First time at importing .xyz file, please help

[svpribyl]

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!

[Karl Ottenstein]

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...

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

https://community.graphisoft.com/t5/Document-Visualize-forum/How-to-align-2D-survey-with-mesh-from-s...

[svpribyl]

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?

[Barry Kelly]

Your XYZ file is not in the correct format

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

Barry.

[Lingwisyer]

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

[svpribyl]

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. 

[Lingwisyer]

Do not have one on hand. From web search.

[Barry Kelly]

---

@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.

[svpribyl]

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

[Barry Kelly]

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.