Importing shots with attributes

[Tom Beauford]

The C and the S in CSV actually stand for Comma Space. Every CSV file I've ever seen was "P, N, E, Z, D, A, A, A..." which display in columns in Excel which is what we use for editing them so I'm confused as to what you're having to do. Hope you get it all worked out.

[CCarleton]

Maybe neither here nor there, but I thought it was Comma separated value? So how do you handle those attributes when importing into CAD? Or are you saying you get a "P, N, E, Z, D, A, A, A..." and edit the CSV before importing?

Edit: for clarity the reason I want everything in the description column is because that's how I know how to get the Description Key Set to work with parameters and full descriptions. I didn't think it was possible to get CAD to interpret all the attributes in a "P, N, E, Z, D, A, A, A..." format for scaling, full descriptions, etc.

[Tom Beauford]

I'll import it first in the database folder, then look for errors, edit as needed, delete everything in the folder except the modified CSV file, then recreate the database and drawing from scratch.

Civil 3D references each attribute as a $ prefixed numbered parameter like $1 $2 $3 $4 $5 $6 that can be used in the format column for the full description, called out as a Scale Parameter, etc. Did you read the Description Key Format Reference link I posted before? http://help.autodesk.com/view/CIV3D/...7-04678401CE41

[CCarleton]

I'm aware of how parameters work in description key set. Right or wrong I've never referred to them as attributes, I refer to them strictly as parameters.

I attached a CSV as an example of what we'd get as a CSV export when using attributes. If I try to import this CSV into CAD it just ignores the last two columns.

And I'm rereading your link again. I don't want to come of cocky and assume I know everything, but I'm not seeing anything about handling the extra columns for CAD importing.

Final edit: Maybe the confusion has been that we're setting up data collectors that the field crews refer to as attributes in their collector. They're going to shoot a point, say BC for Back of Curb, and then their data collector is going to pop up with an attribute and that attribute is going to ask them is it concrete or asphalt and it will be a drop down selection menu. They're going to shoot a Flared End Section and it's going to have two attributes: what size is it, what material is it and both will be drop down menus.

The issue is when they fill out these attributes in their data collector it creates it in another column for each attribute.

[bmas5524196]

I'm sorry I don't have any help at this point, but I wanted to mention that we have been using field codes for several months using the query builder of the point groups.
There is a problem though because something in Civil 3d wants to change the parameters and I haven't been able to determine the problem. We set it up in the template and import the points to AutoCAD, after that something changes with the point group and the points are not being displayed at all. I plan to post some examples as soon as I can put them together.
Any ideas on this one?
Thanks

[CCarleton]

I've never used the Query Builder in the Point Group so I have little experience with it. I mostly stick to raw desc and include/exclude, but it sounds like you're ultimately using point groups to display points the way you want. Personally I dislike this method because it's not very intuitive for users. Our company did do this when I first came on board, but we've switched to points being layer driven instead and now our Point Groups are basically just filters for reviewing certain categories (such as storm, sanitary, etc).

What you're probably experiencing is that point groups work in a hierarchy system so if a point matches two point groups the one highest on the list will take precedence. So let's say you have a code for water valve (WV) and you have one point group set to query for WV and if it finds it it sets it to the water valve point style, but you also have another point group also querying for it and will set any points it finds to no display for both point styles and point label styles. If the point group for no display is on top then it will not show those water valves because of that. This gets confusing for people fast. I got frequent calls from people saying they couldn't figure out how to get points to show in the drawing because, inadvertently, some point group got set to no display and they couldn't find it. Additionally point groups don't override points set to a specific style, but they will override points/point labels set to <default> which also confuses people.

My advice is to use a description key set that controls how to interpret points and to use point groups, if at all, for filtering points which is largely what I use them for, not actual display. You can stay with the point group system if you want, but you're always going to have to be conscientious about how your point groups are organized.