Machine control file formats are where a cheap system gets expensive. The hardware is the easy part; the question is whether the drawings your engineer sends will load in the cab and on the rover without a week of back and forth. This page lists the software we take files from, the formats each machine control and GNSS system expects, and what we deliver for each. We do the conversion. You send the drawings.
What we take from you
| From | What to send | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| AutoCAD and AutoCAD Civil 3D | DWG or DXF; for Civil 3D, a LandXML export of surfaces, alignments and profiles as well | Civil 3D objects do not survive in a plain DWG. The LandXML carries the surface exactly. |
| BricsCAD and BricsCAD Civil | DWG or DXF, plus LandXML for surfaces | Our own CAD environment, so anything BricsCAD produces loads directly. |
| Trimble Business Center | LandXML, DXF; .vcl or .dsz if the job was already built for Earthworks | Useful when you are switching from Trimble and the models already exist. |
| Topcon MAGNET Office | LandXML, DXF; .tp3 or .tn3 if already built | Same as above, for Topcon. |
| Leica Infinity and iCON office | LandXML, DXF | Same as above, for Leica. |
| Carlson, MicroSurvey, FieldGenius | DXF, LandXML, CSV points | Common on Ontario survey crews. |
| PDF plan sets only | The stamped drawings | We build the 3D model from them. Slower, and quoted per sheet count. See design and takeoff. |
| Points and control | CSV with point number, northing, easting, elevation, code, and the coordinate system named | MTM zone, UTM zone, NAD83 (CSRS) realization and the vertical datum. Say which. It is the most common cause of a model that lands in the wrong place. |
What each system expects
| System | Design and surface formats | Source |
|---|---|---|
| XFIX EX30 (what we sell) | Built and loaded by us on the AT85 tablet before install; tested on the machine | Our installation |
| Spherefix SP30, SP Nano (what we sell) | Stakeout points, linework and surfaces prepared for the C500 and C100T controllers and loaded by us; tested before delivery | Our setup |
| Trimble Earthworks | .dsz, .vcl, LandXML surfaces and linework | Trimble WorksManager documentation |
| Trimble Siteworks | .ttm, .vcl, LandXML | Trimble Siteworks documentation |
| Topcon 3D-MC | .tp3 project files; .tn3 surfaces; exported from MAGNET or Pocket 3D | Topcon documentation |
| Leica iCON iXE3 (MC1) | LandXML, DXF, GEO, KOF, L3D, LMD, LIN, MBS, TRM | Leica product page |
What we deliver
- Design surfaces as a triangulated model: finished grade, subgrade, or both, with the breaklines that keep a curb a curb.
- Linework and alignments for stakeout and for the cab display: centrelines, curb lines, pipe runs, limits.
- Point files for stakeout, control and as-built checks, in the coordinate system you named.
- A site calibration (localization) from your control, so the model lands on the ground where the engineer drew it.
- A check. Every file is opened on the device it is for before it goes to you. A file that loads on our bench and fails in your cab is our problem, not yours.
Pricing is per job and depends on the source material; see machine control data prep and GPS data prep for what each includes. Send the drawings to contact@stratuspositioning.ca and we reply with a price and a turnaround.
Stratus Positioning & Automation is not an authorized Trimble, Topcon, Leica or Autodesk dealer. AutoCAD and Civil 3D are trademarks of Autodesk; BricsCAD of Bricsys; Trimble, Earthworks, Siteworks and Trimble Business Center of Trimble Inc.; Topcon, MAGNET and 3D-MC of Topcon Corporation; Leica and iCON of Leica Geosystems AG; Carlson, MicroSurvey and FieldGenius of their owners. They are named here to describe the files we accept and produce.