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Importing CSV, DXF & KML Files

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GASWorkS can build a new model, or merge new data into an existing one, from a CSV, DXF, or KML file created in an outside application. Review each format’s requirements and mapping screen carefully before importing — every format needs its incoming columns, layers, or folders explicitly mapped to the correct GASWorkS data item, and anything left unassigned either falls back to a default value or is skipped entirely.

General Import & Merge Information

Two routines with similar functions are available: Import and Merge. Import creates a new model from external data; Merge combines outside data with a model that’s already open — useful for adding a new feature type to an existing model, such as adding customers to a pipe-only model, or updating customer information from a spreadsheet.

The source file doesn’t need to include every data item GASWorkS supports — anything missing is set to a specified default value, which can be revised afterward with the Mass Update routine or any data edit command. Defaults are set on the User Options & Settings screen (Utilities menu). The table below lists which file types support Import versus Merge.

File TypeImportMerge
CSV File – Customer✓✓
CSV File – Node✓
CSV File – Pipe✓
DXF File✓✓
KML File✓✓
SHP File – Customer✓✓
SHP File – Junction✓
SHP File – Node✓
SHP File – Pipe✓✓
SHP File – Service✓
SHP File – Valve✓

Import A CSV File – Customer

Imports customer data from a CSV file to create a new model, or merges it into an existing one.

Requirements

  • The source file must be a standard comma-separated values (.csv) file.
  • Every customer record needs X and Y coordinate values — a record without both is skipped entirely rather than imported with a blank location.
  • No other column is strictly required; anything you don’t map falls back to the model’s default customer data values.
  1. From the Utilities menu, select Import.
  2. On the Save screen, enter a File name for the new GASWorkS 11 model, select “GASWorkS 11 (*.gwz)” as the Save as type, and click Save. If overwriting an existing model, confirm when prompted.
  3. On the Import screen, select “CSV (Comma Separated Values) File – Customer” from the File Type list and click Import.
  4. On the Open screen, select a customer (*.csv) file and click Open.
  5. On the Customer Import Specifications screen, map each incoming CSV Column Assignment to its corresponding GASWorkS Data Item — for example, mapping one column to X-Coordinate and another to Y-Coordinate, since those two are required for a record to import at all. Map as many of the remaining columns as you want auto-populated; anything left unmapped uses the model’s default values instead. Click Clear Data Field Assignments if you need to reset every mapping and start over.
  6. Review the remaining settings on the screen — including whether GASWorkS should assign supply main connections during import — then click Continue.
  7. The Import screen displays again with the Import Log tracking progress. When complete, click Close to return to the GDI Window.

Accessed by selecting Import from the Utilities menu, then selecting “CSV (Comma Separated Values) File – Customer” from the File Type list on the Import screen. This is a Utilities-menu routine, not a GDI Command, so it has no GDI Command Line alias.

Notes

  • Before importing, it’s worth reviewing the Notes & Considerations under the Import Or Merge CSV (Comma Separated Values) Files topic in the GASWorkS User’s Manual as well as this article, since the Manual covers additional detail on the Customer Import Specifications screen.

Import A DXF File

Imports data from a DXF file to create a new model, or merges it into an existing one.

Requirements

  • The file must be in standard DXF format as specified by the Autodesk DXF Reference. Most CAD, GIS, and graphics packages can produce this format.
  • Supported entity types for pipe line work are arc, line, polyline, lwpolyline, and spline.
  • Every layer that should be imported must be assigned as a Pipe Layer, Valve Node Layer, Customer Layer, or Service Layer — a layer left unassigned is not imported at all.
  • Valve nodes should be represented by a block-type entity. Customers should be represented by a block or text-type entity — if using text, the value must be a unique customer identifier.
  • Service lines require a supported pipe-line entity type, and can only be imported alongside pipes and customers in the same file, or merged into a model that already has both.
  1. From the Utilities menu, select Import.
  2. On the Save screen, enter a File name for the new GASWorkS 11 model, select “GASWorkS 11 (*.gwz)” as the Save as type, and click Save. If overwriting an existing model, confirm when prompted.
  3. On the Import screen, select “DXF (Drawing Exchange Format) File” from the File Type list and click Import.
  4. On the Open screen, select a (*.dxf) file and click Open.
  5. On the Import Specifications screen’s Pipe Settings tab, map each DXF Layer Assignment to its corresponding Pipe Size/Type — for example, a layer named “Main_2P” might map to the “2P” size/type. Click Clear Pipe Layer Assignments to reset every mapping and start over.
  6. On the same tab, set the Fuzzy Tolerance (in the Prompted Length Values dimensional units) that controls how close a new pipe end must be to an existing feature before GASWorkS treats them as the same; set Pipe Length Units to match the units the drawing was created in; select or clear Assign Entity Handle To Pipe Link ID Number depending on whether the DXF entity’s internal handle should carry over as the pipe’s Link ID Number; set Drawing Coordinate Units to the units used in the source file; and set an Origin Shift (X and Y, in Drawing Coordinate Units) if the drawing’s origin needs to be offset during import.
  7. Review the remaining settings — including whether to assign supply main connections during import — then click Continue.
  8. The Import screen displays again with the Import Log tracking progress. When complete, click Close to return to the GDI Window.

Accessed by selecting Import from the Utilities menu, then selecting “DXF (Drawing Exchange Format) File” from the File Type list on the Import screen. This is a Utilities-menu routine, not a GDI Command, so it has no GDI Command Line alias.

Notes

  • Each pipe segment’s first and last coordinates become nodes; if a coordinate matches an existing node’s location, the new segment connects to that node instead of creating a duplicate.
  • Customer entities can be “stacked” (placed directly on top of one another) in the source file — GASWorkS will still import each one as a separate customer.
  • Before importing, it’s worth reviewing the Notes & Considerations under the Import Or Merge DXF (Drawing Exchange Format) Files topic in the GASWorkS User’s Manual as well as this article.

Import A KML File

Imports data from a KML file to create a new model, or merges it into an existing one.

Requirements

  • The file must follow the official KML schema.
  • GASWorkS is read-only for “Point” and “LineString” feature styles — other KML feature styles the file might contain aren’t read.
  • A Fuzzy Tolerance of zero is recommended, since KML coordinates are stored in latitude and longitude, where distances between points are typically very small numbers.
  • Specifying Node Symbol Size in “% Of Display Width” (rather than a fixed length) is recommended too — otherwise node symbols can appear oversized and block other model features.
  1. From the Utilities menu, select Import.
  2. On the Save screen, enter a File name for the new GASWorkS 11 model, select “GASWorkS 11 (*.gwz)” as the Save as type, and click Save. If overwriting an existing model, confirm when prompted.
  3. On the Import screen, select “KML (Keyhole Markup Language) File” from the File Type list and click Import.
  4. On the Open screen, select a (*.kml) file and click Continue.
  5. On the Import Specifications screen, map each incoming Folder Assignment to its corresponding Pipe Size/Type — a KML file organizes its lines into folders, so each folder needs mapping to a pipe size/type the same way a DXF layer does. Click Clear Pipe Folder Assignments to reset every mapping and start over.
  6. Review the remaining settings — including the Fuzzy Tolerance and Node Symbol Size values (see Requirements above), and whether to assign supply main connections during import — then click Continue.
  7. The Import screen displays again with the Import Log tracking progress. When complete, click Close to return to the GDI Window.

Accessed by selecting Import from the Utilities menu, then selecting “KML (Keyhole Markup Language) File” from the File Type list on the Import screen. This is a Utilities-menu routine, not a GDI Command, so it has no GDI Command Line alias.

Notes

  • Merging a KML file into a model that’s already in projected coordinates isn’t recommended, since the merged KML data can’t be projected afterward. Instead, import the KML file into its own model, project that model, then append the two models together using the Append item on the File menu — see the Append topic in the Menu Items section of the GASWorkS User’s Manual for more detail.

Notes & Considerations

  • When importing or merging customer data (from any of the three formats), GASWorkS asks whether to assign supply main connections. Choosing Yes draws service connections between customers and their nearest main — some assignments may be incorrect, in which case use Reassign A Customer’s Supply Main to fix them.
  • The Merge routine matches source data against existing features using a specified Fuzzy Tolerance: if an existing pipe, node, or customer falls within that tolerance of an incoming feature, GASWorkS treats them as the same feature and doesn’t add a duplicate; otherwise the incoming feature is added. This can cause customers or nodes to “stack” if the tolerance is set incorrectly, so validate the results after any Merge. The Fuzzy Tolerance is expressed in the Prompted Length Values dimensional units, changeable on the Units data tab of the User Options & Settings screen.
  • After importing a DXF or KML file, use Zoom To Fit to bring the newly imported model into view.

See Also

  • Customer Loads, Supply Mains & Maintenance
  • Views, Panning, Zooming & Plotting
  • Importing & Merging Shapefiles (SHP)
  • Exporting Model Data (CSV, DBF & XLS)
  • Exporting to DXF, KML & Shapefiles
  • Example: Importing DXF & Working with Shapefiles

FAQ

  • Where do I start an export?
    From the Utilities menu, select the Export item, choose the desired File Type on the Export screen, and click the Export command button. Each routine then walks through a Save screen, a format-specific settings screen, and finally reports its status in the Export Log.
  • What coordinate system does a KML export require?
    The model must be in longitude and latitude coordinates to export a KML file. If it is not, a message may be displayed asking whether to project the coordinates before the export continues.
  • Can I control what ends up in a DXF export?
    Yes — the DXF Export Settings screen is displayed during the export so you can review the settings. Its General data tab includes a Use Template File option, and GASWorkS provides a default template in the “GASWorkS 11\support\cad” folder.

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Updated on September 11, 2026

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