This article will explain the new user interface, available settings, and key commands in Plex-Earth 2026 to help you navigate and optimize your workflow.
User Interface
Plex-Earth 2026 introduces a streamlined and intuitive user interface designed for improved accessibility and efficiency. The new UI retains familiar elements while integrating modern enhancements for a seamless experience.
Plex-Earth Ribbon
Plex-Earth 2026 is fully embedded in the AutoCAD ribbon, offering categorized tools under:
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Project: Assign georeference and pick the desired method.
- Assign Georeference
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Contextual Data: Tools for managing site views, imagery, terrain, and collection management. This includes:
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Quick Site View commands
Instantly preview site locations. Create Site Areas to import aerial/satellite and historical imagery and terrain, all-in-one, and Create Points of Interest.
- Create Site Area
- Create Point of Interest
Create Imagery commands
Generate simple and high-quality images for CAD projects.
- Create Single Image
- Create Mosaic
- Create Timeline
Create Terrain commands
Import and manage terrain data from multiple sources and create volume bars.
- Create Terrain (From Google Elevations)
- Create Terrain (From Google Elevations)
- Terrain from GeoTIFF
- Terrain from Objects
- Terrain from Mesh
- Volume Between Surfaces
- Volume Between Surface and Plane
Show Collection Manager
Organize and manage all Plex-Earth elements created.
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Google Earth Tools: Import/export KML/KMZ files, create placemarks and other Google Earth elements, and import images from Google Earth.
Show all Google Earth Tools commands
- Zoom to Area
- Zoom to Point
- View by Camera
- View by Sightline
- Create Placemark
- Create Path
- Create Polygon
- Import KML/KMZ
- Import Images
- Export KML/KMZ
- Export 3D KMZ
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Raster Tools: Tools for raster images such as clipping, merging, draping imagery to mesh, and importing/exporting World files.
Show all Raster Tools commands
- Import Camera Photo
- Import World File
- Export World File
- Merge Images
- Trim Images
- Replace Image
- Drape Image on Mesh
- Raster Clipping Tools (Create Clipping, Remove Clipping, Activate Clipping, Deactivate Clipping)
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Service: Account information, network settings, help, etc.
Show all Service commands
- My Account
- Network Settings
- Sign Out
- Help
Collection Manager
All-in-one palette where you can manage your Plex-Earth elements
Below shows the the tabs for each feature in the Collection Manager. A list for each feature will be shown on the respective tabs.
Show all button descriptions
Create Site Area/POI/Imagery/Terrain: Lets you add a new Site Area/POI/Imagery/Terrain directly from the palette
Show/Hide All: Shows/Hides all the Site Area/POI/Imagery/Terrain in the drawing
Show/Hide Imagery: Shows/Hides all the imagery created from Site Areas
Show/Hide Terrain: Shows/Hides all the terrain created from Site Areas
Show/Hide Site Area Bounds
Select the object in drawing
Delete the Selected Items
Show/Hide: Shows/Hides the selected object
Zoom to Area: Zooms to the object
Rename: Lets you rename the object
Toggle Autore-store: Lock to automatically restore item or unlock to disable auto-restore
Edit: Redirects to the Site/POI/Imagery/Terrain Editor
Settings
The main settings for Plex-Earth can be accessed via the Gear icon located at the very bottom left in the Collection Manager
General Settings
Display Collection Manager upon opening a drawing
Restore Settings
- Restore existing models upon opening a drawing
- Filled: Ask user
- Checked: Automatically restore
- No fill: No restore
- Partial Restore
- Checked: Partial restore is enabled to exclusively restore active elements and speed up operations.
- Unchecked: Full restore is enabled to restore all of the elements in the models.
Units: You can set the Default Units for your Plex-Earth imports/exports.
Site Settings
Automatically open the editor and fetch preview imagery for new Sites
POI Settings
- Automatically open the editor and fetch preview imagery for new Points of Interest (POI)
- Labels
- Display Labels
- Text Size
Imagery Settings
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Select Plot Quality
- Draft: Optimized for speed, suitable when drafting
- Final: Optimized for quality, suitable when plotting/printing
- No Plot: imagery will not be plotted
- Manage Imagery Providers: Lets you manage the imagery providers, such as setting the default provider and adding custom maps
Terrain Settings
Custom mesh resolution for Google Elevations
- Automatic mesh calculation (Recommended): terrain resolution from Google Earth is automatically adjusted based on the selected region
- Custom resolution: Lets you manually define the terrain resolution. Take note that when setting a lower value, the result might be the same as higher ones, as the values might just be an interpolation of the basic data.
Changing Default Units
Click on the Settings button located at the very bottom left in the Collection Manager palette -> General -> Set Default Units.
Alternatively, type in PXV_DEFAULT_UNITS in the command line.
Plex-Earth 2026 Commands
Below, you can find the list of other Plex-Earth 2026 commands that can be typed into AutoCAD/BricsCAD's command line. which might not be available through the ribbon or the Collection Manager palette
General Customization and Fixing commands
Below you can find commands that affect predefined options of Plex-Earth and commands that fix common issues.
| PXV_RIBBON_FIX | Use this command to fix the ribbon of Plex-Earth, in case it did not load correctly |
| PXV_VAR_AUTOSTART | Enables automatic start of Plex Earth, on AutoCAD load. |
| PXV_VAR_AUTOPALETTE | With this command, you select if you want the palettes of Plex-Earth (like the Collection Manager) to open automatically, when you start the software, or not |
| PXV_CLEAR_PLOTS | Clears plot cache |
| PXV_GEO_CLEAR | Removes any applied georeference system from the drawing |
| PXV_DEFAULT_UNITS | Lets you choose the default units in Plex-Earth |
Imagery Commands
Below you can find commands related to the imagery features of Plex-Earth.
| PXV_IMAGERY_DEFAULTSRC_UNSET | Clears the user's default imagery provider setting |
| PXV_VAR_ZOOM_DISPLAY | Display the quality of the images either with Zoom Level or cm/pixel (or in/pixel) |
| PXV_VAR_MOSAIC_OVERLAP | Change tiles overlap for the mosaic creation |
| PXV_VAR_NEARMAP_APIKEY | Set your Nearmap API key so you do not consume your credits when creating Nearmap mosaics. This requires the Premium plan. Contact support for more info |
Raster Imagery commands
Here, you will find commands related to the raster file images you create or process with Plex-Earth.
| PXV_OPTIONS_RASTERMERGE | Opens the Raster Images Options. There you can choose if you will keep the draw order for the images and if you will remove the original images or not |
| PXV_VAR_MAXIMGSIZE | Define how many pixels a merged raster image can have. If you reach the limit, the mega tiles are divided into more than one. This can create issues when draping or when printing to PDF. |
| PXV_VAR_USEDOCSAVEPATH | Raster images will be saved in the same location with your drawing if set to YES. Set to NO if you want to be asked each time where your raster file should be saved |
| PXV_VAR_JPEGQUAL | Defines the quality of the raster image (percentage) |
| PXV_VAR_RASTER_IMAGE_FORMAT | Select Raster Image Format between png, jpg, or tiff |
Terrain Commands
Below, you can find commands related to the terrain feature of Plex-Earth.
| PXV_VAR_NUMFORMAT_ELEV | Define the format and the decimal points of the elevation and contour labels (predefined format + 0.00;-0.00;0.00) |
| PXV_VAR_NUMFORMAT_VOL | Define the format and the decimal points of the volume labels (predefined format + 0.00;-0.00;0.00) |
| PXV_VAR_NUMFORMAT_SLOPE | Define the format and the decimal points of the slope labels (predefined format + 0.00;-0.00;0.00) |
| PXV_VAR_SLOPE_UNITS | Select Slope Units |
| PXV_VAR_TIN_INSERT_TYPE |
Select the type of mesh that is inserted when mesh insertion is selected. The choices are:
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PXV_VAR_TERRAIN_INSERT_TIN_GROUPING |
Allows the user to set how TIN meshes will be inserted in the drawing:
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Import and Export to Google Earth commands
Here, you will find commands related to importing and exporting 2D and 3D objects to Google Earth.
| PXV_OPTIONS_EXPORTKML | Directly opens the Export to Google Earth Options. Find more info here |
| PXV_VAR_PASTE_ALLOW | Allow Paste operation for KML objects to AutoCAD (predefined value Yes) |
| PXV_VAR_KMLIMPORT_AUTOZOOM | When enabled, it allows zoom into AutoCAD to the imported KML/KMZ object after finishing the import (predefined value Yes) |
| PXV_VAR_KMLIMPORT_DATA_DESCR_MAXLEN | It defines the max length of the text description in imported KML/KMZ objects (predefined value 4000) |
| PXV_VAR_KMLIMPORT_FORCE_LABEL_COLOR | Force importer to set a Label color from other styles when the Label style configuration is missing (predefined value No) |
| PXV_VAR_KMLIMPORT_INCLUDE_DATA | Choose to include object data in KML import |
| PXV_VAR_KMLIMPORT_PM_ICONS | Choose if you want to import placemark icons |
| PXV_VAR_KMLIMPORT_PM_TEXT | Choose if you want to import placemark names as text objects |
| PXV_EXPORT_COLLADA | Exports selected items in AutoCAD as a Collada model (.dae file format) |
| PXV_PREP3D | Prepare Mesh or 3D Faces, imported into AutoCAD from SKP files, to export to Google Earth |
| PXV_PREP3D_MESH | Preparing Mesh, imported into AutoCAD from SKP files, to export to Google Earth |
| PXV_PREP3D_FACES | Preparing 3D faces, imported into AutoCAD from SKP files, to export to Google Earth |
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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
BricsCAD Pro: V25, V24 , V23 , V22 , V21