Coordinate File Utilities

This command allows you to manipulate the coordinates stored in a coordinate (.CRD) file. One of the most important commands is the Update CRD File from Drawing which allows you to update the file after editing the drawing with commands such as Erase, Move, Rotate or Change Elevations. Another handy option is the Draw Entities by Point Number which allows the user to input point number ranges and plot Lines, Arcs, Polylines or 3D polylines. Coordinate files have either numeric or alphanumeric point numbers. Alphanumeric point numbers consist of nine or less digits and letters (i.e. point number 7A). The type of point number format is displayed at the top title bar of the main dialog. Another coordinate format is the Carlson coordinate database (.CRDB) which is based on SQLite and supports point numbers and descriptions up to 255 characters.

In addition to running the routines through the dialog, many routines have command names that you can enter at the Command: prompt, create a Quick Key, or put into a toolbar. Here are these command names and their corresponding dialog button names:

Open CRD File: Allows the user to switch to another file. When you exit Coordinate File Utilities this will be the current file that you work with in Carlson.

Copy/Merge CRD File: This command allows for the copying of entire CRD files, or parts of CRD files, to a new or existing files. This can be used to make a backup of your coordinate file, and it can also be very valuable in coordinate file manipulation. For example, if a certain range of points from one CRD file was also required in the active CRD file, this command would be used to simply copy the required range into the active CRD file. There are two options when first executing the command. These options are whether to import points from another file to the current (active) CRD file, or to export the current (active) coordinate file to another file.

Once this option has been decided, a prompt for the file to copy From or TO, will be displayed. Here simply specify the correct file.

Next there's a dialog to specify the range of points to transfer and some options. Here specify the points to copy. Point numbers and ranges can be entered together, for example, 1-3,10,15 would result in points 1 through 3 and points 10 and 15 being copied. The Description Match can be used to filter the points to transfer only the points with matching description. The default of * will transfer all the points in the range. The Store Non-Conflicting Point Automatically will set the transfer action as Store for all transfer points that don't have a point protect conflict. The Skip Merge Dialog If No Conflicts will skip the next dialog when there are no point protect conflicts.

Convert CRD File Format: This allows you to convert the current CRD file from numeric format to alphanumeric format or vice versa. This routine will also change crd files to and from different software formats. These formats include Carlson SQLite (.CRDB), C&G, Microsoft Access (.MDB) in same format as AutoDesk Land Desktop, and Simplicity (.ZAK). The current format of the active coordinate file will be displayed as well as the options for the new file format. This command only changes the format of the active coordinate file.

Map Points from 2nd File: This routine adds point to the current CRD file from points stored in a second CRD file. The points to copy are specified by numbers one at a time. Prompts for the destination point number (number to create in current crd file) and source point number (point number to be copied from second crd file) will be displayed.

Import Text/ASCII File: This routine converts point data from a text file into the current coordinate (.CRD) file. See the Import Text/ASCII File command in this chapter for more information.

Export Text/ASCII Text File: This routine outputs point data from the current coordinate (.CRD) file to a ASCII Text file. See the Export Text/ASCII File command in this chapter for more information.

Edit Header: Enter or edit the job information associated with the coordinate file. The fields include Job Description, Job Number and Job Date. This information will appear on the List Point report. Non-digit characters are not allowed in the Job Number field.

Compress CRD File: Removes unused point numbers by renumbering high point numbers into the unused spaces. For example, for an original file with points 1,2,105,107,108,109 would be compressed to 1,2,3,4,5,6.

Coordinate Transformation: Transforms coordinates between local, state plane 27, state plane 83, latitude/longitude, Universal Transverse Mercator (UTM) and many other projections including user-defined. Works on individually entered coordinates, by range of point numbers and with on-screen entities. For converting between state plane 27 and 83 within the USA, Carlson calls upon NADCON from the National Geodetic Survey to apply the latitude/longitude adjustment. Converting between NAD27 and NAD83 for Canada is supported using NTv2 grids.

The Transformation Type is used to define the Source Coordinate and Destination Coordinate formats. Settings for Lat/Long Datum, Lat/Long formats (dd.mmss or dd.dddd), Projections, State Plane Zones and coordinate units are defined in the Transformation Type dialog. The format of this dialog will change depending upon the type of transformation requested.

For Grid to Grid transformations, the program converts between state plane projections as well as other pre-defined and user-defined. When converting between pre-defined/user-defined projections, the program automatically converts the source grid coordinate to latitude/longitude and then to the destination grid coordinate. This method of using latitude/longitude works for converting between projections that share the same datum.

Example Lat/Long to Grid dialog

For all Transformation types, there are three options for inputting the data to be transformed. Data can be selected from the screen by using the Screen Entities. If a range of points or a particular point is desired, the Point Numbers option would be used. Manual entry of coordinates to transform one at a time is accomplished with the Enter Coordinates option. The coordinates can be typed in or use the Input Point Number option. Output Point Number is an option to store the results in the coordinate file.

For all transformations there are two output options when using point numbers as the input data. Overwrite Existing Coords replaces the original coordinate values with the new coordinate values after transformation. New Point Numbers will retain the original coordinate data and point numbers and create new point numbers with the revised coordinate data after transformation.

When transforming a Local Coordinate System, there are two options for defining the transformation as shown in the next dialog. 

This destination point is also the pivot point for rotation. Rotation can be entered directly or defined by a second pair of points where the bearing between the first and second source points is rotated to align with the bearing from the first and second destination points. There is an option to also apply scaling. The scaling holds the angle between points and adjusts the distances by the scale factor. The scale factor is calculated for each point as the elevation factor at the first source point times the grid factor at the first destination point averaged with the elevation factor at the transform point times the grid factor at the transform point.

The Least-Squares Best-Fit option is used when there are more than two pairs for translation points. Since two pairs of points are sufficient to define the translation and rotation, more than two pairs of points provides more than enough information.

Over Determination by Plane Similarity is used to find the least squares best fit transformation for all the given source and destination points. Besides doing a translation and rotation, this option will also scales the points during the transformation. The Rigid Body Transformation also does a best fit least squares transformation, but applies only translation and rotation with no scale. The Helmert 7-Parameter method can also be used for local transformations. The 7-Parameter Values can be calculated from control points or entered by the user.

The Transformation Type chooses between doing a 2D transformation and 3D transformation. For the 3D transformation, the program transforms the x/y using the same method as the 2D transformation, and the z is transformed using an elevation difference model that is modeled by either a best-fit level plane or tilted plane as set by the Vertical Transformation setting.

The Add button is used to define the source and destination coordinates for the points that define the transformation. Pressing this button brings up the following dialog box.

The Edit button is used to edit existing data.

The Delete button removes the source and destination pairing from the transformation setup.

The Process On/Off button allows source and destination pairings to be turned on and off. This is useful when wanting to inspect different results using different pairings.

The Optimize option chooses which point pairings would yield the best transformation results by turning off the processing of pairings with higher residuals. This minimizes the average residual for the control points.

The Report option displays a report of the transformation point pairings, their residuals, processing status, transformation scale and avg. residual.

The Load and Save options allow for saving and recalling local coordinate transformation pairings and settings.

Draw Entities by Point ID: Draw Lines, Arcs, 3DLines, Polylines or 3DPolys by defining a range of point numbers.

Prompts

Plot Entities by Point Number
Type of entity, Arc/Polyline/3dpoly/2dline/Exit/<Line>: P This response causes the program to plot polylines.
Example: `1*4-7-10*12-5-8' would draw lines from point number's 1 through 4 then to 7, to 10 through 12, then to 5 to 8. (limit 132 characters)
Undo/<Enter point numbers or ranges>: 1*10-20*30
The program draws a polyline from point number 1 through 10 to point number 20 through 30.

New Last Point Number: This option sets the highest point number in the CRD file. All points above this number are erased.

Swap Northing-Easting: This option allows you to swap northing and easting coordinates for any selected range of points. What was the northing of an existing coordinate point, or range of points, becomes the easting. And the easting(s) becomes the northing(s).

Point Entry CRD File Links Manager: When points are created in the drawing, the program records the source coordinate file for the points. The coordinate file names assigned to the point entities links the point entities back to the coordinate file. These links are used by routines that process the point entities and then need to reference the coordinate file such as Move Point which selects a point entity and updates the coordinate file. This routine checks all the point entities in the drawing and lists all the linked coordinate files. You can use the Assign button to set the coordinate file assigned to point entities which is useful when the coordinate file has been moved after the points were drawn. Use the Unlink button to remove the link.

Update Drawing from CRD File: This function updates the position of Carlson points in the drawing to match the position stored in the coordinate file. This command also has options to erase and draw points. For the erase option, points are erased from the drawing if the point number does not exist in the coordinate file. For the draw option, if a point number in the CRD file does not exist in the drawing, then this point is drawn using the settings from the dialog. The number of points modified, erased and drawn is reported at the end of the command.

Update CRD File from Drawing: This function allows you to select all or some of the points in the drawing and add or update them to the .CRD file. The points can be filtered with AutoCAD's Select Objects: selection mechanism and/or wild card matching of the point descriptions. The Update Point Descriptions option determines whether the point descriptions from the drawing will be stored to the CRD file. Use this command to update the file after a global edit such as Move, Rotate, Renumber Points, Change Elevations, Erase, etc. This routine directly reads Leica (Wildsoft), Softdesk, Geodimeter, InRoads, Land Development Desktop, and Eagle Point point blocks. 

List Points: List the points stored in the .CRD file. See the List Points command in this chapter for more information.

Delete Points: Deletes points in the coordinate (crd) file by point number or description.

Screen Pick Point: Pick a point on the graphics screen and it's coordinate values are added to the coordinate (crd) file. Prompts for point number, elevation and description will be displayed. This command does not plot a point, point attributes or point symbol. Use the command Draw-Locate Points command to do this. 

Scale Points: This option multiplies the point northing, easting, and elevation by the scale conversion factor. You can use this routine for metric-English conversion. See the Scale Points command in this chapter for more information.

Translate Points: This option translates a range of points based on entered delta x and delta y, entered coordinates or translation point numbers. See the Translate Points command in this chapter for more information.

Rotate Points: This option rotates a range of points based on entered degrees or rotation, entered azimuths, entered bearings or rotation point numbers. See the Rotate Points command in this chapter for more information.

Align Points: This option does a translate based on a source point and destination point and then rotates to align the first source point and a second source point with the first destination point and a second destination point. See the Align Points command in this chapter for more information.

Description for Points: This routine modifies the point description field with the user-specified text for a range of point numbers. There is an option to update the description attributes of the points in the drawing in addition to updating the coordinate file.

Elevation for Points: This routine modifies the elevation of the specified points. The Absolute method sets the elevations to the specified value. The Differential method adds the value to the current elevations. The Scale method multiplies the current elevations by the value.

Point Number Report: This routine lists the used and the unused point numbers in the CRD file.

Duplicate Points: This function searches the CRD file for points with the same northing, easting and elevation. The tolerances for considering points to have the same coordinate are set in the dialog separately for northing/easting and elevation. To be counted the same coordinate, both the northing/easting and elevation must be within the tolerance distance. The duplicate points can be erased or only reported. For the erase option, the first point number is kept and any higher point numbers with duplicate coordinates are erased from the CRD file.

Compare Points: This function compares the coordinates in the .CRD file with either the coordinates for the matching point numbers in the drawing file, with matching point numbers from another CRD file or with different point numbers from the same CRD file. A report is created for any differences that shows the point numbers and the differences. The difference can be reported as a bearing and distance between the two points, as distance North/South and East/West or as the delta-X and delta-Y. There is an option whether to include the point coordinates in the report. The Create Point Groups option creates point groups of "Missing From Drawing" and "Changed Points" for any points that have this status. Use the Point Group Manager routine to check on these point groups.

Example Bearing-Distance format Compare Points Report

Renumber Points: This option renumbers points in the user-specified range starting from a new point number. The old point numbers are erased. The Area selection method prompts to pick a closed inclusion and exclusion polylines. The Selection Set method prompts to pick the points from the drawing. The Description Match filters the points to renumber. The Condense Points will renumber such that there are no unused point numbers in the renumbered range. Otherwise the spaces between the points is maintained. In the example shown, renumbering 1-25 with points 1,2,24,25 to starting point number 101 will result in points 101,102,103,104 if condense is on or 101,102,124,125 if condense is off.

Input-Edit Point: Enter or edit the coordinate values or the description of a point. The Notes section is for adding optional point notes which are additional point descriptions. The standard description field is limited to 32 characters. Under notes, any number of lines of text can be assigned to the point. A list box shows the lines of notes. To add a note line, pick a blank line in the list box and then type in the note in the edit box belong the list box and press Enter. To edit a note, highlight the line in the list box and edit the text in the edit box.

Point History: All changes to the coordinate file will record the commands performed on this coordinate file and the status of the points themselves. This makes up the coordinate file history. The history can then be reported by point number or by command. All of the changes can be rolled back. It is important to note that if maintaining such a history file is your objective, in the Settings > Configure > General Settings dialog you must make sure that Maintain CRD History File is checked.

The Disable History Feature button at the top of the dialog shown above is a toggle device. It should be clicked if you prefer not to build the point history file. Clicking it a second time changes it back to saying Enable History Feature. You can also choose Delete History File to delete the file altogether. By clicking any point from the list, as shown in the Points tab example above, and then selecting History, you will be given the history for that specific point. Double-clicking on any command shows the details. Clicking on Details also shows the selected command's details. Undo thru Selected will undo the effect of all of the commands up through and including the selected command. The changes from the undo command are themselves then added to the command list and can be undone in the future.

Point Protect Toggle: This option, located at the bottom-left of the main Coordinate File Utilities dialog, toggles point protection on and off. With this option on, when attempting to store a point with a point identifier (point number) that already exists in the current coordinate file, the following dialog will be displayed.

Overwrite with new coordinates will update the existing point number with the new location of the point.

The Use Another Number field displays the point number that will be used if the Use Another Number option is selected. This number will depend upon the option chosen from the Another Number From settings. If Next Available is chosen,  the next available number will be displayed in the Use Another Number Field. If there are number gaps in the coordinate file this number will not be the next highest number in the file. For example if points 1-10 and 20-30 exist in the crd file leaving a gap from 11-19, the Next Available number would be 11. If the desired point number, in this example, is 31, then the option of End of File would be selected.

The Overwrite All and Renumber All options apply when more than one point with the same number exists in the coordinate file. These options are helpful when importing points into existing CRD files. 

Pulldown Menu Location: Points
Keyboard Command: cfu
Prerequisite: None