Survey Database issues

[Anonymous]

I have been using Civil 3D (using 2013) for a few years, but I am new to the surveying side of the software. I have seen other posts with a similar problem, but have not seen where anyone actually posted a solution to this.  Perhaps I missed it.  My problem is that I assumed that I was okay by having my coordinate system picked within Drawing Settings.  I imported points from ASCII files, creating databases that included survey figures.  Two days ago I realized that my point coordinates within my drawings did not match my coordinates from the files.  I found where Survey Databases have their own settings for coordinate system.  My question regards what would be the proper work flow for fixing this problem.

I don't have CAD open, as I'm home now.  To the best of my knowledge I have tried, after setting the coordinate system within Survey Database:

1. Going through each Import event, removing points from the drawing, then re-importing ONLY the points, not the linework.  I did this because I made a ton of edits within Civil 3D to the survey figures and I did not want to repeat the edits.  Of course this made my survey figures disappear from the Survey Database, even though the linework was still within Autocad.  Yes, I realize that they are merely graphical representations.  Not only did I lose the figures, but my points did not move.
2. I tried removing the points again, then imported the ASCII files using the Point Creation menu.  This brough the points in at the right coordinates, but my survey figures did not move.
3. I tried unlocking the points (perhaps I should have done this prior to the re-import), then moving the points using the Autocad move command.  My points moved, but of course my survey figures did not.
4. I tried doing a transformation, but again my points did not move.  I think I unlocked points before I tried this, but not 100% sure.
5. I tried exploding my survey figures, but that made them lose their linetype as they were now 3D Polylines.
6. I tried Updating my survey figures, but that didn't seem to do anything.  Perhaps because my survey figures were now technically gone from the drawing due to step 1.  That's when I realized that even though I wasn't saving any of these attempts, my Survey Database was hanging on to my trials.
7. I tried to Update the survey database from my survey figures (I think), but again that did nothing that I could see.  Perhaps some of these update commands only work if you are using fieldbook files?
8. I tried beating my head against a wall, and while that made my whole drawing spin about an axis, eventually that stopped and my points and survey figures remained in the wrong place.

Okay, I have about four projects I have to fix.  This first one is the worst, due to how many edits I had to make to the survey figures.  Since I need to get that done, I will probably end up redoing the entire drawing, trying to do three days worth of work in one day.  I would like to know if there is any hope of actually salvaging my work on the other projects rather than redrawing each one.  For each of these drawings, I have already created surfaces and don't want to rebuild these either.  I really just want my points and survey figures to move about 3.5'.  I can move my surface once that is done.

Any tips, suggestions, advice, or medications are sincerely appreciated.

Bob

[Jay_B]

Civil 3d Survey Database default units are set to "International Feet".

If your working in Survey Feet, then units must to be set in the Survey Database Settings.

A google search of "civil 3d survey database default settings" will provide detailed information
for changing the Units.

[Anonymous]

Yeah, I changed that after the fact.  Hence my problems.  I want to know how to fix it after you've imported files.

[Pointdump]

Thanks for the cool tip, Jay. The first time I tried to set my default units to Survey Feet it didn't work. If you don't "Set Working Folder" first, it won't save. (Pic below lifted from Donal McMoreland.)

Dave

[Anonymous]

I had my working folder set.  First thing I did.  I have changed my Survey Database settings.  It is retaining the new settings for Indiana coordinates and US Feet.  Changing those settings after importing and editing did not update anything.  I obviously did a google search, and obviously have visited several forums where the problem was discussed, but no solution offered.  Much like what is happening again here.  I have contacted reseller support, and as always, they offer some stupid suggestion that was completely useless.

I would like to think that this would be a simple solution such as changing the Survey Database settings and bazinga, your points and survey figures adjust themselves just as they did when they were imported to coordinates that did not match the ASCII file.  I doubt that is the case.  That is why I asked for a workflow solution.  I saw one on a different forum where they talked about exporting XML files and reimporting, but you can't create XML files out of survey figures, to the best of my knowledge.

[Pointdump]

BB,

Coordinate Conversion is, I'm hoping, my last frontier to conquer in Civil 3D. I have nothing to offer you, but gut feeling tells me there's a way to use the Transformation Tab in Drawing Settings and then export/delete points/import back into the Survey Database to fix things. Seems like Sinc had a fix for this, but I don't remember where.

I'm hoping someone will weigh in on this with a power-fix.

Dave

[BtimmermanMMS]

What is your desired result? Points moved in the drawing to the correct location, or points inserted into the drawing on the correct coordinate system?

I have also dealt with the issue of International Fee - US Survey Foot, and the issue with the survey database and figures/points.

Our solution was - KISS.

We really didn't care much for the survey database and points/figures being "connected" to it like a tongue on a frozen flag pole. So, here is our solution:

We get all the points and linework brought into the drawing. Yes, they are connected to the survey database...for now.

We fix our issue with the Survey database (US Survey Foot) and move on to;

Explode our figures to 3dpolylines and the pedit them to get all linetypes to show up correctly (Express Flatten Objects works into the equation there) We only do this for linework NOT needed as breaklines/faults. All the other 3dpolylines we turn into breaklines/faults and don't care so much for linetypes.

Then we move onto the points.

We simply erase then right afterwards an UNDO. This completely removes your tongue from the flag pole. Points are "connected" to the survey database and we REALLY don't care after that. We have our points and everything with them (symbols) able to be moved around and or even their datum revised (elevations). The Points Edit-->Datum doesn't work on the points if they are "connected" to the survey database.

The SD may have its purpose in the grand scheme of things, but...for being productive and billable to a project manager it just gets in the way.

Might not work for everyone - some forum members like the Survey Database, but...

Some people like having their tongues stuck to a flag pole.

Enough said..