Import survey data for creating a surface

[Anonymous]

Hi Guy,

Can anyone give me a tour : how to import survey data - mass points to civil 3D for creating a surface? See the attachment.

Make sure their elevation should be imported to civil 3D and show up in civil 3D properties as well.

Thank you,

3D Visualization

[Anonymous]

First,  I'd make sure I had a Description Key File created with all the layering, point styles & label styles set.  Then I'd take the CSV file & save it as an ASCII txt file, space delimited (Pt# N E Z D).

Then under the Insert Tab, Import, Points From file.  This will pring the points in and set them on the right layers.  Create a point group (or groups) required for topo (no 0 elevations, etc).

Home Tab, Create ground Data,  Surfaces, create surface.  Then add the point data via point groups, and then add breaklines as required.

If you haven't done the tutorials for this yet, now would be a good time.

Reid

[Anonymous]

The problem is that I can't import these points to civil 3D with right coordinate system - NAD83 and elevation set up. Also I receive these import data with elevation display in civil 3D properties from Surveyor. Could you please import and send the sameple to me in order that I can check for figuring out the problem?

Thanks

[mathewkol]

Contrary to what Reid stated, I don't think it's necessary to save the CSV file to another format, though on rare occasion it may be prudent. Everything else is great.

Your points come in at the coordinates specified in the file, NAD83 or not. Can you explain more what is or isn't happening with regard to the coords?

Also, not sure what you mean in your sentense about elevation display.

[Anonymous]

See the attachment for survey data from survey company. I need to create a surfce using the survey data, but I can't find out each point elevation from properties. I can't also create a surface using the data. Can you fix the data (not manually) for create a surface?

Thank you, 

[wfberry]

How about answering a question or two.  Are you going to be doing this on a regular basis or is this a one time deal?

Surely you can get the surveyor(s) to supply something better than what you have.  Originally you had an easy file to import, however, it obviously was not on any standard cooridinate system.  (At least not to me.)

Bill

[wfberry]

Sorry Joe and John:

COORDINATE

[Anonymous]

One time.

I have asked surveyor for fixing the data. I am just interested in the data and try to find a smart way to let each point elevation back. 

Please don't care the coordinate in x, y. I am sure this is a UTM coordinate, their survey data used a related coordinate. I am just interested in each point elevation in the civi 3D. 

[Sinc]

That data is on an assumed coordinate system.

In order to transform the coordinates to a NAD83 or UTM coordinate system, you would need to know how the assumed coordinate system was created.  If it was tied to a known control system via a combined scale factor, then you would need to know how that was done.  If this was never done, then it would probably take field work in order to do it.  In either case, you would need to go back to the Surveyor.

There is another possibility, but you would need to have coordinates in both systems for at least two control points.  Then, as long as your project area isn't too large, you should be able to move/rotate/scale the survey data, based on the known control points.  Technically, you can't use a simple move/scale/rotate to translate a ground system to something like State Plane or UTM, but as long as your project area isn't too large, it should work.  You'll introduce some error, but the error should be small enough that it shouldn't matter, unless your project extents are too large or you have too much vertical relief in your project area.