Importing CSV into Civil 3D
Have a look at this article:
https://www.autodesk.com/support/technical/article/caas/sfdcarticles/sfdcarticles/How-to-import-poin...
From the looks of your formatting, I dont believe that there is a point file format within Civil 3D by default that can read you rpoint file, so you will need to create one. This article provides that information as well.
Christopher T. Cowgill, P.E.
AutoCAD Certified Professional
Civil 3D Certified Professional
Civil 3D 2026 on Windows 11
Please select the Accept as Solution button if my post solves your issue or answers your question.
Hi Alif,
Welcome to the Autodesk Forums, and thanks for posting your CSV files. I'm assuming they both contain the same 2174 points.
As @chriscowgill7373 said, there's not an out-of-the-box point file format that will accept your data.(His link is a good one) You'll need to do a little work with Notepad++ or Excel.
Open "Classeur1 CONC2.csv" in NotePad++. Replace all the quote marks with nothing. Re-save.
Because these are Latitudes and Longitudes, you'll need to assign a coordinate system to your drawing. You can use command MAPCSASSIGN to assign UTM84-30N to your drawing.
In Civil 3D, under the Settings Tab >> Point File Formats, right-click and choose "New..." >> User Point File.
Create a Custom Point File Format and import your points.
If you just want to create a surface, you can add the points directly to your surface instead of creating COGO points first.
Dave
Dave Stoll
Las Vegas, Nevada
NVIDIA Quadro P5000 16GB
Windows 10 Pro 64 / Civil 3D 2027
Ouagadougou, correct?
Your point file named Classeur1 CONC2 .csv is in Lat/Long format, commonly referred to as NEZ (Northing-Easting-Elevation).
You can create a surface in 3-steps:
STEP 1:
Using Excel, edit your point format so you can separate the Northing, Easting, and Elevation to get three (3) columns. Once separated, save this CSV and add '_NEZ' to the end of the file name. There are several csv formats when you save it. Be sure to select the correct csv format like the one shown below.
<Important: Be sure to CLOSE after saving. You can't insert from a CSV file if it remains open.>>
STEP 2:
Back in Civil3D, enter MAPCSASSIGN on command line. In search box, enter UTM84-30 then select UTM84-30N=>click Assign button.
Next, enter MAPIMPORT on command line=>browse to and select the new CSV file. Point file format=NEZ=>Z(Elevation)-Meters. Since the point coordinates in the CSV are Lat/Longs and projected to WGS84, enter the 'Code" LL84.
<<Civil3D will insert your Lat/Long points accurately even though modelspace has an assigned coordinate system of UTM84-30N.>>
Click OK and your points will be displayed in modelspace. Use Zoom command=>Extents to see the points.
The points will be inserted as blocks and they'll be spatially accurate. Unfortunately, the blocks will be scaled too big, way waaay too big. You'll need to reduce the scale to X=20, Y=20, and Z=20.
<<FYI, the blocks were inserted using the 3 columns in your CSV file. Initially, those points had northing and easting (Lat and Longs) with units of degrees. The MAPIMPORT command that you used earlier has converted them to units with meters. If you select a single block, you can see Position X, Position Y, and Position Z in the Properties Palette.>>
After the scale has been reduced, you can turn ON Bing Hybrid and use the aerial imagery as a basemap.
<<Note: be sure to perform Step-1 correctly. If you don't, you won't be able to turn on Bing imagery.>>
STEP 3:
Using Toolspace, right-click 'Surfaces" and create a NEW surface. For the surface definition, use the new Blocks that you just inserted.
Chicagolooper
Alif,
Set up your neuveau Point File Format like this, and test it by clicking "Load" and "Parse". And don't forget to put a semicolon in the "Delimited by" box.
Dave
Dave Stoll
Las Vegas, Nevada
NVIDIA Quadro P5000 16GB
Windows 10 Pro 64 / Civil 3D 2027
Alif,
"grading of the site"
Once you've got your new Point File Format, you can add those points to your surface definition.
Dave
Dave Stoll
Las Vegas, Nevada
NVIDIA Quadro P5000 16GB
Windows 10 Pro 64 / Civil 3D 2027
@fcernst wrote
OK, if you are offended by the workflow that accurately inserts blocks using Lat/Longs, then you can using this method which continues the previously outlined procedure.
<<Although creating a Lat/long decimal degree formatted CSV is easy for certain users in this Forum, this method offers an alternate way to insert those Lat/Long formatted points. This method accomplishes the end goal of acquiring COGO points without having to create a new point Style.>>
- After the blocks have been accurately inserted, convert those offending point blocks to Softdesk points.
- Once they're converted to Softdesk format, use the function known as Repalce Softdesk Point Blocks and you'll end up with COGO points.
Chicagolooper
If you don’t see NEZ try using YXZ.
Make sure you give your YXZ the projection named LL84 when using it as your input file.
Chicagolooper
Hi Alif,
CSV(Comma Separated Values)
I think the problem you're having is the semicolon delimiter. Change all the semicolons to commas and try again.
Attached.
Dave
Dave Stoll
Las Vegas, Nevada
NVIDIA Quadro P5000 16GB
Windows 10 Pro 64 / Civil 3D 2027
Don't NOT use PYXZD!
That for format needs 5 columns of data, you only have 3; Lat, Long, and Elevation.
1. Open your CSV using Excel. Highlight Column A. Then do this:
2. Next, do this.
3. You have just created a Comma Delimited CSV file using Excel.
4. Save the new file using CSV (comma delimited) (*csv) format.
Chicagolooper
The reason you can't see the map is due to the coordinate system you've assigned to modelspace.
- Open a brand new, clean metric template and MAPCSASSIGN the coordinate system named UTM84-30N (Do not assign LL84!)
- Add the CSV point file using MAPIMPORT (FYI, the native coordsys given to the CSV by the original author is LL84.)
- Complete the rest of the steps outlined in the previous post.
NOTE:
It's perfectly OK to add points that have LL84 projection when your modelspace has UTM84-30N.
<<The modelspace coordsys doesn't have to be the SAME as the CSV file. The point file and modelspace can have different coordsys because Map3D/Civl3D will transform from one to the other.>>
Chicagolooper
