Most engineers, architects and designers are not in the software business.
Sometimes it may feel like they are.

At Varitronics Systems our work is to remove obstacles so you can focus on your work.

Varitronics E-Newsletter - Issue 2

Welcome to Issue 2 of our new e-newsletter. Below are quick tips, in depth technical info, and offers of useful technical resources , including a hundred plus page book. To the left are money saving promotions with something for everyone, including owners of obiting 2004 software, licenses which are no longer upgradeable, and some special pricing on Raster Design. Please write us with any ideas on what other info you would find helpful and call if we can help you in any way.

AutoCAD and Reference Data

GIS and Raster Data Integration

The amount of free raster and GIS data has been proliferating rapidly in recent years. Sources like the USGS data, USDA collected data, and MODIS data are all both powerful and free.

These datasets when combined with AutoCAD 2007, AutoCAD Map 3D, Autodesk Raster Design and Autodesk GIS Design Server allow a wide range of capabilities to provide a context to all sorts of projects. These high fidelity references increase the ability to communicate to your customer and help avoid critical pitfalls early in the design process.

Traditionally, these types of tools have only been available to highly specialized domain experts, and available to other engineers through specializied GIS gatekeepers. The gates are coming down and all the tools and data are becoming available to a much wider range of AutoCAD users.

The world of GIS and raster data has become significantly easier to access, but it is still a potentially complex one. It is best to start exploring these capabilities right within AutoCAD 2007 by making greater use of some of the datasources above as additional references for your current projects. Then, as value is realized from this integration you could begin to include some of the hooks to Google Earth, or scale up your options with AutoCAD Map 3D or Autodesk Raster Design. Finally, by incorporating a GIS Design Server, a full enterprise solution is made available to leverage data across your entire organization.

Free Resources from Varitronics and AutoDesk to Get Started

Free copy of Best Practices for Managing Geospatial Data

This book is on engineering and GIS, including creating and editing GIS data quickly and cost effectively, reducing time-consuming CAD-GIS translation, and managing and sharing CAD data more efficiently. There are chapters on understanding database-driven workflows which covers DWG storage, Spatial Database Format (SDF), and mid- and enterprise-level databases; optimizing the workflow of geospatial data is covered in sections on using DWG files as data sources; handling styles and symbols; analyzing geospatial data; incorporating raster images; and surfaces and publishing and distributing geospatial data. The final sections cover sample problems with their solutions and sample maps. The book has over one hundred pages with illustrations in full color. For a free copy of the book give Lynne a call (732-356-7773 x100) or email her and she will snail mail you a copy right away.

Trial Versions

If you are ready to experiment with these tools in your own environment or to move up the capaibility chart please email Loretta or give her a call at (732-356-7773 x101) and we will happily provide you with a trial copy of AutoCAD Map 3D or Autodesk Raster Design for you to try. These are full featured trial versions good for thirty days.

Raster and GIS Whitepapers

Scanned Drawing Cleanup with Autodesk Raster Design - A detailed writeup of various revision strategies, emphasizing the pros and cons of each along with the planning considerations involved in the use of scanned drawings.

CAD and GIS - Critical Tools, Critical Links - A detailed writeup on the integrated AutoDesk GIS solution with a focus on removing obstacles between CAD and GIS Professionals.

Enhancing the Value of Geospatial Information - A technical document on AutoDesks GIS and mapping solutions.

Google Earth Update

In addition to the free datasets mentioned above, there are other powerful new tools that tie into AutoCAD as well. Many of you may already know, but AutoCAD has included the ability to integrate with Google Earth for some time. (Google Earth is one of the most unbelievable free products ever created; if you have not downloaded it, go do it right now!)

Apparently the earlier integration was well received, as it has just been updated and improved. The improvements generally involve an increase in the data that gets maintained with your hidden EXPORTGOOGLEEARTH command. More Details available here.

Click for a quick demonstration of AutoCAD and Google Earth integration.

Quick Tips

Rather than an onslaught of traditional tips, we like to start with the problem. That way you can quickly target solutions that are relevant to your problems.

Big batch of raster files you want to integrate into a single drawing efficently?
Install the DWF Writer application as a printer, select the images in windows explorer and use the XP Photo Printing Wizard to merge them into a single file for import.
Drawing taking forever to display?
Set VIEWERS = 100. Set LWDISPLAY to 0. Set IMAGEHLT to 0. Unload when not using an image or xref. Purge.

If you have a question on the above or a tip you are willing to share, please email it to Jack as he is always on the lookout for the best way to do things.