The Carlson Field Code List File (*.fcl) is a comma delimited ASCII file. Each line of the file represents a separate field code.
FCL Format Structure
| Code, |
Polyline (Y/N), |
Polyline is 3D (Y/N), |
Layer Name, |
Full Text |
- Code: The first entity of the line is the code itself. The maximum size of the code is 19
characters.
- Polyline (Y/N): The second entity determines if the code is a polyline or not and is either a
Y or N character.
- Y means "Polyline On"
- N means "Polyline Off"
- Polyline is 3D (Y/N): The third entity only applies if the code is a polyline and determines if the
line drawn will be 3D or 2D.
- Y means "3D Polyline"
- N means "2D Polyline"
- Layer Name: The fourth entity is optional. This is the layer name for which line work for
this code will be drawn. Older versions of the fcl file will not have this field. If this field is not found, the
default layer name is the code name itself. The maximum size of the layer name is 39 characters.
- Full Text: The final entity is the full text of the code. This may be the fourth or fifth entity,
but it is always the last entity. The maximum size of the full text is 99 characters.
Example with Layer Names in FCL File
AC, N, N, PAVEMENT, Asph Conc
AT, N, N, CONTROL, Aerial Target
BF, Y, Y, BUILDING, Building Face
BO, Y, Y, OVERHANG, Building Overhang
BW, Y, Y, CONCRETE, Back of Walk
Example without Layer Names in FCL File
AC, N, N, Asph Conc
AT, N, N, Aerial Target
BF, Y, Y, Building Face
BO, Y, Y, Building Overhang
BW, Y, Y, Back of Walk
BND, Y, N, BOUNDARY, 62|0.5, Boundary
GP, N, N, GROUND POINT, 3, POINT\spt15.bmp, Ground Pt
R, $R|\, N, N, REPAIR, 1, point\spt5.bmp, REPAIR
$LINES ,SM, $\|SM, Y, Y, SEAM, 5, SEAM
Additional updated notes from 2026:
1. Optional:
If the first entry starts with the "$", the CODE is part of a Category.
$LINES ,SM = Code SM is part of Category: LINES.
2. Optional info after the CODE name:
Presence of a "\", "|", and "$" characters.
$R|\,example.
"$" marker.
"|" separator
"\" not in use. (for future development)
Code R has a Point GIS Definition in the GIS file.
SM, $\|SM, ,example.
Code SM has a Linear GIS Definition in the GIS file.
Placement of the setting: left for Point type GIS, right after the separator Linear GIS Definition.
3. Optional info after the LAYER name:
BOUNDARY, 62|0.5
"|" separator only if there is a color assigned to the code and the line is 2D.
Color is an AutoCAD-based index. It is based on the DXF 0-256 color index.
0.5 is based on the main units: English or Metric.
GROUND POINT, 3, POINT\spt15.bmp,
Simple case, point color only.
3 color index 3 based on the AutoCAD index to RGB will be:
AutoCad ColorIndex #3
Decimal
Red: 0
Green: 255
Blue: 0
4. Optional info after the LAYER name:
Always after the Color.
Symbol for points only codes.
Always must be a BMP, 256 color-based table, size up to 128x128 pixels.
Location of the symbol will be:
C:\Users\
\AppData\Roaming\Carlson Software\SurvPC 7 Settings\Symbols
Example: POINT\spt15.bmp & spt15.dxf
You need two paired files, the BMP and the DXF, with the same name.