How to import SDF file into Civil 3D

[mughaladeel9]

Hello, I have received a surface as sdf file, when I import it into C3D it shows the following error.

"file is not an sdf file or is an sdf file with unsupported version"

I had try to load surface in 2022 & 2023 version but i get the same response. kindly guide me what, I am missing. 

[TomMRWA]

Are you sure it is an Autodesk SDF file? Autodesk has a SDF format file which is like its own version of a shapefile. If I have shapefiles that I am using a lot I will recreate them as SDF and reference them instead of using the shapefiles. Civil 3d seems to like them better. 

If you are expecting a beautiful 3d object with super smooth faces and mathematical perfection, I think you may have received an SDF file from someone cool and fancy who has created something that means Signed Distance Functions (or fields). This is not the same as an Autocad SDF file. (I don't think??)

[Pointdump]

Hi Muhammad,
Let's see what you've got. Can you post your SDF file? (You might need to zip the file to post.)
Dave

[mughaladeel9]

attached is the sdf file

[Pointdump]

Muhammad,
Thanks for posting your SDF.
I tried opening in 2024 with both MAPCONNECTION and MAPIMPORT. I got same as you. Both failed.
Dave

[mughaladeel9]

yes, i also tried this procedure.

[ChicagoLooper]

Hi @mughaladeel9 

Where did you get the file? Is the sender a Bentley MicroStation user? 

I would suggest trying to get the file in LandXML instead of SDF?

[TerryDotson · Accepted solution]

That appears to be an (ASCII) XML file you can drag/drop into a notepad.  Also it appears to only be a header file, is too small to be an actual data file.  Do you have other files that came along with this?

[mughaladeel9]

yes there is an issue in the sdf file.