Processes and tools

Import surveyor text files - PIX4Dsurvey

PIX4Dsurvey allows importing surveyor text files to an existing project. This feature can be useful in many contexts when a surveyor needs to have available any surveyed points and use them to identify a real-world location on the model reconstruction.

Access:
  • Click File > Import... and select the file from the dialog or,
  • Drag and drop a file with formats .txt, .csv, .xyz.

How to import a surveyor text file in PIX4Dsurvey

The coordinate reference system of the project must be defined before importing a surveyor text file into a project. Once, the project is created and has a reference coordinate reference system then follow these instructions:

  1. Open a project in PIX4Dsurvey.
  2. Import the .txt, .csv or .xyz file into the project.
  3. Click Apply.

Import point file dialog

  • Horizontal coordinate reference system: Defines the exact position of the objects in 2D.
  • Vertical coordinate reference system: Defines the origin for height or depth values. For more information: How to use vertical coordinate systems and geoids - PIX4Dsurvey.
  • Geoid: Refers to the local geoid model that covers the territory.
  • Geoid height: Indicates the constant height over the Bessel 1841 ellipsoid that is used as a replacement for the geoid model.
  • Column separator: This field defines the character used in the surveyor text file to separate different columns. Values are comma (,), semicolon (;), space ( ), or tab ( ).
  • Decimal separator: This field defines the character used in the surveyor text file to define the decimals in a numeric value. Values are period (.) or comma (,).
  • Skipped row: it is used to specify at which line to start reading values from the file. This option can be used if the field loses focus on the table.
  • Column format: It is the format for reading the point locations in a file.
    • PNEZD: Point#, Northing, Easting, Elevation, Description.
    • PENZD: Point#, Easting, Northing, Elevation, Description.
    • PNEZ: Point#, Northing, Easting, Elevation.
    • PENZ: Point#, Easting, Northing, Elevation
    • NEZ: Northing, Easting, Elevation.
    • ENZ: Easting, Northing, Elevation.
    • XYZ: Latitude, Longitude, Elevation.
    • YXZ: Longitude, Latitude, Elevation.
    • Custom: Indicates that the format field is entered manually.
      • Horizontal accuracy: Refers to the precision with which the X/Y or easting/northing values were captured.
      • Vertical accuracy: Refers to the precision with which the elevation values were captured.
        custom_column_format_v2_PIX4Dsurvey.jpg
Important:
  • If the imported text file is not georeferenced in the same coordinate system as the project, the text file is transformed on import.
  • It is possible to enable the Use project CRS option to indicate that the files are also in the same coordinate system as the project.
  • The file can be imported in a projected or geographic coordinate system.

Visualize and export a surveyor text file in PIX4Dsurvey

Once the text file is imported, it is visible under the Layer tab in the Content sidebar. [1]

In the viewport, it is possible to visualize each of the imported text points with a marker_icon_text_points_PIX4Dsurvey.jpg icon. [2]

By clicking on one of the imported text points, the attributes corresponding to that point are shown, and this information is visible at the bottom section of the Content sidebar. [3]

In the Export sidebar, the text points layer can be exported as GeoJSON, .dxf, .zip (.shp), and .shp extension formats. [4]

visualizing_survyor_text_file_PIX4Dsurvey_v2.jpg