How to convert once exploded cogo points to cogo?

[Anonymous]

hi everyone,

some time we receive a file of exploded cogo points ( exploded one time)

and some time we explode the cogo points to send some one who is not using the civil 3D.

so is there any possible way to retrieve the cogo points from the same exploded cogo points?

[rkmcswain]

That depends on what you're left with.  An AutoCAD point object? A block? Text that used to be the point labels? 

As long as there is some sort of graphical object to represent the X,Y,Z and optionally text present from which to obtain the point number and description, then that data could be analyzed and dumped to an ASCII file for importing back into COGO points.

Here is a tool that can convert blocks with attributes, and something similar may exist for whatever data you are left with, and if not, could be written.

[swalz]

@Anonymous Like @rkmcswain said, it really depends on what you're left with. Another option may be to edit the marker block being used to include an AutoCAD Point in it's block definition. Once that point is added and updates throughout the drawing, you can then explode the markers and use the Convert from AutoCAD Points tool within Civil 3D. It will pick up the Z values, but the descriptions would be lost. You'd also want to make sure that the Cogo Points you create, before exploding, are using a Marker Style that is set to use an AutoCAD Block, not a Custom Marker. Custom Markers will not be able to be edited as a block once exploded. I've attached a screenshot for clarification on this one...

Let me know if you have any questions!

Thanks

Steve Walz

[jefflambert9091]

On a side note, instead of exploding the points you can use export the drawing down by using ExportC3Drawing. It strips all C3D info and puts it into AutoCAD entities. 

[Anonymous]

Steve Walz Thanks for your reply,

i just want to know about any tool that can get back the one time exploded cogo points with all its description.

[Anonymous]

Jeff Lambert,

thanks for your reply, yes i know this option but some time this command miss some drawing objects to convert to cad drawing.

[AllenJessup]

Can you post a drawing with examples of what you have to work with? That makes it easier to come up with suggestions.

[TerryDotson]

i just want to know about any tool that can get back the one time exploded cogo points with all its description.

The blog post rkmcswain linked to describes a tool in DotSoft's C3DTools that can convert them, it has been used to create a couple of example drawings lately in my replies.

The less done to drawings received the better.  Additional exploding does not help the problem, it only hurts.

[AllenJessup]

The conversion of exploded Cogo Points back to CG Points is complicated because the resulting anonymous blocks do not have attributes.

My advice on sending drawing to others is not to explode the points but to use the  AeccConvertPointsToSdskPoints command. This will create blocks named Point that have attributes. These can be converted to Cogo Points using AeccCreatePtConvertSdskPts. Much cleaner. Especially for round tripping.

[master-lomaster]

1. Use data extraction to txt file. Do it only for blocks with needful name 

2. Use txt-file for new COGO

[AllenJessup]

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@master-lomaster wrote:

1. Use data extraction to txt file.

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Are you trying this on exploded cogo points? When I explode a CG Point. It results in a anonymous block. I have to use the UnAnon lisp to rename the block before Data Extraction will find it. Then Dataextraction does not pick up the text since they aren't Attributes. Even if this worked. The UnAnon lisp only works on one block at a time.

I'm using C3D 2020. Maybe it was different in an older release?

[Pointdump]

Allen,
"The UnAnon lisp only works on one block at a time."
There's two programs in UnAnon: UnAnon and UnAnonAll. If you choose just UnAnon you can still use CTRL + A to select All. Here's a Screen Shot in 2020:

Dave

[samir_rezk]

Hi @Anonymous 

Are the exploded Cogo Points in your drawing being represented by Blocks with unanimous names or AutoCAD points with text next to them?

[master-lomaster]

You right. I usually use "create blocks from COGO points", but if you explode blocks, it doesn't work.

sorry.

[master-lomaster]

I came up with a weird method

What do you think about that? @AllenJessup  Look at a gif file.

[a.zemlyanskaya]

Hi @master-lomaster, it's tricky (: But again this will give COGO points with only correct Z value, but not point numbers or descriptions. 

[AllenJessup]

@master-lomaster  That's an innovative way of doing it. But as @a.zemlyanskaya mentioned. It doesn't pick up the text from the blocks.

[AllenJessup]

@Pointdump  OK I missed UNANONALL. But the resulting unanonymous blocks still don't convert well to CG points. I also see that the lisp will mess with the Sysvars if it fails or is canceled.

[samir_rezk · Accepted solution]

Hi @nonofthem 

If you're using Civil 3D 2020, you can use Dynamo to create Cogo Points from the contents of the Blocks. The attached .dyn script will automatically select all block in the drawing and create cogo points automatically.

hope this help,

 

[Pointdump]

Allen,
"But the resulting unanonymous blocks still don't convert well to CG points. I also see that the lisp will mess with the Sysvars if it fails or is canceled."
True dat, on both points. I don't know why, but that LISP changes my FILEDIA SysVar. If I knew more about LISP I'd yank out that irritating piece of code.
Dave