Hello and TY for reviewing my first post!
Any recommendations for third party software to take data from Emlid 360 to AutoCad2004. Know it’s an older version of Autocad, but it works for everything else I do. Septic System Design.
Emlid360 exports via csv. but AutoCad does not interpret data so looking for help and advice. Thanks in advance.
1 Like
Hi Andy.
What would you like to do with the data once into CAD? Would you want to have a block node with attributes or have linework created from the csv coords?
Flow 360 has the option for DXF export. It doesn’t do layers based on codes but that is easy sorted after import. I have no idea if that is compatible with 2004 (I thought I was behind with 2018, but as you say, it does the job) so may need to test it.
Using the csv route you may need to look at lisps.
A great resource is this website for lisps or here. The importXYZ and surveyor lisps are good once you’ve got the hang of what they want from your input files, and snaps off when using surveyor especially (I was very close to a hulk smash until I figured that one out). Older ACAD has that problem of not allowing csv imports like the civil and maps versions of the software, which was always annoying. I’d go down the route of finding the lisps that help first before looking at intermediate software to import and create the dxf or CAD drawing. Some freeCAD may do it and things like field genius may do a better export, but I’ve never used them to know.
I’ve got a sheet which does script generation for a specific task we do but can be adapted for straight coordinate conversion if you know how you want the data to come in. Happy to share that file if you need.
Hope that helps.
Scott
Thanks Scott for the quick reply and overview.
I’m not very savvy with this… so please bear with me.
I use my Emlid RS+ and Emlid360 for data points when performing Septic System layout/design work.
=>Moving from graph paper and measuring tape to Emlid/RS has been bringing me out of the dark ages. 
The AutoCad program is 2004 and I’ve been a very limited novice with it over the past year… but It’s what I know.
Emlid Flow data exports as CSV… but my AutoCad2004 does not accept this data in CSV format.
I’ve even tried exporting to all the file types listed in Emlid360 (including DXF format)… and none are accepted by AutoCad2004. Go figure.
The reason for the question and posting to the Help Center: Looking for the same data points I see in Emlid360 to come over to AutoCad2004… as data points.
-once in AutoCad I can connect the lines within AutoCad and do all the other items needed to get the finished product.
Maybe going about this incorrectly, but again…maybe not asking or stating the correct process?
Based on reading your email… it sounds like I am looking for the option to do linework created from the csv data points??
Thank you in advance.
Regards,
Andy Williamson
Hi Andy
No worries at all, hopefully the info helps you get the data into CAD.
As you are on 2004, the DXF version may be causing the problem. If you open the DXF in notepad (right click and open with notepad or any text editor), there will be a line “$ACADVER” on line 6 and the version at line 8. I exported a dxf from flow just now and it tells me it is version “AC1018”.
The link here says that is 2004 onwards. So it should work into your version of CAD. Which method of opening are you using? Using the open file button or double click from explorer? If you open a new drawing in CAD and type “DXFIN” and select the file, does that work? Is there an error message to say it doesn’t work?
Your workflow is fine, and I understand what you want to do. I’ve been through it with getting csv and text files into CAD before. It’s quite annoying that something as basic as importing coordinates is so hard.
If the DXF isn’t working still, then maybe the scripts or lisps option would work. The links I sent before have the downloads. If you have used Lisps before it should be straight forward. If not. They need to be loaded to CAD, there are a few steps for that, but fingers crossed the DXF option should work with the correct opening method before going through that option. Maybe someone from Emlid can say if the export is compatitable with 2004?
Thanks
Scott
Hi guys,
The DXF file exported from Emlid Flow should work fine with AutoCAD 2004 and later versions.
Andy, can you please elaborate on what you see when importing the file to AutoCAD? Does any message appear?
1 Like
Thank you Kornel.
The following message is noted in AutoCad2004 when trying to import a dxf file from Emlid Flow: “Invalid or incomplete DXF input… drawing discarded.”
Nothing more occurs.
This was addressed in an earlier thread with Scott from Support Community and we concluded the AC version is too old to support EMFlow’s download. A third party software must be used.
Thanks for checking on me. -a
1 Like
Hi Andy,
I see. It’s curious why your DXF file can’t be imported to AutoCAD 2004. However, I’m afraid that resolving the situation on the CAD side would be rather challenging.
An idea worth trying is to import the file from Emlid Flow to another CAD software, such as LibreCAD, export it from there, and import it again to AutoCAD 2004.