Help Plotting Ditch Profile

[brent_eicher-sodo]

Hello,

I am trying to plot a profile of a ditch in AutoCAD 3D Map using the script file provided and I cannot get the points to plot correctly. I am not familiar with AutoCAD 3D Map and only have experience with AutoCAD so I am sorry if I miss something obvious, this is the only license I have access to. When I plot the points they all appear at the origin of the drawing with nothing to separate them. I have attempted to create a point layer to plot the points and adjusted the PDMode to 34 and used a red colour to make them stand out more plainly. I also adjusted the limits of the drawing to match those in the points to be plotted. If this is an unnecessary step, I can easily make a new drawing without those limits.

I have the file referenced to CSRS UTM Zone 17N as that is the area where the work is being performed, but I am not sure if that matches with the X,Y,Z coordinates provided in the points file. The only reason that I can think of for the points not appearing is related to the scale or possible the referencing of the points. Please let me know if something else is amiss. When I attempt to plot the points I am using .Scr file extension, but I can only upload .txts here. At the moment I am simply trying to plot the points but I will update the post if more help is required.

Any help is greatly appreciated.

[fieldguy]

try setting "PDSIZE" to 1. your points are not all at the same coords

[brent_eicher-sodo]

Thank you for your quick response. This did help as my points are now populating in the layout space, but I still cannot see them in the model space. I attached a screenshot of how they are appearing in the layout space. Is it possible that the scale is too large for them to appear correctly in the model space?

Edit: I found them in the layer space by zooming to the points

[fieldguy]

it looks ok to me. are you using "zoom" / "extents" in modelspace? 

[ChicagoLooper]

Hi @brent_eicher-sodo 

Tiffin, correct?

You can do it, it's not hard. 

Do this:

1. Open your point file. Add '#" to the left of _multiple_Point (without the quotes). If you don't add the pound symbol (#) then AutoCAD will treat this TEXT as though its's number, which it is not, it's your DESCRIPTION of the txt file. (Note: I saved it with a new name because I didn't want to overwrite the original point file.)

Image-1

2. Use MAPIMPORT command and do this. Or if you prefer the ribbon, use Planning and Analysis workspace then go to Insert Tab=>Import Panel=>Map Import Icon. 

Image-2

3. When you insert the points, their default size will be too BIG. Why Map3D makes them sooooo big is a question for the Dalai Lama.

Image-3

4. Use a crossing window to select ALL points then reduce the size in the Properties Palette, e.g. 50. Image-4

5. Turn on Bing Aerial Map or Map Hybrid to use as a basemap. Make sure you've assigned a coordinate system to modelspace, such as UTM83-17, beforehand. (It's a BEST PRACTICE to assign one at the beginning, when you first begin drawing.) Otherwise you won't get the Geolocation Tab.

Image-5

6. Zoom extents to see your points.

Image-6

[brent_eicher-sodo]

Hello, thank you for your detailed solution. I followed all the steps, but I may be missing a step or two prior to adding the block into the map. I outlined my further questions below.

1. My extents are not set. Do you have a suggestion on what I should define them as?

2. I do not have a geolocate tab on my ribbon. Is there an easy way to add it to the ribbon?

I was however able to add it with a separate tab that went straight to the map aerial option. I attached a photo of what my model space looks like below.

3.  I had to set my X,Y,Z scale to a much smaller value than 50. Does this affect the data in any way?

My X,Y,Z coordinates are all still the same which is good as I can create a 2D cross section using these. 

4. How do I get the aerial imagery into the layout space? Does it follow the same process?

5. I would also like to create a 2d cross section of the profile and have been trying to rotate them onto a flat reference line (with the rotate command) drawn in blue, but I cannot seem to get them to follow the line. Do you have any suggestions on how to do that?

Thank you again for all the help. Have a nice day.

[ChicagoLooper · Accepted solution]

Hi @brent_eicher-sodo 

Your first sentence in Post #1 indicates you're trying to create a drawing in AutoCAD Map3D but you latest screenshot looks like plain vanilla AutoCAD. 

Here are instructions beginning from scratch. If you follow them, I'm positive you get good results. You can make adjustments to the procedure later, so for now, follow them without adding or deleting any steps. The goal is to get accurate results. Any customizing can be performed later.

Do you have BOTH Map3D and vanilla AutoCAD? If you have both, turn off plain vanilla AutoCAD and keep only Map3D running. If you have both programs running, you might accidentally draw in vanilla AutoCAD when you should be drawing in M3D. To eliminate accidents, shut down plain vanilla AutoCAD.

Open map3D using your desktop icon (or whatever method you wish to open the program). Use a metric template, not imperial. You can use a generic out-of-the-box metric template, it doesn't have to be a fancy-schmancy template like the ones commonly used by those who like to showoff, generic is perfectly fine. Then do this;

1. Assign your coordinate system named CSRS.UTM-17N. In the workspace named Planning and Analysis, use MAPCSASSIGN command. 

Image-1

2. In your point file, make sure your point file has the pound symbol (#) on the first line so AutoCAD treats Line 1 as a comment in the .txt file and not as a number. If you've already done this, then you're good to go.

Image-2

3. Back in Map3D, use MAPIMPORT command to add your points.

Image-3

4. After the points are inserted, they'll appear as super-gigantic points and at that size they're unusable. To adjust them, select all the points using a crossing window then change the size globally in the properties palette.

Image-4

5. If you assigned a coordinate system properly (such as CSRS.UTM-17N), you'll see the Geolocation Tab and you'll be able to access Bing Map as a basemap.  The Geolocation Tab is not available if you don't assign a CS.

<<HINT: on command line type MAPSTATUSBAR=> then 'S' for Show. The coordinate system you've assigned to modelspace will be displayed on the Task Bar (at bottom of your monitor).>>

Image-5

6. With Bing aerial imagery turned on,  you'll see this. 

Image-6 

[brent_eicher-sodo]

I only have Map 3D, not vanilla AutoCAD. Either way, thank you very much for the help. I will mark this as solved for the time being. Have a great day!