Smart Strings¶
Smart Strings is R3Survey's automated field-to-drawing workflow. You point it at a survey data file from your total station or GPS, and it draws the points and connecting linework into the CAD drawing — correctly layered, styled, labelled, and annotated — in one operation.
The pipeline¶
A configuration is the set of files that tells R3Survey how to process your survey data. Each piece has a specific role:
| Step | File | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Validate | CodeList | Defines every valid code and its attributes (A1–A8). Unknown codes in the field file trigger a warning. |
| 2. Group | CodeStringRules | For each code, defines which attribute values separate points into distinct strings. |
| 3. Draw points | PointStyleConfig | Controls the layer, symbol (block, circle, cross), and annotation for each point — driven by code and attributes. |
| 4. Draw strings | StringStyleConfig | Controls the layer, linetype, and geometry type (line / polyline / 3D polyline) for each string — driven by code and attributes. |
| 5. Annotate points | LabelStyleConfig | Defines named label styles (appearance, position, content) used by PointStyleConfig. |
| 6. Annotate features | PointLabelRules | Places descriptive text labels on strings — e.g. CONCRETE KERB, SMH, 375Ø RCP. |
| 7. Surface (Civil 3D) | ContourablePoints | Defines which codes and attribute combinations are included in surface / DTM generation. |
| 8. Surface (Civil 3D) | BreaklineLayers | Defines which drawn string layers act as surface breaklines. |
Point labels vs feature labels
There are two separate labelling systems. LabelStyleConfig controls point-level annotation — elevation, code, point number — positioned at each point. PointLabelRules controls descriptive feature labels placed along strings — identifying what the feature is. Both are driven by codes and attributes but serve different purposes.
Civil 3D only
ContourablePoints and BreaklineLayers are only relevant if you are using the Civil 3D edition and building surfaces from survey data.
Commands¶
| Command | Description |
|---|---|
R3STRING |
Run stringing from a survey file |
R3MANAGECONFIGS |
Manage configurations, code lists, and style files |
R3BUILDSURFACE |
Build a Civil 3D TIN surface from contourable points and breakline layers (Civil 3D only) |
New to Smart Strings?¶
Start with Setting up from scratch for a step-by-step walkthrough before diving into the reference pages.
In this section¶
| Page | Description |
|---|---|
| Setting up from scratch | Step-by-step: first configuration to first drawing |
| R3STRING command | Running the stringing process |
| Configuration | Managing configurations with R3MANAGECONFIGS |
| Code Lists | Defining valid codes and attributes |
| Code String Rules | Grouping points into strings |
| Point Styles | Styling individual points — layer, symbol, labels, geometry |
| Label Style Config | Point label appearance and position |
| Point Label Rules | Descriptive feature labels on strings |
| String Styles | String layer, linetype, and geometry type |
| Contourable Points | Surface / DTM point filter (Civil 3D) |
| Breakline Layers | Surface breakline layers (Civil 3D) |