3D, well better pack a lunch, or five, cause it will take a long time to work through all the details. You'd be better off looking to see if one of your local municipalities has already done the hard work for you and adopt their field codes. You can even buy this agony away and contact Seiler here in St. Louis and they can give you a full operating system or set your system up for you.

FWIW, that would be money well spent.?ÿ

You will need Carlson Xport to convert from Carlson .rw5 file format to a .fbk format. Then follow the above posts. It is a very simple process but with some fine tuning it goes pretty quickly. you should have access to Xport if you surveyor 2's are registered. Contact Carlson if you need support they are very helpful.

We do the following:

-create all linework w/ Carlson on the data collector as we go

-export out a csv of the points and a dwg of the linework.

-use the RW5 in Starnet for monuments (we're exploring Carlson, though, for this)

-we have a template w/ point descriptions in C3D

-we copy the linework into that and import the points (points automatically turn into manholes, hydrants, etc)

-create an ExSurface file (make the surface from points and 3dpolylines)

-save a copy as ExConditions model

-delete the surface from that model.?ÿ Make all "DTM" points at a 45 and explode as txt on the XSPHT layer.?ÿ Put all at elevation 0

-bring in adjusted monument csv from Starnet

-convert 3dpolylines to 2d and an elevation of 0.

-use that to make our plan

-save a copy of that as CAD Coord.

-XML out the surface, use the ExConditions for our plan, strip and export the CAD Coord for the engineering firm

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Not necessarily the best way to do it, but it works for us.?ÿ We have the separate files and our deliverables that way due to corporate concerns of liability (ie. the reason we don't use Vault or just XREF between departments).?ÿ Our largest issue is that the linework is not adjusted like the monuments.?ÿ While an EP shot being out 1" horizontally is not a show stopper for us, we would like to explore whether the Carlson Civil Suite streamlines things.?ÿ We have gotten used to C3D; however, we loathe the required Autodesk tax and upgrading our software every 3 years just to satisfy their stockholders.?ÿ I like C3D for design purposes, but I'm not its biggest fan for the survey world.

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Their adjustment routines, quite frankly, are laughable.

The above posts make it more difficult than it actually seems to be. But then again, I only process 80% of the field collected data straight into predetermined layers, symbols, lines and points. I find it easier to manually process the remaining non-reoccurring 20% once I have an AutoCad drawing. As for converting, an rw5 file goes through Survey into a txt file, then it and the dxf file go into AutoCad. Maybe I've just done the same thing for so long, even though the software and hardware keep changing, that I just don't notice it.

Field to finish is very good in C3d.?ÿ I'm pretty sure that they had a long look at what Carlson was doing and reverse engineered it. The field coding you use in C3d is very similar to those used in Carlson. As a matter of fact, I am pretty sure that data could be collected and the same file run in both softwares successfully, keeping in mind that both allow you to customize the begin line, end line , begin and end curve modifiers, and so on.?ÿ

In C3d, with "B" being begin line, "E" being end, "PC" being start of curve, "PT" being end of curve - a series of point descriptors to draw an edge of concrete line with a curve in it might go like this:

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EC B

EC

EC

EC PC

EC

EC?ÿ ?ÿ ?ÿ (any number of points between the PC and PT )

EC PT?ÿ

EC

EC

EC E

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Which I'm sure is similar to what you have been accustomed to in Carlson.?ÿ

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Work on smaller projects with GNSS, with very good survey control and Local Geoids.?ÿ I like to localise in the field and check on other known points.?ÿ So no further adjustment is required.

Plot any linework in Survce as I go.?ÿ Export files to job, but only use dxf line work and ascii/csv points.?ÿ Have some description keys to set symbols, label style, layers.?ÿ And use points groups; layer, point and label styles by point groups.?ÿ

When loading data for field work I again use Ascii/csv points and DXF linework.

Seems to be simple and work well for land development and engineering projects that I work on.

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You're kind of talking about separate issues.?ÿ Most office software can handle any DC, you just have to figure it out.?ÿ Rw5 and raw are basically the same, so rename it to raw if that's what C3d wants.

I haven't used C3D, but I heard that the fbk processing is the same as what was used in LDD, Softdesk, ADCAD, or whatever it was called in the 90's.

You can use Carlson Export to change your raw file to a fbk, or have C3D do it, unless it's gotten worse since the last time I used the routine in LDD.

You may want to talk to your employer about getting the ICAD version to process fieldwork/linework, and then bring it all into C3D.?ÿ Or just buy your own if it's what you're most comfortable with.