Import Point Clouds into Civil 3D (3:41 min)

Any referenced datasets can be downloaded from "Module downloads" in the module overview.

00:01

So in this session, we're going to look at bringing a point

00:03

cloud into Autodesk civil 3D.

00:06

So the first thing to remember is that point

00:08

clouds within civil 3D.

00:10

You have to file formats you have to use and RCP or an RC

00:14

s So you must first convert your files.

00:19

If they're already not in ECP and RC as maybe

00:21

they're an l.a. file.

00:22

Those must be converted inside recap pro

00:25

and then brought into Civil 3D.

00:28

Once you're in Civil 3D, it's a very simple process.

00:31

You'll look at the Insert tab, you'll

00:34

look at the point cloud panel of the Insert tab

00:37

and we'll attach a point cloud.

00:39

So let's move on over to civil 3D

00:41

and look how easy it is to attach a point cloud.

00:46

So I'm now in Civil 3D.

00:47

Two things that you want to look at.

00:49

You want to first make sure that your coordinate system is

00:51

set correctly.

00:52

So we're going to come to the setting tab of toe space.

00:55

I mean, a right click on my drawing

00:57

and go to edit drawing settings on the units and zone tab.

01:03

I'm going to choose my state or most simply type in if I have

01:06

this known coordinate system.

01:08

What this should be.

01:13

And I'm going to simply select.

01:14

OK So we've set our coordinate system,

01:19

the next thing we want to look at is the unit a type in units

01:24

and we want to look at the insertion scale.

01:29

So right here on the drawing units dialog box.

01:31

We want to change this from feet.

01:34

To US survey feet prior to importing our point cloud.

01:40

So change that to us survey feet.

01:42

Select OK.

01:46

Then I'm going to go to the Insert tab.

01:49

I'm going to go to the point cloud panel

01:52

and select attach OK.

01:55

We're going to browse to the correct directory.

01:58

And we're going to look for the ECP or the RC file.

02:01

So RCP RC s I am a simply select the Redtail RCP

02:05

I'm going to hit open on the insertion point

02:09

I want to de select specify on screen,

02:12

it's going to come in correct.

02:14

Per our coordinate zone.

02:16

And I must simply select OK.

02:20

So our point cloud is now inside civil 3D.

02:22

I'm going to select that point cloud and a few things

02:26

that we can do here.

02:28

We can change the visual aspect of it.

02:32

There's a scan colors maybe we want

02:34

to look at classification at that point

02:36

cloud has been classified.

02:37

So you can see here our point clouds

02:39

been classified ground versus non ground buildings

02:42

and so forth.

02:43

And turn that back to scan colors.

02:47

We can also crop this out.

02:49

So if we want to focus on a certain area,

02:51

we can simply choose to either crop a vA rectangular polygon

02:56

or circular into a polygon and I'm

02:59

going to just window the area that we want to focus on.

03:07

And any time I can select the point cloud.

03:10

And I can crop it.

03:13

I can invert it.

03:14

So it goes opposite of what I originally cropped

03:17

and I can get back to the original point cloud.

03:21

So bringing in a point cloud into Civil 3D

03:23

is very simple, very straightforward.

03:25

We converted it to an RCP file and we

03:27

inserted that point cloud from the Insert tab point cloud

03:31

panel and select it.

03:32

Attach we we're now ready to start

03:34

extracting geometry and creating surfaces from this point cloud.

Video transcript

00:01

So in this session, we're going to look at bringing a point

00:03

cloud into Autodesk civil 3D.

00:06

So the first thing to remember is that point

00:08

clouds within civil 3D.

00:10

You have to file formats you have to use and RCP or an RC

00:14

s So you must first convert your files.

00:19

If they're already not in ECP and RC as maybe

00:21

they're an l.a. file.

00:22

Those must be converted inside recap pro

00:25

and then brought into Civil 3D.

00:28

Once you're in Civil 3D, it's a very simple process.

00:31

You'll look at the Insert tab, you'll

00:34

look at the point cloud panel of the Insert tab

00:37

and we'll attach a point cloud.

00:39

So let's move on over to civil 3D

00:41

and look how easy it is to attach a point cloud.

00:46

So I'm now in Civil 3D.

00:47

Two things that you want to look at.

00:49

You want to first make sure that your coordinate system is

00:51

set correctly.

00:52

So we're going to come to the setting tab of toe space.

00:55

I mean, a right click on my drawing

00:57

and go to edit drawing settings on the units and zone tab.

01:03

I'm going to choose my state or most simply type in if I have

01:06

this known coordinate system.

01:08

What this should be.

01:13

And I'm going to simply select.

01:14

OK So we've set our coordinate system,

01:19

the next thing we want to look at is the unit a type in units

01:24

and we want to look at the insertion scale.

01:29

So right here on the drawing units dialog box.

01:31

We want to change this from feet.

01:34

To US survey feet prior to importing our point cloud.

01:40

So change that to us survey feet.

01:42

Select OK.

01:46

Then I'm going to go to the Insert tab.

01:49

I'm going to go to the point cloud panel

01:52

and select attach OK.

01:55

We're going to browse to the correct directory.

01:58

And we're going to look for the ECP or the RC file.

02:01

So RCP RC s I am a simply select the Redtail RCP

02:05

I'm going to hit open on the insertion point

02:09

I want to de select specify on screen,

02:12

it's going to come in correct.

02:14

Per our coordinate zone.

02:16

And I must simply select OK.

02:20

So our point cloud is now inside civil 3D.

02:22

I'm going to select that point cloud and a few things

02:26

that we can do here.

02:28

We can change the visual aspect of it.

02:32

There's a scan colors maybe we want

02:34

to look at classification at that point

02:36

cloud has been classified.

02:37

So you can see here our point clouds

02:39

been classified ground versus non ground buildings

02:42

and so forth.

02:43

And turn that back to scan colors.

02:47

We can also crop this out.

02:49

So if we want to focus on a certain area,

02:51

we can simply choose to either crop a vA rectangular polygon

02:56

or circular into a polygon and I'm

02:59

going to just window the area that we want to focus on.

03:07

And any time I can select the point cloud.

03:10

And I can crop it.

03:13

I can invert it.

03:14

So it goes opposite of what I originally cropped

03:17

and I can get back to the original point cloud.

03:21

So bringing in a point cloud into Civil 3D

03:23

is very simple, very straightforward.

03:25

We converted it to an RCP file and we

03:27

inserted that point cloud from the Insert tab point cloud

03:31

panel and select it.

03:32

Attach we we're now ready to start

03:34

extracting geometry and creating surfaces from this point cloud.

In this section, we will review bringing a point cloud into Autodesk Civil 3D. Remember that there are two file formats for point clouds within Civil 3D: RCP and RCS. If your files are not already converted into RCP or RCS, convert them in ReCap Pro before bringing them into Civil 3D.

Task: Bring a point cloud into Civil 3D

  1. Start a new drawing. First, make sure your coordinate system is set correctly.
  • Open the “Settings” tab of “Toolspace”.
  • Right-click on your drawing and select “Edit Drawing Settings”.
  • In the “Units and Zone” tab, select your state and input your coordinate system code. For this project, you can type in CO83-CF in the Selected coordinate system code field.
  • Select “OK”.
  1. Secondly, we want to check our units.
  • Key in “UNITS” in your command space.
  • When the “Drawing Units” window appears, check your “Insertion scale” and select “US Survey Feet”.
  • Select “OK”.
  1. Select the “Insert” tab at the top of the screen.
  2. Click “Attach” in the “Point Cloud” panel.
  3. This will bring up a window titled “Select Point Cloud File”. Search for your file and click “Open”.
  4. A window titled “Attach Point Cloud” will pop up. Deselect “Specify on-screen” and click “OK”.
  5. This will bring your point cloud into Civil 3D
  6. Select the point cloud. From here you can do several things:
  • Select “Scan Colors” from the “Visualization” panel to change the visual aspect of the point cloud.
  • Crop a certain part of the point cloud to focus on a certain area by selecting “Rectangular” in the “Cropping” panel and selecting a shape and cropping the area to focus on.

 

Bringing in a point cloud is quite simple, as you can see. We are now ready to start extracting geometry and creating surfaces from this point cloud.

Was this information helpful?