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What' new in GeoTools V9
( Includes all changes since the last update of GeoTools V8 [i.e. 8.15] )

GeoTools V9 is the first version of GeoTools to be compatible with AutoCAD 2009.

New commands added in GeoTools V9

GT_SORTEDPOLY command: GeoTools -> Draw Tools -> Draw a polyline by joining points in sorted order

GT_MINEX2DWG command: GeoTools -> Miscellaneous Tools -> Import (read) a MINEX coal reserves data file into DWG

GT_SHOWPLARCS command: GeoTools -> Draw Tools -> Draw arc-ends to arc-center connections in arcs / polyarcs

GT_SCALECLEAN command: GeoTools -> Drawing Cleanup Tools -> Remove all un-referenced scales

GT_BINDXREF command: GeoTools -> Drawing Cleanup Tools -> Detaches all un-referenced XREFs and binds all others into current DWG

GT_IMAGESCAN command: GeoTools -> Miscellaneous Tools -> Scan selected image files and build image boundary list

GT_IMAGESEARCH command: GeoTools -> Miscellaneous Tools -> Insert geo-referenced image corresponding to selected AOI

GT_PLARCMIRROR command: GeoTools -> Polyline ToolSet 1 -> Flip (mirror) arc segments of polylines

GT_COMPAREBLKATTS command: GeoTools -> Block Tools -> Compare Block attributes and create report

GT_PARTRESHAPE command: GeoTools -> Polyline ToolSet 1 -> Reshape part of a polyline

GT_SEGLENSET command: GeoTools -> Polyline ToolSet 1 -> Specify segment lengths in polylines

GT_HSQUARE command: GeoTools -> Drawing Cleanup Tools -> Create right angle corners

GT_MULTEXPORT command: GeoTools -> Export Tools -> Export multiple drawings in various formats

GT_NETNODES command: GeoTools -> Build Tools -> Place points at user defined spacing along linear network

GT_POINTWEED command: GeoTools -> Drawing Cleanup Tools -> Weed points based on spacing

GT_TXT2ATTDEF command: GeoTools -> Text Tools -> Convert text objects to attribute definitions

GT_ATTDEF2TXT command: GeoTools -> Text Tools -> Convert attribute definitions to text objects

GT_ADJUSTLEVELS command: GeoTools -> Civil Tools -> Adjust cross-sectional elevations

GT_ENDELEVCHECK command: GeoTools -> Drawing Cleanup Tools -> Check for coincident (XY) points with varying Z

GT_PL2PFACE  command: GeoTools -> Conversion Tools -> Convert polylines to Polyface mesh

GT_PL_INTER (GeoTools Polyline ToolSet 1 Assign Interpolated Z values to vertices): The GT_PL_INTER command has been enhanced. It now accepts an additional variable called 'Zero Tolerance' which specifies how vertices with very values close to 0.0 but not exactly 0.0 should be treated. Often, AutoCAD polylines may end up with values which are not mathematically equal to 0.0 but with a value like 0.00000001. You may want to treat such elevations as 0.0 elevations but until now, this was not possible. The 'Zero Tolerance' parameter helps to solve this problem. Any elevation equal to or less than the specified zero tolerance will be treated as 0.0 and the program will use that vertex in ther interpolation process.

GT_ANNOGRID (GeoTools Civil Tools Draw Map Grid): The GT_ANNOGRID command now has additional options to annotate the Eastings/Northings coordinates. In addition to having an 'E' and 'N' suffix to the coordinate values (grid annotation), you now have the choice to use 'M' and 'P' or 'X' and 'Y' suffix as required. The 'MP' suffix is used in parts of Europe where 'Meridian' and 'Perpendicular' is conventionally used to denote 'Eastings' and 'Northings'. The 'XY' notation may be useful if you want to represent the gridded area as an XY geometric grid instead of a mapping grid.

GT_CONTLABEL (GeoTools Annotation Tools Label contour polylines): The GT_CONTLABEL command has been enhanced. You can now specify the layer on which to place the contour labels as well as set the color of the layer.

GT_INSVX and GT_DELVX (GeoTools Polyline ToolSet 1): The GT_INSVX and GT_DELVX command have been enhanced. It has been put within an infinite loop. So, it will keep on asking for more vertices to be inserted or deleted from the same polyline without having to re-start the command. We did this because many of our users often end up inserting or deleting more than one vertex at a time into the polyline that they are working with. You can get out of this command now by hitting ESCAPE or by choosing a new command from the menu.

GT_AUTOINCROD (GeoTools AutoCAD Map Tools Create auto-incrementing object table data): The GT_AUTOINCROD command has always been used to create auto-incrementing object data. Now, this command can be optionally linked with the GT_TC command (Draw running [auto-incrementing] text numbers). With this, you can now not only assign auto-incrementing object table data but also create associated auto-incrementing text labels using the GT_TC command (which runs in slave mode, called by the GT_AUTOINCROD command).

In order to mirror the complete functionality of the GT_TC command, an additional option has been added to the GT_AUTOINCROD command, which is to create either a numeric or character increment, like in the GT_TC command.

GT_XP_RETDAT (GeoTools AutoCAD Map Tools Explode objects - retain object data and extended entity data): This command now has the ability to explode unequally scaled blocks also

GT_XP_ATT (GeoTools Block Tools Explode blocks - retain attributes as text): This command now has the ability to explode unequally scaled blocks also

GT_TC (GeoTools Text Tools Text Counter): The character increment feature in this command has been enhanced. Earlier, the increment was done purely based on the ASCII code value. So, the increment would have gone like X, Y, Z, [, \\, ] and so on. This has been changed to an alphabetic increment which would go like X, Y, Z, ZA, ZB, ZC.....

GT_VXLABEL (GeoTools Annotation Tools Label Poyline Vertices): The GT_VXLABEL command now has an option to specify an increment value while labelling polyline vertices with running numbers. For example, you can use this option to label polyline vertices in odd or even numbering pattern.

GT_VXLABEL (GeoTools Annotation Tools Label polyline vertices): The GT_VXLABEL command now has an option to create running (incrementing) text characters labels in addition to incrementing numbers. The text increment follows the same rule as explained in the GT_TC command above.

GT_SEGLABEL (GeoTools Annotation Tools Label polyline segments): The GT_SEGLABEL command now has an option to create running (incrementing) text characters labels in addition to incrementing numbers. The text increment follows the same rule as explained in the GT_TC command above.

GT_ROWMAKER (GeoTools Build Tools Make rights-of-way / pavements / ramp): The GT_ROWMAKER command has been enhanced with 3d functionality. It will now do 3d ROW's and pavements if it encounters 3d polylines. The result is that the command can now be used to create 3d ramps and 3d paths. We hope this feature will be useful for modelling of mines, under-ground strata or plain 3d layouts above ground.

GT_XFER_OD_XD (GeoTools AutoCAD Map Tools Transfer object data/xdata between two objects): The GT_XFER_OD_XD command has been renamed from the earlier GT_XFER_OD command. The new command now allows copying (or transferring) either object data or extended entity data between two objects. The earlier command GT_XFER_OD transferred object data only.

GT_PL_DATALBL (GeoTools Annotation Label polylines with attached data): The GT_PL_DATALBL command has been enhanced. You can now label polylines using attached extended entity data also in addition to attached object data and database data.

GT_OD_XD_LABEL (GeoTools AutoCAD Map Tool Create text labels from object data / extended entity data): The old GT_OD_LABEL command has been renamed as GT_OD_XD_LABEL. In update 9.12 of GeoTools, we added the capability to use extended entity data labelling in the GT_PL_DATALBL command. The same capability has now been added in the labelling command for non-polyline objects. So, the GT_OD_XD_LABEL now allows BOTH object data as well as extended entity data to be used while labelling objects.

GT_READDEM (Export Tools  - Import ARC ASCII (DEM) files into AutoCAD): The GT_READDEM command has its performance significantly improved. The time taken to read large DEM files now is much lower than before. Additionally, the command now creates a rectangular boundary across the whole extent of the data imported. This is a useful visual aid to tell the extent of the DEM.

GT_CREATECENTROID (Build Tools)


GT_SEGLABEL (Annotation Tools)

GT_ANGLABEL (Annotation Tools)

GT_ANNOTATEENDS ( Annotation Tools)

GT_XP_WPL (Polyline Toolset 2)

GT_PLINE2ARC (Polyline Toolset 2)

GT_PL2SPL (Conversion Tools)

GT_3DF2PFACE (Conversion Tools)

GT_3DF2PL (Conversion Tools)

GT_SPL2PL (Conversion Tools)

GT_BLKSHP2P (Conversion Tools)

GT_CHOP ( Miscellaneous Tools - Object Chopper)

GT_VEGLINE (Draw Tools - Draw vegetation cover symbols)

GT_FIXUCS (Polyline Toolset 2 - Fix non-parallel UCS)

GT_PFACE2PL ( Conversion Tools - Polyface mesh to polylines)

GT_P2BLKSHP (Conversion Tools - Convert Points/Text/Circles to Blocks/Shapes)

GT_0LEN2PNT (Conversion Tools - Convert 0 lengths to points)

GT_TC (Text Tools - Create running text numbers)

GT_PL_DATALBL(Annotation Tools - Label polylines with attached data)

GT_CENTLINE (Build Tools - Draw road center lines from Rights-Of-Way)

GT_CALCAREA (Inquiry Tools - Compute summed areas of closed polylines)

GT_CENTLINE (Build Tools - Draw center-lines from Rights-Of-Way)

GT_REM_LINVERTS (Polyline Toolset 1 - Remove collinear vertices from polylines)

GT_CONTLABEL (Annotation Tools - Label contour polylines)

GT_NODELINESNAP  (Drawing Cleanup menu - Linear and Node Snap)

GT_ZOOMTXT  (Block Tools - Zoom to Text)

Interface changes

Bug Fixes
----

GT_ANNOGRID (GeoTools -> Civil Tools -> Cerate Map Grid) : There have been some floating point round-off errors in the annotation of some grid coordinates. This would result in Eastings and Northings to sometimes fall short by 1 unit and would end up as 24001 or 23999 instead of 24000. This has now been fixed.

GT_XYZSCL (GeoTools -> Miscellaneous Tools -> Scale objects (unequally) in X, Y, Z directions): GT_XYZSCL (Miscellaneous Tools - Scale objects (unequally) in X, Y, Z directions) - A bug has been fixed in this command. When 3d polylines were scaled, the resulting scaled objects would be thrown back into layer 0 irrespective of the layer in which they resided. This has been fixed now. The scaled objects are now created in their respective, original layers.

An important bug has been fixed in this version relating to the Windows Vista operating system.

Unitl now, GeoTools was using the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE hive of the Windows registry to save and retrieve operating parameters. In Windows Vista operating system, however, this was not working as, by default, Vista does not allow any registry entries to be saved in the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE hive using the normal registry functions. This has now been overcome by changing the save location to HKEY_CURRENT_USER instead.

In Windows Vista, you could still over-ride this and make GeoTools save in the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE by turning off the 'User Account Control' in the Control Panel. But, this is not recommended and can lead to a security compromise. So, GeoTools now saves its operating parameters in the HKEY_CURRENT_USER hive in all operating systsems.

GT_DISTANGWEED (GeoTools -> Polyline Toolset 1 -> Weed(remove): The GT_DISTANGWEED command now has a new option implemented by which the polylines can be weeded - based on distances AND deflection distance between two segments. The radio button indicating this option was always present in the dialog box but it was never implemented completely. We have now made this option working and it is now complete. This greatly increases the scope of the GT_DISTANGWEED command. You can now weed polylines based on 5 criteria:

GT_P2BLKSHP (GeoTools -> Conversion Tools -> Convert Points/Text/Circles to Blocks/Shapes): The GT_P2BLKSHP command could accept only AutoCAD points as input during the conversion process although the command was meant to allow even text and circle objects to be processed. This has now been fixed and the command now accepts points, text and circles

GT_AMAPBREAK (GeoTools -> AutoCAD Map Tools -> Break object but retain object data in both the broken parts) : A bug has been fixed in this command which prevents certain misleading error messages from popping up while running this command.

GT_FLIP (Polyline ToolSet 1 - Flip (reverse) polylines)

GT_DENSIFY ( Polyline ToolSet 1 - Densify vertices )

GT_MODTXT ( Text Tools - Globally modify TEXT/MTEXT)

GT_GEO_INS ( Miscellaneous Tools - Insert a geo-referenced image)

GeoTools Tutorial

Lesson 13 - Polyline Tools to work on 3D Polylines
This tutorial covers how to utilize some of polyline tools to work on 3D Polylines.

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