Information missing from my field book

[DawnAW]

I have created a feild book from a .RAW file using SurveyLink.  When importing my field book I noticed some point infromation missing.  for example my .RAW file looks like this for a tree:

SS,OP30,FP1195,AR265.3223,ZE88.3727,SD116.9,--TREE
FC,PN1195,FNALL CODES
AT,TNTY,TV
AT,TNNB,TV1" SAPLING
SS,OP30,FP1196,AR273.2011,ZE88.2447,SD109.18,--TREE
FC,PN1196,FNALL CODES
AT,TNTY,TV
AT,TNNB,TV1" SAPLING

My .FBK file looks like this for a tree:

F1 VA 1195 265.32230 116.900 88.37270 "TREE"
F1 VA 1196 273.20110 109.180 88.24470 "TREE"

I need to see this information in my survey.  How can I get the additional information in my fieldbook?

Thanks

[IanMcClain]

When Survey link reformats from the the .RAW format to .FBK it drops other information that is not used in creating points in CAD. The SS and FC lines are combined into the single F1 line that contains the point number, angle right, slope distance, zenith angle and description.

How did you get the AT lines showing "1" SAPLING"? What field software are you using?

I use a note command that insterts a comment in my .RAW file as

--NOTE:STUFF

and shows up in my .FBK file as

! NOTE:STUFF

But that does not show up in CAD. If you want the data to come in with the point you need to code your descriptions something like this:

SS,OP30,FP1195,AR265.3223,ZE88.3727,SD116.9,--TREE 1" SAPLING

If your field software does not allow you to enter more than 11 characters, as mine does, then you need to abbreviate and set up Description Keys in C3D. For example a code of "T 1 SAPLING" could become a Full Description of "TREE 1" SAPLING".

[Murph_Map]

I remember back in the old days, good 30 (+-+) years ago. If info was missing from a field book it was because the rod man torn a sheet or two out of it and headed out behind a tree but a bit. I always made sure there was one or two rolls behind the seat. 🙂

Hey it's hump day for the working crews,

[Sinc]

You might want to check and see if the vendor of your field software offers a plugin for Civil 3D that might grab those other fields.

The other option might be if you can get your data collector to output a CSV or tab-delimited file with all your data in it, including those attributes.  Then you could use User Defined Properties and a custom Point File Format to import all that data into Cogo Points with UDPs.  You would lose the ability to process your raw data in Civil 3D, but that's not a big loss for most tasks.

[DawnAW]

The Data Collector is TDS which provides a RAW file.  The RAW file has the missing information included in it.  According to what I have read, SurveyLink is what I should be using to convert the RAW data.  Is there a setting or something I am missing?

[IanMcClain]

I think I use the same field software as you. TDS was the company (now branded Spectra) and SurveyPro is the software. I was asking how the "AT,TNTY,TV" and "AT,TNNB,TV1" SAPLING" got recorded into the raw data.

My guess is you have attributes set up to record with your points, in addition to the basic description field. I don't know that C3D supports those fields. I haven't use the feature myself, but I believe you have some sort of custom attribute index/database that allows for the extended attributes. The .FBK format doesn't allow for those because they could be anything you define. Fieldbooks just use basic point, angles, distances and description data. C3D does allow for custom user-defined property classes, but I don't know how you would transfer any custom attributes from .RAW to C3D. I'd love to know if anyone else does!

[DawnAW]

I hear that Carlson Connect can do some of this, has anyone tried it?

[Jason.Hickey]

TDS Survey Link will not rip out those attributes from the RAW file and put them into the FBK format - this is because the FBK format was not designed to code these attributes. Carlson Connect converts the RAW format, but what you're seeing is a limitation of the FBK format, not the conversion software.

[IanMcClain]

Greetings Jason,

Who owns the FBK format? My understanding is that it was a Softdesk format, so I would think that Autodesk aquired it. Is there any possibility that it will be expanded? I think it is a good format but there are a few things I would like to see added, such as support for extended attributes and RTK/Post-Processed vector data.

[Jason.Hickey]

That's a good question, Ian - and I'm not the one to answer it, unfortunately. As it stands now, simply upgrading the FBK format wouldn't be enough - there are many other changes that would have to be made to actually be able to use that data. Of course I can't speak on any future direction of the software, but my gut feeling is that keeping an eye on LandXML would be a MUCH better bet than FBK, especially since LandXML already allows for extended properties.

Just curious, why do you want the GPS data? Civil 3D doesn't process GPS data and does nothing with GPS observation information, so what purpose would it serve?

[IanMcClain]

FBK uses the distances, horizontal and zenith angles that are measured with a total station. When the FBK is imported the setup and backsight values are read and the points are calculated in the drawing off of those control points. This allows you to survey off of dummy control coordiantes (ie. 5000,5000, etc.) in the field and import them into an adjusted control system later without much concern about the relationship between the two since the sideshot coordinates will be the last thing to be calculated. For RTK data the FBK format is reduced to an NEZ coordinate statement, so when you bring some RTK data that used a base of 5,000, 5,000 and the drawing is on state plane, you have to translate, rotate and scale your points to the correct coordinates. Or you can use another software to rectify the datum/coordinates before making a points file to import. Or make sure all your RTK base points have final adjusted coordinates before you use them, which is usually not the case.

I like to think of RTK as radial surveys out from the base point, just like a total station, but FBK doesn't handle them that way. I would prefer it if FBK treated RTK vectors as Azimuths with a distance and delta elevation, or something similar. But, that would require a change to the conversion software and possibly a change to the FBK format. Really all I'm looking for a consistent, streamlined work-flow.

[Anonymous]

It may be the " mark.  Try removing it (Save you RAW file to a new name) and see if it recognizes it.  In programming language, this ' and " are end of line delimiters.   I had trouble with this in FBK files back in vers 13 or 14.  Use a different adjustment package now.

Hope this helps.

Lee

[Anonymous]

What GPS equipment are you using?  We use Trimble and I know Trimble created their own Civil 3D plug-in software that will import a Trimble RTK JOB file directly into Civil 3D.   Currently, I am having problems with Civil 3D 2011 reading a FBK field that includes the follow NEZ data entry lines and C3D 2011 is responding "unrecognized format".   However the same import works perfectly in C3D 2009, Land Desktop Companion 2009 withour flaw.

JOB 10-0082Y ! DT02-03-2011 TM07:34:14
UNIT FOOT DMS
EDM OFFSET 0.0000
SCALE FACTOR 1.0000000
HORIZ ANGLE RIGHT
VERT ANGLE ZENITH
!

NEZ 2535 629700.0368 943944.1266 8.94 "7 T35"
NEZ 2536 629609.9637 944246.5728 9.28 "7 T36"
NEZ 2537 629720.9065 944547.5291 9.15 "7 T37"
NEZ 2538 629731.5941 944840.4468 9.11 "7 T38"
NEZ 2539 629808.7272 945130.7438 9.32 "7 T39"

[Jason.Hickey]

Hi Nicholas,

Simply copying and pasting your FBK snippet into a blank file and importing it worked fine in 2011 and 2012.. Is there more to it than that? If there is, can you attach the entire FBK file so I can scan it and see what might be invalid?

[Anonymous]

I have the entire FBK file posted on a new thread I just started, it should be at the top of the list.   Also I have tested the FBK file on a different computer in our office with the same results.

[DawnAW · Accepted solution]

I think I found a solution.  I used Survey Link's Survey Attributes Editor to bring in these attributes to a DXF file.  I still have to manipulate them after they are in my drawing but at least I have them without having to mess with the FBK.  Thanks for all the input!