Topic: LABEL STYLES

[tcopeland]

I am trying to get a comment field to show up with the points when they are displayed on the screen.  What I have already done is created a user defined property classification under the point settings toolspace.  This has 3 new columns for us to gather information that is placed in the data collector as notes.  I then copied the label style Point#-Elevation-Code and created a new one that will have the survey notes, Point#-Elevation-Code-Notes.  I have also created a new point file format that will allow me to bring in the information from the data collector.  (I have loaded in a test file and was able to parse it out correctly with the notes showing up)

So the question of the day is this.  Why when I go to import the point using the survey database import events it does not bring with it the information that would be located in the comments or notes column.  I have went back and changed the point label style to the one listed above, but when I view the imported points looking at it through the edit points or view points it does not show anything being in the column for the comments.  It is blank!  I have looked at the asc file and it does show the notes being there in a comma delimited format.  Somewhere during the import process it looses the survey comments.

Now here is the other conundrum when I use the points menu to import the points they come in correctly with the comments showing up as I had them set up to do so.  I know that I can merge the points in with the other survey information, but I should be able to bring all of the information at once and get the same result.

Any help would be appreciated.

[mjfarrell]

they should be showing up at a minimum in the autocad properties window...

the label value will not show up in the label style composer...

can a I see a copy of the ascii file?

and I'm fair certain it will show up should you use the Import Points option, sugesting that in your Import Event proccessing, that you NOT bring in the point objects

[tcopeland]

I do not see anything showing up in any of the properties boxes.  See what you can come up with.

[mjfarrell]

is there a point in particular that satisfys the HAS all THREE extra fields criteria?

I don't think this file (the one posted) has the extra comma delimited entries...? ? ?

read the text in the attached image file ....


your notes do not seem to be a) in the file  b)properly formatted....

[tcopeland]

My bad Michael.  We were able to get rid of the extra columns of information that was not needed, so all of the survey comments are at the end of the description code.  Also not every shot that was taken had a comment attached to it.

[mjfarrell]

well, we may still need those other columns...send me one single point that has all three columns worth of data connected to it, even if it's totally fake...for testing purposes...

[tcopeland]

This this out.  I am wondering if I need to get rid of the other information in the point label style.  Another thing I managed to hide my surface and I can't get it back.  How can I fix that?

[mjfarrell]

This this out.  I am wondering if I need to get rid of the other information in the point label style.  Another thing I managed to hide my surface and I can't get it back.  How can I fix that?

rt click

end object isolation...

or in toolspace change the style assigned to the surface you have 'lost'

[mjfarrell]

your data is now space and comma delimited... get rid of the extra spaces
test these points:

2,10042.7886,5202.6813,96.5967,CP,test,this,note
5,10215.8181,5005.1395,97.6749,CP,I,added,this information
6,10401.1059,5003.1378,98.6763,CP,manually,to the,txt file

[mjfarrell]

WE need to add a disclaimer to this topic.

The label items using extra notes or attributes using User Defined Point Properties, has a FLAW in versions prior to 2010.
The attributes, will show up when you Import the point data into your file. After you save and close the file; when you reopen the file the user defined properties information will NO LONGER be attached to the points.

[sinc]

Actually, from what I've seen, the data is still there, it just disappears from C3D 2009 and can't be seen.  But if you open the drawing in 2010, everything is fine (albeit upgraded to the 2010 version).

Do the extra columns come in when importing a FBK file through the Survey Database?  I've only used the extra columns when importing points from a CSV file, and not when importing FBK.

[tcopeland]

your data is now space and comma delimited... get rid of the extra spaces
test these points:

2,10042.7886,5202.6813,96.5967,CP,test,this,note
5,10215.8181,5005.1395,97.6749,CP,I,added,this information
6,10401.1059,5003.1378,98.6763,CP,manually,to the,txt file

Did you try to import the information from the text file I sent earlier?  This file is formated the correct way but it only has one column of information.  I did try to import the text file using only one column of information and I still couldn't get it to work.  So I am guessing that I am doing something else wrong.

[tcopeland]

Actually, from what I've seen, the data is still there, it just disappears from C3D 2009 and can't be seen.  But if you open the drawing in 2010, everything is fine (albeit upgraded to the 2010 version).

Do the extra columns come in when importing a FBK file through the Survey Database?  I've only used the extra columns when importing points from a CSV file, and not when importing FBK.

I should have made a note earlier that I am using C3D 2010.  The file that I have imported is an ASC or a TXT file.  The data collector places all of the field notes at the end of the string (P,N,E,Z,V,then the note or notes).

I have not generated an FBK file due to some other code issues not working with the new release of the software.  I will give it a try tomorrow and see what happens.

Why though when I go through the exact same process using the Points menu to insert them it all works correctly?

[mjfarrell]

one is the insert points option...and the other one is the Import Event on the Survey Tab, and even though one might think they should function exactly the same, they do not.

[mjfarrell]

your data is now space and comma delimited... get rid of the extra spaces
test these points:

2,10042.7886,5202.6813,96.5967,CP,test,this,note
5,10215.8181,5005.1395,97.6749,CP,I,added,this information
6,10401.1059,5003.1378,98.6763,CP,manually,to the,txt file

Did you try to import the information from the text file I sent earlier?  This file is formated the correct way but it only has one column of information.  I did try to import the text file using only one column of information and I still couldn't get it to work.  So I am guessing that I am doing something else wrong.

No I did not, because you have/had too many delimitters, you have comma space information, the 'extra' space needs to go away...

2000,10444.7852,4822.5276,102.0525,STNSET, this, is, just a test
2001,10437.4203,4797.6784,102.5981,GUT7 B, does, this, actually work
2002,10436.541,4797.8406,102.1363,FL7 B, I, did, get
2003,10434.6841,4797.5401,102.2572,EA7 B, the file, to parse, with only
2004,10437.4466,4801.8939,102.1273,GUT7, one, set, of information

see them spaces?  make them gone...

[mjfarrell]

Do the extra columns come in when importing a FBK file through the Survey Database?  I've only used the extra columns when importing points from a CSV file, and not when importing FBK.

and I'm fair certain it will show up should you use the Import Points option, sugesting that in your Import Event proccessing, that you NOT bring in the point objects

Not as a(n) Import event; the extra 'attributes' come in as an) Import Points function as you have observed.

[tcopeland]

In the first post I had information farther down in the text file that was labeled how it came from the data collector, it was in the same format that you had did your test with but only had one column of information.  Can you get that information to come in correct?

[tcopeland]

I have attached three different files.  The first file is the same as what was posted the second time.  I was not able to produce any notes with this file when I inserted it into the drawing.

The second file is an fbk file that was generated from the first file using survey link to convert the file to an fbk. (you will need to remove the .txt extension once you download the file)  This did bring in all of the note informationbut this is what it gave me STNSET,this,is,just a test including the commas.  It was supposed to create three different notes based on the way the user defined setting was set up.

The final file is again an fbk file. (you will need to remove the .txt extension once you download the file) This was exported out of the original file to show that no notes were inserted into the drawing when in imported the original ASC file with the notes (this would be the first text file).

When you import the fbk files you will notice all of the line work will be jacked up.  Just ignore that please.  It is actually correct, but when you convert the text file to a FBK file it messes with the original file and you get what you see.


I am going to generate a new user defined setting to try this all over again.

Michael you can use this information for your other request.

[mjfarrell]

 It was supposed to create three different notes based on the way the user defined setting was set up.

uh, what do you mean it was supposed to create THREE different notes?
one user defined property each for [desc]STNSET,[col1]this, [col2]is,[col3]just a test ?
and then one label element each for the contents

or were trying to get three different labels based on something else?

[mjfarrell]

when you create(d) your user defined properties....

Extra_Point_Data  

did you then create a new property under that single class for each new column of data?

col1
col2
col3
col4
col5

or did you make a user defined property for each?  (this way wont work as expected)
Col1
Col2
Col3
with NO defined classes under each User Defined Property Classification

[tcopeland]

uh, what do you mean it was supposed to create THREE different notes?
one user defined property each for [desc]STNSET,[col1]this, [col2]is,[col3]just a test ?
and then one label element each for the contents

or were trying to get three different labels based on something else?
[/quote]

What you have said is correct and what was shown earlier is correct.  I can not get any of the comments to show up.  The initial reason for the 3 columns was that the data collector had been placing a date and time stamp on every code.  We had defined the setup to show all 3 columns of information to make the data show up in C3D.  I would be happy if I could get the current data to work correctly.  We will only need to have the 1 column added to the end of the string of information.  We have found out how to remove the date and time stamp from the notes prior to the exporting of the data.

[tcopeland]

For the user defined classification I defined a classification called DATA COLLECTOR COMMENTS.  Then I created three properties within that classification.  Is that the correct way to do this?

[mjfarrell]

yes that is correct..
then in the point file format you pointed the extra columes to use those classifications....

and the file:  Copy_of_EDITED_HEADQTRS_TOPO4_W_NOTES.txt

does produce the desired three colums of data, for me...

[tcopeland]

Check out the PDF.

[mjfarrell]

I see the the PDF, now please Load and Parse your TXT file...and show me that image....

do the columns populate?

I wonder if this an order of operations issue?

Set up a user defined classification

Point_Notes

set up sub classes under Point_Notes
col1
col2
col3
col4 etc as needed up to 7 extra attributes

Set up the point Label Style
addding in the user defined properties as label components
col1
col2
col3

Set up the point file format

adding the desired attribute columns to fit your data format

Load your TXT file, and parse it, if that data does NOT populate the colums in the format window correctly it will also NOT work within the point label style....

[tcopeland]

The attached PDF is what I have set up already.  I see that it works for you so I may just need to recreate a user defined classification, point label style, and point file format.

[tcopeland]

yes that is correct..
then in the point file format you pointed the extra columes to use those classifications....

and the file:  Copy_of_EDITED_HEADQTRS_TOPO4_W_NOTES.txt

does produce the desired three colums of data, for me...

I don't get the desired result that you show in your picture.

[mjfarrell]

yes that is correct..
then in the point file format you pointed the extra columes to use those classifications....

and the file:  Copy_of_EDITED_HEADQTRS_TOPO4_W_NOTES.txt

does produce the desired three colums of data, for me...

I don't get the desired result that you show in your picture.

from the latest PDF you posted you certainly DO get all three columns to populate correctly...
now you need to set up your point label style...

the easiest way is to start with a copy of the Standard that has all three elements
Point Number
Point Elevation
Point Description

then to each of these label components edit the contents and add the user defined properties values...
leaveing the original information as part of the label until you have the style working as desired, and then delete them

[mjfarrell]

The attached PDF is what I have set up already.  I see that it works for you so I may just need to recreate  point label style,

I think it is just the label style, as the data is being parsed correctly in the point file format window...at least from the posted PDF image indicating that you are getting three extra attribute colums with data in them.

NOTE:

Remember that the user defined information will NOT appear in the label style composer preview window.

[tcopeland]

Still no luck!  I created a new everything.  When I have the points inserted in the DWG I then change the point label style to the one I want and I see no extra information.  I also looked at the imported point file information and I do not have any comments showning up in the Column 1 area like what you show.

The only other thought would be I may need to look at how the description keys are set up.  What did you use in the format column for the codes?  i.e. for Curb and Gutter code we are using CGL.  So for the code I have CGL* because we may use numerics behind the code to allow for double coding.  In the format column I have CURB/GUTTER $1

Is this something that could be causing the problem with it not impoting the points?  Or do I have something else going on?

[mjfarrell]

Still no luck!  I created a new everything.  When I have the points inserted in the DWG I then change the point label style to the one I want and I see no extra information.  I also looked at the imported point file information and I do not have any comments showning up in the Column 1 area like what you show.

The only other thought would be I may need to look at how the description keys are set up.  What did you use in the format column for the codes?  i.e. for Curb and Gutter code we are using CGL.  So for the code I have CGL* because we may use numerics behind the code to allow for double coding.  In the format column I have CURB/GUTTER $1

Is this something that could be causing the problem with it not impoting the points?  Or do I have something else going on?

this has nothing to do with description keys, or figure preferences...
open the file I posted...
look at how things are set up...
import your points in the file format and parse it...

does it work in my file?  YES

now make yours like mine....

Keep in mind this ONLY works during the IMPORT points function, NOT the Import Event function on the Survey Toolspace Tab.

[tcopeland]

I guess if I would have read into what was said in the post you made earlier I wouldn't have gotten a headache. I will just have to import points through the import points function and then add them to the survey database.

Thanks for the beating uh... I mean help!

[mjfarrell]

I guess if I would have read into what was said in the post you made earlier I wouldn't have gotten a headache. I will just have to import points through the import points function and then add them to the survey database.

Thanks for the beating uh... I mean help!

the floggings will continue; until we run out of Quips....er Whips