We are trying to convert our Carlsons software survey points for a 3-D civil engineer to be able to view or use these points. Does anyone have any tricks for this? They want just the point file. They somehow are not for familiar with an ASCII file which is normally how we export the points for other engineers.thanks in advance
just send them the ascII file and let them figure it out. if they cant import that, they have no business using the software.
I totally agree and I did that waiting to hear back.
In point default, toggle on " Locate on Real Z axis"
Then Import your points. The Nodes will be on Z axis
If you already imported them (2D), just goto Draw-Locate Points, toggle on "Locate on Real Z Axis" and Draw All
Then send them the Dwg. I don't think the point file alone will work
Ok thanks. I will try this.
As others have said, you can just export a points file, txt or csv, along with the dwg.
I've also used, Points/Convert Point Format/Convert Carlson Points to Softdesk.
There is no conversion to C3D points command, but the end user with C3D can convert Softdesk points to C3D points.
I'm not a fan of points on real Z.
Point files work, and there's no advantage that I have found, to having anything but contours and breaklines on real Z.
> I'm not a fan of points on real Z.
>
> Point files work, and there's no advantage that I have found, to having anything but contours and breaklines on real Z.
I disagree, I put everything on real Z. Might be because of my areas of work: construction and mining.
Field procedures, same deal. The Z is there, grab it.
I like getting $$$ from Engineers. Repeat business is the goal. So it only make sense to communicate with the engineers and provide the data in the format that "they think is the most useful". Format is not an issue. Content is.
Agree^.
Thanks for the replies.
the disadvantage with poiints at z elevation is that labeling will give you slope distances..if you are drawing maps, thats a big problem
thats a good point, since you dont have c3d, it might be best to call and ask what file type they can use. although it sounds like they are very unfamiliar with their own software
You can also xml out everything. When they import, I believe the points will come in, in their format.
:good:
> the disadvantage with poiints at z elevation is that labeling will give you slope distances..if you are drawing maps, thats a big problem
not in Carlson
isnt that settings dependent? I know in LDD it used to be but I always keep everything at 2d so I am not sure if labels in Carlson can be toggled slope or not.
> isnt that settings dependent? I know in LDD it used to be but I always keep everything at 2d so I am not sure if labels in Carlson can be toggled slope or not.
Maybe buried deep, but I didn't see it in the annotate defaults settings (which is where I'd expect something like that to be). We carry elevations on every job (topographic or boundary), but for boundary surveys, I'll generally locate points 2D only. For topo, I locate 3D and draw 2D polylines for boundary and buildings just to be safe (also because this is the only way to do arcs). I just checked in Carlson and drew a 3D polyline between two points and annotated it. The distance was 2D.
Early on I ran into issues with points on real Z. I made a block of my fieldwork and rotated about the record plan monument locations. The fieldwork with elevations at the nodes when rotated on the plan at 0, will skew and while the distances will still be 2D, the relationships will be off, since the original points were on varying elevations.