Though primarily a toolset for mapping and GIS, many features of Map 3D can benefit AutoCAD users in any field. Utilities to automate the cleaning of sloppy geometry, labeling objects, and classifying features can save valuable time in any production environment, while querying tools and thematic mapping can reveal hidden information and relationships. As with many tools and processes in AutoCAD, a little creativity with new tools and combinations can drastically improve workflow.

The AutoCAD Map 3D Toolset includes utilities to:

Drawings created without object snaps, exported from other programs, or just failing to adhere to drawing standards can contain all sorts of errors that are time consuming to locate and fix. Drawing Cleanup offers powerful and tools that can be used manually or automatically, to search through very large drawings quickly to repair these problems.

Add user defined properties called Object Data to existing objects. This additional information can then be used in a variety of ways, such as creating reports, isolating objects by like properties, and automatically labeling objects.

Automatically annotate objects from information already in the drawing, such as geometric and descriptive properties, using annotation templates to control style and positioning.

Automatically apply properties such as layer, color, and line weight, as well as object data, (described above), while drawing objects using Object Classification, to significantly increase not only speed and efficiency, but also accuracy and adherence to CAD standards.

Accomplish tasks such as pulling only the specific information you need out of many different large drawing files, finding objects that are on incorrect layers (and automatically fixing them), and finding objects that satisfy certain criteria (such as “all lines on these layers that are longer than X and shorter than Y” or “all objects within a radius from this point”), using simple and compound Queries.

Thematic mapping allows objects to be displayed based on certain characteristics, or relationships between characteristics. Quickly and easily display drawings in informative new ways, without altering the properties of the objects themselves, just their appearance. This allows you to answer complex questions, and display information in ways that are easy to understand and interpret.

When you focus on the abilities of these tools, rather than the industry in the name or examples, you can quickly see how many of them could be applied to almost any drawing in any industry.

If just one of these tools can solve problems you experience, this book is a great investment.