About Importing and Exporting Points

You can use commands to import point data, export point data, and transfer point data between files.

Using AutoCAD Civil 3D, you can:

• Import points into a drawing from either an ASCII (text) file or a Microsoft® Access database (.mdb) file.
• Export points from a drawing to either an ASCII (text) file or a Microsoft® Access database file.
• Transfer points from an ASCII (text) file or a Microsoft® Access database file to another file. You can convert the point data during the transfer, which can include changing the coordinate zone.

Importing points is a quick way to place points into a drawing. For example, if a surveyor collects point data using a data collector, the data can be downloaded from the collector as an ASCII (text) file and then imported into an AutoCAD Civil 3D drawing.

Before you can import, export, or transfer point data, you must specify a point file format for each file that point data is read from or written to. The point file format describes how the point data is stored in the file. You can use the point file formats that are supplied with AutoCAD Civil 3D or create your own formats.