extracting points from a surface

[darreng_oa]

I built my surface by importing points directly, ie, not through the ribbon, so i have no points listed in prospector.  i have been editing the points (mostly deleting errant survey points) and would like to export the final data set.  The only step i found, was to show points in surface style, and then Extract Objects (of which i selected Points).

This seems to have no placed all the points into my DWG, but HOW do I export this files into a single text file??

thanks!

[Joe-Bouza]

Does landxml export help?

LANDXML

[neilyj666]

are the points that the OP extracted vanilla autocad points rather than civil points, in which case data extraction would work well.

[tcorey]

On the Points pulldown (Home tab, Create Ground Data panel) use the Convert AutoCAD Points function. Make a group from the resultant COGO points. Export the group.

[darreng_oa]

not sure the dif bw vanilla and civil points. i had 4 CSV files consisting of ENZ data that i imported into my surface directly so prospector is empty. Also, what does OP stand for? I still need a single file with the final points. That is, i need to a list of points that will closely reflect the 4 orignal files i imported minus the deleted points, and updated data as well, including long feature lines with elevations added!

Cheers

[darreng_oa]

nope. it will only accept points that are in prospector. then again, i really dont know where my points are. i can HL them and see them in a properties dialogue box, but still cant figure out how to export them!

[Jeff_M]

Toolbox, Reports, Surface, Surface Points to CSV

That should get you what you need.

[sboon · Accepted solution]

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@darreng_oa wrote:
not sure the dif bw vanilla and civil points.

Also, what does OP stand for?

I still need a single file with the final points. That is, i need to a list of points that will closely reflect the 4 orignal files i imported minus the deleted points, and updated data as well, including long feature lines with elevations added!

Cheers

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OP = Original post or Original poster.

Civil 3d points are very different from ordinary ACad points.  C3d points have point numbers, and can have names also.  They can have descriptions, and other data attached to them.  You can apply styles to control the look of the points, and their labels.  The software also has many tools for manipulating C3d points, and using them in various ways.

If you need a point file which includes all of the edited surface TIN points then extracting them from the surface, converting the ACad points to C3D cogo points and then exporting those is likely your best option.

Steve
Please use the Accept as Solution or Kudo buttons when appropriate

EDIT - Jeff's solution is better if you just want a simple csv file.

[darreng_oa]

much thanks to all, but C3D is choking using Jeffs method: the wheel just spins for, then the app crashes. ugh. why does the routine ask which landxml version to use?

i noticed also there is an tool to manually select objects, but which c3d does not recognize the points as objects (i cant select them manually, but a scan shows all 1.2M objects!

Steve - how do i convert acad points to cogo? i think its by Object Export

thanks for your patience with simple questions!

[sboon]

Expand the points dropdown in the Home tab of the ribbon.  Or if you prefer the menu bar it's Points -> Utilities -> Convert from AutoCAD points.

[darreng_oa]

hah - i just found that and its working great, but i have over 1 million points to convert and the command line wants a description for EACH pt! i typed in "All" and c3d grabbed all 1M points, but is there "All" command for the description question (of which i dont need actually, just ENZ). dont really feel like hitting the return button 1M times.

[sboon]

Before creating points, open up the dialog and get the creation setttings correct.  All prompts to automatic should fix your problem. 

Creating 1M points in a drawing is probably going to bog down your hardware.  You should probably set the Point style and Label style defaults for the _All Points group to <none> so that the software isn't trying to show the new cogo points in the graphics.

Steve
Please use the Accept as Solution or Kudo buttons when appropriate

[neilyj666]

remember that outputting the points will not necessarily enable someone else to reproduce the DTM unless the breakline information is output as well so the landxml method may be preferable. However with a million points they may be sufficiently dense to form the DTM correctly.

[darreng_oa]

thanks again to this forum group for your patience and advice. i was never able to extract the points using any of your advice, and believe it must be a bug in my software. our office is actually getting C3D 2014 next week, so i will have a fresh install shortly and will retry.

my solution was simply to save the drawing in a 2000 version, and i then opened up the DWG in GIS software and voila - an attribute table was generated with all the XYZ data.

Thanks!

[merci.martin]

Awesome!