mscad2004 tds export

[Vincent Popish]

Hi:

When you write out a tds binary file from an ascii csv file the descriptions are truncated with only the first word left in the descriptions. So if the description read 3os BOC STA 1+50, all that's left after converting to a binary file is 3os. Makes field work a little harder.

I checked, the ascii file has the full description before the conversion, it is just truncated after conversion.

Thanks,

[Glen Cameron]

Could you try the other method and see if it does the same thing?

From inside the ADT coordinate list - write the TDS CR5 Binary file out. It does not need conversion as it is a direct write out (no ascii file created first).

Cheers,

[Vincent Popish]

Hi:
No, it doesn't work from inside adt either. Still looses all but the first word.
Thanks,

[Darcy Detlor]

Hello Vince,

I checked the source code, and we are writing out the first sixteen characters of the description. There is no testing being done to look for spaces or anything else. It just writes out the first 16 characters, then appends the string with a null. The cr5 binary file format only allows for a 16 character description.

Are you quite certain that the TDS software will read a description with spaces in it?

Looking at the code, I can see no way that it could put less than 16 bytes of data into the binary cr5 file.

Let me know.

[Vincent Popish]

Hi:
If I use an old tds transfer program, all of the description are included. It uses the exported ascii file from mscad to convert to a binary tds file. However, if I use the convert or the direct write tds binary file in the adt program in mscad it truncates every thing except the first word or group of leters. It's like I said earlier, if I export the description: 3os BOC sta 1+50 (which is sixteen letters) when I get to the field all that is left is 3os. Whenever the mscad program encounters the first space in a description it deletes the rest of the description.

I transfered out the ponts into an ascii and checked it, it still has all the letters of each description, then convert it using mscad, by either means, to a tds binary file and it looses the letters.

It is not a great big deal it would just be nice to use the program to make the tds binary file and use it in the field.

Thanks,

[Vincent Popish]

Hi:

Am I the only one having this problem? If I am and no one else is having the problem, maybe there is something corrupt with some dll or ... who knows? What happens when you folks at Microsurvey export and import the points using tds binary format? Does it work? Let me know, please, what you find out.

Thanks,

[Glen Cameron]

Did this happen in MSCAD2002 as well, or only in 2004?

I do not have the ability to examine the contents of a binary file after it is exported, at my office. I will have to leave this to the head office to examine.

What I was wondering is, assume the binary file is ok - is it possible that the TDS is stripping the description?

Cheers,

[Vincent Popish]

Glen:

I can use an old TDS transfer program that I have to look at the file that MSCAD2004 is creating. When mscad creates the binary file it strips all the letters after the first space off of the description. You can take notepad and look at the binary file and see that the descriptions are truncated. Just create a tds binary file with points that have spaces, open the file with notepad and it is easy to see that mscad is where the fault lies, at least on my machine.

And no it doesn't work in mscad 2002 either, same problem. I am fairly certain that at one time it did work, it is a fairly recent problem.

Thanks,

[Darcy Detlor]

Hi there,

One of the reasons I got into the software business is because you learn something every day. Yes, we had a glitch in the routine and only by stepping through it was I able to spot the problem.

It is now fixed and will be appearing in a future Service Pack. We are testing the next one now and hopefully it will be out soon.

The bug has been there since the routine was originally written. Funny that it has not made the "list" before now.

Thanks,

[ianw2]

In your defence, Darcy, I've been using TDS data collection software for years. One of the reasons I first bought MicroSurvey was its ability to get at my TDS data better than TDS' own transfer software! I will admit that I have only ever used the text file capabilities for data in/out of my various data collectors.