AutoCAD Civil 3D

[#1]

Hey,

I am looking for a method of importing a csv, with "Station, Offset, Elevation" to create either points or breaklines.

Example:

Pt Name, Station, Offset, Elevation

1200A, 25.000, 00.000, 528.478

1200B, 25.000, -13.653, 528.392

1200C, 25.000, -14.581, 528.004

1200D, 25.000, -15.581, 528.004

1200E, 25.000, -16.333, 528.202

Its for an assembly...

[#2]

If you don't find a solution and were to consider third party software, take a look at the Alignment Point Import tool in MapWorks Design.  It will parse a CSV or even a TXT file, allowing you to specify the positions of the fields.  Works directly with Civil3D alignments, creates Civil3D points.

Dialog Example: http://www.dotsoft.com/images/mwdesalipntimp.png

[#3]

Perhaps this might help:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TIFvUQBlxxs

Bill

[#4]

That video looks like it's using the "Create Points - Alignment - Import from File" command.

The problem with that command is that it has no provision for importing Point Names or Numbers.

And another caveat, of course, is that C3D isn't built to handle the type of Point Identifier you want, and you can't use your identifiers as "Point Numbers".  So you have to import that as a "Point Name".  And all points in C3D also must have Point Numbers, even if they have a "Point Name", so you'll also have an arbitrary "Point Number" assigned to your Cogo Points, in addition to the "Point Name".

If you have to maintain those Point Names, then the only way I see to do it within Civil 3D (no 3rd-party tools) is:

1. Rearrange your CSV file so that it's in "Station, Offset, Elevation, Point Name" order.
2. Import the data using "Create Points - Alignment - Import from File", selecting Option 5 ("Station, Offset, Elevation, Description") as the format.  This will create Cogo Points in your drawing, but your "Point Name" will be in the "Point Description" field, and each point will get a newly-assigned Point Number.
3. Dump these points out into a PNEZD file.
4. Create a new Point File Format that is like the PNEZD format, but replaces "Description" with "Point Name", then use that new Point File Format reimport the PNEZD file you created in Step 3, overwriting the Cogo Points that are already in your drawing from Step 2.

End result should be what you want, albeit it takes a rather roundabout procedure to get there.

If you can live with having your point identifier in the "Point Description", rather than the "Point Name", you could stop the above procedure at Step 2.