New to Plex.Earth 3?

First-time user of Plex.Earth? This index post  will direct you to the appropriate content based on your intended type of use, ranging from basic setup to taking advantage of  Plex.Earth's most advanced features:

1. I want to get Plex.Earth ready for use.

Before using any command you will need to let Plex.Earth know what georeference you are using in your drawing.

If you are using AutoCAD 2016 or newer and have set a geolocation, Plex.Earth will automatically use it.

Otherwise, click on "Select Zone and Units" to bring up the respective dialog box. From the drop-down menus select the appropriate Region and Coordinate System that your project has been built on. Also pick the drawing units that are being used by your drawing.

If the one you are using cannot be found in our list, submit a request or send us an email at support@plexscape.com and we will add it.

(Note: If your drawing is not georeferenced, you can define a custom transformation as shown here)

Then open either Google Earth or the built-in Map Explorer, by clicking on Open Map Explorer. You can import aerial imagery from either (although the Map Explorer is much faster) but you can only import Terrain data from Google Earth.

To learn how to quickly synchronize Plex.Earth with both Google Earth and the Map Explorer, see this tutorial.

2. I want to import images into my AutoCAD project

You can fetch a single image or create Mosaics of images for higher resolution and greater control of the area covered. Read more here or watch these videos.

The Map Explorer can connect to Bing Maps, OpenStreetMap or any other WMS source. If you want to load content from a WMS source in Google earth, follow this procedure.

You also have the option to clip the borders off imported images (getting rid of the slight shadows that are present) and even merge all of your mosaic's tiles into a single seamless, high-resolution image. This is how.

3. I want to fetch terrain data and create contours

Make sure that the option "Show terrain" is checked in Google Earth and then read this tutorial or watch this video.

To learn more about all the options available to you, consult the "Terrain and Contours" section of the user guide, which can be found here.

4. I want to publish my project to Google Earth

 Whether you want to export objects from your drawing to Google Earth or import KML files right into your project, consult this tutorial or watch this video.

5. I want to create surfaces and calculate volumes

Use the "Create Surface" command to generate a surface from any set of points. Select "Grid Volume" to calculate the volume between any two surfaces and "Plane Volume" to calculate the volume between a surface and a specified level.