Learn how to specify the Georeference Settings of your Drawing
Georeferencing tells Plex-Earth where your drawing is located on Earth. Without it, the software cannot place imagery, align satellite or aerial photos to your design, or calculate real-world coordinates. Georeferencing is required before using any Plex-Earth feature — it is always the first step.
How to Access Georeference Settings
In the Plex-Earth ribbon, go to the Project panel and click Assign Georeference. Alternatively, type PXV_GEO in the command line.
Choose a Georeferencing Method
Select the method that matches your situation:
| Method | Best for | Related Article |
|---|---|---|
| AutoCAD / BricsCAD native commands | Drawings already georeferenced using GEO, GEOLOCATION, MAPCASSIGN, or GEOCSASSIGN (AutoCAD, Civil 3D, Map 3D). Plex-Earth detects these automatically — no action needed. Click Assign Georeference to confirm: it will show By AutoCAD if detected. |
Choose a Coordinate System |
| By Coordinate System | New drawings, or drawings already based on a known coordinate system included in the Plex-Earth list. Supports search by country, system name, or EPSG code — over 3,000 systems available. | Choose a Coordinate System |
| By Geographic Location (Custom Georeference) | Existing drawings built on arbitrary or unknown coordinates. Lets you tie a point in your drawing to a known latitude/longitude or a Google Earth location — no coordinate system name required. | Apply Custom Georeference |
| Quickly Georeference a Blank Drawing | Blank drawings where you know the area of interest in Google Earth. Uses a Google Earth placemark to automatically define the georeference settings via a custom georeference. | Quickly Georeference a Blank Drawing |
FAQs
Why do I need to georeference my drawing before using Plex-Earth?
Georeferencing tells Plex-Earth where your drawing is located on Earth. Without it, the software has no way to place imagery, terrain, or satellite photos in the correct position relative to your design. It is a required first step for every Plex-Earth feature — if your drawing is not georeferenced, Plex-Earth commands will not work as expected.
I don't know the coordinate system for my project — which method should I use?
Use Custom Georeference. This method lets you tie a point in your drawing to a known location in Google Earth without needing to know the coordinate system name or EPSG code. See Apply Custom Georeference for instructions.
My drawing is already georeferenced using AutoCAD's GEO or MAPCASSIGN command — do I need to set it up again in Plex-Earth?
No. Plex-Earth automatically detects coordinate systems applied through native CAD commands including GEO, GEOLOCATION, MAPCASSIGN, and GEOCSASSIGN. Click Assign Georeference in the Plex-Earth ribbon to confirm — it will show By AutoCAD if your georeference has been detected successfully.
I have a blank drawing and don't know how to georeference — what should I do?
If you know the location in Google Earth, use Quickly Georeference a Blank Drawing. This method uses a Google Earth placemark to automatically set up the georeference for you, with no coordinate system knowledge required. See Quickly Georeference a Blank Drawing for instructions.
Related Questions
This article explains what georeferencing is in Plex-Earth and how to choose the right method to set up your drawing's location before using any Plex-Earth features. You may have searched for:
- How to georeference a drawing in Plex-Earth
- How to set the location of my AutoCAD drawing for Plex-Earth
- How to connect my drawing to real-world coordinates in AutoCAD
- How to align my AutoCAD drawing to Google Earth or Google Maps
- Plex-Earth imagery appearing in the wrong location or not aligning with my drawing
- How to place my drawing on the map in AutoCAD or Civil 3D
- How to set up GPS or real-world coordinates in AutoCAD using Plex-Earth
- What is georeferencing and why does Plex-Earth need it