Extracting COGO Points from blocks with descriptions

[carl3ZPF6]

I have an issue where a have a massive drawing with 1000+ different blocks. Each block has an autocad point within it (which is also at the same position as the block insertion point). What I want to do is convert all the autocad points to COGO points. What I have been doing is exploding all blocks then converting the Autocad point to COGO points. This is an issue because any block information is lost. What I want to get as an output is all the COGO points but with a description of each point that is tied to the block it came from.

What I have tried is changing the autocad point to a COGO point at the block level (and adding the appropriate block description). The issue is when I go back to the drawing to try to explode these blocks, I get a duplicate point number error (I tried every option for re-sequencing but it seems the "apply to all points" check box is broken and I have to choose options for every single point [1000+]).

Is there a better way to do this? I know a little LISP so I am not opposed to a scripted solution.

Any help is appreciated.

[Pointdump]

Hi Carl,
Let's see what you've got. Can you post your drawing?
Dave

[carl3ZPF6]

See attached. This is just a smaller example. I want the description of each point to be the Name of the block

[rl_jackson]

Sounds like a task for Data Extraction, extract the XYZ from the block and create a csv file of all blocks then import the NEZ file back into the drawing. You could even extract the block name as the description and create an NEZD file and then just let C3D do the Point #.

[carl3ZPF6]

How do I extract XYZ data from a block? That seems like it could work given the ACAD points are at the same position as the block insert points.

[ToddRogers-WPM]

Data extraction or instead of EXPLODE, do BURST, that way the attributes remain.

[carl3ZPF6]

Burst did not work, still no description attached to the point

[ToddRogers-WPM]

If these are AutoCAD points, you are not going to have a description.

[ToddRogers-WPM]

If all the descriptions are the same you can set the default to...

[Pointdump]

Carl,
Advice from @Anonymous is good. Data Extraction pulls out the Block Name which you can use as COGO Point Description.
I ran Data Extraction just now. With the resulting CSV file I created 560 COGO Points. You'll need to create a custom point file format.
Dave

[carl3ZPF6]

Awesome! A few questions regarding this process:

1. How do I get easting and northing fields in data extraction, all I have are X, Y and Z

2. Once I have the CSV, how do I import that back into C3D to make points? When I go to "Points from file" and try to import your file I get this error (that it doesnt match formatting)

[rl_jackson]

Attached CSV file in ENZD format and the Autocad DXE file for reference.

[carl3ZPF6]

Are position X, Y, and Z the same as easting northing and elevation?

[rl_jackson]

Yes, XYZ=ENZ

[carl3ZPF6]

One more issue I made some test files myself but when I try to import them I cant, the first column gets this weird symbol and I cannot import. I get this weird symbol in the first column and I cannot import anything.

[carl3ZPF6]

Here is the CSV I am trying to import PENZD

[carl3ZPF6]

For some reason re-saving as a txt in notepad worked. Would still like to know the issue though.

[rl_jackson]

Delete the first row of the CSV file C3D doesn't need a header (XYZ NAME)

[carl3ZPF6]

I did that already as shown here

[Pointdump]

Carl,
The wierd symbols are called a BOM, a Byte Order Mark. Civil 3D can't handle a BOM in a point file, so that's why re-saving to any other format without a BOM works.
Dave