About Import Options

Below is some information about available formats, and their related options.

This page discusses:

Available Formats

The list of formats available for import varies with the apps available in your session.

If you have access to Digitized Shape Preparation, all the formats are available, not only in Digitized Shape Preparation, but also in Digitized Shape Sculpting, 3D Printing Preparation and 3D Printing (if you have access to those apps).

Via Add > Import > Digitization Files
  • ASCII RGB
  • ASCII User Format
  • ASCII Free
  • Atos
  • Cgo
  • Gom-3d
  • Hyscan
  • Iges
  • Kreon
  • Opton
  • Steinbichler
  • Stl
Via Drag and Drop
  • ASCII RGB
  • ASCII User Format
  • ASCII Free
  • Atos
  • Cgo
  • Gom-3d
  • Hyscan
  • Iges
  • Kreon
  • Opton
  • Steinbichler
  • Stl
Digitized Shape Preparation with access to Virtual to Real Shape Morphing
ASCII Vector Field via the dialog box or via drag and drop.
Digitized Shape Sculpting with no access to Digitized Shape Preparation
  • Stl
3D Printing Preparation with no access to Digitized Shape Preparation
  • Stl
3D Printing with no access to Digitized Shape Preparation
  • Stl

Common Options

Some options apply to all formats.

Grouped
  • Select the Grouped check box to group the files in one output feature.
  • Clear the Grouped check box to create one feature for each imported file.
Sampling (%)
Determines the percentage of points or scans or grids that are read from the digit file.
Note: The Sampling percentage is not relevant to formats related to mesh entities (for example STL format).
Scale factor
Determines the scale factor to be applied to the data imported.
File unit
Determines in which unit the data are imported.

Specific Options

When relevant, the dialog box displays options that are specific to the selected format. Some of these options are not available when you import files by drag and drop.

ASCII Free
  • Direction. Not available with drag and drop.
  • Delimiters apply to scans.
    Tip: Perceptron (ASCII) files can be imported by selecting the ASCII free format and setting the Delimiters for Start scan and End scan to LH (do not forget a blank before LH).
Enter these data whenever you know them.
ASCII User Format

Imports additional information attached to the points, such as point symbol or color. They are taken into account as point properties.

Depending on their type, some imported point information can be taken into account in the cloud of points display:

  • Color attribute: Select the Colored check box in the Display Modes tab of the properties of the import result to use the information from the digit file. Otherwise, the current display is applied.
  • Display symbol: Select the Symbol check box in the Display Modes tab of the properties of the import result to use the information from the digit file. Otherwise, the current display is applied.
  • Information text (displayed under the cursor): Select the Dynamic display of information check box in to display information from the digit file.

Notes:
  • To enable this import, you must describe the user format in a .FDF file (Format Description File) and enter the path of this file in the dialog box.
  • If the format description file is not found, invalid or if the input file does not correspond to the format described, import operation fails and a specific error message is displayed.
  • All user information is imported but not all of them have an influence.
  • If the format contains more than once text attribute, all texts are displayed under the mouse cursor (one text per line).
  • The input file cannot contain redundant or conflicting information (2 different color attributes for example).
  • If the input file contains a specific property not described in the format file, this property is ignored at best or an error message is displayed and import fails.
  • There is no user mapping table management. For example, a point symbol attribute can only have one of standard symbols value.
  • If the point description does not have a specific property, the point is displayed with the standard default representation.
ASCII User Format Description File
This file is a simple one line ASCII text file. The format is described by a set of keywords separated by a space. Each keyword indicates the type of expected data.
Notes:
  • Keywords can be defined in any order. However, the digit file must respect the order in which you have defined the keywords.
  • The format must be described on a single line in the file.
  • Only the X, Y and Z information is required in the format. Other keywords are optional.
  • RGB color and color index information cannot be used simultaneously in the format.
  • You can define more than one TEXT information in the format.

Additional information attached to the points, such as point symbol or color, are imported and taken into account as point properties. Available keywords are defined in the following table:

Keyword Type Definition Value Mapping Comment
X double X coordinate of the point
Y double Y coordinate of the point
Z double Z coordinate of the point
DX double
DY double
DZ double
R integer Red component of point color [0..255] Must be associated with G and B
G integer Green component of point color [0..255] Must be associated with R and B
B integer Blue component of point color [0..255] Must be associated with R and G
A integer Alpha component of point color [0..255]
COLOR integer Color index in the color table 0 BLACK
1 WHITE
2 RED
3 GREEN Default value
4 BLUE
5 YELLOW
6 MAGENTA
7 CYAN
SYMBOL integer Marker used for point display 0 SMALL_DOT Default value
1 DOT
2 STAR
3 FILLED_SQUARE
4 FILLED_CIRCLE
5 CONCENTRIC
6 CIRCLE
7 PLUS
8 CROSS
LABEL string Such a text is only for file readability. It is not imported. The text does not contain space character
TEXT string Free text The text must be enclosed in double-quotes
USELESS_INFO Useless information. It is not imported.
Example:
  • In the Format Description File:
    LABEL X LABEL Y LABEL Z SYMBOL TEXT R G B TEXT
  • In the imported file:
    X -11.855023 Y 21.734158 Z -101.254105 2 "43°30'28.46N,5°29'27.84E" 255 128 34 "PT215"
X -10.756025 Y 23.764214 Z -100.732541 0 "43°30'26.40N,5°30'26.40N" 255 128 34 "PT225"

Important: Regarding the file of points imported:
  • The file format must be consistent with the Format Description File.
  • Only one point definition per line is accepted.
  • Available data separators are SPACE or TAB characters.
  • Starting a line with exclamation mark ("!") indicates that it is a line of comment. The content of such a line is not taken into account,
  • Decimal notations with DOT or COMMA or xx.xxxe+xx are supported.
ASCII Vector Field File
This format allows the import of displacement vector fields, to be used in Digitized Shape Preparation, before switching to Virtual to Real Shape Morphing.
  • This ASCII file contains only the description of vectors:
    • Origin and direction as X, Y, Z DY, DY, DZ
    • One line per vector.
  • The file extension is asc_vec.
  • The unit applied to the coordinates and direction is the one defined in the import dialog box.
  • Similarly, the scale factor applies to the coordinates and direction.
  • Sampling, Scale factor and Statistics are available. No other specific options.
  • Import by the dialog box results in a feature, import by drag and drop results in a datum (Not associative with the initial file).
  • By default, a vector is represented by its origin (point) and vector (segment). Regarding Properties,
    • Points graphic properties apply to the origin.
    • Edges graphic properties apply to the vector.
    • Vectors display modes (Point or Polyline) apply.
    • Information is available.
      Note: Statistics refer to the cloud of points formed by the vectors origins. Vectors direction and length are not taken into account.
    • The Cells tab is also available.
    Notes:
    • The cell color has priority over the cloud color defined in the Graphics tab.
    • If the points are colored, they have priority over the cell color.
Atos
Minimal Point Quality: Cleans the file from invalid points. The quality value of a point lies between 0 and 255 (low to high). Choose a value to ignore points below that value.
Gom-3d
Files are imported as points, scans, grids or meshes.
  • Minimal Point Quality: Cleans the file from invalid points. The quality value of a point lies between 0 and 255 (low to high). Choose a value to ignore points below that value.
  • Create facets: Creates or not the facets (triangles) of the imported mesh
IGES

Direction: Applies to scans. Select the required option whenever you know it.

IGES Entities 116 are processed. If the cloud to import is made of Entities 116 only, the result is a cloud of points. Otherwise, the result is made of scans.

Steinbichler
Files are imported as points, grids or scans.
STL

Both bin or ASCII STL formats are supported.

  • Create facets: Creates or not the facets (triangles) of the imported mesh.
  • Outwards orientation: The mesh orientation is not taken from the STL but specified to outwards.
LIDAR
When you select Lidar, Classification and Return Type options are available in the Options tab. You can filter all standard LIDAR points classes and return types by clicking filter . In the Classification and Return Type dialog boxes that appear, select the check boxes of interest.

At least one check box must be selected. The imported LIDAR files reflect the filtered selection you made. The resulting cloud is created with several cells, each cell corresponding to a classification. Both a color and a name are associated to the cells you can modify. Consider the following import examples with:

  • All check boxes selected.

  • Only Ground check box selected (classification)

  • Only Building check box selected


Notes:
  • Only .las and .laz extensions can be managed.
  • If colors are defined on points, they are imported.
  • Lidar points marked as "withheld" are not imported.
  • Lidar points outside of the bounding box defined in the header of the file are not imported.
  • If possible the CRS is retrieved in the file and proposed as Source CRS.

For more information about Lidar export options, see Terrain Preparation User's Guide: About Lidar Format.