Spatial Manager™ for BricsCAD

Introduction

Spatial Manager™ for BricsCAD is a powerful BricsCAD plug-in designed for BricsCAD users who need to import, export and manage spatial data in a simple, fast and inexpensive way, which includes many possibilities not seen so far in BricsCAD. It comes in a lightweight application that runs inside BricsCAD and allows the user to import and export geospatial data between BricsCAD drawings and geospatial files, data servers or data stores

Notes:

- The access to spatial data servers and stores is available in the "Standard" and "Professional" editions only

- The complete Export capabilities are available in the "Professional" edition only, although "Export the current status of the drawing to Google Earth" is a function available on the "Standard" and "Professional" editions

- The full managing of spatial data functionality and the 'Background Maps' are available in the "Standard" and "Professional" editions only

- The Terrains functionality is available in the "Professional" edition only

- Some functions or options may not be available in older versions. Please review the instructions and notes in each FAQs section because they describe the functional limitations for these versions

- Some components in the images on this page (providers, names, windows look, etc.) may be slightly different from those that will appear on your computer

BricsCAD commands

Spatial Manager™ for BricsCAD Ribbon (All commands can also be found in the drop-down Menu and Toolbar of Spatial Manager)

This is the list of BricsCAD commands included in Spatial Manager™ for BricsCAD

• Main commands
  • SPM: Show Palette. Opens and/or displays the application Palette
  • SPMCLOSE: Close. Closes the application Palette
  • SPMIMPORT: Import. Directly Imports features from geospatial files or tables without using the application Palette
    • -SPMIMPORT [Task name]: Import (Command Line). Execute Task(s) from the command line, useful in Scripts, etc. ("Professional" edition only)
  • SPMEXPORT: Export. Exports BricsCAD entities into geospatial files or tables ("Professional" edition only)
  • SPMSETCRS: Coordinate system. Sets the Coordinate Reference System (CRS) for the drawing
  • SPMCREATEKML: Export to Google Earth. Exports the current status of the drawing to Google Earth (one click) ("Standard" and "Professional" editions only)
• Background Map commands ("Standard" and "Professional" editions only)
  • SPMBGMAPSHOW: Show. Shows the selected image Map in the background of the drawing. Includes tools to manage the user Background Maps
  • SPMBGMAPHIDE: Hide. Hides the Background Map if it is displayed
  • SPMBGMAPREFRESH: Refresh. Regenerates the image of the Background Map, which may be needed under certain graphic situations
  • SPMBGMAPIMAGE: Capture. Creates a BricsCAD raster image corresponding to the display view of the current Background Map (Snapshot)
  • SPMBGMAPIMAGEPURGE: Purge. Delete 'orphan' image tiles and perform some other cleaning operations
• Terrain commands ("Professional" edition only)
  • SPMTERRAIN: Terrain. Create Terrains, Contours and elevation 3D Points. Command options:
    • 1: 3D Points built by accessing Elevation service providers in any selected area
    • 2: 2D or 3D Contours from selected 3D Points
    • 3: Terrain wizard. Complete 3D Points, Contours and Terrains funcionality
• Selection commands ("Standard" and "Professional" editions only)
  • SPMSELECTBYQUERY: By Query. Selects entities by a simple or compound query over their data
  • SPMSELECTBYTABLE: By Table. Selects all the entities attached to a specific data table
  • SPMZOOMTOSELECTION: Zoom to Selection. Zoom to the selected entities
• Data Table commands ("Standard" and "Professional" editions only)
  • SPMDATATABLEGRID: Data grid. Opens and displays the 'Data Grid' palette ("Professional" edition only)
  • SPMDATATABLEDEFINE: Define Table. Defines, restores, modifies, renames or deletes a data table or its fields
  • SPMDATATABLEATTACH: Attach. Attaches one or more entities to a data table
  • SPMDATATABLEDETACH: Detach. Detaches one or more entities from their corresponding attached data table
• Support commands
  • SPMOPTIONS: Options. Set of parameters to configure the application (includes also the functionality of SPMUPDATE and SPMABOUT)
  • SPMHELP: Help. Shows the application help (Wiki format)
  • SPMUPDATE: Updates. Checks if there is a new application release to be downloaded from Internet
  • SPMABOUT: Information. Shows basic information about the application and the installed release

Note: All the command names are also valid if you replace the prefix "SPM" for "SPATIALMANAGER". For example, "SPATIALMANAGERCREATEKML" is equivalent to "SPMCREATEKML", or "SPATIALMANAGER" is equivalent to "SPM"

Main features

• General
  • Import/export spatial data into/from BricsCAD drawings
  • Publish to Google Earth
  • Dynamic Background image Maps from Bing, OpenStreeMap, Mapbox, Ordnance Survey, NearMap, etc.
    • Configurable user Maps
      • XYZ / TMS, WMTS and WMS compatible
      • WMS multi-layer maps
      • Export/Import user Background Maps
    • Snapshots (geo-referenced BricsCAD Images) of the current Background Map
  • Terrains
    • From 3D Points selected in drawing
    • From a grid of 3D Points built by accessing Elevation service providers in any selected area
    • 2D or 3D Contours
      • Minor and major Contours
      • Contour labels
      • Layer Separation and different color models
      • Contours attached to a Data Table
    • Generation of three-dimensional Terrain models (using 3D Meshes or some other CAD/BIM objects)
    • Automatic projection and adjustment of the image of any Background Map (preset or user-configured) over one or more Terrains in the real location
  • Transformation of coordinates when importing, exporting, showing Background Maps, projecting Background Map images on Terrains, etc.
  • XDATA / Extended Entity Data (EED)
    • Data grid palette interactive and synchronized
      • Selecting entities and navigation tools in the grid
      • Editing data and columns
      • Columns sorting
      • Sorting data by column
      • Automatic column width adjustment
      • Direct export to CSV, TXT, etc.
      • Multi-table grid
    • Viewer palette
      • Also shows some other data as the Blocks properties (Name and Attributes), Layer, geometric properties, etc.
    • Edit values directly in the palette
    • Hyperlinks
    • Managing data structure
      • Define, modify, rename and delete tables and fields
      • Recover data table structures from the drawing entities
      • Attaching entities to a table
      • Detaching entities from their tables
    • Selecting entities by a simple or compound query over their data
      • Choose or search data from available values in the fields
    • Selecting the entities attached to a table
    • Zoom to the selected entities
      
      
• Import processes
  • Entities imported into a new or open drawing
  • Raster and vector entities
  • Smart Batch import
  • Basic target layer or new target layers using a field value
  • Use blocks for points and centroids
    • Select the name of the Block according to the value of a field
    • Block insertion parameters from field values
  • Polygon fills and transparencies
    • Fill properties can be taken from fields values
  • Polygon centroids
  • Smart labeling of entities while importing
  • Spatial filter to import only the entities in the current view
  • Import polygons using "MPolygon" entities
  • Elevation and thickness from field values
  • Import data from tables as XDATA / Extended Entity Data (EED)
  • Speed up the processes skipping some wizard steps
  • Use the intuitive palette options or the quick import function
  • Save Tasks to replay the import processes so many times as desired
    
    
• Export processes
  • Entities exported to geospatial files or servers
  • Export (Publish) the current status and style of the drawing to Google Earth (one click)
    • Raster and vector entities
  • Select the entities to be exported
  • Option to export also the data of the entities and choose it from what Table and Fields
  • Option to treat the closed polylines as polygons
  • Options to export the Handle, the Layer and the Elevation of the entities
  • Options to export the Name and the Attributes of the Block References as well as their Rotation and Scales
  • Options to export Text entities and their basic properties (Rotation and Height)
  • Options to export Hatch entities and their properties (Name, Angle, Scale, etc.)
  • Options to export the X/Y/Z coordinates, Length and Area of the entities
  • Automatic complex geometric operations
  • Filtering of incompatible entities
  • Option to open the exported file location directly
    
    
• Data sources
  • Manage your own shortcuts
  • Access to spatial data files (SHP, GPX, KML/KMZ, OSM, PBF, LAS/LAZ, CSV, TXT, ASC, XYZ, MIF/MID, TAB, E00, SQLite, SDF, GML, XML, JPF, PNG, TIF, etc.)
  • Manage your User Data Sources
  • Access to spatial database servers (SQL Server, PostGIS, etc.)
    • Views and Tables
  • Access to other connections (WFS, ODBC points or WKB - Excel, Access, dBase,...-, etc.)
  • See current available Data Providers

Notes:

- The access to spatial data servers and stores, the XDATA / Extended Entity Data (EED) and the Background Maps are available in the "Standard" and "Professional" editions only. The Data grid palette is available in the "Professional" edition only

- The complete Export capabilities are available in the "Professional" edition only, although "Export the current status of the drawing to Google Earth" is a function available in the "Standard" edition also

- The Tasks technology is available in the "Professional" edition only

To get a first preview of the application, please watch this video:

IMPORT video updated on May 2018

• Importing Shapefiles (SHP)

To experiment the EXPORT capabilities (on the 'Professional' edition), please watch the following videos:

• Directly to Google Earth (KML) from your drawing
• Coordinates to Excel from your drawing
• Import a Shapefile and export it as 3D Google Earth
• OpenStreetMap data. Edit and export to Google Earth
• Import a Shapefile. Edit & export as Shapefile
• Export improvements

• Publish the drawing to Google Earth (on the 'Standard' and 'Professional' editions)

To know how to BATCH IMPORT works, please watch this video:

• ‘Import all’ from a folder

To take a look at the TASKS technology (on the 'Professional' edition), please watch this video:

• Tasks preview

To learn how is working the DIRECT DATA EDITION and how to MANAGE the DATA STRUCTURE (on the 'Standard' and 'Professional' editions), please watch the following videos:

• Direct Data Edition
• Managing the Data Structure
• Selecting objects by simple or compound queries

To know more about the attractive and useful dynamic BACKGROUND MAPS (on the 'Standard' and 'Professional' editions), please watch the following videos:

• Background Maps 1
• Background Maps 2
• Background Map Snapshots

To know how to LABEL the entities WHILE IMPORTING, please watch the following videos:

• Labeling entities
• Labels also for linear elements

To know how to Use the BLOCKS WHEN IMPORTING, please watch this video:

• 'Blocks' enhancements

To know how to Create elevation 3D Points, Contours or Terrains, please watch this video:

• Terrains

FAQs

Here you will find all the technical information available on the implementation as well as tutorials, additional data, etc.

• How to Start?
• Licenses, activation, support, updates, purchasing options
• Current compatible BricsCAD applications
• Application Data Providers
• Interface, Wizards, Options, Configurations
• Data sources, Shortcuts, User Data Sources
• Spatial files
• Databases, Data stores
• Import processes, parameters, coordinate transformation, extended data, tasks
• Export processes, parameters, coordinate transformation, export to Google Earth, extended data ("Professional" edition only, except "Export to Google Earth" on "Standard" and "Professional" editions)
• Create or edit data tables, attach, detach or select entities ("Standard" and "Professional" editions only)
• Use dynamic Background image Maps, reference Maps ("Standard" and "Professional" editions only)
• Create elevation 3D Points, 2D or 3D Contours or Terrain 3D models ("Professional" edition only)
• Application Programming Interface (API) ("Professional" edition only)

• How to use the Spatial Manager Wiki? (Blog)

Links

Here you will find some useful links to other pages of Spatial Manager™ for BricsCAD

• Changelog
• Coordinate Systems objects list
• End User License Agreement
• Spatial Manager™ web