Point cloud has no geographic location

[Sylvino]

Hello,

Current and target coordinate system (Canq-M17) has been set in ReCap.

When I  try to attach the point cloud in C3D I am un-able to check the checkbox for "Use geographic location". I could have sworn that I had used this point cloud before and I was able to choose the geographic location. 

Any ideas what is going on and how to solve it? 

* my company uses a token system so I am not sure if that is the issue?

[ramesh_sridharan]

@Sylvino Is you set the CS in ReCAp Pro then there is a possibility that you are trying to import RCS file and not the RCP. Try importing the RCP (which stores the CS information) which will inturn load all the related RCS files from the support folder.

[Sylvino]

I just had a look, and I am trying to attach a RCP file.

[ramesh_sridharan]

That support folder should contain the RCS files. You should be able to select RCP and import in C3D with CS information

[Sylvino]

It doesn't seem to be working:

[Pointdump · Accepted solution]

Hi Sylvain,
If your cloud has current and target CS set to CANQ-M17, and your Civil 3D drawing is also set to CANQ-M17, then accept the defaults in the "Attach Point Cloud" dialogue box. Be glad that is greyed out. You do NOT want to ever "Use Geographic Location" in anything you do in Civil 3D.

When you turn on Bing Live Maps in Civil 3D, does it match your point cloud?
Dave

[Sylvino]

This worked for aligning the point cloud, thank you! Bing map does not load imagery. Could it be that bing does not support this coordinate system?

Zooming out quite a bit the location of my my cursor is the location of the point cloud, and imagery is to the left. 

[Pointdump]

Sylvain,
Bing Live Maps should match your point cloud. In Civil 3D, do you have UNITS set to Meters?
Please post a link to your point cloud. I'd like to test things out.
Dave

[Sylvino]

Units are set to meters. I don't know how to share a pointcloud as the file size exceeds 71mb. If I bring the point cloud into an existing drawing with the same coordinate system the imagery lines up fine. interesting.. 

UPDATE: It seems like bing does not support/properly display when using the CANQ-M17 Coordinate system. I opened a new drawing and set the coordinate system to CSRS.UTM-17N and it worked. 

[ramesh_sridharan]

@Sylvino If you are using the latest version, you should see the support of ESRI base maps. Can you please check if that gives you the image at right location? (Assuming your units are right)

[Pointdump]

Sylvain,
You can share your cloud with a link to WeTransfer, DropBox, etc, or a direct link to the site where you got it.
Dave

[Pointdump]

Sylvain,
I just looked up CANQ-M17 and CSRS.UTM-17N coordinate systems in MAPCSLIBRARY. They are NOT the same. Very different Central Meridians, False Eastings, and Scale Factors.
Dave

[Sylvino]

I find it interesting that the point cloud lined up properly when attaching it to the CSRS.UTM-17N drawing. CANQ-M17 is the only coordinate system that I was able to use in Recap Pro that had UTM Nad 83 Zone 17N. 

[Pointdump]

Sylvain,
I usually use lasinfo in lastools to verify the coordinate system. That and other metadata are stored in the header of the las/laz file.
Dave

[Pointdump]

Sylvain,
I made polygons of the extents listed in MAPCSLIBRARY for both CANQ-M17 and CSRS.UTM-17N. They're not even close. I think CANQ-M17 is a bad definition. This is why your point cloud looked too far to the right of Bing Live Maps. Here's a visual.
Dave