Topic: How to create contours

[Swift]

No carriage returns

[MP]

Thank you sir.

[Dinosaur]

There seem to be no cariage returns in the downladed file either.  It is using the underscore instead of a space delimiter.  Negative coordinates too.

[Swift]

So what kind of Total Station or Data Collector did this come from? what software was running on it? Do you have a raw data file?

[jbhale01]

That is how the text file looks when opened in any typical text browser program.  Topcon (total station) has a program topcon link which when you open this file in it shows you the point number, elevation, easting, and northing.  Insert this file into autocad and you get the point locations with the point number next to it.  I found a program (3dfield) and it works for the most part but the contours are not coming out exactly right.

[jbhale01]

It is a Topcon GTS-226 and yes, I have the raw data file.  It looks exactly like the file above.

[Dinosaur]

Are there options for the input order with your software?  The data in you file is pt #, x,y, elevation.  the wrong order may mess up the output.

[jbhale01]

there is and in the program topcon link you can change the order.  But this only gets me the points in the correct location, labeled correctly.  I have that and am trying to figure out how to get the contours.  Any ideas.

thanks

[Swift]

Post us a dwg with the points or a revised txt file and I'll contour it for you ... but you can't really do it in 'just' autocad

[jbhale01]

what do i need because this isn't going to be a one time deal.  We do this type of work pretty often, we just used to do everything manually (interpolation).  Is there a program that will do this?  I know that land surveying and some others will but we can't really sink that much money into it right now.

thanks again

[Bob Wahr]

If I remeber correctly, Carlson has about the cheapest packages out there.  You can get into DTM for around a grand.

[Dinosaur]

This is not an endorsement.  I have not tried THIS but if it performs as described it may work for you in the short term.

[Swift]

I love and use carlson Survcadd.

I've been working on an opensource dtm/contour routine for autocad but it is no where near deployment. sorry.

[Dent Cermak]

GUYS GUYS GUYS!! WRONG ANSWERS!!    :ugly: You cannot contour using offsets and the code I see here. You would get lines not contours. Proper contouring CANNOT be done in plain jane AutoCad. PERIOD.  As stated above you need Carlson (and it SUX!!) or at least the Survey Pack from AutoDesk.
When ever I see lisp routines posted here, I'm SORRY, but that has to come from someone that has no clue as to the rules of contouring. The contours MUST be built on a surface (TIN file) and then they will have to be edited, because the package will be showing ONE possible result out of 27 possibilities.
i'm PROUD that everyone thinks that what I do is so easy,   :pissed:   but most of y'all truely don't have a clue. I'm not trying to chap anyone off, but you are wrong on this one. (I've been doing this mess for 40 years now and I know of what I speak.)
And that sample file is not the coordinate file or RAW or RW5 file.I have never seen anything like that before. It won't work with any of the above packages.

[Dent Cermak]

I can import and contour those points in about 2 minutes ... but I cannot guarantee the work in any shape form or fashion.

WHAT!! Want to move to Mississippi? I need some help with the workload.Or are you saying that you can give him "squiggkies' in 2 minutes. No tin, no breakline = no real contours.Thus your disclaimer?