Bring GPS data points into Vanilla AutoCAD in actual dimensions

[b.brooks]

I need to bring GPS data points into Vanilla AutoCAD with the real world/actual dimensions so that no scaleing is needed.  I have already tried different methods but each one requires scaling.  Can this be done?  If so, can anyone give me directions on how to do this?

[mfernandes]

If you do not have Map3D or Civil 3D, the only way I can thing off, is to do it via an app.

I used to have a simple one I wrote years and years ago to read a x,y,z format file.

You could try this one. It will do more than what you want. I have not tried it out, so use at your own risk. The documentation is in the lisp file.

http://www.cadstudio.cz/dl_file.asp?ID=613

ASCPOINT.LSP - imports a coordinate text file into AutoCAD points, polylines or block copies (T.Tanzillo+CADstudio)

[b.brooks]

Thanks I will give it a try!

[acadhelp1]

Not sure which release you have... and I may be missing the reference...  

But I think this is related to the GEOGRAPHICLOCATION feature that was improved in AutoCAD 2014 and enhanced in AutoCAD 2015.  This feature uses the coordinate system data from Map and Civil 3D.

Check out this video and see if this address your issues.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F2RV_2aaCf8

Jon

[b.brooks]

Mfernandes,

The lisp that you sent me a link to did not work as I needed.  I just wanted to let you know.  Thanks 

[b.brooks]

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@acadhelp1 wrote:

Not sure which release you have... and I may be missing the reference...  

But I think this is related to the GEOGRAPHICLOCATION feature that was improved in AutoCAD 2014 and enhanced in AutoCAD 2015.  This feature uses the coordinate system data from Map and Civil 3D.

Check out this video and see if this address your issues.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F2RV_2aaCf8

Jon

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Jon,

I am using AutoCAD 2011.  The video really did not address my issue.  I have multiple GPS points that I need to bring into cad that have the correct distance.  I can bring these multiple points in but it shows a distance between points of something like .0016 inches where the actual distance is more in the neighborhood of 1,200 ft. 

With the lisp that was given previously, I used it and did bring in the multiple points but the results were not to actual scale but were more like the .0016 inches between the points.  It was the same results that I got when just using a script file which was created from info in an Excel file which listed all of the coordinates.

I hope this serves to make my situation and needs a bit clearer.  Thank you for your response.

[Alfred.NESWADBA]

Hi,

what coordinates/units are contained in the "GPS file"?

When you insert them you should be aware of the units in the file AND the units in your drawing. 

Alternativly: if you know the scale when it's "wrong inserted" you can run the _SCALE command for the imported entities after the points are imported into the drawing..

- alfred -

[mfernandes]

b.brook

can you post a sample of the GPS file

I will see what I can dig up to insert points into your drawing.

[TerryDotson]

Most likely what you have is lat/lon values (-180 to +180) and these need to be projected to a plane.  Vanilla AutoCAD has no provision for this.  If you were to consider a third party add-on, take a look at MapWorks Base which has the ability to project your points to known coordinate systems (and much more).

[b.brooks]

Terry, I am currently downloading a trial version of a suite of Autodesk software that my company may purchase. Included in this suite is software that is designed to work with this type of data. I am excited to try it out and see how it works.

[b.brooks]

Here is the info from the file

UTM   EASTING	UTM NORTHING	UTM ZONE
674028.69	4189098.75	17S
673963.67	4189067.29	17S
673909.7	4189017.3	17S
674230.18	4188918.4	17S
674264.79	4188976.53	17S
674313.19	4188994.32	17S
674351.81	4188996.03	17S
674354.85	4189002.09	17S
674380.13	4188993.19	17S
674331.62	4188881.14	17S
674358.38	4188864.84	17S
674421.1	4188975.52	17S

[sthompson1021 · Accepted solution]

Here's what I got when I entered your points into a dwg using a script file. The drawing had to be set up for meters to get it to come in right.

[b.brooks]

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@sthompson1021 wrote:

Here's what I got when I entered your points into a dwg using a script file. The drawing had to be set up for meters to get it to come in right.

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I had tried different unit settings in cad but they both came out the same.  I wish that I could open your attached file so that I could examine it and see what happened but I am not able to open it.  I have clicked on it to try to open it directly and I have tried to save it to my computer, no luck.  The web page just goes blank.

Thank you for taking the time to try to help me. 

[b.brooks]

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@sthompson1021 wrote:

Here's what I got when I entered your points into a dwg using a script file. The drawing had to be set up for meters to get it to come in right.

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Would it be possible for you to email me the cad file directly?  It is about time to leave for the day so it will be monday before I could check out your dwg file.  I would love to see it though so that I can find out what you did.

thanks

Edited by
Discussion_Admin

[sthompson1021]

On the way

[b.brooks]

Thank you Mr. Thompson!

[b.brooks]

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@sthompson1021 wrote:

Here's what I got when I entered your points into a dwg using a script file. The drawing had to be set up for meters to get it to come in right.

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P.S.

Where I went wrong was that I was setting the units to meters AFTER I brought in the script file when I should have set the units to meters BEFORE I brought in the script file.

Thanks again!

[b.brooks]

Mr. Thompson,

This forum will not allow me to attach the script file.  It is telling me that..........

Please correct the highlighted errors and try again.

• The file does not have a valid extension for an attachment. pdf,rtd,doc,pdf,dwf,dwg,dxf,dst,gz,gzip,zip,bm,bmp,gif,jfif,jpe,jpeg,jpg,psd,tif,tiff,png,xml,xls,lsp,svf,3ds,vcf,png,text,txt,log,env,dcl,rvt,rfa,ipt,iam,ipn,dwfx,idw,csv,nwf,nwc,nwd,sdf,cfz,vtfx,vtf,pat,f3d,nc,nc1,pkt,sdf,sdf2,sdf3,esri,shp,shx,dbf,prj are the valid extensions.

[sthompson1021]

To attach the script file you have to rename the file to a .txt extention. An easy way to check for extra spaces after writing the script is to highlight the text like you are going to copy it.

[b.brooks]

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@sthompson1021 wrote:

To attach the script file you have to rename the file to a .txt extention. An easy way to check for extra spaces after writing the script is to highlight the text like you are going to copy it.

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Thanks for the help.  I have already changed the file (per email instructions) but I just wanted to test out the attaching here!