Overtime, integration between GPS Map technology and CAD Software has get increasingly avant-garde.  People use these integrations for a wide variety of reasons.

Sometimes they wish to accept their location on their Title Cake. In other instances, specifying a location can be helpful when it comes to automated lighting and elevation.

Whatever the case, the sky (literally) is the limit when it comes to bringing these maps onto AutoCAD. In this tutorial, we will learn to integrate maps in AutoCAD and work with information technology.

Things yous'll need for this tutorial:

  • AutoCAD 2022 or higher
  • Cyberspace Connectedness
  • An Autodesk 360 account

The current AutoCAD has 2 main forms of location setting. The commencement ane is called "From Map", and the second 1 is chosen "From File".

"From File" used to be more than practical (and still is if using Google Earth) only for our purposes, "From Map" is better suited to our needs. Google Maps and Bing Maps are frequently changing their UI, removing or adding features, and currently, there is no easy method to do the conversion to KML or KMZ from either of these web apps.

Note: It was once possible to practise a Google Maps conversion to KML but it has go more complicated and involves the utilise of Google My Maps, a service which allows you to create custom location-based maps. This process in itself would crave a whole tutorial.

For simplicity, throughout the tutorial we are going to be working with one surface area, the middle building (Pupil Spousal relationship) of the University of Cardinal Florida, and its surrounding features.

Using Bing Maps

Because of the removal of the Bing Maps integration into Windows (details hither), this feature won't even piece of work properly without the hotfix that is available for download here.

Before installing the hotfix, brand sure that AutoCAD isn't open, then download and install the hotfix. Later the installation is complete, open AutoCAD.

Click on the Insert Tab in the Ribbon and so in the "Set Location" Console, click the icon that looks similar a globe. A drop-downwardly will open.

Click From Map. (In the hereafter, a quicker mode to accomplish this aforementioned chore is to blazon GEO into the command line and hit ENTER twice.)

Fig 2. From Map selection on the insert tab

A Window will open. Unless you are already signed in to Autodesk 360, you will have to go ahead and do that. Later on, this is what the window should look like:

Fig three. Geographical location window with Bing map

Blazon in the address bar "Academy ofCentrall Florida student union" and hit ENTER. Then, click the option circled in Figure iv.

Fig 4. Drop marking on the map

Y'all tin run into the campus has a round layout, with a edifice in the innermost circle. Zoom in on it, and and then click "Drop Mark Here." Subsequently that, you can hit the "Next" button, which is at the lesser of the Geographic Location window.

The window volition now show a listing of "Coordinate Systems" you tin choose from. Select FL-E, and continue going. The window will close and a dialogue will follow your cursor. Click anywhere.

Fig 5. Marker location in drawing and due north direction

Another dialogue volition announced in reference to compass directions. Click again to specify northward management.

Your entire AutoCAD window should now be a map. Y'all can zoom and pan on this map as if yous were on any ordinary web map service.

Fig 6. Map inserted in AutoCAD cartoon surface area

You will likewise notice the add-on of a temporary tab in the Ribbon, the Geolocation Tab.

Feel free to play effectually with information technology. A feature that'due south terrific is the ability to plough on the road map, satellite, hybrid, or to turn the entire map off.

Fig 7. Map type drop-down bill of fare

The dazzler of the Bing Maps integration is annihilation you add to the cartoon volition be scalable to the map, and unlike adding a still-paradigm, the map zooms, pans, and in some cases fifty-fifty orbits with your cartoon.

On our Map, behind the Student Matrimony, circled in Figure viii, at that place is a plot of grass. Let's say the University was considering calculation a classroom building in that location. What would that look like? Well now, we tin go a good thought of exactly how.

Fig 8. The empty plot in the map

Create a rectangle that is 125' x 150' and then rotate that rectangle so information technology is parallel to the sidewalks on either side of the grass. It doesn't have to exist perfect! This is just so we can have an idea.

Fig 9. Buiding area on the empty plot

From here yous would be able to figure out how further logistics, like building heights, sidewalk admission, etc look. You tin can even make a 3D building if you want. If yous did make a 3D building, you lot'd even be able to import information technology into the Google Earth of the University and encounter what the building would look like next to the others.

For now, though, we'll stay in the realms of 2D AutoCAD. I'm going to add a unproblematic hatch to the rectangle and so create potential sidewalks that could exist used in the future. These are pretty big sidewalks besides, 18 feet in width.

These are the hatch settings I used for the building:

Fig 10. Hatch setting for the building

And these are the hatch settings I used for the sidewalk:

Fig 11. Hatch setting for the sidewalk

And this is how information technology turned out.

Fig 12. Final drawing after adding hatches

Of course, it is upwardly to you to decide where you retrieve the sidewalks should be placed, or what kinds of hatches to utilise.

Lighting and Shadows

You can change how lite reflects off a 3D edifice in AutoCAD based on customizable time, date, and location properties. Continuing off the edifice we created previously, permit's go far 3D. Extrude it, giving information technology 48 feet of height (about four floors).

Fig 13. 3D edifice in the map

Change view mode to Realistic then requite the walls a Brick fabric and the roof whatever  Material you lot like.

Fig xiv. Adding materials to the sidewalk and edifice

In the Render tab of the Ribbon, there is a Panel called "Sun & Location". Click on the "Sun Status" Icon, and and then in the following window, select the option circled in Figure fifteen.

Fig xv. Lighting settings

Click again the first selection in the window that follows.

After that, you will have access to the window shown in Figure 16. Turn the Surround Switch on.

Fig xvi. Render environment and exposure window

By altering the Date and Time in the Lord's day & Location Panel, you volition see the lighting on the edifice modify.

Fig 17. Location and date time settings

There'south a lot more that can be done with Google Maps and Bing Maps in AutoCAD but this tutorial should lay the foundation for it all. This tutorial is as well available in video course here.

Other Alternatives

Apart from Bing maps, there are a few other alternatives too which can exist used to import the maps in AutoCAD.

Google Maps

Google maps integration was removed from AutoCAD in favor of Bing Maps. In the hereafter, this may change. However, for now, as a workaround, we can highlight coordinates from a Google Maps URL and bring information technology over to the From Maps in AutoCAD.

This is pretty uncomplicated. On Google Maps (maps.google.com), type in Student Wedlock Ucf, hitting ENTER, and then re-create-paste the text from the address bar every bit selected in Figure 13. (Effigy 13)

Dorsum in AutoCAD, blazon GEO into the command line and then hit ENTER twice to bring up the Geographic Location window. Paste the coordinates into the address bar, and repeat the steps we initially did to integrate a map.

Fig 18. Pulling info from google maps

Map Info

For fifty-fifty more than customization and specificity, you should consider getting Desktop Plan "Map Info" as well every bit the AutoCAD Map 3D toolset. Additionally, it should be noted that AutoCAD Civil 3D is better equipped for dealing with things such as bridges, roads, and other location-specific entities.

So, these are the basics of using the map in AutoCAD. If y'all have questions related to this article let me know in the comments below.