An InRoads user asked for Mark's help with his project :
Mark, I have a quick InRoads question.
I am creating a surface from a grading grid that I created in 2D. I created a 3D file and wanted to put point elevations on the grids. I currently only have text with the design elevation. There are no Z-values for it. I created active points at the elevation and now I want to put elevations on those points. I was going into Surface/Design Surface/Place feature and choosing the values accordingly but for some reason I feel like there might be another way. Can you help with this? The ultimate goal is to create a topographic map and provide surveys with a DTM.
Thanks!
- Jorge
Here is the Zen Dude's response:
Jorge,
As I was re-reading your email I had some questions.
1) Did you place 3D points in MicroStation? ... or 2D?
2) Did you import those points into an InRoads DTM?
3) Do you need to view the elevations in MicroStation at your grid locations? ... I see some already seem to have elevations, but not all.
4) Are you interested in mostly the MicroStation file ... or the DTM? .. or both
I found a procedure (attached PDF) that I wrote up to create a DTM from a CAD file that had the elevations already shown in a grid ... but I started thinking that this wasn't exactly the same as you are describing.
So, basically, I'm thinking:
1) Get those grid points into InRoads
2) Use the Edit Feature Point command to assign Elevations (if they are only 2D)
3) Use the View Single Point Elevation tool as needed to annotate the DTM elevations in the MicroStation file.
Civilly yours,
- mark
Hi Mark, Thanks for your response. Basically I am doing the same thing I did on the other project you helped me with.
1) All the points are 2D. I still need to create an active point in the [CAD file] where the leader of the elevation text is.
2) No I have not done that yet.
3) No...The ones that appear to be missing are done purposely...lol
4) DTM
OK thanks Mark...
- Jorge
Hey Jorge!
Okay, then I would:
1) Get a MicroStation point at every grid location that you know the elevation of.
2) Import those 2D points into InRoads
3) Go to the Edit Feature Point in InRoads and set the elevation of each point
4) Triangulate the Surface
5) Create an Exterior Boundary around the outer edge if you want to have a final DTM
6) Then you can:
a. Label other MicroStation grid locations with the InRoads View Single Surface Elevation
b. View Contours
c. Whatever else...
Let me know if you have any questions.
I've also included a procedure that defines additional detail on certain aspects of this process.
Civilly yours,
- mark
Create DTM from Text:
It is possible that elevations for a grading plan were hand calculated and drawn in the CAD file using the place text command. This is fine for the construction of the drawing set but doesn't provide the capability to view contours, do earthwork volumes, extract other elevations, develop reports, create profiles or perform other InRoads-based activities.
InRoads can leverage the hand entered text and create a surface model from displayed text by reading the value of the text and placing that elevation at the justification point of the piece of text.
The exact text must be selected during import. This can be done by either manually picking each piece of text, by isolating its level, or by using the
MicroStation> Edit> Select By Attributes tool. In this example the text is on the same level with other information which makes it difficult to isolate the exact text needed for the surface model. In this case the power of the Select By Attributes tool will be used.
If all the text were on a separate level this work would be easier. In this case a selection & import will be done several times so we can get all the different pieces of text. First we'll do the elevations starting with 8 and then those starting with 9 will be done.
1) Go to the Select By Attributes tool.
2) Go to Tools> Set Select By from Element. Follow the prompts in the lower left to Select the Element and then Accept it.
3) Notice the information that was populated in the Select By Text dialog box.
4) Change the selection criteria to 'generalize' the String so that only the text starting with 8.will be selected. Set the String to 8.
5) Click the Generate button on the Select By Attributes dialog box. This will select that text.
6) Close the Select By Attributes dialog box and click OK to maintain the selection.
7) When that dialog box closes you should see that the text is still selected. Make sure you notice this. If the text de-selects then you will need to re-select it. InRoads will see this selected text as a single element or a single entity and will load it all at once.
8) Go to the From Graphics tab under InRoads> File> Import> Surface.
9) Enter in the key information on this dialog box.
10) Click Apply once everything is properly entered.
11) A message will appear confirming the fact that there is a selection set being used. If you don't get this message then something may have gone wrong.
12) Click OK to accept the selection set.
13) Click the Results button to verify that everything came in as expected. If something looks unusual just make sure that it is found and fixed.
In this case there is some clean-up to be done because of the -17.84; and there may be others since there can be information anywhere between the minimum / maximum range shown in the import results log.
14) Close the Results box, and then Close the Import Surface dialog box.
This loaded all the elevations that contained an 8. (and obviously some others as well) and now the other known elevations will have to be imported.
15) Go back to the Select By Attributes tool and select the elevations starting with 9.
16) Once they are selected go to the File> Import> Surface command again.
17) Always use a sensible Seed Name when importing data. This will help later when you have to recall how a surface was constructed as well as helping to debug the surface problems when the data starts to accumulate.
18) Click Apply to import the new selection and then check the Results.
19) Close the Results and the Import dialog box. That's it for all the data. As a last step make sure the text in the CAD file has been 'de-selected'.
Now let's save this surface as it is, then review what was imported and fix the problems.
20) Go to the InRoads interface and select the Surface tab in the Workspace Bar. Right click on the surface and Save it to the hard drive. Up until now the surface has only existed in temporary memory.
21) Take a look at the details of the data that was imported by going to InRoads> Surface> Feature> Feature Properties.
22) There should be two Features listed; the two Names that you entered for each selection set of text (8 Elevations and 9 Elevations).
23) Highlight one of them (8 Elevations) and select the List Points button on the right.
24) Take a look at the detailed elevations that are contained in the feature called 8 Elevations.
25) Review that points list, especially the elevations. There is the -17.84 'bust' and some other negative elevations that probably don't belong there.
26) Check out the other Feature too, 9 Elevations.
27) Those don't look too bad although there are a couple spots that need cleaned up.
28) The tool to review and edit these is InRoads> Surface> Edit Surface> Edit Feature Point.
His wealth of practical experience in the private sector using the product and his obvious enthusiasm for the subject is a major strength. He's very patient and has helped with problems/files from my office. 
