Bringing points in via a .RAW file?

[GreeneSWCD]

Back in my Eagle Point days, we always brought in our survey data using a TDS .RAW file.  We are using PNEZD stuff now.  The problem is, the only thing we have left for old jobs are these .raw files.  How do I bring those surveys into C3D?  I'm using 2012. 

I'm far from a PS, so please be gentle.  😉

Jeremiah

[Jason.Hickey]

You have TDS Survey Link available in your install. You can use it to convert your RAW file to a FBK or to a user-defined ASCII (depending on whether you want just points or the observations as well.) That information can then be brought into Civil 3D as points.

[GreeneSWCD]

I have that program on a disk that I haven't even opened yet. 

What exactly are you calling "observations?"  I need PNEZD.  Are the "observations" something in addition to that?  If so, I don't need them.   

[Jason.Hickey]

Points are derived from *something* in a RAW file - maybe it's some COGO function, maybe it's a manually keyed coordinate, maybe it's a magical point from the sky (GPS) - that's an observation. You'll need to convert your RAW to something in TDS Survey Link that you can then convert to a simple ASCII file - I don't remember off the top of my head if you can go directly from RAW to ASCII. And if you have Civil 3D  installed, you don't need an extra disc - it should have been installed alongside Civil 3D. You can access it by going to the Create Ground Data panel of the Home tab on the ribbon, expanding the flyout, and selecting Survey Collection Data Link.

[GreeneSWCD]

I'll look for that now.  Thanks!

Jeremiah

[GreeneSWCD]

I think I got it.  It took me a few trys, but I got an ascii file eventually.  Could you explain the "proper" way of doing this?  haha 

[Jason.Hickey]

If you got it working, I'd guess you used the proper way. 

RAW files are kind of annoying to work with. The way to get to a simple text file with points is to go RAW>RW5>CR5>ASCII. Of course, the true proper way is to forget using the RAW file and just grab a simple point file off the collector, but you have to race with the care you brought to the track.

[IanMcClain]

*Ahem*

The proper way would be to use Survey Link to convert .raw files to a .fbk file, which I believe is an open format owned by Autodesk and has been supported since Land Desktop. The .fbk reduces your raw data to single line observations that are easier to navigate and read than .raw files. They are fairly easy to edit, for instance if you changed the rod height on your prism but forgot to change it in the data collector, you merely need to ad a "PRISM X.XX" line to fix it. It's a good place to make and track any edits that need to be made to field data.

This process works great for conventional total station data. RTK data, however, gets reduced to simple coordinates and does not offer the same sort of benefits. It aslo doesn't handle calibrations/localizations at all.

The version of TDS SurveyLink that comes with C3D is dated January 30, 2003. There are a few bugs with this version, and TDS (now Spectra Precision) has addressed with their latest office software. There may be other converters out there that can reduce .raw to .fbk.

It would be nice if Autodesk would show a little survey love and acquire an updated version of Survey link and support RTK vector data in the .fbk format.

*steps off of soap box*

[Jason.Hickey]

i'd agree with FBK being the preferred method, Ian - however, the OP specifically stated that he wanted a simple ASCII file, thus my answer. 

[IanMcClain]

Jason,

The squeaky wheel gets the grease. I saw an opportunity to squeak on a thread with Autodesk Surveyor, so I squeaked! No offense intended

[Jason.Hickey]

None at all taken, Ian - I do try to offer best practices most of the time, but this one seemed extremely specific 🙂

Would you care to indulge me and satisfy my curiosity? I'm interested in what you think the survey database should/would do with RTK GPS vector data. From my early days working with GPS data (back in the mid-90's) I know the GPS-specific software (Leica, Javad (now TopCON), and a few others we used) just spit us out a point file to be used in Land Desktop. We could have gone to FBK for auto-linework, but the vector and baseline data was not something we needed to do anything with in the CAD program - all adjustments (if needed) were done in "other" software - much like laser scanning post-processing software is today. In a perfect world, what do you think Civil 3D should do with RTK data (not points and descriptions) assuming that you could get the same info spit out from every manufacturer of survey equipment?

[IanMcClain]

Jason,

What I'd like to see is the RTK vectors represented in some way that establishes them as a relative measurement between the base receiver and the rover receiver, with allowance for a base height and receiver height. It could probably be done now with the current .fbk format if the converting software would reduce the data to an azimuth and slope distance from base to rover. This should allow for calibration/localization parameters, which as far as I can tell is simply a rotation, translation and scale applied to one base/rover setup.

I like to think of my RTK as a total station with x-ray vision that can see line of sight through obstructions. That's a gross misleading simplification, but that's how the data ends up. If you bring in .raw files with RTK into Trimble Business Center, you'll see vectors coming out of the base connecting to the rover observation just like a conventional total station/rod setup.

Like I said, it may be possible with .fbk as is, and it's really up to the equipment/field software manufacturers to change their output. I'm hoping you guys (Autodesk) have some kind of leverage or dialogue with those guys.

Anyway, thanks for indulging me.