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Stringer Topo V23 | Migration Tools

Stringer Topo V23 comes with migration tools to facilitate transfer of your current Stringer Topo settings across to Stringer Topo V23. The processes are slightly different between AutoCAD/BricsCAD and Civil 3D users, mainly because AutoCAD/BricsCAD users also manage the COGO point display.

See below for a rundown of the options for transferring settings from previous versions of Stringer Topo to Stringer Topo V23.


Migration Steps

For Civil 3D users, the Stringer Settings (where you control the way points are connected with linework and breaklines) can be imported into Stringer Topo V23.

This process will require you to open the Stringer Settings file using Excel and copy information into a slightly different format (a file with extension .sdb), then there is a click button import to finalise.

Below is a video link outlining the steps:

Here is the step-by-step process:

  • Using Windows Explorer, find and open the original correlation file you use for your current Stringer Topo (this will be a file with extension .csv).
    The default save location for these files is C:\ProgramData\CSS\Stringer 20##\Templates
    Double click on the file to open it in Excel
  • Download and open the Civil 3D Migration File found below:
    Civil_3D_Migration_File.csv
  • Now you transfer columns from your current correlation file to the Civil 3D Migration File.csv file. The columns to copy over to are shown below.
Civil 3D Migration preparation.
Copy columns from old to new file, using Excel
  • Save and close the Civil_3D_Migration_File.csv.
  • Using Windows Explorer, click to rename the file. Keep the file name but change fhe file extension from .csv to .sdb. The file should be named Civil_3D_Migration_File.sdb
  • Now you have a file that will directly import into Stringer Topo V23. The next steps are done inside Civil 3D.
  • Start Civil 3D and open the drawing template (or a drawing file) you use for Stringer Topo (we need the layers to be included)
  • Using the Ribbon menu, click on the Stringer Survey tab > Settings Panel > Survey String Settings command. This opens to the equivalent of the previous version Stringer Settings command.
  • From the Survey Strings form, click on the Add Table button bottom left and give a name for this Survey Strings Table
  • With this table selected, click on the Add From Stringer SDB button at the bottom right.
  • Browse to the Civil_3D_Migration_File.sdb file and select it

Note that in Stringer Topo V23 we’ve enhanced the survey string capabilities to allow you to add a breakline without having to add a 3D polyline to the drawing.

For AutoCAD/BricsCAD users, there is a singled command named Migrate Stringer Points that will take your current Stringer Settings file (it is a file with extension .sdb) and convert to Stringer Topo V23 to create COGO Point Styles, a Point Code Set and a String Code Set.

Below is a video link outlining the steps:

Here is the step-by-step process:

  • Start AutoCAD/BricsCAD and open the drawing template (or a drawing file) you use for Stringer Topo (we need the layers and current Stringer blocks to be included)
  • From the ribbon select Survey Tab > Settings Panel > Migrate Stringer Points.
Stringer Migration form for AutoCAD and BricsCAD users.
Stringer Migration functionality for AutoCAD/BricsCAD users.
  • In the form that displays, enter a name for the Code Set and the String Set you are creating
  • Click on the button Migrate Settings and selected your current Stringer Settings file (the file will have extension .sdb. The default save location for these files is ‘C:\ProgramData\CSS\Stringer CAD V##\Correlation)