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Raster surface to obj?

loginarek
Enthusiast

Raster surface to obj?

loginarek
Enthusiast
Enthusiast

I have a 3D surface in a AutoCAD

map 3d. I want to get this into some format that I can import into 3ds max or maya or even AutoCAD. 

 

I really have no idea what my options are. How can I get it from a raster to some kind of object?

 

Ive tried to export it to fbx format but it says there is no 3d objects. Ive also tried to move it to autocad by dxf/dwg but the terrain is missing in AutoCAD Thank you.

ruster.png

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Alfred.NESWADBA
Consultant
Consultant

Hi,

 

if you have access to Civil3D then you can use it to generate "real 3D content" from your elevation model.

If you only have Map 3D then there is no direct way to get it transferred to 3DS-Max, the workaround can be to use the option to create contour lines from the DEM (right-click on the GIS-layer with your DEM, there you find the option to export contour lines).

 

Depending on the data you have you might also think about point-clouds, maybe ReCap can help you to create a points-cloud which can then directly be used with 3DS-Max.

 

- alfred -

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Alfred NESWADBA
ISH-Solutions GmbH / Ingenieur Studio HOLLAUS
www.ish-solutions.at ... blog.ish-solutions.at ... LinkedIn ... CDay 2025
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

(not an Autodesk consultant)

loginarek
Enthusiast
Enthusiast

HI alfred...

 

 

So how can i use Civil 3d to generate "real 3D content"

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Alfred.NESWADBA
Consultant
Consultant
Accepted solution

Hi,

 

depending on the dataformat you can right-click on "Surface" in the Civil 3D prospector and use one of the options to import your data and create a surface from that.

When finished you can either import the DWG file into 3DS-Max or you can create a LandXML with Civil 3D and then import the LandXML-file into 3DS-Max.

 

- alfred -

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Alfred NESWADBA
ISH-Solutions GmbH / Ingenieur Studio HOLLAUS
www.ish-solutions.at ... blog.ish-solutions.at ... LinkedIn ... CDay 2025
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

(not an Autodesk consultant)

loginarek
Enthusiast
Enthusiast

Alfred i tryed to send dwg to 3ds max but it says that there is no imbortable files, tryed to export as landxml it says no landxml objects found

 

I really need to deal with this...

 

_Narek_Untitled1.png

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Alfred.NESWADBA
Consultant
Consultant

Hi,

 

>> i tryed to send dwg to 3ds max but it says that there is no imbortable files,

>> tryed to export as landxml it says no landxml objects

I guess you missed the item:

  • right-click on "Surface" in the Civil 3D prospector and use one of the options to import your data and create a surface from that.

 

- alfred -

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Alfred NESWADBA
ISH-Solutions GmbH / Ingenieur Studio HOLLAUS
www.ish-solutions.at ... blog.ish-solutions.at ... LinkedIn ... CDay 2025
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

(not an Autodesk consultant)

Anonymous
Not applicable

If u have access to Civil and 3DS, why not use the Civil View Way: Export to Civil View for 3ds Max Design provides a streamlined method for transferring civil design data to Autodesk® Civil View for Autodesk® 3ds Max® Design. The files you export, e.g. your surface, may be dynamically linked to a Civil View based visualization. Civil View can react to changes in a referenced AutoCAD Civil 3D model when the linked VSP3D file is updated from AutoCAD Civil 3D.

 

To find out more on Civil View, review the document here, but i recorded a quick and dirty Video:

 

loginarek
Enthusiast
Enthusiast

hi Alfred..

when i try to import surface .txt file it says enable to read file... maybe i can somehow export surface from my dwg file in AutoCAD map 3d?Untitled1.png

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loginarek
Enthusiast
Enthusiast

Hi Frederic

 

when i right clicked to drawing objects and selected add, i was unable to select my surface

 

select objects: 0 found

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Alfred.NESWADBA
Consultant
Consultant

Hi,

 

I don't know which structure your relief.txt has. ZIP it and upload the ZIP and I'll convert it for you.

Please let me also know the coordinates where you are working so if I look into the txt-file I know which value is east/X and which one is north/Y.

 

- alfred -

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Alfred NESWADBA
ISH-Solutions GmbH / Ingenieur Studio HOLLAUS
www.ish-solutions.at ... blog.ish-solutions.at ... LinkedIn ... CDay 2025
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

(not an Autodesk consultant)

loginarek
Enthusiast
Enthusiast

thank You Alfred Very Much You Saved me alot of time!!!

 

 

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Alfred.NESWADBA
Consultant
Consultant

Hi,

 

so you got it working?

I though I'll get a file uploaded, but if you solved it by yourselve ... great!

 

- alfred -

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Alfred NESWADBA
ISH-Solutions GmbH / Ingenieur Studio HOLLAUS
www.ish-solutions.at ... blog.ish-solutions.at ... LinkedIn ... CDay 2025
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

(not an Autodesk consultant)
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loginarek
Enthusiast
Enthusiast
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Alfred.NESWADBA
Consultant
Consultant

Hi,

 

question: have you solved the problem or do you need it converted now?

It's not clear for me as you stated that I have solved you time (that sounds like you already got it working).

 

- alfred -

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Alfred NESWADBA
ISH-Solutions GmbH / Ingenieur Studio HOLLAUS
www.ish-solutions.at ... blog.ish-solutions.at ... LinkedIn ... CDay 2025
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

(not an Autodesk consultant)
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loginarek
Enthusiast
Enthusiast

actually i have the terrian now in 3ds max, but its seperated in 8 pieces which have different resolutins and sizes... and also i need the faces to be polygonal, not triangular...

also i cant add texture to this... if u can help me with those problems it will be great

Untitled1.png

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Alfred.NESWADBA
Consultant
Consultant

Hi,

 

>> i need the faces to be polygonal, not triangular...

Why do you need that?
And about wording "polygonal" ... do you mean faces with 4 corners?

For 3DS-Max it does not matter if it's triangular or not.

 

>> also i cant add texture to this

Why not, make a material with the texture you like, assign it to the object and adjust the mapping coordinates.

Which of these steps do not work?

 

Please describe what is the whole job, what do you have to do with the data and what is the final result (or should it be)?

 

- alfred -

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Alfred NESWADBA
ISH-Solutions GmbH / Ingenieur Studio HOLLAUS
www.ish-solutions.at ... blog.ish-solutions.at ... LinkedIn ... CDay 2025
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

(not an Autodesk consultant)
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loginarek
Enthusiast
Enthusiast

Hi Alfred now i have 1 problem. it's the difference of sizes and resolution of terrain pieces

And yes i mean quads sorry for my english 😄

How can I ever thank you enough.

Untitled.pngUntitled1.png

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Alfred.NESWADBA
Consultant
Consultant

Hi,

 

>> now i have 1 problem. it's the difference of sizes and resolution of terrain pieces

Where is the problem? 3DS-Max does not mind different sizes of triangles.

 

You might try to use modifiers like "Quadify Mesh" or "Subdivide (WSM)", but as long as I don't know what the goal is it is hard to suggest anything.

 

2016-03-09 13-12-37.png

 

With your data amount you should be very careful as just one incorrect click might raise the data amout by factor 1000 or more, so try these modificators on small projects first.

 

- alfred-

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Alfred NESWADBA
ISH-Solutions GmbH / Ingenieur Studio HOLLAUS
www.ish-solutions.at ... blog.ish-solutions.at ... LinkedIn ... CDay 2025
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

(not an Autodesk consultant)
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loginarek
Enthusiast
Enthusiast

here i have another problem Alfred ive assigned the texture to the terrain in Maya but it doesnt show up, ive also tried to assign the texture to a simple plane and i had sucsess. whats the problem?

1.png

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Alfred.NESWADBA
Consultant
Consultant

Hi,

 

>> in Maya 

Sorry, this here is not the Maya forum and I don't know anything about Maya (except product name and some basic info's).

I would suggest to ask in the Maya forum >>>there<<<.

 

Good luck, - alfred -

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Alfred NESWADBA
ISH-Solutions GmbH / Ingenieur Studio HOLLAUS
www.ish-solutions.at ... blog.ish-solutions.at ... LinkedIn ... CDay 2025
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

(not an Autodesk consultant)