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Using Description Keys When Importing Points from a File

Product Documentation
Intermediate
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You can use description keys when you import points into a drawing.

Create drawing points by importing point data from a point data file, which can be either an ASCII text file or a Microsoft® Access database (.mdb) file. For more information about creating points by importing, see Importing Point Data.

When you import points from a point data file and description key matching is active, the raw descriptions in the point data file are used for matching. For each point that is imported, the leading element in its raw description is compared to each description key code in every description key set in the drawing until either a match is found or all description key sets have been searched.

If a match is found, the point style, the point label style, and the layer specified in the description key are used to create the point in the drawing. The raw description for the point is translated into a full description using the format specified in the description key. If the raw description includes scaling and rotation information, the point symbol is scaled and rotated as specified.

If a description key match is not found, the point is created without a point style or point label style, and the point displays using point group styles. For more information, see Controlling the Appearance of Points in a Drawing.

For more information about working with description keys, see Understanding Description Keys.

Tutorial Exercise: Creating Point Data

To use description keys when importing points from a file

  1. Create one or more description key sets containing the description keys you want to use when importing the points. For more information, see Creating Description Keys.
  2. Specify the description key sets search order. For more information, see Changing the Description Key Sets Search Order.
  3. Specify the setting that indicates whether or not your description keys use parameters. For more information, see Controlling Whether Raw Description Values Are Interpreted as Parameters During Point Creation.
  4. Click Home tabCreate Ground Data panelPoints menuPoint Creation Tools.
  5. Expand the Create Points dialog box.
  6. Expand Points Creation and set the Disable Description Keysvalue to False. On the Points Creation toolbar, clickImport Points.
  7. In the Format list, specify a format name.
  8. Import the points. For more information, see Importing Point Data.

    Any point with a raw description that matches a description key is created in the drawing using the properties specified in the description key, such as point style, point label style, and layer.


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