Selecting Import Survey from the Other Menu allows you to import survey data from other programs into CavePlot. Currently supported import formats (all ASCII text) include CavePlot-Text, Karst.SUR, and Compass.DAT. All three of these formats can be created on a standard text editor or word processor. Karst.SUR files are used by the DOS program "Karst256" and then windows program "WinKarst", written by Gary Petrie. Compass.DAT files are used by the DOS program "Compass", written by Larry Fish.
CavePlot-Text files are used by CavePlot (of course!). CavePlot's regular files are binary, and hence cannot be viewed or edited without CavePlot. I created the CavePlot-Text format to allow users to both import and export data files as ASCII text. This allows them to be viewed, edited, and printed from most text editors and word processors. Besides the regular survey data, CavePlot-Text files also preserve a lot of useful information such as section assignments, colors, SICN's, etc.
The CavePlot-Text format also allows several variations in the data which are not supported by CavePlot's data editors. These variations include changing magnetic declination, changes in data order, and so on.
Due to numerous variations between different cave surveying programs, as well as potential typing and format errors, imported data should always be checked for accuracy. If you believe that survey data is not being imported properly, please let me know.
