I'm brand new to C3D and accustomed to using point numbers in combination with letters. For example an autonomous base position I'd typically key in as 1_HERE and an OPUS solved solution on the same point 1_OPUS. I'm find C3D does not like anything other than straight up integers for point numbers. In Carlson I can use a .crdb file to accomplish this. Is there anything comparable in C3D? I'm sort of doing my monkey humping a football thing while figuring my way around. I'm tearing the lid off the suggestion box and it's wide open. Just going to take some time to get use to it I guess.
TIA.
Willy
C3D is funny that way. Each point has a number and a name. The number needs to be an integer while the name can be alpha numeric. It seems to me that the name used to need to begin with a letter but I recently installed v2025 and the name can also be an integer and/or start with one.
@john-putnam I guess that's the work around, code whatever I need into the name/description rather than the point number.
I am not a civil 3d guru at all. I used alpha numeric a lot. We had Trimble gear and TBC for office. All of that data ended up the typical points file csv or txt into civil 3d . If your use to using the alpha like I was for control and property corners and other important task here is what I did. We used alpha in collector and a code or description. Inside of tbc i had a OPUS-1 northing easting elevation nail set. I made a custom export that added an additional field the order doesn’t matter. So now blank field. Opus north east elev nail set. I just used excel and placed a # a place holder if you will auto increment in that blank column. Then inside civil 3d I created a custom import. Then the true gurus did some labeling magic so I never saw the point number just my opus-1 so to speak. But I have been told that there is a set somewhere that solves this but it is clunky.
In C3D the 'name' is a unique point identifier just like the point 'number'. Each point actually has both a 'number and 'name'. You can create a file import type that includes the name vs the number or both. I'm not really up on the specifics since primarily utilized integer point numbers. Once populated, labels can be modified to use the 'name' if so desired.
Trimble is alpha numeric friendly but Civil3d is not.
In my experience, we would just use the point description to add the letter(s) needed so Civil3d didn't wig out. We don't use point names so the number and description are the driving force.
T. Nelson - SAM
@squirl I’m coming from being more or less being a complete Trimble shop from start to finish for last 20 + years, to using a complete mish mash of Topcon robot, iGage receivers being run with SurvPC on Topcon tablets and C3D for drafting and surfaces. To say the learning curve is steep, is a slight understatement. My new mantra, from pain …will come pleasure.
Long time Civi3d user here and unless you have someone that knows the ropes and all the proper setups i would not use alpha numeric. Just use point numbers and modify your codes in a manner that suites your needs. That's what we do and have not had any issues. With that aside, i would like better alpha numeric functionality in CIvil3d, but it simply isn't there.
