Sending CAD civil drawings to a total station??

[Etiger83]

pretty new at this and just wondering how I would send civil drawings with points plotted for layouts from my computer to a layout man in the field with a total station? Any help would be much appreciated!!

[Alan Cullen]

Etiger83,

This is all a bit tricky......(having 12D Model will help)....

Basically you have to create an ascii file (comma delimited) for all the points in the drawing. This file is then uploaded into the total station, and the fieldman can set out any point in that file....

The format is....
Point Number,X,Y,Z,code
Point Number,X,Y,Z,code
......where code could be "eb" (edge bitumen), "cl" (centreline) etc.

This could be automated to a degree by using a lisp routine....however it still requires picking each point and typing in the Z value and code (point description) for each point. A bit time consuming.....

Hope that helps...:(

[eldon]

Hi, it's as Alan says, there is (as yet) no swift solution.

I do it by a bit of hard graft and in several stages that involves picking every point. The lisp routine I use was compiled when I bought it, so I can't see exactly what it is doing. :(

You could always list each point and manually write the data, but the error potential is there.

As total stations get more widely used, there is bound to be an appropriate routine available in the future.

[Alan Cullen]

Etiger83 and eldon

One of our clients gets us to write his CSV files so he can upload them into his total station. When we draw civil drawings we give each set-out point a number and create a point table (all done using a lisp routine on 3d strings exported from 12D into autocad).....

PT.No EASTING NORTHING LEVEL DESCRIPTION
1 411.687 365.286 8.812 EB
2 416.298 362.546 8.697 EB
3 419.651 358.359 8.559 EB

We then export the table to an ascii file and use ultraedit (column mode) to replace the spaces between PtNo E N RL Desc with the comma delimiters required for a CSV file. The whole process takes about 3 minutes.....BUT you have to have the set-out points tabulated to start with. :)

[LEIGH]

Etiger83 and eldon

One of our clients gets us to write his CSV files so he can upload them into his total station. When we draw civil drawings we give each set-out point a number and create a point table (all done using a lisp routine on 3d strings exported from 12D into autocad).....

PT.No EASTING NORTHING LEVEL DESCRIPTION
1 411.687 365.286 8.812 EB
2 416.298 362.546 8.697 EB
3 419.651 358.359 8.559 EB

We then export the table to an ascii file and use ultraedit (column mode) to replace the spaces between PtNo E N RL Desc with the comma delimiters required for a CSV file. The whole process takes about 3 minutes.....BUT you have to have the set-out points tabulated to start with. :)


Thats what i do.

I receive the DWG from the architect/engineer and select the points i want to set out.

I give each point a PT No, EASTING, NORTHING, ELEVATION, DESC.

Put this into a spreadsheet, then upload by using the Total Station software.



I

[iain9876]

pretty new at this and just wondering how I would send civil drawings with points plotted for layouts from my computer to a layout man in the field with a total station? Any help would be much appreciated!!Hi there,

setting-out files with point number etc as described above is a good easy way to set-out. But I think you are talking about something else.

The newer total stations (the more up market) have the ability to be able to upload a dxf. Mostly though the more advanced suveyors/engineers or survey engineers create a terrain model triangular mesh of the proposed site, then they upload that- its a far superior way of setting-out. From that when you have done your initial set-up you know the height of any point around the site and can immediately give cut/fill to any point just as you are walking around anywhere at random....you cant do that with csv files at random locations.

If you let me know what total station/logger you are using and also what software you have, maybe I can help you further...

If you are in the office, and want to send someone a setting-out file, their are now bluetooth loggers running on windows pocket pc software that have setting-out programs on them which also run the total stations. try purchasing one of those.

The only other way is to email them the file, they retrieve it and upload it to their machine, I used a pocket pc phone in the field when someone had any drawing changes they sent me the file while i was still on a construction site - and i was setting-out in seconds..

Could you maybe explain in more detail what your after, and your role in this..

cheers

[iain9876]

Etiger83 and eldon

One of our clients gets us to write his CSV files so he can upload them into his total station. When we draw civil drawings we give each set-out point a number and create a point table (all done using a lisp routine on 3d strings exported from 12D into autocad).....

PT.No EASTING NORTHING LEVEL DESCRIPTION
1 411.687 365.286 8.812 EB
2 416.298 362.546 8.697 EB
3 419.651 358.359 8.559 EB

We then export the table to an ascii file and use ultraedit (column mode) to replace the spaces between PtNo E N RL Desc with the comma delimiters required for a CSV file. The whole process takes about 3 minutes.....BUT you have to have the set-out points tabulated to start with. :)

Hi allen, your client is lucky you do all the work for him....like leigh..i had to do mine....i started with csv files then found a better way for larger sites...by just uploading the triangular model in dxf format....these work best with windows software when doing large earthworks.

[iain9876]

Thats what i do.

I receive the DWG from the architect/engineer and select the points i want to set out.

I give each point a PT No, EASTING, NORTHING, ELEVATION, DESC.

Put this into a spreadsheet, then upload by using the Total Station software.



I

Leigh,
There is a much easier way of doing this instead of typing information into an excel file!
If you have autocad there is a great program for doing what you need just by clicking a button and extracting points..... heres the link http://www.bhsllc.us/index.html
the software is an addon to autocad it costs $700 dollars around £350 well cheap!...its a 3d roads, modelling/surveying software package it really is value for money!.
For setting-out he has a program to plot points where you want them and then extract that information straight to csv/excel file. You can create a triangular model with this software too.....

iain

[Alan Cullen]

iain,

Wouldn't it be great if the day comes when all we have to do is create the Design Model of a project, then give that to the contractor, who then uploads it to his total station and proceeds to set out any point he wants (earthworks, roads, stormwater, sewer, whatever). :)

No more drawing.......yahoo !!! :lol:

[LEIGH]

Leigh,
There is a much easier way of doing this instead of typing information into an excel file!
If you have autocad there is a great program for doing what you need just by clicking a button and extracting points..... heres the link http://www.bhsllc.us/index.html
the software is an addon to autocad it costs $700 dollars around £350 well cheap!...its a 3d roads, modelling/surveying software package it really is value for money!.
For setting-out he has a program to plot points where you want them and then extract that information straight to csv/excel file. You can create a triangular model with this software too.....

iain


Hi.

Thanks for the info.

I currently use a package called Carlson Survey which is powered by AutoCAD. It allows you to do exactly what you have wrote.
You click the point you want, it generates a PT No, with the coords.
You then export that file containing all that info into your required format.

[Etiger83]

Thanks for your help guys, going to try this tomorrow so appreciate your help

[LEIGH]

Good luck mate.

[rkmcswain]

iain,

Wouldn't it be great if the day comes when all we have to do is create the Design Model of a project, then give that to the contractor, who then uploads it to his total station and proceeds to set out any point he wants (earthworks, roads, stormwater, sewer, whatever). :)



That day has been here for a while for certain types of jobs.

You can design a final surface and upload that into a dozer equipped with GPS on the blade (http://www.carlsonsw.com/PL_autograde.html) and grade a site "as designed" without ever printing a sheet of paper.

[iain9876]

That day has been here for a while for certain types of jobs.

You can design a final surface and upload that into a dozer equipped with GPS on the blade (http://www.carlsonsw.com/PL_autograde.html) and grade a site "as designed" without ever printing a sheet of paper.

I think you may be quoting unauthorised copyright material there RKmcswain....(j/king)

[CarlB]

Thanks for the link,rkmcswain. We've seen that application some around here, for dredging purposes.

Iain, he didn't suggest he wrote the software, you're stepping in it now and it's not pretty.

[Alan Cullen]

G'day rkmcswain...

Back in the early 80's, when I was in the Solomon Islands, a Yank mob called Lever's were growing rice outside Honiara. They used some gismo on their scrapers to make the paddy fields. The operator just drove around and around and the scaper picked up dirt and dumped dirt untill the paddy field was dead level.

I was there doing survey work for the Aust Gov, and went to the rice area to see this. I was pretty impressed. :)

[kjbike7]

I am using Acad LT 2008. Does anyone have an update of an easier way to do this? We just got a total station and now trying to figure out what info to take from the drawing so we can upload to the machine. Thanks...

[BIGAL]

We generate new points within CIV3D in a group on a layer called setout this way they have a nice bubble etc in the drawing these are then converted to the correct instrument format via our "Stringer software" (www.cadapps.com.au") and copied to the instrument fairly simple.

One thing as an ex other civil software dealer out of the box included was nearly every total station for up and download no need for extra software.

As Alan Cullen has quoted I worked for Topcon and I can assure you the machine operator just drives around and around everthing else is automatic the blade height and angle is controlled by a laptop talking via a total station or GPS.

It amazing to be on a machine while its happening particuarly when you get dramatic grade changes and the blade flips over.

[Alan Cullen]

I'm glad this thread got bought back to the front. A lot of good info in it, and relevant info.

kjbike7,

Pretty well all the members who responded to this "old" thread are still here. I'm sure between us all we can help you out with this. Plus a lot of new members may be very happy to help as well. 2 years is a long time for technical developments.

I would suggest using iain9876's system. One of our clients is in the process at the moment of getting all the gear together for his dozers to automate the whole process. We just give him the terrain model and relevant strings from 12D Model, he uploads it all into a total station, and away his dozer operators go. (all for bulk earthworks).

One of our Engineers came back from that site today, and said he watched it all, and was really impressed.

[kjbike7]

Hi - thanks for the reply.
Yes it is cool how the machines do the grading.
I am looking for how to get the proper information from my acad drawing?
What information do I need, what commands would make life easier? (other than- logfileon, list, pick each object, logfileoff. open in excel and manually delete excess info)
This process is long and tedious. Would Autodesk Map be a better product for me to use than standard autocad?

[Alan Cullen]

Mate, I left surveying a long time ago. If you don't mind, I will talk to our surveyors tomorrow, and everyone else. Because I'm pretty interested in this new technology too. Can I get back to you tomorrow on this? :D