I am unable to figure out, from the meager help file, how to actually import X,Y,Z points, to make a surface.  Since there isn't a tool pallette, I go to the menu, and select Surface Modeling/Import Points.  Absolutely nothing happens!  If the previous command was an insert wall command, the prompt is still to insert the beginning of a wall.  Surface Modeling/Tools/Spatial Data importer doesn't seem to have any import category that even comes close to a simple X,Y,Z points import.  Help!  At least the Terrain will import points from an external file. 

Have you tried the 'Themes switch' work around to get the tool palette to show up? It is in a different post.

The quickest way for simple xyz points is to copy them from your text file to the clipboard and then use the 'Paste' menu item. See attached.

For the more advanced inport tasks:
There should be a link to ImportPoints.exe in 'All programs' see attached.
Otherwise do a search on you your computer for ImportPoints.exe

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Now I have more than one issue
1.  Changing the themes, as you described, does away with the Cadcourse tabbed views, which I have come to depend on since V11Pro.  I get the Surface Modeler icons, but lose MUCH more in functionality for the whole program interface.
2.  Going back to the V11 view has taken away a subset of views, "Dimetric Views" that I used regularly, both in the regular menus, and in the right click Pop-up menus.  Reloading the Cadcourse V16 does NOT get them back. 
3.  I still don't get how to get the points into the drawing.  There are no clear instructions in the help, of this most basic need.  The menu item which is supposed to open the file to import is not functional, and when I go to a text file with X,Y,Z points in it, copy them all to the buffer, and go back to the surface modeller command, and select "paste" I get a paste of a text box.  No points show up, even in a zoom extents view, and there is no indication that anything has happened at all.  This is VERY frustrating. 
I had an excel macro before, that would import points and make triangles in a TCPro drawing, and it was free, and worked without TC VBA.  I don't know why this is not working.  I opened the "my computer" icon, and tracked down the files that you show, (almost) in your clip.  Is the folder icon supposed to call some or all of these apps, or am I supposed to manually activate them from this folder?  I am not clear on your post.
ON THE BRIGHT SIDE. . . . I am very happy that you are responding, even if I don't always like or understand the response.

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re: Dimetric Views toolbar

The "Dimetric Views" toolbar is not a standard toolbar, it has to be created by the user. Create a "New" toolbar and then drag the Dimetric commands onto it.

Once you get your workspace setup to your satisfaction, it's a good idea to save it, so you can Load it in situations like this. This is done at "Tools / Customize —> Options page —> Workspace section".

John R.

John, thanks.  I was able to get my dimetric views back.  I'm wondering if I can re-create the Cadcourse Tabbed set up, from the "standard" set up that I have going now, which allows the Surface Modeler icons to show.  I'd love to make a new tab with those tools, if I can figure out how to re-create from scratch, all of the other tabs.

re: I'd love to make a new tab with those tools

I have very little experience with Tabbed Toolbars. I see that there a two "Standard" toolbars and that the CADCourse version can't be edited. I suggest you write Rob Berry at CADCourse, the author of the CADCourse workspace. He should be able to point you in the right direction on this.

John R.

I can see that you do see the toolbar now.

From your attachment the list of points I see there tells me that you used the 'TurboCAD Paste' and not the 'Surface Modeling Paste.' I put up no text box unless there is a problem getting points from the text on the clipboard. If you did use the correct button then what did the text box say?

Yes it is ImportPoints.exe that you can run to bring data into turbocad. Checkout this movie: http://www.surfacemodeling.com/Movie/how_to_import_txt.html.

Hi Jerry

I'm using TurboCad Delux V12. Is ImportPoints.exe included with the installation? If not where can I get it? I have done a search on the internet but only came across a ImportPoints.exe for AutoCad.

M

Hi,

The ImportPoints.exe is a third party component that I developed. You can buy it from here  http://www.surfacemodeling.com/products.htm.

Regards,
Jerry