A DXF file is a Data eXchange Format file that contains drawing information. DXF files are used to transfer drawing information from one program to another. They are ASCII files that can be edited in any ASCII word processor.

Because DXF files are primarily drawing files, TRAVERSE PC writes them from the Quick View. To write a DXF file from TRAVERSE PC, you must first set up the Quick View to draw the survey the way you want it to appear in the program that reads the DXF file. If you want the DXF file to include lines, turn on the lines in the Quick View. If you want the DXF file to include the border and north arrow, turn them on in the Quick view.

When you have the drawing the way you want it, choose <Save Drawing as...> from the Drawings menu in the Quick View. Select the DXF options you want and choose <Export>.  If you do not specify a new file name, TRAVERSE PC will use the survey filename with the DXF file extension.

Controlling the scale of the DXF file

TRAVERSE PC allows you to specify text heights and point symbol sizes in inches or millimeters. Regardless of which scale you finally choose to plot/print at, the text and point symbols come out the size you specified. Most CAD programs keep track of text and symbol size as a proportion of the drawing height. If the size or scale of the drawing change, the text and symbol sizes change also. This can create a lot of work if you choose to change scales one the survey is drawn.

Writing point entities

You can also use the DXF file to transfer just coordinate information from one program to another. To do this, turn off all of the options except Point in the Quick View Control and Side Shot settings dialog boxes and select <Point> for the point type. This option sends a Point entity to the DXF file for each point that is drawn. Point entities contain the X, Y and Z coordinates of a point, giving you the information you want.

Including your own header file

TRAVERSE PC writes a standard header with each file that includes very basic line type information. This header can be read by most CAD programs.

To change the header, write your own header file using your CAD program and save it as HEADER.DXF in the DXF subdirectory of the Blocks subdirectory of the TRAVERSE PC program directory. TRAVERSE PC will substitute your header file for the standard header information each time it writes a DXF file. The HEADER.DXF file can be empty if you wish to send only entities.

To easiest way to write a HEADER.DXF file is to create a small drawing using your CAD program, write a DXF file, load the DXF file into an editor, and delete everything below and including lines 0\SECTION\0\ENTITIES. What’s left is the header that TPC will add to its files.

This method has allowed TPC to work with such programs as Intergraph, TerraModel, etc., that are not exactly AutoCAD standardized.

Types of DXF files TPC can write

You can create a DXF that only contains coordinates (to transfer to a contour program, etc.) or you can create a DXF file that is a drawing (transfer to CAD).

To DXF coordinates, turn off all of the options except Point in the Quick View Control and Side Shot settings dialog boxes and select <Point> for the point type. This writes a "POINT" entity to the DXF file containing X, Y, Z for each point (press F1 and read the help for more info on this one).

To DXF a drawing, combine the Quick View options the way you want the drawing to look, then write the DXF file.

Other DXF Options

There are other DXF options that you may want to use. From the Export Settings dialog box, press F1 for help on all of the options in the dialog box.