To create point from text file

[thanhtike.myn]

Hi,as i am a new user of civil 3D, i want to know how to create points from the text document file(.txt)

i encountered error when i tried to import the following file. Please share your knowledge,everyone.

Thanks & Regards

[dgordon · Accepted solution]

the only useful information in that file is the x,y,z below [points].   You can delete the rest of it.

C3D expects coordinates and elevations.   a common format that might work for this file once you delete all of the non essential elements might be PNEZ which stands for point, northing, easting, elevation.

the y is northing and the x is easting.

so format the info like this

1, 40629.0006,32887.9150,104.47

you can even do the PNEZD format and add a description to it like this

1, 40629.0006,32887.9150,104.47, manhole

Dan

[wfberry · Accepted solution]

You need to go to the HELP and look up Point File Format.

For example, one line of text would look something like this:

2,5000.00,6000.00,750.62,Nail in stump

This would be a PNEZD  comma delimited format.

All lines in this ASCII file have to be the same.  Nothing on the first or last lines except something like the above.

Quite frankly, it is difficult to see your text, even on my 30" monitor but it appears that your file may only have one point and that is near the bottom.

There are other formats including space delimited and the comma delimited mentioned above.

Bill

[thanhtike.myn]

Dear Contributor,

Thanks for your solution.

So in order to import point from txt file,the format should be the one as you mentioned,right? (eg.PNEZD)

How many types of file that we can import into civil 3D, and what are the point file format?

And one more thing,a surface can only be created through points in Civil 3D?

if there's no points ,a surface cannot be created?

Regards,

Than Htike.

[dgordon]

surfaces can be created from many object types.   i.e. contours at elevation, 3d breaklines, 2d polylines as breaklines by proximity, autocad points, c3d points, lines, 3dfaces, blocks at elevation, any more that i cannot think of off hand at the moment.

Dan

[wfberry]

You would be best served if you would go to the Help dropdown menu (far right and top of screen "?" mark) and select tutorials.  Go through all of these and you will get the proper manner and ease of accomplishing what you want.

Bill

[thanhtike.myn]

Dear Contributors,

Thank you so much for your support.

After my research on tutorials,i wll be back and discuss with you about that.

Have a good day!

Regards,

Thanhtike

[thanhtike.myn]

Dear contributors,

There's no tutorial drawing folder in my computer though i tried to follow the directions of help script. I think the files had accidentally deleted.

So how can i get it back,any downloading link for the files?

Regards,

Thanhtike

[thanhtike.myn]

If i have thousands of points in my txt file ..and i need to delete all of the unnecessary element in order to import points..so there is any way to manage the files in easiest and fastest way.

[wfberry]

Without seeing exactly what your file looks like I would try importing it into EXCEL and working from there.  Remember, you have to save this revised file in ASCII format (text file) which you can do with EXCEL.  Do not save as an .xls file.

Bill

[thanhtike.myn]

Bill,

can you please check the attached file and pls let me know how to manage those points into txt file and import into C3D.

i have to manage the file as

ID=1,X=32887.91506083,Y=40629.00065862,Z=104.47000000,C=red 14

into

1,32887.91506083,40629.00065862,104.47000000,red 14

this format,right? but i gotmore than 3000 points,so if i have to do it manully it will take time and very difficult.

so is there any fastest and easiest way to manage the file and import?

thanks & regards,

thanhtike

[Sinc · Accepted solution]

Here is the modified file.  What I did:

1. Change the extension to .csv
2. Open in Excel
3. Sort all lines, so that lines starting with "ID=" were all grouped together.
4. Delete all lines that did not start with "ID="
5. Global Search-and-Replace, replacing "ID=" with an empty string
6. Repeat last step for "X=", "Y=", "Z=", and "C="

Result is attached.  It took less than a minute.

I had to put the file in a .zip archive, because for some unknown reason, this forum won't let me attach a .csv file, believe it or not.

[Hrabba]

Do you use cvs or txt?

[Hrabba]

Because I am also having problems with importing. And I have done absolutely everything recommended

[Pointdump]

Hi Hrafnhildur,
It would be best to start a new post. And please post your point file and a screen shot of the point file format you're using.
Dave