I run Civil 3D 2019 and have a whole bunch of land f/x spot elevations (proposed) that I'd like to utilize in creating a proposed TIN surface so we can compare the proposed TIN surface and the existing TIN surface. When I select Drawing Objects>Object Type>Text or >Object Type>Block civil 3d doesn't find any objects, so I don't get the proposed spots in the model. I really don't want to go back and create Civil 3d points for all the LandF/X spots we already have in the drawing. That would basically be duplicating work. There are two important pieces to this puzzle, 1) get Civil 3D to recognize the LandF/X spot elevations that were set using the F/X Site>Site Callouts>Spot Elevations; and 2) get Civil 3D to use the "X" from the spot elevations as the insertion point/location of the spot and the elevation from the text as the "Z" value.
This would be super helpful.
This would be super helpful.
Steven,
Land F/X Spot Elevations do not contain Z elevation data in the properties. This is because with the simple way they currently function, you can just edit the assigned elevations by text editing the multileader contents. To elevate them, we'd need to engineer a new editing system for the spots in order to apply changes to elevation to the cross block indicating the spot. It's a potential wishlist item, but hasn't been a high priority since it's starting to duplicate the capabilities of Civil cogo points.
If the blocks did have an elevation (say if you select the blocks and just type the Z elevation into the properties), you could add them to a Civil surface by first creating the surface, then in your Prospector for that surface, Add a "Drawing Object" definition of object type "Blocks". When I did that and did a crossing line of all LFX spots, it did pick up the 5 spot blocks I had in the drawing (of course they were all 0 elevation, though).
However, you got me thinking about a potential way to convert your Land F/X Spot Elevations to Civil cogo-points.
I'll be honest, I've gotten partway. It's the end of the day, so I'll give you the idea I started on to see if you can sort out the kinks:
- Use the EATTEXT command to create an ASCII point file and extract all the information that you need (save as a .dxe next to your .dwg file for now).
- Select objects with your layers isolated to the spot elevations.
- Extract only LAFX-SPOT-PROP-ARROW and Multileader
- For the properties, only select Position X, Position Y, and Contents
Here's where it's not perfect, and I haven't figured out the right way to get data to sort correctly.
Basically, the spots aren't sorting in the same order as the Mleaders. Go figure!
Output a .csv, and you'll see. I thought it might be a simple copy and paste the elevations one cell up, but no such luck.
- Once you get the spots corresponding to the correct elevation, delete the "Name" and "number" columns so you're left with just X, Y and contents. Also delete the header row (X, Y, contents). Your final file will look like the screenshot attached.
- Open the resulting csv with something like notepad, and just save it again as a csv. I needed to do this because CAD wasn't recognizing the comma format straight from Excel. You might have better luck and not need this step.
- In Civil 3D, Import Ribbon, run "Points from File", and import your .csv. Choose the ENZ (comma delimited) option.
- Import, and you've got cogo points at the correct location and elevation to match your Land F/X Spot Elevations.
Let me know if you work out what needs to be done to get those blocks and mleaders to sort correctly.
Land F/X Spot Elevations do not contain Z elevation data in the properties. This is because with the simple way they currently function, you can just edit the assigned elevations by text editing the multileader contents. To elevate them, we'd need to engineer a new editing system for the spots in order to apply changes to elevation to the cross block indicating the spot. It's a potential wishlist item, but hasn't been a high priority since it's starting to duplicate the capabilities of Civil cogo points.
If the blocks did have an elevation (say if you select the blocks and just type the Z elevation into the properties), you could add them to a Civil surface by first creating the surface, then in your Prospector for that surface, Add a "Drawing Object" definition of object type "Blocks". When I did that and did a crossing line of all LFX spots, it did pick up the 5 spot blocks I had in the drawing (of course they were all 0 elevation, though).
However, you got me thinking about a potential way to convert your Land F/X Spot Elevations to Civil cogo-points.
I'll be honest, I've gotten partway. It's the end of the day, so I'll give you the idea I started on to see if you can sort out the kinks:
- Use the EATTEXT command to create an ASCII point file and extract all the information that you need (save as a .dxe next to your .dwg file for now).
- Select objects with your layers isolated to the spot elevations.
- Extract only LAFX-SPOT-PROP-ARROW and Multileader
- For the properties, only select Position X, Position Y, and Contents
Here's where it's not perfect, and I haven't figured out the right way to get data to sort correctly.
Basically, the spots aren't sorting in the same order as the Mleaders. Go figure!
Output a .csv, and you'll see. I thought it might be a simple copy and paste the elevations one cell up, but no such luck.
- Once you get the spots corresponding to the correct elevation, delete the "Name" and "number" columns so you're left with just X, Y and contents. Also delete the header row (X, Y, contents). Your final file will look like the screenshot attached.
- Open the resulting csv with something like notepad, and just save it again as a csv. I needed to do this because CAD wasn't recognizing the comma format straight from Excel. You might have better luck and not need this step.
- In Civil 3D, Import Ribbon, run "Points from File", and import your .csv. Choose the ENZ (comma delimited) option.
- Import, and you've got cogo points at the correct location and elevation to match your Land F/X Spot Elevations.
Let me know if you work out what needs to be done to get those blocks and mleaders to sort correctly.
Noting in case others stumble on this post, this has been added! Land F/X Spot Elevations can now be assigned Z elevation to then turn into cogo points or simply add to a Civil Surface as edits, using the FX_SPOTELEVATIONZALIGN command. You can also take them directly into SketchUp now.
Here's links to more information:
Assigning a Z Elevation to a Spot Elevation
Power Tip: Create Spot Elevations with Z Elevation
Power Tip: Make SketchUp Topography from F/X Spot Elevations
-Amanda
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