How to create points from 2d blocks

[andres_t]

Hi! I am new in the forum, I hope here i can find the answer to my civil 3d points issue!!

I've been trying to create a surface with Civil 3d from a topo file that i received. The thing is that in this file, the points are shown as blocks. They look like this:

....9723
X .14.678
....EOP

(Point number, elevation and code). All these blocks are all at elevation 0. If i explode them i have 3 mtexts and 2 lines.

How can i do to create civil 3d points from these blocks maintaining at least the elevation and position and if possible the code?? (so maybe later i can easily create the surface with the corresponding breaklines).

I've tried to explode the blocks and then using command movetexttoelevation but i lose lot of information doing this, and also i need to delete many mtexts that are not elevations and move the texts to the cross...
Also i found some lisps but they didn't work on my case. This may be because i think the blocks lost their original name.

Does anyone know how to work with these points??

Thanks!

[Ian Philpott]

There are a number of ways to do this. I have custom app at work that selects the blocks and looks for text within a given distance of it and applies that z value to the point. I would share but it's part of a corporate tool bar so I can't extract that one tool. However I know similar tools exist in .net format around the forums. I will try and find one. in the mean time here is one option

http://c3dxtreme.blogspot.co.uk/2011/05/converting-blocks-with-object-data-to.html

And a how to on you-tube

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6AKHsWuo5mg&feature=youtube_gdata_player

[andres_t]

Thanks Ian! these tools are very interesting. I tried to use them on my case but... I still can't get the points!!

Using the dataextraction command, after I selected all blocks, in the third step, I couldn't go on. It seems it doesn't recognize any information from these blocks so I can't go any further.

Working with the "define query" option, when I select the values for the block names, I only have "ADCADD_ZZ". The final result is that "0 objects have been queried".

I think this is getting much more complicated than what I thought it could be. This other app you mention is like a complement for Civil 3d?

[Jeff_M]

Andres, if you LIST the block, what is the block name shown as? These sound like Land Desktop points or old Softdesk point blocks (ADCADD_ZZ is a LDT block for storing data) so it may be just a matter of using the Convert LandDesktop points or Replace Softdesk points in the points creation menu.

[andres_t]

Jeff, this is what ACAD shows me when I list one random block:

87021

So I guess it is not an ADCADDZZ block.
(Also I tried using the "Convert Softdesk point blocks" tool but when selecting the blocks, it doesn't create anything)

[Jeff_M]

No, it wouldn't have been an ADCADD_ZZ block, when you mentioned that name showing up earlier it indicates that the drawing once lived in a Softdesk or Landdesktop environment. Unfortunately, since the blocks list as Anonymous blocks, there's not a lot you can do with them without a bunch of fancy footwork. These actually appear to be what C3D would create from C3D points when using "Export to AutoCAD". If possible, check with whoever gave the drawing to you whether they can provide you with a C3D drawing in the version you are using. If not, try to at least get a Point File export from them that you could then import.

If neither of those options are available to you, then this may help: http://www.topogx.com/ although I've never used it so not sure of what it can/can't do. Then there is always the create, or have someone else create, a program to do this for you. If you are interested in the latter, I may be of some help.

[Jeff_M]

.... a program to do this for you. If you are interested in the latter, I may be of some help.I actually have a surveyor who still uses Landdesktop3 and he is always asking me to convert point drawing for him. It dawned on me that this is the same issue he sees in many of the drawings he gets, and I always have him get the original C3D dwg for me to work with which hasn't been difficult...so far. But it would be easier on me if he could just fix them himself, so I whipped up a very basic conversion lisp program. It could be made a bit more robust, but for his purposes it will suffice. You are welcome to use it as is, or modify it to suit.

Attached is the lisp file. Command name is Anon2pointblocks. After running this, you can use C3D's "Convert Softdesk Point blocks" command to create new C3D points

[andres_t]

Wow, thanks a lot Jeff!! That lisp did work, and very well!! Finally I have all my civil 3d points in the exact location with the same number, elevation and description.
It seems you know a lot about this. I tried to figure out how your lisp program works: I understand the idea but I don't know anything about lisp programming yet (very basic conversion lisp program???). I guess I have too much to learn so I will start researching about these lisp programs, so I can modify them if necessary, or even more, create my own.
Again, thanks very much!

[Jeff_M]

Glad I could help!