Webinar: Importing GIS Data Into AutoCAD Civil 3D

[@jpblitz2104]

This video was done in 2013 and you have just saved my backside today in 2022. Amazing explanation that as a non-Map3D and non-Civil3D user, I still need to do this in order to bring stuff to Revit. Thank you very much Jason, please do more videos like this on other topics - precise, to the point!!!

[@j-porter]

JP, thank you for the comments. I'm glad to hear this helped.

[@lieslhanlan9899]

Awesome. Thanks so much. 10 years later this is still relevant and appreciated!

[@ethangale25]

Your video is from 7 years ago, but has helped me IMMENSELY today. Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge in a clear and concise video!!

[@digitalvaldosta]

@Ethan Gale same here. I'm new to Civil Design and this was a YUGE time saver. Thank you Applied Software Technology.

[@christyjones2748]

I have been trying for DAYS to figure this out! Your video is my saving grace. Thank you so much!!!!!

[@testaccount2847]

Thank you so much!! I have been struggling for days trying to get contour .shp files into Civil 3D with elevations. No other video out there gave me exactly the procedure to perform this task. You are very clear and methodical with your knowledge.

[@AngryCagen]

Best Video Ever! I come back and watch this video often and catch tips and tricks every time! Thanks again for sharing!!!

[@augustakickbusch4631]

EXCELLENT video! This is great information, simply explained!! Thank you!

[@pablogn25]

Great video!!!, This is exactly what I was looking for. It makes a lot of sense to make all those files at the beginning. Now I have a folder with all the basic files and I only query for the information that I need for my projects. Thank you Jason!!!

[@zeeuesjansyedajabeenjabeen2696]

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[@codydalgleish5652]

Thank you so much for this video! It may be old but still very relevant today! I had done a lot of Civil 3D with a company a few years ago but always had post processed data given to me. Now that I am working on a school project I have to find the raw data myself so this is mostly new to me (plus my C3D skill are rusty too cause its been a few years ahah). You are a real lifesaver!!

[@asti]

We're very glad to hear you found this video useful! :)

[@AngryCagen]

One of the most informative videos i have watched to date. I still come back and watch this video from time to time. Thank you so much for taking the time and creating such an informative video.

[@j-porter]

+Chris “AngryCagen” LeMay Thank you. I tried real hard to make it somewhat simple.

[@timthielsdesigner]

Wow 😮 this is a goldmine of information. Well done 👍

[@kcat7]

Very helpful clear tutorial thanks for taking the time effort to put together

[@Rogun987]

Importing a drawing from the map explorer in the task pane is archaic. It only allows importing from my C drive, which is almost full because Its a small drive I use only for my OS. I cannot select different drives. How they havent updated this is crazy. Griping aside, this was still very helpful. Learned a lot!

[@ecenurcorlu4165]

very clear explanation. thank you.

[@alexosorio7402]

Muchas gracias por su explicación, completa y específica. Bendiciones

[@shakhrikmukhitdinov376]

Thank you very much! Your video is super helpful!

[@Austinticus]

Dude you are an absolute legend… I was so lost. Thank you so much!

[@j-porter]

Thank you very much! I'm happy you found it useful.

[@badrulhisyamo]

so much appreciate this video n knowledge.. this exactly what i need. many³ thanksssssssssssss..

[@retangsandra5987]

This is very helpful, thank you so much

[@ShakespearHD]

Jason, you are one of the best on the Web that I have seen in explaining something to beginners. Best of Luck :-)

[@j-porter]

Thank you , very much. I'm happy it made sense.

[@ShakespearHD]

@@j-porter Jason I have one question that I'm sure you can answer. For the Dallas area, is there are Public source of GIS data (+- ft) that I can download of Building footprints and elevation contours ? Google Earth seems to me to be worthless. Google Map likewise. OpenStreetMap seems to be Google Earth maps. I have the impression that buying it is the only route. Take Care

[@j-porter]

@@ShakespearHD I'm not sure what is free in that area since I don't do a lot of work there. Usually I'd contact the city or municipality office and ask. Someone there should know. However, I tthink this is what you may be looking for: gis.dallascityhall.com/shapefileDownload.aspx

[@j-porter]

Or this: gis.dallascityhall.com/

[@NightPhawx]

You're a great mentor. Thank you.

[@4XDestinations]

Extremely valuable step by step guide. Many thanks.

[@TheArchicad]

Awesome!!!

[@j-porter]

Most of the data used in this video is from the www.tnris.org website as Jake Long stated. The county map data I found accidentally on the www.usgs.gov website. There are so many free GIS websites out there I can't possibly list them all here. The best advice I can give if you're looking for GIS data is to contact your county, city, or state GIS offices and ask them if they have data and, if they do, where to access it. Most do.

[@shanitobandito6938]

thanks for sharing

[@armandonunez141]

This tutorial is very good especially the step by step process. It made it easy to follow. I'm new to GIS and would want to know the free GIS site you used to get the data?

[@awdardaify]

This is perfect. It was what I was looking for a long time. Thank you.

[@j-porter]

Thanks!

[@MattHolifield]

awesome video!!

[@RameshGau]

Thanks a lot. This is what I was looking for.

[@SB-ne1se]

Phenomenal job - You are very skilled in your teaching and approach. New Subscriber here!

[@jeffhammond7819]

I am in 2023 and this is still helpful and relevant.

[@ramilio93]

Very good. Can u please send a site link for the US county maps, Contours and Raster Image. How do u check the correct coordinate system of the maps?

[@RameshGau]

this is v good video. i saw it several time to get my prob resolved. i still in learning mode

[@RameshGau]

Only prob i face to find the co ord sys of freely downloaded data.. It will very nice if you can make a video on that too. Thanks a lot

[@j-porter]

@@RameshGau That's a tough request because coordinate systems can be embedded with the file itself, found in the PRJ file attached with the data, the world file, or simply not have any coordinate system assigned to the data. It's completely dependent upon who it is that is creating the GIS data.

[@Keshan9999]

excellent! Pls post more videos Jason.

[@carmelool1]

Excellent tutorial. Well done

[@4XDestinations]

I had difficulty with Coordinate System - this may assist others. The map import shows LL-GDA94 which is what I set the drawing Coordinate system to at the outset. The distances etc were incorrect, took a while to work out. However I started again & set the drawing coordinate system at MGA-56 - as I knew this was a 'subset' of LL-GDA94. MGA-56 is a zone within GDA-94. It all works now.

[@josephlagadon9025]

very informative. great explanation. Thanks

[@elizabethmajors924]

I followed all the steps but when I tried to query in the image, the box did not show up anywhere, even after zoom extents. What can I do to remedy this?

[@j-porter]

+Elizabeth Majors, what type of image is this? Are you using the "draw now" option when you bring in the image? Can you bypass the query and simply use the MAPIINSERT command and insert the image directly into your working drawing? The method I show is just one method. There are several and they all depend on what type of imagery you're using.

[@keithkooistra3670]

Thank you! This was incredibly helpful!

[@KevinWinslow]

Great video super helpful. I have a clarification question. How can I identify the coordinate system used by a SHP file? You did said its in the meta data didn't see how to find/read the meta data. Maybe I missed it in the video.

[@j-porter]

Kevin, most of the time the coordinate system is embedded within the SHP file. That's why you'll see at minute 19:00 when I connect to the contour data SHP the coordinate system is already in place in the "input coordinates" column. Othewise, you'll need to read the PRJ file that ships with the SHP file and play around with coordinate systems in your area.

[@edon3023]

This step by step was incredibly helpful. However, when I get ready to do the import on a county parcel file the processing box pops up, remains at 0 objects processed and then fatal errors. Is this something you've seen?

[@j-porter]

Then there is something wrong with the SHP file. It probably doesn't have the database file associated with it.

[@bdnaustx]

after importing your image file, use "image clip" to trim down your image to the area you specify

[@j-porter]

Thank you. That is a great command and I highly recommend it. I should have mentioned that in the video. But it must be understood that you're only hiding parts of the image and not actually clipping it. Most of the time when I speak to someone about clipping down the image they want to also reduce it in size.

[@MrJamesmac1200]

Sorry....I didn't finish my thought. I personally use Global Mapper to bring various data sets together. I will definitely check out this method.

[@j-porter]

Though I'm not 100% familiar with Global Mapper, that is a good alternative. I know of several firms who use Global Mapper and love it for it's ease of use and the cost. I was only providing one option and the method using only Civil 3D.

[@posey-xc3nc]

Great video.

[@j-porter]

+posey4565 Thank you!!!

[@kenkolesar4308]

Hey Jason, I have a shape file with contour lines that have object data that represents the depth of a reservoir. I need to change those to an elevation. Is there a way to do this when altering the properties in the query?

[@j-porter]

Ken, I'm sorry. There isn't a way to accomplish this. All that data that is in the SHP metafile data is what controls the information that is imported into your drawing. If that data is incorrect or not there, then, sadly, you will not have your desired outcome.

[@digitalvaldosta]

Applied Software, Graitec Group could you tell me how I can import the data for GIS info that I received that only has the following file types: .PRJ; .SBN; .SBX; .SHP.XML (it is combined like that); .SHX? Thank you. If I missed it from this video, feel free to point me to that timestamp.

[@j-porter]

Sorry for the late reply here. I'm no longer with Graitec, but I feel obliged to check in every now and then and answer questions. A SHP file is comprised of the PRJ file (coordinate system projection file), an SBN or SBX file (spatial index file), a SHP.XML file can sometimes be included (geospatial metadata in XML format), and possibly and IDX file (AutoCAD index file). The only file you import into Civil 3D is the SHP file. However, don't discard the other supporting files because they are what the software refers to when importing the file. A SHP file alone without the supporting files is practically worthless.

[@dnorpchen]

Very helpful, thanks!

[@j-porter]

+Derek Norpchen Thank you.

[@breva1970]

Jason, I'm new to Civil 3D and trying to learn just what you showed in this video. You said in the video that you obtained all the data you used for free. Where did you get it?

[@j-porter]

Brian, sorry for the late reply here. I don't check the responses that often. I mention that the data I'm using I found on the tnris.org/ website. That's also repeated in some of the other comments below. But there are so many free GIS websites. I'm in Texas so that's the one I use most. You can do a search for GIS data in your area or contact your local government offices. They can probably point you in the right direction. I've also used the USGS website in the past.

[@sakhumzitima3213]

Jason, your video is very helpful. I'm teaching myself the software but now I am experiencing one problem here, I'm trying to follow your step in adding the shapefiles but the program won't show the dialogue boxes it only requires me follow prompt commands.. Please help.

[@j-porter]

+Jared Howland, +sakhumzi tima, I believe you're using Civil 3D 2015. This may be your answer: knowledge.autodesk.com/support/autocad-civil-3d/troubleshooting/caas/sfdcarticles/sfdcarticles/No-dialog-box-pops-up-when-you-do-a-Map-Query-in-Civil-3D-2015.html

[@MrArshadmirza786]

Can you help me to import .prj coordinate system file of Arcmap to user defined .csd file

[@jonathanfarr5492]

Great info. Where did you get the .TIFF?

[@j-porter]

The TIFF file was download from the www.tnris.org site.

[@opf261]

All of your drawings had different coordinate systems, how did they all come in on top of each other?

[@j-porter]

At minute 21:00 of the video I begin the process of bringing them all together.

[@soundlive7]

When I right click the current drawing to set coordinates my dialogue box doesn't pop up. I checked me FILEDIA and it was set to '1' as well. Any thoughts? Thanks for the vid!

[@soundlive7]

Got it.. had to add: "C:\program files\autodesk\autocad 2015\map\support\en-us" to my support files!

[@j-porter]

Sorry for the delayed response. I've been out. Yes, you are correct by adding that to your support files.

[@kevalsompura7302]

how did you get DGN file and can you tell how to generate one? is it from Autocad, ArcGIS or any other software used. Thanks

[@j-porter]

That DGN file was created in Microstation. I found it on the TxDoT website years ago. If you have a DGN file that is geolocated it should work in the same manner.

[@Yatri360]

how to fix Provide your license server administrator with the following information: cannot connect to license server system. the license server manager (Imgrd) has not been started yet, the wrong port@host.............. ................................in arcgis 10

[@j-porter]

Kiran, I'm sorry, but I'm not familiar with ArcGIS licensing procedures. If it's an Autodesk licensing issue please contact your reseller. They should be able to assist.

[@edu33625]

awesome video!! May I ask you what site you got the free GIS data from? (County map)!!!! :) thanks

[@j-porter]

+Eduardo Estremadoyro I came accross that accidentally on the USGS website several years ago. I don't even know if it's up there any more.

[@Durgesh-ib7dj]

Where i found my county shp file please give me location

[@j-porter]

I found it years ago on the USGS website. I'm unsure if it's still there. I believe I still have it. Feel free to email me. My email address has changed to [e-mail].

[@MrJamesmac1200]

How to do handle source data that has different units? For example, after going through the process I had to drawings that did not come in the right place. One was an aerial and the other was the contours. The metadata for both was in meters, however I need the information in feet. Any suggestions?

[@j-porter]

When you create the two drawings (in different units) and then you begin to attach and query them into one drawing they should transform their units to match that of the final drawing (the one they are being attached to).

[@MrJamesmac1200]

+Jason Porter I will try that. All the drawings that I created were based on an imperial template. The two drawings that I created had data based on metric units. Probably explained the screw up on my part.

[@j-porter]

Yes, please let me know.

[@aaronbernard3658]

HOW DO I GET THE COUNTY SHADE FILE ?

[@j-porter]

Aaron, I found the US counties shape file by accident on the www.usgs.gov site many years ago. However, I just checked and where it should have been located I cannot find it. Unless I am missing something, it appears to have been removed. If you need it I still have it. Just contact me privately.

[@oscarnarvaez6108]

Bravo Excellent video...! My SHP file is ITRF92 system coordinates and (I'm a beginner in SHP files) I work AutoCAD Civil 3D 2014, so no ITRF datum in the C3D list, any idea how can reolve this issue ??? Thanks a lot!

[@j-porter]

+O Narvaez O I'm not familiar with the ITRF92 coordinate system. What state/country is it located in?

[@oscarnarvaez6108]

+Jason Porter Tabasco, Mexico Zone 15Q Thanks

[@j-porter]

+O Narvaez O I'm sorry, but I don't see that coordinate system or anything like that anywhere in the list of the Civil 3D coordinate systems. Tabasco is right next to Veracruz (beautiful area you live in) so the closest I could recommend is the Veracruz, Mexico, coordinate system. The code for that is MEX-VERA. However, that projection is "LM" and not "UTM". I'm assuming that you need a UTM projection because your looking for Zone 15Q. You might need to discuss this with the powers that be and figure out if they want to continue with this coordinate system. I just don't have a solution on the software end for you. My apologies.

[@oscarnarvaez6108]

+Jason Porter Sir, I really apreciate you advices thank you so much!

[@j-porter]

+O Narvaez O No problem. Sorry I couldn't be of more help.

[@richardmartin8220]

City Planner Plays? Is that you???

[@internationalgolfconstruction]

SO, I DOWNLOADED A SHAPE FILE: drive.google.com/folderview?id=0B2bvP9WB22zDQ2dPX29wSlpHY2M&usp=sharing AND AN ORTHO IMAGE: drive.google.com/folderview?id=0B2bvP9WB22zDbjROWFduYnA5Tm8&usp=sharing FROM: maps.massgis.state.ma.us/map_ol/oliver.php AND I ASSIGNED THEM THEIR ASSOCIATED PROJECTIONS BUT THEY DID NOT COME TOGETHER. ANY IDEA WHY NOT?

[@j-porter]

I just tested it and it worked. First, begin a new drawing and assign it the coordinate system of the image (UTM83-19). Save and close. Then begin a new drawing and assign it the coordinate system of the SHP file (MA83). Using the map workspace as explained in the video, attach and query in the drawing with the image. It came in for me. I see an image of the golf course in the southern portion of the county outline.

[@internationalgolfconstruction]

Wow. You did a lot of work. Thank You So Much! After a lot of review and practice, everything works for me as well. Your video is top notch.

[@internationalgolfconstruction]

How about Lidar files that are found on line such as .las or geotiff files? If these point clouds are UTM83-19 and I try to attach into a MA83F coordinate system, should this work? Every time I try it, I get a fatal error.

[@j-porter]

I believe this will help you with that: www.asti.com/News-Events/blogs/postid/1693/creating-a-surface-from-a-point-cloud-in-civil-3d