Custom Point File Formats and Advanced Options

If the file format you need is not available or you want to use the adjustment and transformation capabilities, you can do so by clicking the Manage Formats icon. Many types of data are available for adding to a point format, including LIDAR classification and various latitude-longitude types.

As you can see in "Figure: The Import Points and Point File Formats dialogs" (shown previously), advanced options are available at the bottom of the Import Points dialog.

• Do Elevation Adjustment If Possible.
• Do Coordinate Transformation If Possible.
• Do Coordinate Data Expansion If Possible.

These options will not affect your points unless the point file format has adjustment, transformation, or expansion built into it.

You can make an elevation adjustment if the point file contains additional columns for thickness, Z+ or Z-. To get Civil 3D to recognize these extra data columns, a new point file format is needed. You can perform a coordinate system transformation if a coordinate system has been assigned both to your drawing (under the drawing settings) and as part of a custom point format. In this case, the program can also do a coordinate data expansion, which calculates the latitude and longitude for each point.

Creating Basic Points

• Point Settings
• Default Layer
• Points Creation and Default Styles
• Default Name Format and Point Identity
• Importing Points from a Text File
• Custom Point File Formats and Advanced Options
• Importing a Text File of Points
• Converting Points from Non–Civil 3D Sources
• Converting Points
• Converting Blocks
• A Closer Look at the Create Points Toolbar