AutoCAD Civil 3D

[#1]

Has anyone had any experience with importing Micro-Station survey information (i.e. field to finish) into Civil 3D 2013? Is this possible? What is the best workflow procedures?

Thanks in advance!

Kim

[#2]

I use MAPIMPORT.

[#3]

It depends on how you want to use the data. You can import dumb linework from a DGN file which you can manipulate and use just as any other vanilla Autocad entities. You can import COGO points, alignments, and surfaces via Land XML.

If you want to utilize the Survey tools in Civil 3D then you will have to start from scratch by either processing the raw survey data or by converting the dumb cad graphics into Survey points and features.

There is no single tool to convert Microstation based Survey data into Civil 3D survey data.

[#4]

Thanks for the ideas!

[#5]

What exactly is microstaion survey data?  Survey data is survey data, you choose the process from field to office.  We keep everything simple and only use ascii files in our processing. This way we eliminate any cross-platform issues.  While there may be some recoding to meet our setup, it has never been too complicated and works about as good as one could expect.

[#6]

What do you mean by MicroStation survey information?

We use InRoads to process out data collector files. The InRoads coding is very similar to the linking codes introduces in Civil 3D 2010.

I have replaced the defaults as follows B=ST, BC=PC, EC=PT, CPN=JPT, CLS=CL, RT=DIST, OC=SPC

In addition, it is possible to use RECT and CIR, except that in InRoads, to get the two options that RECT allows, you actually have two different commands. one is like RECT with 2 points and on offset while the other is like 3 points and closes by computing the remaining point. InRoads equivalent if CIR only allows the three point mode.

And it has a totally different "offset" tool that uses offset shots at the start of the lead figure and then creates parallel offsets based upon the offestes of those shots.

It has no X command and does not need the E command.

That said, if you stick to the codes that do match, it is 100% possible to take an InRoads survey and process it in Civil 3D. I recently tested and confirmed it. I am only working with coordinate files exported from InRoads with all point coding intact.