Is there any way to find the file path of a point?

[Anonymous]

I work for a utility company that is currently working on a fiber optic overbuild.  We go out and GPS points of where our new utility lines run, and import them into our map.  I'm just wondering (and I'm not sure if I'm explaining this very well) if there is a way for me to click on a point in my map and determine which file from my computer it came from.  Is this even possible?

[Alfred.NESWADBA]

Hi,

>> if there is a way for me to click on a point in my map and determine which file from my computer it came from

I don't know what format your GPS-points have, how you imported them to Map 3D and what objects these are now within Map 3D.

The (first) questions now are:

• what format are the GPS-points stored, what fileformat (as you are looking for the file) are these GPS-points saved in?
• do you have the GPS-points now as points, blocks, ... as AutoCAD geometry within one drawing file?
• do you have them in any GIS format and connected to them via MAPCONNECT?

Can you show the data you have now or at least describe the workflow more detailed?

- alfred -

[Anonymous]

I really don't know much about AutoCAD, and most of what I have learned was learned from these forums.  We GPS our points with our Trimbles and I believe they come in as ESRI Shapefiles.  Does that make sense?  Some items, I believe are inserted as blocks, but a lot of what we input into our maps are just Generic Points.  Other than that, I don't really know how to explain how we bring things in.  We export data from GPS Pathfinder and Import in AutoCAD.  I'm guessing there isn't any GIS information saved through MAPCONNECT, because we don't use that command.  We have mutiple maps that we bring different types of points into (i.e.:  bore points have a separate map from road and sidewalk points).  Ultimately, I was just wondering if it would be possible for me to trace the file path of a bore point to the file it is contained in, just in case I would ever have to reload that information into my Trimble GPS unit.  

Thanks for your help

[Alfred.NESWADBA · Accepted solution]

Hi,

>> We GPS our points with our Trimbles and I believe they come in as ESRI Shapefiles.

And you have multiple SHP's connected to your AutoCAD Map 3D drawing? Or do you have just one SHP containing all GPS-points? (in that case the answer "in which file is the GPS point located" would be easy, so I guess that 's not the case).

>> Some items, I believe are inserted as blocks, but a lot of what we input into our maps are just Generic Points

That sounds like you don't use the SHP directly, you imported the GPS-points (using command _MAPIMPORT) into AutoCAD Map 3D.

In that case you can't get the info of the source file. An import of data is no reference, it's like a copy and so no way to get the info of the primary datasource.

For future imports you might have a chance, but then you have to prepare the source-data and make sure to use settings during MAPIMPORT to get the attributive data imported as well. So some steps to learn.

>> Ultimately, I was just wondering if it would be possible for me to trace the file

>> path of a bore point to the file it is contained in

As written above, when you prepare your source data to contain the filename, then you can import it as well.

At least: whenever you import data instead of referencing it, it's a copy, a copy of data that does not know anything about it's source and so when the source changes (e.g. you move the boreholes file or you rename it) the copy will not recognize it!

- alfred -

[Anonymous]

Well, that's a little unfortunate, but at least I know what I can do in the future.

Thank you very much!

[parkr4st]

This is a possibility you can try

From this site  http://gisgeek.pdx.edu/G425-FieldGIS/GPS%20Pathfinder%20Office%20User%20Guide%20Vol%202.pdf

which is

GPS Pathfinder® Office

User Guide

on

Page 167

Each time you run the Export utility, a file is created that lists the

folder to which the output files were written, plus a list of every file

name created.

This file is always c:\Program Files\Common Files\Trimble\PFOffice

\Config\Expfiles.txt.

Maybe this let you chase the file down.

Also if you have used mapimport to get the points into Map3D as acad points with attached OD

you can save the map with a file name, & mapexport the points to sdf, or shp, etc and select the property dwgname from the select atributes; properties and that will be attached to the points on the export.  That way at least you can find the map .dwg file from the point OD.

dave