Shapefile Point Import

[ScottWales]

Hi All!  As part of my landscape work, I undertake tree assessments and I am trying to import tree positions directly into Vectorworks, so that I can apply them to clients' site plans or topographical surveys.

 

Whenever I try to import these points, they come in at an unpredictable scale and are not located where they need to be on the base  plan, although their relative positions to each other seem correct (see comparison between VW point spread and GIS file).  All get are a spread of 3d loci somewhere on the plan.  One great feature is that when I select a point and look at the attribute table, the data from my forms is all there (see screenshot).  When I import shapefiles of polygons they almost always import perfectly to scale and correctly geolocated.

 

I guess I have two questions;

 

1. Can anyone tell me how to bring these points in accurately and to scale?  I have a very accurate GPS receiver and would like to make use of it for this purpose.

 

2. Is there any way to add one of the fields in the attribute table (in this case "tree number") as a label, as I would in a GIS application?

 

Many thanks in advance.

 

Scott

 

 

[Art V]

On 4/7/2018 at 8:20 PM, ScottWales said:

1. Can anyone tell me how to bring these points in accurately and to scale?  I have a very accurate GPS receiver and would like to make use of it for this purpose.

Make sure that your VW document has the correct georeference setting (preferably the same Coordinate Reference System as your GPS data points) That way things should get in correctly. Also make sure you have the associated files with the .shx file (i.e. the  .prj, .dbf etc.)

 

On 4/7/2018 at 8:20 PM, ScottWales said:

2. Is there any way to add one of the fields in the attribute table (in this case "tree number") as a label, as I would in a GIS application?

It is possible to replace objects with a symbol and maintain the original records.

A quick search gave some info on how to do this in VW2016 (I don't know what version you have, but it should work the same in 2017 and 2018)

http://app-help.vectorworks.net/2016/eng/VW2016_Guide/Symbols/Replacing_Objects_with_Symbols.htm

 

So if you create a symbol with the record attached you could then have the text of one or more of the records (tree number in your case) show up next to the symbol. Use this newly created symbol to replace the loci.

 

Edited April 27, 2018 by Art V