From Point Cloud to Civil 3D-Ready Files

You've done the hard work. You flew the drone, processed the images, generated the point cloud. Now you need to get that data into Civil 3D. This is where things get complicated — unless you have the right export tools.

The Export Problem Nobody Talks About

Most point cloud processing software treats export as an afterthought — or worse, as a premium feature locked behind expensive subscriptions. You end up with data trapped in proprietary formats, or facing a maze of conversion steps just to get a simple TIN surface into your CAD software.

For many surveyors and engineers, this export bottleneck is the most frustrating part of the workflow. The data exists. The tools to use it exist. But getting from one to the other shouldn't require a $3,000/year software license.

What Viizor Desktop Actually Exports

Let's be specific about what formats Viizor can produce, because vague promises don't help anyone plan their workflow.

LandXML 1.2 for TIN Surfaces

When you create a TIN surface in Viizor, you can export it directly to LandXML format. This is the standard interchange format for civil engineering surfaces. For a complete guide to TIN creation options, see TIN Surfaces: From Point Cloud to Deliverable.

The exported file follows the LandXML 1.2 schema with proper structure:

<LandXML xmlns="http://www.landxml.org/schema/LandXML-1.2" version="1.2">
  <Units>
    <Metric areaUnit="squareMeter" linearUnit="meter" volumeUnit="cubicMeter"/>
  </Units>
  <Surfaces>
    <Surface name="Your Surface Name">
      <Definition surfType="TIN">
        <Pnts>...</Pnts>
        <Faces>...</Faces>
      </Definition>
    </Surface>
  </Surfaces>
</LandXML>

The export respects your unit settings. If you're working in feet (International or US Survey), the LandXML file specifies Imperial units. If you're in meters, it exports as Metric. Civil 3D reads these units correctly on import.

DXF for Vectors, Polylines, and Contours

For 2D and 3D linework, Viizor exports standard DXF files compatible with AutoCAD version AC1006 and later. This covers:

• 3D Polylines from measurement tools
• Closed polygons from AOI (Area of Interest) definitions
• Vector drawings created with the 3D vector tools
• Contour lines generated from TIN surfaces or directly from point clouds

The DXF export preserves 3D coordinates. When you draw a polyline in Viizor following terrain, each vertex maintains its X, Y, and Z values. Import into AutoCAD and the geometry sits at the correct elevations.

Contour exports include layer organization:

• CONTOUR_MAJOR layer for index contours
• CONTOUR_MINOR layer for intermediate contours

This layer structure means you can control visibility and styling in AutoCAD without manual sorting.

TXT for Survey Points

For topographic points, Viizor exports a simple comma-delimited text format:

Point,Easting,Northing,Elevation,Description
1,234567.123,1234567.456,125.789,TOPO
2,234568.234,1234568.567,125.891,TOPO

The format is P,E,N,Z,D — Point number, Easting, Northing, Elevation, Description. This imports directly into Civil 3D's point import wizard, AutoCAD Civil 3D Survey databases, or virtually any surveying software that accepts ASCII point files.

The Workflow in Practice

Here's how a typical project flows from point cloud to CAD-ready deliverables:

The data arrives in your drawing at the correct coordinates and elevations.

What This Replaces

Traditional workflow for getting point cloud data into Civil 3D often involves:

1. Point cloud processing software (often subscription-based)
2. Separate TIN/surface generation software
3. Format conversion utilities
4. Manual cleanup and coordinate verification

Each step is a potential failure point. Each piece of software is another license to maintain. Each conversion risks data corruption or coordinate shifts.

Coordinate System Handling

A critical detail that's easy to overlook: coordinates must match between your point cloud and your CAD environment.

Viizor preserves the coordinate system from your source LAS/LAZ file. If your point cloud is in EPSG:2236 (Florida East State Plane, US Feet), your exports will be in those same coordinates. For more on how coordinate systems work and why they matter, see Your LiDAR Data Speaks 8,000+ Languages.

The application detects and displays the EPSG code when available. During export, coordinates are written exactly as they exist in your project — no silent reprojection, no datum shifts.

Units Throughout the Pipeline

Unit handling is explicit:

• Display units can be set to meters, feet, or US survey feet
• LandXML exports include the <Units> block specifying Metric or Imperial
• DXF headers include extent information in the working units
• TXT point exports use the coordinate values as displayed

What Viizor Doesn't Do

To set appropriate expectations:

• No direct DWG export — DXF is the interchange format, not native DWG
• No point cloud export — Viizor works with the converted octree format internally
• No alignment/corridor design — This is visualization and surface generation, not road design software
• No drawing templates — Exports are raw geometry; titleblocks and annotation happen in your CAD software

Viizor is a bridge between point clouds and CAD, not a replacement for either end of that pipeline.

Cost Comparison

Let's address the elephant in the room.

These are capable tools with features beyond what Viizor offers. But if your primary need is "point cloud in, Civil 3D-compatible surface out," you're paying for a lot of functionality you may not use.

For a surveyor or small engineering firm processing a handful of projects per month, the math is straightforward: one-time cost versus recurring cost, with the recurring option requiring you to keep paying to keep working.

Export Summary

The goal is simple: get your point cloud data into formats your existing CAD software can use, without paying subscription fees for the privilege of exporting your own work.