Data Extraction

Ever had a site topo’s field work completed in record time by your trusty local surveyor?
Sure you have! Those guys have some mind blowing equipment; they can really rock and roll out there. But then what, it takes two weeks office time to make a drawing file? Really? All I have ever needed as a designer is a .txt file straight from the gun they took the shot from.
Often when we actually do receive a drawing, at first glance it looks great, good patterns, good intervals, all utilities, and property corners have been located. But wait, what’s that, those aren’t C3D points, or Softdesk point blocks? Essentially these are often simple blocks with attributes. Rather than cuss, or wait another two weeks for the .txt file that you wanted in the first place, fix them and keep on trucking.
Data Extraction was my little secret, I kept hidden from my co-workers so that I still had some useful value to the company, and a need to keep me on payroll. After reading an excerpt Chapter 4 in Mastering AutoCAD Civil 3D 2008, I felt like it may be time to let everyone know that they too can create something from nothing.
EATTEXT
1. Tools - Data Extraction or EATTEXT at the Command line.
2. Create New.
3. Select Display blocks only and Select Display blocks with attributes only.
4. Locate the Point Number, Elevation, and Description, and X & Y.
5. Rearrange the Columns into a PNEZD format and remove any extra columns.
6. Select Output Data to External File. (Choose .xls Excel.)
7. Open the created Excel file, delete the header information, and Save as to create a .txt file.
8. In C3D… Create Points - Import Points - Import the .txt file.