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shape files text won't display

6 REPLIES 6
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Message 1 of 7
MatiasJr
2386 Views, 6 Replies

shape files text won't display

Why won't text in shape files display? I have downloaded
some shape files from a state (Texas) agency that contain
information useful for map exhibits. I have used them in Arcmap (GIS) however I am not to familiar with that software.
Can anybody provide any advice or direction on how to get
shape files text to display in Civil 3D? When the shape files (zipped) are extracted, they include other files which I believe are necessary in Arcmap. I have these files available in the same folder when I import the shp files into Civil 3d.

Mramos
6 REPLIES 6
Message 2 of 7
Anonymous
in reply to: MatiasJr

I am not a MAP kind of guy, but this may help.
It seems that is a SHP file that the text are like extended data.
A MAP person may have the correct insite to SHP files....

however

In the Map task Pane,
1.connect to data, select your SHP file
2. in the task pane right click on your data source and select edit style
3. in the new Theme section, select feature label and select the text you would like labeled
Message 3 of 7
Anonymous
in reply to: MatiasJr

Yes a map user would have more insight and I was on the way out the door to
a nice thick steak on the grill when I read this the first time. What you
posted is one way only thing is it's a mapfeature label and not text if the
OP needs text he needs to do an export to AutoCAD format (and hope all the
text converts).

--
Murph
www.map3d.wordpress.com


"Mal" wrote in message news:5973908@discussion.autodesk.com...
I am not a MAP kind of guy, but this may help.
It seems that is a SHP file that the text are like extended data.
A MAP person may have the correct insite to SHP files....

however

In the Map task Pane,
1.connect to data, select your SHP file
2. in the task pane right click on your data source and select edit style
3. in the new Theme section, select feature label and select the text you
would like labeled
Message 4 of 7
Anonymous
in reply to: MatiasJr

Text from an shp file (ESRI Format file) consists of points and attributes.
The point is the insertion point of the text and the attribute is the text
value and maybe some other properties for the text(color, link,size etc.)
There's a number of ways to get it into AutoCAD C3D using the Map tools. One
way is by using the Data Connect as Mal pointed out. The other way is to use
the mapimport command to import the point and have it create Object Data in
new dwg. Then save close and attach that dwg to your dwg and run an alter
text query on it using the data from the object data table as the text
value. I don't have anything written on doing just that but if you look over
the help/tutorials files it explains it or my blog post here
http://map3d.wordpress.com/2007/09/26/contours-from-shape-files-with-elevations/
explains doing the query just select the text BUTTON instead of the
elevation in the "Set Properties Altercations" dialog. You can skip the part
on the ranges and just select the expression and run the query.


--
Murph
www.map3d.wordpress.com


"MatiasJr" wrote in message news:5973829@discussion.autodesk.com...
Why won't text in shape files display? I have downloaded
some shape files from a state (Texas) agency that contain
information useful for map exhibits. I have used them in Arcmap (GIS)
however I am not to familiar with that software.
Can anybody provide any advice or direction on how to get
shape files text to display in Civil 3D? When the shape files (zipped) are
extracted, they include other files which I believe are necessary in Arcmap.
I have these files available in the same folder when I import the shp files
into Civil 3d.

Mramos
Message 5 of 7
MatiasJr
in reply to: MatiasJr

Thanks for the advice. I got what I wanted with the 3 simple steps you mentioned. I also read up on Murph's instructions. The process seems a bit lengthy. I will give it shot when I find the spare time. I've read up some on queries and have fiddled a bit with them but have never really had any success. Just need to keep at it, I guess.

Mramos
Message 6 of 7
Anonymous
in reply to: MatiasJr

To help understand why the process describe by Murph and Mal are nessacary
you need to understand how text works in ESRI's Shapefile world. Shapefiles
do not contain text as a dwg would. It contains either points, lines or
polygons. These geometric features then have attribute values assigned to
them. In the ESRI world we can then use these attributes to generate
automatic Labels.

Labels are dynamic text generated by the computer using a value found in the
attribute database table and a few basic settings assigned in the GIS
software. Unlike text in a dwg, labels will change everytime you pan, zoom,
or navigate in a map. Anyone that has used MapQuest as experienced this. As
you look at one area of a map you notice some roads are named and some are
not. You change scale or pan slightly and now some of the roads that were
not named are now and some that were are not. This is an example of labels.
To be honest they can be quite a pain.

So because true text does not exist in the world of Shapefiles, that is why
we must go through a lengthy process to create the text for use in a
drawing.

--
Tripp Corbin, MCP, CFM, GISP
Vice President, GIS/IT
ESRI Authorized Instructor
Keck & Wood, Inc.
(678) 417-4013
(678) 417-8785 fax
www.keckwood.com



"Murph" wrote in message
news:5973957@discussion.autodesk.com...
Text from an shp file (ESRI Format file) consists of points and attributes.
The point is the insertion point of the text and the attribute is the text
value and maybe some other properties for the text(color, link,size etc.)
There's a number of ways to get it into AutoCAD C3D using the Map tools. One
way is by using the Data Connect as Mal pointed out. The other way is to use
the mapimport command to import the point and have it create Object Data in
new dwg. Then save close and attach that dwg to your dwg and run an alter
text query on it using the data from the object data table as the text
value. I don't have anything written on doing just that but if you look over
the help/tutorials files it explains it or my blog post here
http://map3d.wordpress.com/2007/09/26/contours-from-shape-files-with-elevations/
explains doing the query just select the text BUTTON instead of the
elevation in the "Set Properties Altercations" dialog. You can skip the part
on the ranges and just select the expression and run the query.


--
Murph
www.map3d.wordpress.com


"MatiasJr" wrote in message news:5973829@discussion.autodesk.com...
Why won't text in shape files display? I have downloaded
some shape files from a state (Texas) agency that contain
information useful for map exhibits. I have used them in Arcmap (GIS)
however I am not to familiar with that software.
Can anybody provide any advice or direction on how to get
shape files text to display in Civil 3D? When the shape files (zipped) are
extracted, they include other files which I believe are necessary in Arcmap.
I have these files available in the same folder when I import the shp files
into Civil 3d.

Mramos
Message 7 of 7
Barazulus
in reply to: MatiasJr

This has been a helpful thread! But after using Murph's 3 steps I have hit another roadblock. How do you change the number of decimal places that the value you select displays? I am trying to get the lots to display an ID number and it is putting '.000000' at the end of each number. Changing my drawing units doesn't seem to do anything.

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