MATLAB: How to pick numbers in text file in matrix format

convertimporttext filetextscan

Hello,
From past few days I was trying to convert the attached text file to matrix. The text file includes characters and numbers, but I only want the numbers to be picked from the text file. For example, the text file reads:
No.1     >
17.698	0.000	0.000	0.000	0.000	17.698	0.000	0.000	0.000	17.698
0.000	0.000	17.698	0.000	0.000	0.000	0.000	0.000	0.000	0.000
29.209
No.2     >
0.000	0.000	8.754	0.000	17.509	0.000	8.754	0.000	0.000	8.754
0.000	0.000	8.754	0.000	0.000	0.000	0.000	0.000	0.000	0.000
47.473
No.3     >
0.000	0.000	6.720	0.000	6.720	0.000	6.720	6.720	6.720	0.000
0.000	0.000	6.720	0.000	0.000	0.000	0.000	0.000	0.000	0.000
59.679
What is need is the matrix having 3 rows and 21 columns:
17.698 0.000	0.000	0.000	0.000	17.698	0.000	0.000	0.000	17.698   0.000	0.000	17.698	0.000	0.000	0.000	0.000	0.000	0.000	0.000       29.209
0.000	 0.000	8.754	0.000	17.509	0.000	8.754	0.000	0.000	8.754    0.000	0.000	8.754	0.000	0.000	0.000	0.000	0.000	0.000	0.000       47.473
0.000	 0.000	6.720	0.000	6.720	0.000	6.720	6.720	6.720	0.000    0.000  0.000	6.720	0.000	0.000	0.000	0.000	0.000	0.000	0.000       59.679

Best Answer

Simple and efficient:
opt = {'HeaderLines',1, 'CollectOutput',true, 'EndOfLine','>', 'WhiteSpace',' \n\r\t'};
fmt = [repmat('%f',1,21),'%*s'];
[fid,msg] = fopen('sample.txt','rt');
assert(fid>=3,msg)
C = textscan(fid,fmt,opt{:});
fclose(fid);
Giving:
>> C{1}
ans =
  Columns 1 through 7
   17.6980         0         0         0         0   17.6980         0
         0         0    8.7540         0   17.5090         0    8.7540
         0         0    6.7200         0    6.7200         0    6.7200
  Columns 8 through 14
         0         0   17.6980         0         0   17.6980         0
         0         0    8.7540         0         0    8.7540         0
    6.7200    6.7200         0         0         0    6.7200         0
  Columns 15 through 21
         0         0         0         0         0         0   29.2090
         0         0         0         0         0         0   47.4730
         0         0         0         0         0         0   59.6790
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