Using Esri MSD Data with AutoChart

In recent posts, we've shown how AutoChart can import features directly from a File Geodatabase feature class and add the GIS Attribute table as MAP Object Data to allow symbolisation of the entities in AutoCAD based on Object Data expressions.

The MAP Object Data functionality relies on the user running AutoCAD MAP or Civil 3D, so what options are there if you are using vanilla AutoCAD or BricsCAD?

The answer lies with ESRI Mapping Specification for Drawing (MSD) Data. This is a new specification created by ESRI which provides a method of defining and creating GIS content within CAD files.

When using AutoChart's GIS Attach/Import commands the user has the option of adding GIS attribute information either as MAP Object Data (in AutoCAD MAP or Civil 3D) or as ESRI MSD Data (in all versions of CAD).

Both Object Data and MSD Data operate in the same way when setting up the attribute mapping table, the required fields and their associated source values can be set up as required and the relevant information will be added to each entity.

Whereas MAP Object Data values on specific entities can be viewed directly in the AutoCAD Properties Palette, unfortunately this isn't the case with MSD Data. Instead you can use the AutoChart Show MSD Data command to view and edit the associated MSD values:

The AutoChart Style Features, Batch Style Features and Select Features commands can be used with both MAP Object Data and ESRI MSD Data.

One advantage that MSD Data has over MAP Object Data is that rather than having to export the CAD entities to an ESRI shp file with the associated object data values, a Dwg containing entities with attached MSD Data can be accessed directly as features in ArcView with the associated Attribute Table information.

The link below will open a video showing the process of using ESRI MSD data in AutoChart and accessing that data in ArcView.

AutoChart and ESRI MSD Example

If you have any questions about this functionality please get in touch with us at Support@Wishsoftware.com

Using AutoChart to Import into CAD from a File Geodatabase

Last week saw the release of AutoChart version 3.0.18215 which includes a couple of major enhancements to allow the import of File Geodatabase Feature classes as CAD entities and to use MAP Object Table or ESRI MSD Table attributes to style and symbolise imported data.

In the first of two blog posts I'll demonstrate the Import File Geodatabase command before covering the Style Features command in a second post.

Import File Geodatabase can be found under the AutoChart-GIS Attach/Import menu:

The command allows Point, Line or Polygon Feature classes to be imported to create corresponding entities in CAD. Optionally values within a specified field can be used to provide the Layer names for associated entities and the colours of those layers can be cycled through a fixed palette.

The Feature Class Attribute Table can be added to each entity using an AutoCAD MAP Object Table (AutoCAD MAP/Civil 3D only) or as an ESRI MSD Table.

The fields and associated values within that table can then be defined as required in the Mapping Table setup.

Each Feature within the selected Feature Class will be imported into the current drawing as a corresponding CAD entity - point entities if the source is a Point Feature Class, polylines if it is a line feature class or hatches for a polygon feature class.

The link below will open a video showing the process in action:

AutoChart Import File Geodatabase

As always, if you have any questions about this new functionality please get in touch with us at Support@Wishsoftware.com

Making Blocks, Text and Hatches match the Panel orientation in Paper Space Charts

In my previous Blog post (some time ago) I discussed the new Paper Space Charting capabilities of AutoChart and mentioned the use of Annotative Blocks and Text within xreffed data rather than having to use Cut data to rotate objects to read horizontally within the chart plan panels.

Note that the use of annotative Text, Blocks and Hatches with the 'Match Orientation to Layout' option enabled in an Xref Drawing could be used instead of the normal Cut Data and Insert/Xref Cut Data procedure to provide 'horizontally reading' entities within the charts.

However, what I omitted was how to actually set up Blocks and Text to have the 'Match Orientation to Layout' property enabled, so today I'll address this omission by covering the processes involved.

With Text entities, the easiest option to have the text match its orientation to the layout is to create a new text style and turn on the Annotative and Match text orientation to layout options for that style:

It's then simply a matter of using this annotative text style for any text entities you want to have rotated to read horizontally within each Plan panel.

Alternatively, you can set the Annotative and Match Orientation to Layout options in the Properties pallette for selected text entities that don't use an annotative text style:

When the Data drawing is Xreffed into the Charts, the text will display North-up (i.e. horizontally) in the model view, but will also display horizontally within each Chart Plan panel viewport no matter the angle of the panel. For any Text you don’t want to be shown rotated (i.e. keep the original rotation from the Model Space), then just make sure it uses a non-annotative text Style and its annotative property is disabled.

Blocks are a little more tricky to sort out – although there is an AutoCAD drawing variable (ANNOTATIVEDWG) that you can set to make a dwg annotative when it is inserted as a block, currently there is no way to set the ‘Match Orientation to layout’ option for that annotative block.

For that reason, the easiest method is to insert the Block symbols as normal, e.g. using Import Block Data, with a 'North-up' orientation. Once the blocks have been created for the various targets, type BLOCK at the AutoCAD command line to start the Block Definition dialog. Choose the appropriate Block Name from the drop down list and then change the Behaviour settings to turn on Annotative and then turn on Match block orientation to layout:

Click OK and then AutoCAD will prompt you to redefine the Block:

Select the Redefine block option and then all targets using that block symbol will be made annotative. Repeat the operation for all other block symbols in the data drawing that you want to rotate to read horizontally within each Chart Plan Panel. For any Blocks that you wan to retain their model space orientation (i.e. those that represent and actual real-world direction), just make sure that they are not annotative.

To make a Hatch entity match its orientation to the layout, you simply need to create the hatch pattern as Annotative. An annotative hatch will always be rotated to maintain its orientation within the layout viewport so there's no 'Match Orientation to Layout' option.

Alternatively, you can turn on the annotative property of an existing hatch by setting it in the properties palette for selected hatch entities.

By Making Text and Blocks (and Hatches if required) annotative, you don’t have to use the AutoChart Cut Data command to rotate the entities when they are added to the charts. Instead, you just use the Xref Data command to add the entire data drawing to the charts.

The Xref is added to the model Space of the chart drawings so that it can be seen through the Viewports on the Chart Layout Tabs. A Viewport freeze is applied to the Panels you don’t want the data displayed in, so for example, in the above situation, the Geo Interpretation data Xref is hidden in the Top Plan boxes by VP freezing the Layer in those viewports.

Five AutoCAD editing tips

Whilst we would all like to produce perfect charts straight from AutoChart, the fact is, there will always be some degree of final editing involved. So, anything that saves a bit of time whilst actually using AutoCAD to draw or edit entities has got to be a good thing.

 

It's amazing just how many little hidden drawing and editing aids there are that can help you save time. Some of these may be obvious, but until you've seen someone use them (and asked "How did you do that?") you may never know just what you're missing out on. So, with this in mind, today's post is dedicated to a few drawing and editing tips and tricks you may or may not know about...

1. Using object grips to edit an entity is fairly commonplace, but you can also quickly cycle between different operations by pressing the Enter or Space Key.This cycles the command from Stretch to Move to Rotate to Scale to Mirror and then back to Stretch. The command uses the selected Grip Point as the Base point, so the entity is Moved/Rotated/Scaled/Mirrored around this point.
2. AutoCAD 2011 adds some nice mid-vertex grips that allow you to stretch two vertices at once. However, you can also select multiple Grip points to achieve the same functionality in earlier versions of AutoCAD. Just hold down the Shift Key whilst you click on the required Grip points. The stretch will then be applied to both points. Perfect for tweaking the size of your chart boxes!
3. You can snap to the mid-point of two points by typing M2P (or MTP) before selecting the two base points. Alternatively, Right-Click and select Mid Between 2 Points in the Snap Overrides section of the Shortcut menu (you may need to adjust your Right-Click customisation settings in the Options menu to get the Short-cut menu to appear).
4. Need to run the same command a number of times? Rather than having to recall the command each time, you can type 'multiple' at the command line and then type the name of the command you want to run. The command will then repeat until the ESC key is pressed. Note that this only really works for commands that can be run from the command line (i.e. that don't involve a Dialog box) so is best used for repeatedly drawing a number of entities.
5. If you want to change the size of some text entities but need to keep its relative position (regardless of the Text Justification), then you can use the ScaleText command. This allows you to select the Text you want to re-size, specify the justification points and then enter the new text height. The text entities will be scaled around the selected justification point, so won't move in position.

You can see all of these tips in the video below:

If you've got any similar tips and tricks you'd like to share with other users then please let us know in the comments section of this post.

5 Useful new features in AutoCAD 2011

AutoCAD 2011 has now been released and so we’ll shortly be issuing a new AutoChart install that is compatible with the new 2011 platform. In the mean time, here is a brief overview of 5 new features of AutoCAD 2011 that could prove to be useful when dealing with Charts and charting data:

1. Transparency

Potentially one of the most useful features is that entities can now have a transparency property, allowing objects behind a transparent entity to show through. The transparency value can be set as a percentage and can be applied to a Layer, Block or individual entity.

This functionality could mean for example that seabed feature sediment hatching can overlay an image but such that the underlying data can still be seen:

2. Selection Cycling
If you’ve ever run into the problem of trying to select a particular object that is coincident with other object then the Selection Cycling functionality should help by presenting a dialog of the coincident objects from which the required one can be selected:

3. Xref Selection Highlighting in the Xref Palette

When you now select an xref with the cursor, it is highlighted within the Xref Palette (xref manager). This allows you to easily identify the name and location of the source xref simply by selecting an object.

4.  Polyline Vertex Grip Editing

Editing of polylines has become easier as you can use the polyline grips to add, remove or move (stretch) a vertex. Additionally you can convert a chord in the polyline to an arc. This functionality is accessed simply by selecting a polyline and hovering the cursor over the grip to be edited.

5. Hatch Enhancements

The Hatch command now asks you to first select an entity or objects to hatch rather than presenting the Hatch properties dialog (it retains the properties of the last hatch) and allows automatic previewing of the hatch by hovering the cursor within a closed area. The Hatch properties dialog can be accessed from the command line before specifying the object/area to hatch if required. A background colour can now be added to a patterned hatch. A HATCHTOBACK command has been added which changes the DrawOrder of all hatch objects within the current drawing so that they are at the back.

The above examples are just an overview of the AutoCAD 2011 features that I could find useful myself. There are numerous other enhancements and changes that have been introduced and there are a number of sources of information on the web that provide more details. See the links below for a few other blogs and websites that discuss some of the changes within AutoCAD 2011.

http://resources.autodesk.com/autocad

http://www.jtbworld.com/autocad2011.htm

http://cadpanacea.com/node/202

http://lynn.blogs.com/lynn_allens_blog/2010/04/autocad-2011-tips-and-tricks-booklet.html

http://autodesk.blogs.com/between_the_lines/2010/03/autocad-2011-system-requirements.html