Trimble Business Center

I created points on different layers in TBC, and I want to be able to export all of them with their layer attributes in one point file and then import them into a data collector and have them go to their respective layers.  How do I do that?

If you use the Export Format editor, you can add the layer as a field. I use this for as-built point data. 

A dxf would also work in this situation.  Don't export a CSV and DXF, just the DXF.  Just note you can't edit your point data in a dxf in the controller.

Michael

I guess the first question is which type of Data Collector - are we talking SCS900 / Siteworks or Access or something else? As people have already stated, the SCS900 / Siteworks system can take the Points in a DXF file and the Layers are automatically carried in that process, allowing you to turn the layers of points On / Off in the field. If you are using the CSV files for SCS900 / Siteworks, then there is no support for Layers in that format as it is simply P,N,E,Z,D format - so unless you use the Point Number or Description field for the Layer name and then filter down by that field on the controller there is nothing there that you can do. If you are using Access - I would have to ask my colleagues on the Access side of the fence as to what they can take in terms of point files to read into Access and have some form of Layer Control. As someone pointed out, you can create a custom Export format that includes the Layer Attribute so you could output P,N,E,Z,D,Layer and if that attribute can be used by the field software then that is likely your answer. If SCS900 / Siteworks, you could use Notepad to Merge ",D,Layer" into something like D-Layer so that the Layer names are carried to some degree, but I don't believe SCS900 / Siteworks have any tools to use the Layer field if it is there - I will check as that ma have been added I guess.

Alan

Thank you, everyone, for the help.  I will try the DXF route and see what happens.  I have to create points for many different types of data collectors, so a point file for each layer may be the only consistent solution.  

I haven't tried it but in Siteworks would exporting/importing a VCL file with the points already layered do the trick?

Marshall

Michael:  Got a moment to try it and a VCL file keeps the points on separate layers (with properties etc intact). If you have Siteworks that would be a good option.

Marshall

I was just going to ask this. This will be helpful for as-builts.

Can you turn on and off stakeout points via the layer manager in SCS900 and SIteworks? I just tried this with no luck. I tried both via a dxf and a vcl. With a vcl you get a circle around the point that shows the color of the layer but doesn't allow you to turn off points based on there layer. Nor is the circle selectable. 

The only way I was able to turn off these points is by turning off stakeout points which turns off everything. 

Running version 1.10. 

Thanks for all the help, but I have to supply models for clients all over the country, so I was looking for something I could use regardless of controller or field software.  That is ok though because now I know of some ways to handle this for clients that do use software capable of supporting some of these workarounds.  I will most likely continue to use a different .CSV file for each point layer that they can import into their data collector.  But if a client asks, I have options to try.