Need to share C3D file with a Land Desktop user

[smithsiteconsultants]

So, I'm thinking this has probably been discussed before, but I can not locate the thread if so. I am sharing my files with a surveyor who is still running Land Desktop 2007 (I think?) and I need to share several projects that have alignments, profiles, corridors, ex & proposed surfaces, and various storm and sanitary pipe networks. But, I really don't know the best way to backwards convert these files to a 2007 .dwg format. Can anybody help? This would mainly be done for the surveyor to construction stake these projects by and for them be able to utilize the CAD drawings in order to do their staking.

I have exploded pipe networks in the past but it never turns out cleanly and I don't want the profiles or the pipe networks shown in the profiles to get deleted or be altered adversely. I think the surveyor also has a seat of Carlson's newest civil program but I don't know whether Civil 3D's various entities such as alignments & pipe networks will work within Carlson. Any info is greatly appreciated

[J-Porter · Accepted solution]

Never explode a Civil 3D object.  If you need to take a drawing back to an earlier version or share it with a non-Civil 3D user then you need to export the file to AutoCAD.  This will make a copy of your Civil 3D drawing and "dummy" it down to be utilized in an AutoCAD world (see the image below).

Not sure, it's been so long, if Land Desktop can import Land XML files.  If it can be done then after you export the data to AutoCAD, then you can export the Civil 3D data to Land XML and your surveyor can then open the drawing you exported and import the Land XML data on top of it.  

If you cannot import Land XML into Land Desktop, then your surveyor will have the contour lines that represent the surface as well as lines that represent the alignments, pipelines, etc.  He/she will have to rebuild them in Land Desktop.  

Big question is. . .why is this person still using Land Desktop?  

[smithsiteconsultants]

Thank you - I will try that option of exporting the file to see if it helps them

[J-Porter]

Just make sure that you turn on any and all layers that you want the surveyor to have.  Only visible layers will be exported out.  

[AllenJessup]

I believe my fading memory tells me that you can import LandXML file into Land Desktop. I'm not sure what version that started.

[tcorey]

LandXML was introduced in 2000, so Land Desktop 2007 definitely supports it.