Extracting XYZ from a section view

[darreng_oa]

is it possible to export the position and elevation of points plotted in a section view to a csv or txt file?  I have a surface with section profiles cut every 100 feet or so, and would like an external copy of just the data used to plot the section views to use for another analysis.  

Thanks, Darren

[Jay_B]

Possibly using the Toolbox>Reports>Cross Section Points Report>Execute

Cross Section Points Report

You can change the file output type in the reports by choosing the folder icon and choosing Excel, xml etc.

[BrianHailey]

Whay Jay said.

On another note, what are you using the sections for? If you are planning on importing them into HEC RAS, there is a tool in C3D that allows you to do this. It's on the Output tab of the ribbon.

[darreng_oa]

no luck following your instructions, or the steps listed in the link you provided. I can choose the correct data to export, but the executable opens up a blank excel sheet with incorrect label headings anyways. also, if i try and manually select an object (eg, the alignment, the profile, etc), c3d finds zero objects to select. any ideas?

[BrianHailey]

Taking a closer look at the report, it's for corridors only. You'll need to have a corridor for that particular report and it doesn't sound like you have one.

What are you exporting the secction data for?

[darreng_oa]

i read that as well, and i do not have a corridor. the XYZ data is for plotting in a separate GIS software. the hec-ras option is good to know, btw, bc i aniticipate using that feature one day, but for now, still need to get the xyz pt file from my alignments. hmmm. perhaps corridors will work.

[BrianHailey]

I'm no expert at subassembly composer but, I think there may be an option within that to follow a surface. That might get you what you want.

Perhaps I can convince Katie Mercer or Peter Funk to take a look at this thread and see if they can come up with an option.

[darreng_oa]

i am totally unfamiliar with "subassembly composer", and even put in quotes bc i am so unsure. ill snoop around. thanks for keeping up with my question!

[BrianHailey]

It basically does exactly what the name says. It allows you to compose subassemblies. Want a subbasembly to do "this" but none of the out of the box ones will do "this" then go to the subassembly composer and create a subassembly that will do "this".

If you are a subscription customer, check out some of the online classes at Autodesk University, particularly the ones from Peter Funk and Katie Mercer.

[Jay_B]

This thread sounds like a similar situation to yours where there wasn't a corridor, post 19 of 19 mentions using a Null Assembly basically creating a Null Corridor to trick the Feature Line Report into providing the X,Y,Z Surface Coordinates.

[darreng_oa]

wow, great search, thanks. funny though, i am getting the same .NET frame issue with c3d 2012 as this OP did. too bad, bc it looks like that is exactly what i am trying to produce! I will try and learn how to create a "Null Corridor" - like the last poster suggested. we dont have c3d 2011

[Jay_B]

I tried it here using 2012 and it seems to function fine (but I did have a working corridor in dwg used).

The report  format looks identical to report posted in the other thread.

Not sure if This will help to track down your .NET errors but looks like 4.0 is a prerequisite of 2012 installs.

[darreng_oa]

NET is up to date. oh well.

Perhaps there is another way to extract points:

i tried creating a feature line from an polylines, and then assigned elevations based on the surface in the Conversion Options of the Create Feature Line dialogue box. This placed elevations along the featureline kinda spaced at the number i entered (not really sure why its not the 10.0 i entered - points range from 8.5 to 11 feet apart)

any ideas how i can extract the XYZ data from these featurelines??

I even tried adding them to the surface as non-destructive breaklines, but cant fig out how to extract from there either

thanks for reading through all these posts!