I have been asked to provide a topographic survey with Civil 3D surface and objects. I use Carlson Survey 2011. How difficult is this to achieve? Can a Carlson dwg file with surface be just opened in civil 3D.
landxml_export
I've sent this often enough to people that I know it works.?ÿ You may get a call if they're not used to the format, and have a hangup about receiving Carlson or non-C3D stuff, though.
I usually create a new dwg and then use,
landxml_import
, to see if everything looks ok.
landxml_export
I've sent this often enough to people that I know it works.?ÿ You may get a call if they're not used to the format, and have a hangup about receiving Carlson or non-C3D stuff, though.
I usually create a new dwg and then use,
landxml_import
, to see if everything looks ok.
Thanks. Does that send everything or just the surface?
LandXML is the most efficient?ÿmethod (when used correctly) to transfer surfaces and alignments?ÿbetween platforms. Just be certain your version of software is new enough?ÿto define the correct units.?ÿ Units in "feet" are not sufficient, it must be defined as either US Survey Feet or International Feet. For some?ÿreason, this is the biggest?ÿcontributing factor to errors when transferring data between platforms.
To provide a visual check?ÿ you should show the Carlson TIN triangles in a DWG file, along with annotated control points.?ÿ
landxml_export
I've sent this often enough to people that I know it works.?ÿ You may get a call if they're not used to the format, and have a hangup about receiving Carlson or non-C3D stuff, though.
I usually create a new dwg and then use,
landxml_import
, to see if everything looks ok.
Thanks. Does that send everything or just the surface?
You can tell it what to send.?ÿ You can pick just the tin, or you can send the tin, points, etc.
In this case they are asking for all objects to be Civil 3D. Does this mean all carlson point blocks would need to be changed to a specific Civil 3D format?
I have not used Civil 3D before so I am not sure what is meant by "Civil 3D objects"
The Land xml import in C3D will automatically create the point blocks.?ÿ So the import converts everything to C3D format.
I'm using Carlson TakeOff 2018 w/ OEM AutoCAD.
You can export the following?ÿdata types into XML.
To answer your original question.
You should export the Carlson CRD and Carlson TIN to a single LandXML.
I usually just send my dwg, along with a point file and an xml with the surface file, (tin).?ÿ But you could put the points in the xml with the tin.
I have been asked to provide a topographic survey with Civil 3D surface and objects. I use Carlson Survey 2011. How difficult is this to achieve? Can a Carlson dwg file with surface be just opened in civil 3D.
You can open a Carlson file with C3D, but C3D will not recognize a Carlson surface. As others have noted, if you send an XML file then C3D can import that file to create a C3D surface.
It would behoove you to find out exactly what type of C3D objects they are expecting. Carlson points are not C3D points. 3D polylines are not survey figures. I don't recall Carlson having any kind of pipe network capabilities, but if they do, they are not C3D pipe networks. A Carlson alignment is not a C3D alignment. Most of these things can be handled with XML files. If for example, they want an alignment, you will need to make an XML file for your alignment. Maybe they want all these things, or maybe it's just standard contract language. Maybe they will be happy with XML files, or maybe they will be pains and complain that you didn't provide files as laid out in the contract.
I'm revising this before I post to add some definitions since you say you don't have any experience with C3D.
- C3D point style is basically the symbol used for the point. Not a separate block as the symbol is the point.
- C3D point label style is basically the attributes for the point.
- C3D description key set is basically a Carlson FLD file.
As a C3D user, I much, much, much prefer to work with files that were done in C3D. I'm not going to complain about a file that was done in Carlson, as long as it's in good shape. But...I think I disagree with others about the handling of points. I can not recall with 100% certainty if I have ever used an XML file to import points, but I have a hard time believing that importing an XML file will be able to give you multiple C3D point styles, multiple C3d point label styles, multiple C3D point groups, etc. How does it do code matching? At best, I think what they will get will be just a bunch of default point symbols with default point label styles in one default layer. The same goes for an ASCII file. Unless they have a description key set that matches your fld file exactly, it's kinda useless unless they are going to spend a lot of time making up a new key set that matches your codes. I'm pretty sure there is not a way to translate an fld file to a description key set. As for a crd file, just ditch that. We've used a survey firm on a couple of jobs lately that uses Carlson, and they have sent me a crd file on both projects. That is useless for a C3D user.
So for points, there isn't really a good way to get proper C3D points...I think. This isn't something that I come across very often (the conversion of Carlson points to C3D points) so anyone feel free to correct me if I'm wrong. The end user will at best end up with a bunch of unsorted points that all have the same point style and label style, or at worst will just keep your points in the drawing even though they are not recognized as points and are useless within C3D. Maybe they won't care, maybe they will. Maybe they will spend the time to create a new description key set, maybe they won't. Maybe the end user will complain to his PM about not having proper points and the PM will just tell him to do the best that he can with what he's got. I can speak from experience that 90% of the time that the latter is what happens.
I often use LandXML to export Cyclone TIN meshes for import to C3D as a surface then change the style as needed.
I have been asked to provide a topographic survey with Civil 3D surface and objects. I use Carlson Survey 2011. How difficult is this to achieve? Can a Carlson dwg file with surface be just opened in civil 3D.
You can open a Carlson file with C3D, but C3D will not recognize a Carlson surface. As others have noted, if you send an XML file then C3D can import that file to create a C3D surface.
It would behoove you to find out exactly what type of C3D objects they are expecting. Carlson points are not C3D points. 3D polylines are not survey figures. I don't recall Carlson having any kind of pipe network capabilities, but if they do, they are not C3D pipe networks. A Carlson alignment is not a C3D alignment. Most of these things can be handled with XML files. If for example, they want an alignment, you will need to make an XML file for your alignment. Maybe they want all these things, or maybe it's just standard contract language. Maybe they will be happy with XML files, or maybe they will be pains and complain that you didn't provide files as laid out in the contract.
I'm revising this before I post to add some definitions since you say you don't have any experience with C3D.
- C3D point style is basically the symbol used for the point. Not a separate block as the symbol is the point.
- C3D point label style is basically the attributes for the point.
- C3D description key set is basically a Carlson FLD file.
As a C3D user, I much, much, much prefer to work with files that were done in C3D. I'm not going to complain about a file that was done in Carlson, as long as it's in good shape. But...I think I disagree with others about the handling of points. I can not recall with 100% certainty if I have ever used an XML file to import points, but I have a hard time believing that importing an XML file will be able to give you multiple C3D point styles, multiple C3d point label styles, multiple C3D point groups, etc. How does it do code matching? At best, I think what they will get will be just a bunch of default point symbols with default point label styles in one default layer. The same goes for an ASCII file. Unless they have a description key set that matches your fld file exactly, it's kinda useless unless they are going to spend a lot of time making up a new key set that matches your codes. I'm pretty sure there is not a way to translate an fld file to a description key set. As for a crd file, just ditch that. We've used a survey firm on a couple of jobs lately that uses Carlson, and they have sent me a crd file on both projects. That is useless for a C3D user.
So for points, there isn't really a good way to get proper C3D points...I think. This isn't something that I come across very often (the conversion of Carlson points to C3D points) so anyone feel free to correct me if I'm wrong. The end user will at best end up with a bunch of unsorted points that all have the same point style and label style, or at worst will just keep your points in the drawing even though they are not recognized as points and are useless within C3D. Maybe they won't care, maybe they will. Maybe they will spend the time to create a new description key set, maybe they won't. Maybe the end user will complain to his PM about not having proper points and the PM will just tell him to do the best that he can with what he's got. I can speak from experience that 90% of the time that the latter is what happens.
I'm not exactly sure what you mean about, "proper points", but understand your preference of receiving dwgs and files from C3D, since that's what you're working with.
Another way to get points from Carlson to C3D, is to use the command, 2soft, which converts points to Softdesk point blocks.?ÿ When the client gets that, they can then convert the Softdesk points to C3D points.?ÿ Sure it's extra work, but it's not really that difficult.
I have no clue about Carlson but i do know that a point file exported as Landxml file will definitely not provide the end user with any type of functional Civil3d Points.?ÿ They will get points all on one layer all with one default style and absolutely no symbols. I don't say 'blocks' because civil3d points to not contain blocks.?ÿ Civil3d symbology is tied directly to the point style and point label styles in Civil3d.?ÿ?ÿ
If you export a point Landxml files and import it into your own template it will come out great because the description key set(this controls how the points behave in regards to style, layer, etc...) are your own.?ÿ If XYZ engineer imports your Landxml they will get what i identified above.
Another way to get points from Carlson to C3D, is to use the command, 2soft, which converts points to Softdesk point blocks.?ÿ When the client gets that, they can then convert the Softdesk points to C3D points.?ÿ Sure it's extra work, but it's not really that difficult.
This will not result in anything worthwhile for the end user.?ÿ If the client is requesting Civil3d Points, you supply them civil3d points and not some sort of work around that will only waste their time.
Another way to get points from Carlson to C3D, is to use the command, 2soft, which converts points to Softdesk point blocks.?ÿ When the client gets that, they can then convert the Softdesk points to C3D points.?ÿ Sure it's extra work, but it's not really that difficult.
This will not result in anything worthwhile for the end user.?ÿ If the client is requesting Civil3d Points, you supply them civil3d points and not some sort of work around that will only waste their time.
I'm not going to argue about agreements between surveyor and client.?ÿ But I will argue that giving them Softdesk points will give them something "worthwhile" and usable.?ÿ
I don't know what magic you're after performing with your precious C3D points, but if you can't work with Softdesk, Xml, or a simple txt or csv file, then I think that it's just your own unwillingness to adapt or be flexible.
Why not just give them an ascii points file for the points? That is what we do and we have not had any issues that I am aware of.
As far as the surfaces, we can either generate an XML file, or we give them the tin lines in the drawing, and they create their surface from that. It depends on the client's workflow. We have not had any complaints.
We are using Carlson Survey 2016 OEM and Carlson Survey 2017 OEM.
Definitely depends on the clients workflow and contract language.?ÿ If either are unclear it can become a mess really quick. With that said, the OP was asking how to create Civil3d points from Carlson and it doesn't seem like that is possible on his end.?ÿ A csv file would be a start but the client will not have any style or layering setup to efficiently use the csv file unless they had some prior-arrangement to use their coding, linework, styles, templates, etc...?ÿ It doesn't sound like that is the case here.
Sure, there are definitely things that don't come through, like attributes.?ÿ But for a topo, the tips and commands some of us have mentioned will do the trick for most.
Just saw this, for Carlson Connect.?ÿ Among other things, it says that it will:
"Convert drawings with Carlson points to Civil 3D point objects."
Amazing that it's from Autodesk, and only costs $7.99
https://apps.autodesk.com/CIV3D/en/Detail/Index?id=3637713747117062546&appLang=en&os=Win64
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