Introduction
Plex-Earth offers several features to maximize efficiency and let one work with accuracy whilst having the most convenient options available for him through customization. We want to exhibit this by offering a custom georeferencing system to quickly associate any drawing with the real world. Georeferencing, which is the process of adding geographic information to drawings, is a prerequisite for using any other feature of Plex-Earth.
There are cases where an existing drawing has been drafted without taking into consideration any georeference system, or where it is unknown. Instead of completely redrafting a drawing from scratch, what can be done then is to associate a point in the AutoCAD or BricsCAD drawing with a point in Google Earth or with known coordinates.
Already know the coordinate system for your georeference? Browse the tutorial to georeference your drawing by choosing a coordinate system.
Create Custom Georeference
To create a Custom Georeference, go to the Plex-Earth ribbon and click on "Quick Site View" in the Project panel.
Alternatively, you can choose the same option from the Collection Manager, which appears at the left of your screen.
A window will pop up to ask you to specify your geographic location.
Method 1. Use Coordinates
You can either type in your coordinates (Latitude, Longitude) or "Paste from Clipboard" if you have copied the coordinates.
Method 2. By Google Earth
You can copy and paste the coordinates of a Google Earth element, by choosing “By Google Earth”.
To copy the location data from Google Earth, follow the steps below:
- Locate your area of interest on Google Earth.
- Create a placemark on the point, then right-click >> Copy.
Tip: You can also use the Copy View location command in Google Earth
using Ctrl+Shift+C and it will copy the coordinates of where the mouse cursor is.
- Go to Plex-Earth and click on “By Google Earth” option. Plex-Earth will automatically get the coordinates from the clipboard.
- Then, click “Accept” to proceed, as shown below:
If this option has been chosen but no data is copied, Plex-Earth will display the following dialog box, where the procedure you need to follow is described step-by-step.
NOTE: if you choose to enter values directly, keep in mind that only
lat/long values in degrees are recognized.
After this is done, you will be prompted to specify the point on the drawing that corresponds to the point where the placemark was placed.
Then, the view will be fetched and you will be prompted to accept this Site Area, via the Collection Manager appearing on the left. Click on “Create Site Area From This View”, as shown below, to proceed further.
This way Plex-Earth has created a custom georeference.
Note: If you need to change the default units of your drawing, you can go to the
Collection Manager, and click on the "Open Settings" icon. Then go to the
"General" tab and click on "Set Default Units", as shown below.
After finishing the georeferencing process, you are now ready to explore all the stunning features that Plex-Earth offers.
We hope that you have found this tutorial on how to create custom georeference through Quick Site Views, helpful. Feel free to contact us at support@plexscape.com for any questions you may still have.
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Compatibility includes:
AutoCAD Version: 2025, 2024 , 2023 , 2022 , 2021 , 2020
Civil 3D® Version: 2025, 2024 , 2023 , 2022 , 2021 , 2020
AutoCAD Architecture Version: 2025, 2024 , 2023 , 2022 , 2021 , 2020