Export Surface to XYZ – CMI Tools

CMI Tools is a set of custom commands that CAD Masters has created for Civil 3D.  Just last week I was using the Export Surface to XYZ command and realized that there might be many out there that do not know it exists.  This command writes all the points from a surface into an ENZ, comma delimited text file.  If you already have CMI Tools, the command is CMI_EXPORTSURFACETOXYZ.  All that you have to do after you run the command is select a surface and save the text file.

A couple applications that we have used this for:

1.      Saving a subset of LIDAR points in a given area to a text file.

Create a surface from LIDAR points using a Data Clip boundary.  Then after the surface is created, use the Export Surface to XYZ command.  You will have a text file that only contains that LIDAR points in a given boundary.

2.      Creating a text file of points from various drawing objects.

You can put many types of objects into a surface, many more than you can directly create points from.  If you want the points in a text file, then you can add all these drawing objects to a surface, and then use the Export Surface to XYZ command to create a text file.  This text file can then be imported to create Cogo Points.