topic Re: First time at importing .xyz file, please help in Collaboration with other software

First time at importing .xyz file, please help

svpribyl — Wed, 03 May 2023 18:27:39 GMT

I'm trying to import .xyz files. I got a sample text file from my surveyor. I renamed it with a .xyz extension.

It has this kind of data (see attachment). I tried to import it using the interoperability menu, but the file is not recognized and will not import. How do I get the file to import?

Thanks!

Re: First time at importing .xyz file, please help

Karl Ottenstein — Wed, 03 May 2023 18:36:02 GMT

There is a lovely 'search' box at the top of the Community pages. Searching for 'import .xyz' returns a lot of threads. Some refer to surveyor files, others to point clouds. A solution by user @runxel in this thread:

https://community.graphisoft.com/t5/Collaborate-forum/surveyors-data-import-failing/m-p/355263

notes that "There is no "standard" for XYZ data, it's more or less just an ad-hoc solution, and everybody does as they please."

But, look at that thread and others to see if any help. Here are a few, or search to find more:

https://community.graphisoft.com/t5/Data-Exchange-articles/Import-Export-File-Formats-in-Archicad/ta-p/304093

https://community.graphisoft.com/t5/Design-forum/Import-Terrain-XYZ-Error-is-not-in-the-right-format/m-p/361458

https://community.graphisoft.com/t5/Document-Visualize-forum/How-to-align-2D-survey-with-mesh-from-surveyors-data/m-p/357878

Re: First time at importing .xyz file, please help

svpribyl — Thu, 04 May 2023 00:56:13 GMT

Hi Karl,

Thanks for your reply. I know how it's supposed to work, but I have not found anything using the search bar that answers my questions. I have tried excel files, textedit files, plain text files, Numbers files, with and without manually attached .xyz suffixes. Using the "Import Point Clouds..." command shows all the file names greyed out. I haven't found an application that will convert plain text files to .xyz files.

Using the "Place Mesh from Surveyor's Data" allows me to click on the plain text files, but I get a dialog box shown here saying "No elements were created...", but I don't think that's the correct command to be using anyway.

What am I missing?

Re: First time at importing .xyz file, please help

Barry Kelly — Thu, 04 May 2023 01:00:10 GMT

Your XYZ file is not in the correct format

It literally needs to be a tabulated list of X, Y & Z co-ordinates.

Barry.

Re: First time at importing .xyz file, please help

Lingwisyer — Thu, 04 May 2023 01:15:56 GMT

Northing Easting? Are the headers out of line or is there suppose to be some angle of rotation associated with that?

Re: First time at importing .xyz file, please help

svpribyl — Thu, 04 May 2023 01:17:28 GMT

Hi Barry,

I exported the list as csv out of Numbers format and deleted all cells that had text (not number values) in them. Isn't that a "tabulated list of X, Y & Z coordinates? It still shows as greyed out and won't open.

Re: First time at importing .xyz file, please help

Lingwisyer — Thu, 04 May 2023 01:19:32 GMT

Do not have one on hand. From web search.

Re: First time at importing .xyz file, please help

Barry Kelly — Thu, 04 May 2023 01:24:35 GMT

@svpribyl wrote:

Hi Barry,

I exported the list as csv out of Numbers format and deleted all cells that had text (not number values) in them. Isn't that a "tabulated list of X, Y & Z coordinates? It still shows as greyed out and won't open.

No, you need just the X, Y & Z co-ordinates as Ling has shown in an attached image.

It is the co-ordinates for each point that will form the mesh.

Barry.

Re: First time at importing .xyz file, please help

svpribyl — Thu, 04 May 2023 01:39:59 GMT

Hi Barry,

This is a screen shot. I manually copied and pasted these values into a plain text file, from the surveyors file, and tried to open it with and without a manually attached ".xyz" suffix. It still won't open. The values are separated with a space. I also tried separating the values with a comma. I'm sure there's something simple that I am just not getting

Re: First time at importing .xyz file, please help

Barry Kelly — Thu, 04 May 2023 02:22:53 GMT

Have you tried using tabs instead of commas or spaces?

I read in one of the posts Karl linked to that the solution was tabbed separation.

Barry.

Re: First time at importing .xyz file, please help

Barry Kelly — Thu, 04 May 2023 02:32:00 GMT

I just tried your figures separated by tabs and it worked.

Barry.

Re: First time at importing .xyz file, please help

svpribyl — Thu, 04 May 2023 16:56:58 GMT

Hi Barry,

This is what I typed:

-907.5616(tab)868.0836(tab)100.13(return)

-884.3778(tab)830.5329(tab)98.757(return)

-930.6772(tab)819.05439(tab)1.536(return)

-930.7178(tab)819.0763(tab)91.525

The file type says it's a plain text file. AC will still not open it using the "Import point clouds" command. The file name is still grayed out. Do you think it's some problem with the Mac?

Re: First time at importing .xyz file, please help

svpribyl — Thu, 04 May 2023 18:42:31 GMT

I'm getting closer. Even though I was changing the extension on the file, it was not changing the file type. Changing the file type was accomplished by selecting "get info" on the file and changing the extension in the info box. At least now, ArchiCAD is recognizing the file as a .txt file.

However, a dialog box opens that says the data is invalid and that the file must have exactly 3-columns of data. I am working on how to do that now.

Re: First time at importing .xyz file, please help

svpribyl — Thu, 04 May 2023 22:24:06 GMT

The .txt file from the surveyor had too many columns and extraneous data. I copied the data out and pasted it into Numbers, where I was able to then copy only the data that I needed from the columns and rows. Then I pasted it into a TextEdit file. Then I changed the file type to .xyz by editing the extension in the "Get Info" box.

There was a bad data point that corrupted the file, which I fixed manually. Now I'm getting this kind of view in 3d. I have to figure out what to do with the points! I somehow thought the result would be closer to terrain.

Re: First time at importing .xyz file, please help

Barry Kelly — Fri, 05 May 2023 00:44:16 GMT

Hi Steve,

Sounds like you have got the text file format sorted now.

Here is the one I created from your 4 points (2 points are very close to each other.

Just with the default Windows Notebook text editor.

I don't think it matters what order the points are in so long as each point has an X, Y & Z coordinate separated by TAB.

The converter add-on will create a mesh and triangulate all of the points.

Be sure to select the correct surveyors unit as you import it.

Barry.

Re: First time at importing .xyz file, please help

svpribyl — Fri, 05 May 2023 21:17:32 GMT

Hi Barry,

@Barry Kelly wrote:

The converter add-on will create a mesh and triangulate all of the points.

Is this a different process than described here: https://community.graphisoft.com/t5/Design-articles/Importing-Point-Clouds-and-Modelling-the-Terrain/ta-p/337306?

I don't see how to use the converter add-on.

Re: First time at importing .xyz file, please help

Karl Ottenstein — Sat, 06 May 2023 02:08:24 GMT

Steve,

Use "Place mesh from surveyor's data" command. You'll get what Barry showed in his screenshot. This isn't a point cloud.

Hope that helps.

Karl

Re: First time at importing .xyz file, please help

svpribyl — Mon, 08 May 2023 18:10:03 GMT

Hi Karl,

Here's the series of steps that I had to take to get this to work on a Mac, in case anyone else is struggling with it:

1. Open surveyor's file (It was labeled .xyz, but it opened in Numbers

2. Copy relevant data by dragging to select and copying

3. Paste into TextEdit using CMD-Option-Shift-V (This is supposed to just paste the data, but I'm not sure if it worked, based on step 6.

4. Change TextEdit file to .txt in the "Get Info" box

5. Open the TextEdit file

6. Delete this misc text at the top, above the three columns of data and the slash at the end of each row, and the } at the end of the data

7. In Plan view, use the Interoperability -> Place Mesh from Surveyor's Data command

A piece of cake... Ha!

Thank you for your help!

Re: First time at importing .xyz file, please help

MW at grounded group — Mon, 15 May 2023 00:59:04 GMT

you .xyz file is in the incorrect format.The .xyz format must contain only the xyz info. you will need to reformat the .xyz information in excel and save as .txt file.

1. Open the .txt file and select all , copy.

2. Open Excel paste make sure sure the info is in indivual columns.

3 delete the first row with the headings. Then delete survey point numbers in the first column by deleting the column and repeat for the last

4 make sure what you have left is three columns each with plain survey data.

5 Save excel as .txt

This article may be helpful:

https://asiabim.wordpress.com/2016/03/15/creating-topography-in-archicad-from-autocad-survey-data/

Re: First time at importing .xyz file, please help

MW at grounded group — Mon, 15 May 2023 01:10:24 GMT

This video will be very helpful in how to format the data correctly :

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w1De_sbhXFk