Relative file location reference for Point file

[Anonymous]

Hi, I'm a new user and still learning AutoCAD Civil 3D 2012.

I have a surface, to which I've added data from a ENZ file. No problems - I had a workable surface. I want to be able to work on the drawing at home as well as work. So I brought home the DWG as well as the ENZ file thinking that if both were in the same directory, it would work OK. But I get an error saying the Point file can't be found. I can't see any way to make the file reference relative, rather than absolute. 

Can anyone help?

thanks in advance

- Mick

[jtshumpert]

If you have imported the file into the dwg the points should be within the dwg.

I assume you built the surface from those points as well...

[Anonymous]

thanks for the reply JTS.

I initially created a surface, then did the following: Surface/Modify/Add Data/Point Files where I found my ENZ text file and added the data. Is this what you mean with "imported" or should I have done it differently?

The TIN is still visible and I can calculate volumes against it, the problem is that I'm worried that not being able to "rebuild" the surface is going to trip me up at some later stage. I would have thought there would be an option to at least specify where new location of the moved file rather than just getting an error that I can't see to do anything about.

Cheers

- Mick

[jtshumpert · Accepted solution]

Well you could select the directory you are working on(at work) "right click" and "Make available offline".

it retains correct directory path so when you unplug your laptop and take home, your file structure appears the same.

Assuming you are on a laptop.

Not sure about the relative path for the points. You could though just import them into your surface and you would not have that problem. Hope that helps.

[Anonymous]

No not on a laptop - 2 desktops. I think my main problem is that I'm not sure why AutoCAD even needs the link back to the points file if it already has the geometry embedded in the drawing? 

Cheers

- Mick

[jtshumpert · Accepted solution]

Dynamic link, change the point file the surface updates..

[Anonymous]

Hi,

sorry to post on a closed thread, but I figured it'd be better than opening a duplicate.

I have the same problem as autoMick2, and so whenever I open my .dwg file I keep getting the event messages that some point files are missing.

The thing is, if I remove those point files (Surface > Definition > Point Files; select point file, right click, 'Delete...'), then when my Surface, upon being rebuilt, loses all of its information.

I'm not very experienced at this so at first I thought that deleting the files and then rebuilding the surface one-by-one solved my problem (as if the problem was deleting all of the point files at once). I just realized, though, that even in this case; when I save the .dwg and reopen it, the surface is gone.

So now I'm tinkering around to find a way to remove these point file references without erasing the surface itself; or at least to 'relocate'/set a relative path for said files.

[sboon]

You shouldn't have to delete the point files from the surface definition.  On the far right side of the dialog there should be a selection option that will allow you to set a new path and/or filename.

[Anonymous]

Thanks!

Is there really no way to set a 'relative path'? It'd be way easier to define a relative path from where the .dwg file is located.

(Also this creates the issue that. when copying/sending over a .dwg to another computer you can never be sure you are sending all the necessary point files without opening the .dwg and manually checking. But my main problem is with the absolute path)

[kjdesigns]

The problem with that is, when I point to the new location of the point file, the surface totally changes.  It is the same point file.  Relative would be much better.