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Importing Civil3D surface into NovapointDCM 19

You can export an AutoCAD Civil 3D surface from a drawing to a DEM file compatible with either
USGS or GeoTIFF formats or Landxml file which enabling you to use the surface in applications that
support these formats.

When you create a surface, the surface name is displayed in the Surfaces collection in the Prospector
tree so that you can perform other operations, such as adding data and editing the surface. Initially,
the surface may be empty and not be visible in the drawing. Once you add data to the surface, the
surface becomes visible in the drawing in accordance to the display settings specified in the
referenced surface style.

2014 @ Vianova system AS ----Importing C3D surface (Lxml) into DCM (Tesfaye Kebede, Siv. Ing Byggeteknikk )

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Civil-3D surfaces is a block made up of objects that are used for creating the surface. You can create a
surface in C3D from TIN (triangulated irregular network), DEM (digital elevation model) files, points,
point files, existing AutoCAD objects, contours, breaklines etc.
When a surface is created in civil-3D it is automatically made as a block in block of the TIN model
which include the boundary as another object, means you need to explode two times to extract
only the TIN model. A surface data can be imported in two ways in NP 19 DCM (Lxml or DWG3DFaces).

1.

Importing C3D Surface (as DWG 3DFaces).

This method is importing the surface as a DWG (TIN model using extract object in C3D as a single
object instead of a block). First select the surface that you need to export and change the surface
style to Triangles Points & Boundary (triangle punkter og grense) as shown below.

Then select the surface (triangles as a block) again and use Extract Objects from the contextual
ribbon and choose triangles and borders.

2014 @ Vianova system AS ----Importing C3D surface (Lxml) into DCM (Tesfaye Kebede, Siv. Ing Byggeteknikk )

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Just off all the display (use Vis ikke-overflater) of the surface component or delete the surface (EG)
from the prospector tab.

Purge all the unnecessary layers and objects and save the DWG to make it ready for importing in
DCM. Then open Novapoint 19 (DCM) and use the Insert (sett inn) ribbon and choose the DWG file
format on the open dialog box and import the TIN model in NP.

2014 @ Vianova system AS ----Importing C3D surface (Lxml) into DCM (Tesfaye Kebede, Siv. Ing Byggeteknikk )

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Set the property Medium in Spatial metadata to On Groud Surface[0]:

Select to merge all 3Dfaces to one object

2014 @ Vianova system AS ----Importing C3D surface (Lxml) into DCM (Tesfaye Kebede, Siv. Ing Byggeteknikk )

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Select conversion rule:

2014 @ Vianova system AS ----Importing C3D surface (Lxml) into DCM (Tesfaye Kebede, Siv. Ing Byggeteknikk )

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Click OK in the import task to finish. Right mouse click the import task in Explorer and select View in
3D to see the result:

If the Spatial metadata medium is not set to On Groud Surface[0], it is possible to do this directly in
the property of the object in DCM:

The import data (DWG) can be used as surface database for the calculation or creating of alignment,
road model etc. Means we dont need to use the import data to create the surface triangulation.
However it is possible to make the surface (TIN model) using the Terrengoverflate
2014 @ Vianova system AS ----Importing C3D surface (Lxml) into DCM (Tesfaye Kebede, Siv. Ing Byggeteknikk )

task.
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Note: The procedure below is not needed, use the import data direct for the alignment and road
modelling calculation.

Making this surface needs to craete a boundray to remove all the large 3D faces in the calculation.
Use the boundary line that was imported from the DWG using
below.

Ytre avgrensing in DCm as shown

Use this line as a


boundary then
you remove the
large size 3D faces

2014 @ Vianova system AS ----Importing C3D surface (Lxml) into DCM (Tesfaye Kebede, Siv. Ing Byggeteknikk )

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2.

Importing C3D Surface as a Lxml

This is the second and best method by exporting the Civil-3D surface as an Lxml and import the Lxml
in DCM. Importing C3D surface (LandXML data) into DCM is a two-step process which you need to
specify the export settings in C3D that prepare the data for importing.
To view or edit LandXML export settings, In Toolspace, on the Settings tab, right-click <drawing
name-> Edit LandXML Settings. In the LandXML Settings dialog box, click the Export tab and modify
the settings.

You can off the display of the boundary before exporting to Land xml. Note that LandXML does not
transform coordinate systems automatically. No specific coordinate system transformation is
applied other than what is specified by the translation and rotation settings.

2014 @ Vianova system AS ----Importing C3D surface (Lxml) into DCM (Tesfaye Kebede, Siv. Ing Byggeteknikk )

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Start import task in Novapoint Base and select the created LandXML-file:

Note that your metadata input in the LandXml file reader settings dialog box (Landxml
leserinnstillinger) should be checked before selectiong conversion rules (Velg konverteringsregel).

2014 @ Vianova system AS ----Importing C3D surface (Lxml) into DCM (Tesfaye Kebede, Siv. Ing Byggeteknikk )

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Use the imported Lxml data as a database for the calculation or modelling of Alignment, road or etc.
Means, we dont need to create a surface from the imported Lxml data using the task
Terrengoverflate
in DCM. Note that making a terrain surface in NP-DCM from the Lxml file from
C3D will automatically consider the boundary line (Ytre avgrensing).

2014 @ Vianova system AS ----Importing C3D surface (Lxml) into DCM (Tesfaye Kebede, Siv. Ing Byggeteknikk )

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Now you can continue using the imported surfaces as calculation base. For example xonstruct your
Aignment (senterlinjer) using the Linje

In the Velg
box.

task in the modelling ribbon.

berregningsgrunnlag choose the right oppgaver and close the Dyanamisk utvalg dialog

Start AutoCAD and use the alignment construction (Linjekonstruksjon)


and vertical geometry.

2014 @ Vianova system AS ----Importing C3D surface (Lxml) into DCM (Tesfaye Kebede, Siv. Ing Byggeteknikk )

and creat your alignment

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