How to export/import annotations on PIX4Dcloud

PIX4Dcloud annotations can be exported (and imported) into other PIX4Dcloud projects or third-party software.

IN THIS ARTICLE

How to export an annotation
   Export formats
How to import an annotation
   Import formats
Limitations
   Export limitations
   Import limitations

Important: Read about the supported coordinate systems for exporting and importing annotations at Georeferencing of datasets, outputs and annotations on PIX4Dcloud.

How to export an annotation

There are two ways to export the annotations:

For individual annotation layers: This option includes all of the selected annotations in that layer.
Global export: this option includes all selected annotations in all of the selected layers in the hierarchy.

In both cases, the formats available are:

Export formats

CSV (WGS84 and project coordinate system): It allows exporting the annotations in WGS84 and the project coordinate system.

Select CSV file.
The file is exported with .csv extension, and the information included for each of the elements is:
- Markers: Type, Name, Longitude and Latitude (WGS84), Elevation, creation date, X and Y (Project coordinate system), Project Coordinate system.
- Lines: Type, Name, Length creation date.
- Polygons: Type, Name, Perimeter, Area, Creation date.
- Volumes: Type, Name, Perimeter, Area, Creation date, Volume difference, Cut, Fill.
- Inspection: Type, Name, Longitude and Latitude (WGS84), Elevation, creation date, X and Y (Project coordinate system), Project Coordinate system.

GeoJSON (WGS84): It allows exporting the annotations in GeoJSON format.

1. Select GeoJSON file.
2. The file is exported in GeoJSON format. It exports the properties of each of the different types of annotations in the correct units, the tag and description (if exists), the color, creation, and modified date, and whether the annotation is set to visible or not. For each of the annotations, there is a geometry part including the coordinates in WGS84 lat, long, and Z:
  - Line: Line vertex coordinates.
  - Polygon: Polygon vertex coordinates.
  - Circle: It is exported as a polygon, and the geometry part includes the coordinates of each vertex.
  - Volume: The coordinates of boundary vertex.
  - Markers: The coordinates of the markers.
  - Inspections: The coordinates of the inspections.

Shapefile (WGS84): It allows exporting the annotations in SHP format.

1. Select the SHP file.
2. It will export the SHP, SHX, and DBF files.
  - .shp: The main file that stores the feature geometry. It is given in WGS84 in 2D.
  - .shx: The Index file that stores the index of the feature geometry.
  - .dbf: The dBASE table that stores the attribute information of features.
    - For markers and inspections, the dBAse includes the lat,long and Z value in WGS84.
    - For lines, polygons, volumes and circles, no coordinates are included.
  - .prj: The file that stores the coordinate system information. It contains the WGS84 definition. ESRI format.

DXF (project coordinate system): It allows exporting the annotations in DXF format.

1. Select the DXF format on the left panel.
2. It exports 1 DXF file:
  - It contains all of the selected annotations of the selected layers.
  - For each annotation layer, there is a layer in the DXF file.
  - It is given in the project coordinate system.
  - The colors of the annotations are kept in the DXF file.
  - It contains 3D information.
  - It is compatible with the DXF import as the Design overlay feature in PIX4Dcloud.

Example:

If the global export option is used, the DXF file would be:

A DXF file in the project coordinate system and including 3D.
The DXF file will have four layers named:
- Pipes: it is including one line (Pipe1).
- Gardens: it is including one circle and two polygons.
- Parking places: it is including 4 markers (markers will be represented by a cross).
- Roofs: it is including 2 polygons.
The colors of the elements are kept.

If the individual export option is used from the Parking places layer, the DXF would include the following:

A DXF in project coordinate system including 3D.
The DXF file contains one layer, including 3 markers.
The colors of the elements are kept.

Note: Annotation groups cannot be exported, if they are selected for export, the annotation layers inside will be exported individually.

How to import an annotation

To import the annotations:

1. On the left sidebar, click the Annotations layer's name.
2. Click .
3. Select the file format from the dialog and click on Import.

Import formats

CSV points (project coordinate system): It allows importing points in the project coordinate system.

1. Select CSV points.

2. A dialog will pop up demanding to refer to the file format and the path in the local device.

Important: The format of the file is described here.

First column (required): Label (name/ID).
Second column (required): Easting coordinate.
Third column (required): Northing coordinate.
Fourth column (required): Elevation height.

Fields should be separated by commas, and there should be no header. See the following example.

Example: File with 4 points in projected coordinates

001_,4392829.089,5386534.037,424.524
002_,4392772.823,5386545.0894,424.582
003_,4392732.981,5386516.197,424.723
004_,4392761.505,5386468.789,422.646

3. A dialog will pop up with the total of markers detected and the first maker reading format.

4. (optional) Click Replace file to select a new CSV file in the local device.

5. Click Upload to display the marker in the PIX4Dcloud user interface.

GeoJSON (WGS84): It allows importing a GeoJSON file in WGS84.

1. Select GeoJSON file.
2. Click on Select file and navigate until the file path on the local device.
3. The GeoJSON file will be displayed in the PIX4Dcloud editor.

Shapefile (WGS84): It allows importing an SHP file georeferenced in WGS84.

Select SHP file.
Select the files:
- SHP must be georeferenced in the project coordinate system.
- DBF.

Warning: For shapefile import, the entire folder with the 4 .dbf, .prj, .shp, .shx files should be zipped in a folder (.zip) and the folder imported.

DXF (project coordinate system): It allows importing a DXF file georeferenced in the project coordinate system.

1. Select DXF file.
2. Select the file:
  - DXF must be georeferenced in the project coordinate system.

Limitations

Export limitations

For DXF annotation exports:

DXF export is not available in shared projects unless the user with the share link has a Pix4D account and is logged in.
Colors are lost
Volumes are exported as polygons

For SHP annotation exports:

It is exported in WGS84.
Z value is lost in all elements except in the points.
Volumes are exported as polygons
Annotation layers are not kept, e.g. all lines go to one layer, all polygons go to one layer, all markers go to one layer, etc.
All elements of the same type are grouped into one, e.g. two lines in PIX4Dcloud will be included in the same layer and cannot be picked individually.

Import limitations

For DXF annotations:

The polyline names are not kept once the file is imported.
The polylines are split into individual lines.
Text is not supported.
The polygons are converted to polylines.
The elevation of the DXF is not kept; instead, it is always set to 0.
The layers in the DXF are not kept, everything is imported into the same annotation layer in PIX4Dcloud

For SHP annotation:

Text is not supported.
The color of the elements is not kept.
The naming of each annotation is based on the project and annotation’s ID.
Existing attributes in the DBF file are not imported in PIX4Dcloud.
The SHP file has to be given in WGS84 coordinate system (lat, long, height); other coordinate systems are not supported.

Warning: The information will not be aligned if the files are imported in a coordinate system different from the one the software expects.

Warning: The GeoJSON file has a custom structure to be read by the application. Ensure the imported GeoJSON file reflects the formatting rules of the exported one. To check the format of the file, create some annotations, and export the layer.

How to... (step-by-step instructions)