AutoCAD default tools can cause a lot of problems if you’ve ever worked with terrain. First, they are almost non-existent.
AutoCAD is a drawing and documentation tool. It supports only terrain data, so it isn’t surprising that AutoCAD has limited functionality by default. Autodesk products such as Auto CAD MAP 3D or Civil 3D offer more functionality for terrain data like built-in PointCloud support. However, AutoCAD requires the following apps.
Selection Criteria for Top Mapping Applications for AutoCAD
Our team selected the apps that were reviewed here based on certain criteria. Apps had to be registered in the app store so that you can trust that you are getting your software from a legit source. Digital signatures have been used to ensure that there are no malware or spyware issues and that the developer can be reached. This is in contrast to hackers pretending to be an entire company from a single computer screen at home.
CAD-Earth
CAD-Earth acts more as a facilitator than an application and provides all of the revit mapping functionality. You can import and export terrain data and contour lines, and you can save your work as profiles for future reference. Each app command has a detailed list of help options and can be accessed via the toolbar.
Spatial Manager
This app can import into AutoCAD, but that’s just one aspect. We were blown away by the fact it can export to and import from a lot more than geospatial services. The app supports AutoCAD modules like XDATA referencing and allows for transformation of coordinates. This package has a lot of advantages over other packages, such as Shapefiles (SHP), background maps and PostGIS connectivity with SQLite database management sources.
Scatter
Scatter is the best app to use if you have 100 small elements that need to be distributed equally or not over an area. Customers love the app and have reviewed it. You can choose your model for scattering parts or individual parts to scatter over an area, volume, or curve. This app is a winner thanks to its ability to provide uniform or normal distributions, rotate and scale objects, as well as randomization options.
GeoRefImg
AutoCAD’s heart is LISP. The app provides a LISP utility that can be used for AutoCAD 2012 or further. The utility can automatically preposition elements based on a variety of criteria. This includes repositioning raster files relative to the file they are part. All elements can be exported to TIF, CIT and ECW formats. Geo-locations are preserved when exporting information from within this plug-in.
