The ASCPOINT LSP works great at importing points into AutoCAD but when I try and import the elevation as the attribute I am having some major annoyances. Using 358147.369,4982842.266,110.349,110.349 as an example where ASCPOINT requires X,Y,Z,attribute and "110.349 should be displayed as the text on the block but I either get "110.349000000" if imported as shown above or if I add another character like "358147.369,4982842.266,110.349,EL110.349" then it will only show the elevation before the decimal like "EL110" (missing the EL110."349" which is important information to display.) I have been importing it as "358147.369,4982842.266,110.349,110.349" and getting 110.349000000 and manually editing each block to remove the 000000 at the end.Is there any way to edit ASCPOINT to import elevations as the attribute without these 000000 at the end?ASCPOINT: http://www.cadforum.cz/cadforum_en/tips.asp?t=ascpointsteelworx2013-01-18 13:52:52

Unfortunately there is no easy solution for either of these two problems in ASCPOINT.

Two possibilities-Revise the lisp. Should be fairly straightforward (but I don't know the routine you are using). The lisp has to read the elevation, as text, from a file, convert it to a number to give the point a z value, and apparently convert that real to a string to place it in the attribute. It could use a precision othe than 6 decimal places when converting. Or it could use the initially read string to place in the attribute. Two, use another list to revise all selected point inserts to display number of decimals you specify.

I made some lisp modifications that seem to work for your particular case. It's not a "robust" solution that handles all variations. It displays elevations to 3 decimal places. If you know a little about editing lisp, it involves replace a the defun "toSym" in ASCPOINT.LSP with the following: [code](defun toSym (s) ; VM  (cond     ((eq (type s) 'SYM)         (vl-symbol-name s)     )     ((eq (type s) 'REAL)        (rtos s 2 3)     )     ((eq (type s) 'INT)         (rtos s 2 0)     )     ((not s) "")     (T s)   ))[/code]

Or better yet - we have used a more general line parser and generalized ASCPOINT.LSP (covering both mentioned problems) is now available for download on the Download page.

I have tried it and it works well, however I can't get my attribute to show. It remains 0.00

Vladimir,Using the ASCPOINT.lispI have tried everything I can think of to get the attributes to come in but it's just not happening!!XYZ no problem and it inserts the other points with a block at each one but does not update the attribute field???I have a block with a sphere and one attdef with name pnum, noting in the prompt and 000-00 for the default and that is what gets put into all the attribute labels (it doesn't update them!!)Any ideas??Tom

Michelle,Did you ever solve this problem??Tom

Is there anyone that can help me with this??Tom

A REGEN doesn't force an update?

Nope!

I removed the ; in front of the (PRINT PT) command so I could see what data was being imported.This is what it shows on the command line so I know the XYZ and label information is there.Select the block to insert (may have attributes): NewExcel8("887.2700" "650.0000" "71.7400" "101" "point1")("887.2700" "-650.0000" "71.7400" "102" "POINT2")("601.5600" "0.0000" "577.0100" "103" "POINT2")("694.4700" "-400.1100" "483.7500" "104" "POINT4")("694.4500" "400.1300" "483.7600" "1005" "POINT5")("907.5500" "-232.1400" "162.7900" "1006" "POINT6")I also know for a a fact that I have at least 2 attributes in my block.I don't know the programming language so I don't know what it's doing to put the label information in there?!?!?!  Sooooooo  Frustrating!!

There are two approaches for displaying elevation as an attribute through ASCPOINT: 1) add/copy the elevation data (Z, usually the third column) again as a fourth column/parameter in your import file - it will be read into the block attribute 2) modify your block so that its attribute is predefined and contains a field pointing to Z-part of its insertion point -- such block will automatically display the Z of its position (whether it was inserted by ASCPOINT or not); see examples of such blocks here in the Block library - look for "elevation label", dynamic blocks

Vladimir and John,Thank you both for taking the time to reply and trying to help me.My file and structure is set up as follows:877.27,650.0000,71.7400,101,POINT1877.27 is my X650.0000 is my Y71.7400 is my Z101 is what I want to have inserted into the first attributePOINT is what I want to have inserted into the second attributeSo it appears as if my file is in the proper format and information is in the correct columns.I run the ascpoint lisp and this shows up on the command line:Select the block to insert (may have attributes): NewExcel8("887.2700" "650.0000" "71.7400" "101" "point1")("887.2700" "-650.0000" "71.7400" "102" "POINT2")("601.5600" "0.0000" "577.0100" "103" "POINT2")("694.4700" "-400.1100" "483.7500" "104" "POINT4")("694.4500" "400.1300" "483.7600" "1005" "POINT5")("907.5500" "-232.1400" "162.7900" "1006" "POINT6")Again it looks as if the data is all there and in the proper format yet non of the attribute information updates to the new point and blocks.The program brings in all the XYZ's, creates the new point and attaches a copy of the block I select to each new point but the attributes do not update to the data above.  1001, 1002 etc. should be in the first attribute field and the POINT1, POINT2 etc should be in the second attribute field.  Instead they retain the original data from the first block they were inserted from?!?!??!Tom

So does anyone have any suggestions or ideas as to what''s going on here and how to fix it??Tom

Please try the updated version of ASCPOINT (see Download). You can try it e.g. with the block AttPoint4 (with 4 attributes):http://www.cadforum.cz/catalog_en/block.asp?blk=10458

Vladimir,Tried the new ascpoint with your AttPoint and with mine.Didn't work with either one.  Does the same thing with both-brings in the XYZ's plots the points, attaches the block to each but does NOT update the attribute information?????Looks just like the picture Michelle posted.????Tom

Vladimir,Want to thank you for all your help with this lisp program but I think this just might be a Mechanical desktop issue.I ran this program in AutoCad10 and it worked just fine but still doesn't work with Mechanical Desktop 2009.Not sure if there is a setting somewhere I need to change or what but it's obviously not the program.If anyone has any suggestions I'd really appreciate them!!Tom