How to create profile from file without alignment in civil 3d!?

[giscivil92]

Hi

I am looking for a solution to create a profile from a file without alignment it means the software asks only text file .

[nkiakas]

Hi @giscivil92

I think profile is not something independent.

The minimum information of chainage+elevations are connected (linked) with a linear 2D object (line, polyline, curve, pipe or alignment.

Due to this i don't think is able to make profile without alignment in C3D.

[giscivil92]

@nkiakas 

Yes sure, but according to kind of my job,I want to create a profile from a file without alignment or polyline and etc.

Thanks

[g_p2830446]

Hello, In Civil 3D, to create a profile from a file without alignment, you cannot directly create a meaningful profile because profiles in Civil 3D are typically associated with alignments to provide the horizontal context for the profile's vertical information. However, if you just want to import vertical data (like elevations) from a file, you could manually create a "dummy" alignment and then import your elevation data to create the profile. But remember, without a proper alignment, the profile won't accurately represent the intended path of the project. Normally, you would import the data (often CSV or TXT format) containing the station and elevation points, then use this data to create a profile, but it needs to be associated with an alignment to make sense spatially. Always ensure your data is correctly formatted and corresponds to the intended horizontal alignment for accurate representation.

[Joe-Bouza]

Can you explain that a little further? The file will have a form is station elevation.

what station are we talking about?

[giscivil92]

@Joe-Bouza Hello, thanks for your attention, I have some data such as km, elevation 

I want to show them as profiles in civil 3d without alignment from a file, only this.

[Pointdump]

Hi Giorgi,
How about importing Station,Elevation into your drawing as X,Y?
Dave

[giscivil92]

Yes, I can, but I would import as station and elevation from the file directly.

[Pointdump]

Giorgi,
OK, so why isn't that working for you? Please show sample Station,Elevation snippage and what you want it to look like.
Dave

[giscivil92]

@Pointdump 

A text file like this.

[Pointdump]

Giorgi,
OK, and what do you want it to look like in your drawing?
Dave

[giscivil92]

create a profile from this file directly without alignment.

[rl_jackson]

With the limited amount of data available, the alignment would be a straight line. Therefore, it would be really easy to create an alignment with points at each station based on the elevation, copy same at a equal offset left and right of the alignment to create a surface to sample and create the profile from that.

I don't know of any other solution with that limited dataset.

[giscivil92]

Hello dear @rl_jackson 

Thanks for your suggestion, 

I am looking for other solution.

[Pointdump]

Giorgi,
What do you want your Profile to look like?
Importing your Station,Elevation file as X,Y creates a Profile.
Dave

[ChicagoLooper]

@giscivil92 

<<... create a profile from a file without alignment...>>

Yes, you can use a file, buuut.........

From Civil3D 2024 ribbon.

........... you can't create a profile from just a text file, you'll need an alignment too.

If you want to create a profile from a text file, you'll STILL need an alignment because those Station No's are critical. In terms of a profile view you'll notice the vertical axis is your elevation while your horizontal axis is your X,Y position.  IOW, the horizontal axis will index a point on your alignment. This means the horizontal axis is a continuum of POINTS along your cut line. And that cut line represents by your alignment. When elevation and station position are put together you get the makings of the profile.

Think of your birthday cake. When you slice it up, you hold your knife parallel to left edge then parallel to the top edge to cut the traditional square birthday slice. If you want to serve funky shaped slices, you cut at an angle instead of parallel. And if you feel creative you can even use a steak knife and cut curved pieces.

Whatever knife and angle you use, your knife needs to have a cut path, an alignment, to cut slices. Without a cut path you'd have no slices. And without slices your guests will be eating uncut cake with their hands caveman style. You better have lots of napkins.

Here's a 6-minute video by Jerry Bartels that explains how to do it. (He explains the 'rules' when using this method.) His txt file he has both station number and elevation (you may add curve data too). And in addition to his txt file, he has the mandatory alignment. 

To watch the video click >>HERE<<.       

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BrjgwgiA93U

[Joe-Bouza]

Ok. You know the km range.

draw an arbitrary  straight line alignment x km long. Read the file and plot the profile 

[ChicagoLooper]

@Pointdump 

Unfortunately that txt file isn't x,y. It's actually Station# and Elevation. When there are station numbers, it means somewhere, some place, someone created an ALIGNMENT.

You can see how it's done by watching the 6-minute video by J. Bartels. See the clickable link in post #16.

[neilyj666]

Although the suggestion put forward by @Pointdump could create a pseudo profile if imported correctly i.e. the station would be x coordinate and the elevation would be y coordinate, it wouldn't be dynamic or relate to any real world objects 

[ChicagoLooper]

@neilyj666 

I wasn't implying it wouldn't work, of course it would work.

What I am saying is when using this....

....The Station number is on the left and the elevation is on the right. You can read about the format for the txt file >>HERE<<.