IMPORT COORDINATES AND TEXT USING THE XYZ TOOL

Hi

Using Microstation connect U5.

If i create a .txt file with many ( a few thousen ) x,y,z coordinates, and every coordinate should have a different text ( a combination of numbers and letters ( Something like this; 1:Coordinate; x100 y200 z150 text= 1bar. 2:Coordinate; x300 y200 z250 text= 12bar etc...  ) Would that be possible to import in to Microstation, maybe using the XYZ tool? If so how would i set this up to make it work?

Not very well explained, but i simply want to import data from another software ( CFD simulations ). In excel i have all XYZ the coordinates and i have the text for each XYZ coordinate. Im just not sure if there is a way to get this in to microstation without programming?

Regards

Helge

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  • Hi Helge, I did something similar the other day (placing ground levels from a geometer who sent coordinate files with heights only). You can't do it in one go, you'll have to create two or three Excel files and import them one after another, i. e. place a cell where the value has to go to and then the values themselves as text. I'll have to check again how I did it but there's no need for a VBA macro, only a bit of brain to get the right sequence of steps. ;-)
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  • Hi Helge, I did something similar the other day (placing ground levels from a geometer who sent coordinate files with heights only). You can't do it in one go, you'll have to create two or three Excel files and import them one after another, i. e. place a cell where the value has to go to and then the values themselves as text. I'll have to check again how I did it but there's no need for a VBA macro, only a bit of brain to get the right sequence of steps. ;-)
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  • Unknown said:
    There's no need for a VBA macro, only a bit of brain to get the right sequence of steps

    There's no need for MicroStation either.  You can draw all your maps on a large sheet of vellum with a quill pen.

    Unknown said:
    You can't do it in one go, you'll have to create two or three Excel files and import them one after another, i. e. place a cell where the value has to go to and then the values themselves as text

    If the OP has to import text many times, then your procedure is tedious and prone to human error.

    Unknown said:
    I'll have to check again how I did it

    A VBA macro is a formal record of 'how I did it'. 

    In other words, a VBA macro automates repetitive steps, saves time, eliminates human fallibility and doesn't require a bit of anyone's brain.

     
    Regards, Jon Summers
    LA Solutions

  • Hi Jon and fmandoki !
    Im using a CFD tool that our company develops ( and sell). Im using it as a consultant for explotions and fire simulations. Its called FLACS ( www.gexcon.com).
    So what i am trying to do is to take the results from the CFD simulation and show the values/ results inside microstation. To be more specific, this is monitor points in 3D space that shows some data. It could be pressure, it could be heat-loads or many other things .

    Its not completely true that i have all the data in excel yet, but i think we easily can output something like the attached ASC testfile ( Ill confirm this with my coworker tomorrow and update this thread. We can probably also change this around, depending on what will work best with microstation. ). And from there take it in to excel if needed. What i am thinking is that i need a point and the text for each xyz coordinate. The point is just for showing the exact position of the coordinate. As i mentioned one of these files could have thousands of monitor points.

    I would be interested to hear from both of you how i could do this. Im thinking that in the long run this is something that i defiantly would like to automate, but for now i would probably have to do it more manually.

    Regards

    Helge

    t-007.zip

  • Unknown said:
    We easily can output something like the attached ASC testfile

    As Ron notes, your format needs adjusting to be compatible with the XYZ import tool.  The fields are currently space-separated, and you need to substitute a comma to create a CSV file...

    12,47,8,10Bar
    8,52,8,130.4Bar
    9,52,8,10Bar
    10,52,8,160Bar
    8,53,8,17.5Bar
    9,53,8,17.3Bar

    Ensure that you've removed all extra spaces — I think the XYZ tool doesn't work properly if it finds spaces.

    [Edit] Unfortunately, the XYZ tool doesn't do what you expect: The coordinates from the selected text file are imported into the active design file and are displayed as the text you typed in the Text field.  It doesn't actually import any text: hence the need for a VBA macro.

     
    Regards, Jon Summers
    LA Solutions

  • Hi

    It seems to work when following Rons suggestion. Just make sure the text field in the import tool is empty. Here is the dgn file. I ran it twice, once as Ron suggested to get in the text only and one time with only the coordinates to get in the points.test-CFD-monitorpoints.dgn

    Regards

    Helge

  • If you leave the Text: field blank in the dialog shown in my previous post, the text in the T field of the import file will import along with the coordinate.

    Answer Verified By: helgeh