(This functionality is available with the Input / Output module)
The dialog box is used to specify the format of the ASCII file to be imported.
| Item | Used to |
| Number of Header Lines: | Key in the number of lines at the top of the file that are to be
ignored in the import process. Any lines that do not contain valid data must be ignored in this manner. |
| Format Free: | Specify that the file structure is free format. Free format means that the data fields are not column dependant. |
| Format Position: | Specify that the file structure is position format. Position format means that the data fields are column dependant. |
| Free Format Field Order | Specify the order that the data fields {Point Identifier, East (or
Latitude), North (or Longitude), Elevation, Code, Description} appear
in the ASCII file to be imported. Use these fields only if you selected the Free Format radio button. The number corresponding to each field indicates its position in the record. The field order may be altered by clicking the arrows on the appropriate horizontal scroll bars. A value of zero for a field order indicates that field is not present in the ASCII file. |
| Free Format Separator | |
| Space | Specify that the fields are separated by spaces. |
| Comma | Specify that the fields are separated by commas. |
| Line Feed | Specify that each field is on a separate line. |
| Position Dependant Start Column | Specify the starting column of each of the data fields {Point Identifier,
East (or Latitude), North (or Longitude), Elevation, Code, Description}
in the ASCII file to be imported. Use these fields only if you selected the Position Format radio button. The number corresponding to each field indicates its starting column. These values may be altered by clicking the arrows on the appropriate horizontal scroll bars. A value of zero for a field starting column indicates that field is not present in the ASCII file. |
| Position Dependant Column Width | Specify the column width of each of the data fields {Point Identifier,
East (or Latitude), North (or Longitude), Elevation, Code, Description}
in the ASCII file to be imported. Use these fields only if you selected the Position Format radio button. The number corresponding to each field indicates its column width. These values may be altered by clicking the arrows on the appropriate horizontal scroll bars. Column width will be zero for any field that is not present in the ASCII file. |
| Geographic Radio Buttons: | If latitudes and longitudes are being imported, select the appropriate
radio button to indicate that they are in sexagesimal degrees, decimal
degrees, gons, or radians. These radio buttons will only be available if the currently open data base is on a projection and the units are configured for geographical co-ordinates in the Utilities/Configure/Units command. |
| Valid Z Values Range | |
| From: | Key in the minimum elevation condition. Points in the ASCII file with elevations below this value will be imported without an elevation. |
| To: | Key in the maximum elevation condition. Points in the ASCII file with elevations above this value will be imported without an elevation. |
| Import Set: | Select the Import Format to be used. The settings in the dialog box will be altered to the settings last used for the set chosen. This feature may be used to set and recall up to ten different formats. The original names of these formats are 1 to 10. You can change any of these by entering a name into this field. The new name will be saved if another format is selected or when the OK is pressed. |
| Cancel | Close the dialog box without importing a file. |
| OK | Import the selected file in the format specified. Upon selecting OK, a validation process is carried out. The file will only be imported if no errors were discovered during this validation. During the import process, the imported data is progressively displayed in the graphics window. The process may be aborted by pressing the snap button on the mouse while in the graphics window. If any errors or warnings are detected during the import process, the Errors/Warnings dialog box will be displayed enabling the viewing or printing of the errors and warnings. Refer to the Errors/Warnings dialog box topic. |
If there are duplicate occurrences of the same point identifier in the file being imported, then the treatment of such duplicates depends on whether unique point identifiers have been specified in the Utilities/Configure/Point Identifiers command.
If unique point identifiers have been specified, then only the first occurrence of each point identifier in the file is imported, but any lines resulting from later occurrences of that point identifier are still imported and joined to the imported first occurrence.
If unique point identifiers are not specified, then all occurrences of each point identifier are imported as individual points in the data base, and associated lines are joined to the relevant individual point.