Import/Export Stingline Data

[bucks87]

Hi all. I am using AutoCAD 2008 to complete setting out works in the civil engineering sector.

 

I am typically supplied with stringline data representing elements of the works, easiest to imagine is edge of a road. Data is usually .csv with coloumns for Pt ID, X, Y, Z and sometimes D (description or a chainage) - see attached Example Stage 1.

 

Currently I strip the data down and turn into a scrip file to import into CAD - see attached Example Stage 2.

 

I can then view/ammend the stringline as neccesary and export back into .csv using LeeMac's handy LISP (pExp), ready to import into my Total Station and physcially mark on the ground.

 

This process is rather long winded, and in the process I lose the PtID and description data, especially problematic when trying to identify a point in the drawing, when a string could consist of a couple of hundred points.

 

What I would like to be able to do, is import the data and for CAD to label each point with the relevant Pt ID (if description can be included this would be a bonus) - see example DWG. Then when I export this data the Pt ID to also be exported. Is this possible?

Example Stage 2.scr

Example Stage 1.txt

Example Stage 3.txt

Example Drawing.dwg

[BIGAL]

If your strings are on unique layers and not just all on "road" then it would be pretty easy as part of the csv output to add the layer name as the ptID.

 

Be carefull though dpending on your total station there is a limit on the number of characters and the layer names actually used.

 

Lee Mac help ?

[eldon]

Perhaps you could approach this in another way.

 

If you made a block with the Point ID as the attribute, and inserted it with the x, y, z coordinates. Then you could move the block around to suit, and then extract attributes picking up the Point ID and the x, y, z insertion points.

 

Not everyone (except setting-out engineers) appreciates that it is very important to keep the Point ID to retrieve that unique point from out of the multitude of data.

 

Having started all that lark with 7 figure log tables, and then an HP 35, a little bit of elbow grease does not worry me. Today everything has to be done with a couple of pushes of buttons. The tools are there, you just have to find the easiest way for you.

[BIGAL]

As suggested by Eldon and after looking at your script you need to do two passes of the file the second pass would create the block and give each block a unique ptID number insertion point is xyz then you can extract to csv file.

 

You can display the PTID numbers and plot to hard copy so you know where they are thats what our guys do.

 

It would probably be better to just use a lisp that reads the line of xyz creates the polylines then rereads and then adds the block details.

 

Not very hard on simple xyz files. look here for reading xyz lisp code with comma deliminated files I know its here.