Hello,
I'm hoping to get some help here or some other suggestions on how to go about this.
I'm trying to import a Microsoft Access database file into Bentley Maps showing all of our past jobs and general info relating to each project. All this data is within the Access file and I want it to plot the location of the data based on latitude and longitude along with showing other data fields that are in the Access file. I was able to import the Access data using an ODBC connection & VRT link file and get it to show the information I wanted it to display.
The problem that is at hand is that when the data points are imported they appear relatively correct in locations to one another but the distances are not correct or do not make sense. i.e. It will show two different jobs sites that I know are miles apart and they measure 5 feet apart in CAD. Again, these locations are based on Lat/Long data in the Access file.
As of now I do not have a Geographic Coordinate System applied to the .dgn and I'm not sure if I should be applying a GCS prior to importing, what my working units should be set at, or what the resolution of the .dgn should be. The latitude and longitude is in d.ddddd format as well and I'm not sure if that makes a difference either? The only way I'm able to see the Access data fields of each point is if I do a "Element Information" and look under the "Feature/Properties" tab. Here it will display all the Access data about the job which I believe is linked through the ODBC connection.
My VRT text file reads as the following:
<OGRVRTDataSource>
<OGRVRTLayer name = "odbcInport">
<SrcDataSource>ODBC:Edge_Projects</SrcDataSource>
<SrcLayer>Projects</SrcLayer>
<GeometryType>wkbPoint</GeometryType>
<LayerSRS>WGS84</LayerSRS>
<GeometryField encoding="PointFromColumns" x="Project_Location_Longitude" y="Project_Location_Latitude"/>
</OGRVRTLayer>
</OGRVRTDataSource>
I have attached an image of what our Access Database looks like, the .vrt text file, along with my current .dgn file.
Any help would great be appreciated or any suggestions on how to go about this a different way.
Thanks!
Adam
Looks like the lat/long values are being read in as absolute coordinates. For example a lat long of 85^10'15", 42^30'30" is being read in as XY coordinates of 85.xx, 42.xx. So the VRT file believes these are XY coordinates and not lat long values. It reads the data and then converts it to XY.
Jerry
So how would one go about fixing this?
Please skim through the following Bentley Wiki article to undertand how you should operate in complexities derived from linear CAD units and Lat-Long's angular units.
http://communities.bentley.com/Products/MicroStation/MicroStation_V8i/w/MicroStation_V8i__Wiki/design-file-precision-with-a-latitude-longitude-projection.aspx
Thanks, Mohammad Masud Sr. Geo AE, Houston
I was able to get the data to work.
Thanks guys!
Hello all once again,
So we were able to import an Access Database into Bentley Map but I still have a couple of questions. As of now, when the data is imported it just shows up as a point and the only way we can get info on those point(s) is if you do an element information. It then links to the access database through the ODBC. All is good so far. My question is there any control on how to get BMaps to write out more than just a point for each data entry? We would like it to choose a cell as well as write out the job number (which is a data field within access, see my attached image in previous form). The problem is when it imports 4000+ points you have no ID associated with the points. Only information you can get is running a "Element Information". I would believe this would have to be addressed in the VRT file in how the codes interpolate/write out the Access data?? I'm not sure.
The other question is that the data is imported based on lat/long. So the Geographic Coordinate System is set to a Lat/Long system, thus you working units just changed into degrees. How does one still measure in mile/feet/inches? Let say I want to do a 5 mile radius search around a particular data point? How does one go about that if your working units are still in degree?
Thanks,
HTH
Adam:
In order to make your points display as cells and have a label that corresponds to an attribute value (the Job Number was what you mentioned), you'll need to define an XFM schema based on your data. This can be done in the GeoSpatial Administrator (GSA), which is a separate piece of software, but an important "sidekick" to Bentley Map.
For instructions on how to set up the GSA to help Bentley Map interpret and display your data correctly, you can use the on-line Help files that are inside the GSA as well as the Wiki located here on BE Communities. Geospatial Administrator Tips and Tricks
The key things you'll need to get right in the GSA to make your data display properly are in the Symbology node, which is part of the definition of your feature. You'll want to ensure that PBA, CellName and Level are set correctly. You want the Level to match up with the name of the level on which the point data is currently stored and you want CellName to refeence the desired cell to replace the dots currently symbolizing your points. PBA stands for Property Based Annotation and it will accept an attribute name enclosed in square brackets, so you can annotate your points with their Job Numbers.
HTH,
Kim