This article will explain the new user interface and available settings in Plex-Earth Lite to help you navigate and optimize your workflow.
User Interface
Plex-Earth Lite 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 Lite Ribbon
Plex-Earth Lite is fully embedded in the AutoCAD/BricsCAD 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:
- Quick Site View
- Create Point of Interest
- Show Collection Manager: Organize and manage all Plex-Earth elements created.
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Google Earth Tools: Create placemarks and other Google Earth elements and zoom to your AOI in Google Earth
- Zoom to Area
- Zoom to Point
- View by Camera
- View by Sightline
- Create Placemark
- Create Path
- Create Polygon
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Raster Tools: Tools for raster images such as clipping, merging, draping imagery to mesh, and importing/exporting World files.
- Import Camera Photo
- Import World File
- Export World File
- Raster Clipping Tools (Create Clipping, Remove Clipping, Activate Clipping, Deactivate Clipping)
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Service: Account information, network settings, help, etc.
- My Account
- Network Settings
- Switch Edition
- Sign Out
- Help
Collection Manager
All-in-one palette where you can manage your Plex-Earth elements
Below shows 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
Tile Preview: Click to toggle tile preview on/off
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
Restore: Restores the Plex-Earth object; usually visible after opening a drawing with objects not autorestored
Settings: Shows the settings that you can customize in a popup window
Units: Lets you change the units assigned for the georeference applied
Auto-show on drawing open: Automatically opens the collection manager if checked upon opening a drawing or creating a new Site Area/POI
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 (NOT AVAILABLE for Lite)
- Automatic mesh calculation: Automatic setting for terrain resolution from Google Earth is automatically adjusted based on the selected region
- Custom resolution (not available for Lite)
Changing Units
At the very bottom of the collection manager, click on the units.
To change 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.
Don't have Plex-Earth Lite yet? Install it for free and explore its benefits now! Or, see how you can switch from a Plex-Earth trial to Lite here.
Compatibility includes:
AutoCAD, Civil 3D®, AutoCAD Map 3D, AutoCAD Architecture, AutoCAD Electrical, AutoCAD Mechanical, AutoCAD MEP, AutoCAD Plant 3D: 2026 , 2025 , 2024 , 2023 , 2022 , 2021 , 2020
BricsCAD (Pro, Mechanical, BIM, Ultimate): V25 , V24 , V23 , V22 , V21