Is there some kind of dynamic feature overlay ??

[a_salembierWM9YE]

hi everyone,

Just a question. i can't find it anywhere in Autocad Map, also not on google so it's probably not included, and possible in Autocad Map, but it's something included in Geomedia so i'm just asking...may be it's still possible under Autocad Map.

Here my example :

i have 2 shape files in my display manager

Shape1 is a urban design (roads, walkways, parcels, grass, water, etc...)

Shape 2 is a shape containing the boundary of the project and there is a division in different areas.

Now, to divide the Shape1 under the different areas (Shape2), i use the Feature overlay option and then from there i can make a calculation in my data table to know exactly how many squaremeters there are of roads, walkways, grass, water, parcels per area.

this works just fine! 

now the feature overlay creates a SDF file but i have 2 issues :

1: if the urban design (Shape 1) change, i have to do the feature overlay (intersection) again to get the new division between all the areas. is there no "dynamic" overlay that would automatically change in case Shape1 would change?? 

2: second issue is the styling. i would like to be able to style the SDF file in the same way my Shape1 is styled (the color for grass is different from the roads,etc...) .

i do have saved a layer of my shape but is apparently cumbersome to apply it to another feature. i first have to use MAPIMPORT to import again the SDF file, then use MAPEXPORT to export the imported SDF as a shape. then use dataconnect to import the newly made Shape file (of the SDF file). and then have to modify the saved Layer file with Notepad++ to apply the style to another shape file.

Then if the urban design change, i have to do this all again. re-overlay, re-import with MAPIMPORT, re-export with MAPEXPORT, reconnect to the SHAPE, re-style .

So my question is ...is there a way to get an automatic overlay of 2 shapes (if they change). or a way to "refresh" the overlay?

and is there a better way to style faster the created intersection overlay in the same way as the shape1 ??

Thanks a lot for your comments. 

[thefixmyspeakers]

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@a_salembierWM9YE wrote:

hi everyone,

Just a question. i can't find it anywhere in Autocad Map, also not on google so it's probably not included, and possible in Autocad Map, but it's something included in Geomedia so i'm just asking...may be it's still possible under Autocad Map.

Here my example :

i have 2 shape files in my display manager

Shape1 is a urban design (roads, walkways, parcels, grass, water, etc...)

Shape 2 is a shape containing the boundary of the project and there is a division in different areas.

Now, to divide the Shape1 under the different areas (Shape2), i use the Feature overlay option and then from there i can make a calculation in my data table to know exactly how many squaremeters there are of roads, walkways, grass, water, parcels per area.

this works just fine! 

now the feature overlay creates a SDF file but i have 2 issues :

1: if the urban design (Shape 1) change, i have to do the feature overlay (intersection) again to get the new division between all the areas. is there no "dynamic" overlay that would automatically change in case Shape1 would change?? 

2: second issue is the styling. i would like to be able to style the SDF file in the same way my Shape1 is styled (the color for grass is different from the roads,etc...) .

i do have saved a layer of my shape but is apparently cumbersome to apply it to another feature. i first have to use MAPIMPORT to import again the SDF file, then use MAPEXPORT to export the imported SDF as a shape. then use dataconnect to import the newly made Shape file (of the SDF file). and then have to modify the saved Layer file with Notepad++ to apply the style to another shape file.

Then if the urban design change, i have to do this all again. re-overlay, re-import with MAPIMPORT, re-export with MAPEXPORT, reconnect to the SHAPE, re-style .

So my question is ...is there a way to get an automatic overlay of 2 shapes (if they change). or a way to "refresh" the overlay?

and is there a better way to style faster the created intersection overlay in the same way as the shape1 ??

Thanks a lot for your comments. 

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AutoCAD Map 3D does not inherently support dynamic feature overlays like Geomedia, but there are ways to achieve similar functionality. One approach is to use scripting (with AutoLISP, VBA, or the .NET API) to automate the overlay process. This script can be manually triggered or set to run at specific intervals, reprocessing the overlay whenever changes are detected.

Styling the SDF file created from the feature overlay to match the original Shape1's styling is cumbersome, requiring multiple steps and manual interventions.

Create and save layer templates that store the styling settings. These templates can then be applied to the new SDF file created from the overlay.
Similar to the dynamic update process, scripting can be used to automate the import, export, and styling application steps. A script can handle the re-importing of the SDF, application of the saved styling template, and any necessary conversions, reducing manual effort.

[ChicagoLooper]

There’s no ‘dynamic’ trick that will update each division within your urban design if the line of demarcation changes. 

Your use of  overlay analysis is commendable. If it were me, I’d use a geospatial query, actually two queries, e.g. one for the western division and another for the eastern. The query would only needed to be performed on the urban design. Your shapefile for each ‘division’ showing lines demarcating each area don’t play a direct role in the query. 

1. Style the urban design layout features as you wish. 
2. Perform a geospatial query using a plain vanilla AutoCad closed polygon that you’ve already drawn on a layer that you can freeze and thaw. This polygon will ‘capture’ and display the feature data objects inside the polygon while hiding objects outside. This predrawn polygon is considered to be the query’s definition when you run the query. 
   
3. Perform a second query using another vanilla polygon that captures the ‘other area.’

Should the area of a division change, you can replace the polygons individually with new ones. Since the query will display only features inside a polygon, deleting and replacing the old query’s definition with a new polygon, will effectively display the new area and capture any updates you’ve made in the design layout. 

Don’t get me wrong, overlay analysis is powerful but it’s also too clunky for your specific task. Given the conditions you’ve described, a geospatial query is not only more appropriate it’s also more efficient. 

If you share both your shapefiles (or a sample) then detailed step-by-step can be provided. 

If you’re an ADVANCED USER, then you can create and save Feature Data styles through a Layout Tab’s activated viewport rather than from styles created while in modelspace. Hence, multiple VPs on separate Layout Tabs, or multiple VPs on the same Layout Tab, can display styles unique to each viewport all while maintaining the same appearance when the Data  is viewed in modelspace. 

[a_salembierWM9YE]

hi @ChicagoLooper  ,

Thanks for your reply and it interests me to know how you would do that with queries and polygons.

While doing a query, in my own experience, i can request to show me the surfaces that fall inside the polygon, or i can query to show the surfaces "inside AND touching" the polygon, but i never managed to request to cut one shape along a polygon just like the intersection function works in the feature overlay tab.

I need to divide exactly along the polygons of my boundaries so it would divide some surfaces in multiple surfaces.

i am adding here some files.

"FTfunctiekaart" = the urban design

"FTfunctiekaart.lay = the styles of the urban design

"Grens Agrarisch" = the boundaries i want to use to slice the urban design

"FTfunctiekaart_intersect_Agrarisch.sdf" = the result of my intersect command out of the feature overlay

i need to calculate the surfaces of each element (green, walkways, roads, parcels,...) within this slice.

If there is a query that can show a shape file based on the boundary and dividing it, i'd be really interested to know the syntax of it. 

You also mentioned that it's possible to style a shape within the different VP of a layout tab. I knew it was possible to style physic layers within the "layer property manager" in order to get different colours within different VP on a layout tab, but i didn't know it was possible to activate different styling of shapes within different VP.

Would you mind to tell me also how to do that as i don't see anything about it when i activate a VP in a layout tab.

if i activate a VP, i see the display manager opening in my taskpane, but if i switch on or off something there, it would affect other layout tabs .

Thanks for thinking with me and wishing you a beautiful day 🙂 

[O_Eckmann]

Hi @a_salembierWM9YE ,

If you want to reuse style from a file to another one, you need to manipulate .layer file.

Here is a screen cast on how to use stylisation of FTfunctiekaart to apply to FTfunctiekaart_Intersect_Agrarisch

You need to change name of layer(source name) and name(s) of field if not identical.

[a_salembierWM9YE]

hi Olivier,

Thanks for your comment. yeah, it's the process i'm following right now to apply a layer file to another shape. i manipulate it under notepad++, the thing is that i found it kinda cumbersome as you need to do a few steps outside of Autocad Map to get the desired result.

one thing i found out and it makes it a bit faster now, is that when i execute the feature overlay, i used to get a SDF file. this file had to be exported as SHP in order to can apply the Layer manipulation on it in notepad++, but i saw yesterday that the feature overlay can also be done directly into SHP format (not only as a SDF file). So i'm now a few steps faster in order to apply the Layer to a different SHP.

Still i am surprised it's not possible within Autocad Map to apply a layer file just in a few click to a  different SHP (if i'm not mistaken, Qgis can apply SLD styling to any SHP file as long as the title of the column to style is the same). 

so now for those wondering also how to do, here my actual steps (still being open for comments if you guys have a better way)  :

1 - i execute a feature overlay from my 2 SHP files. this overlay is saved  directly as a SHP file.

2 - i modify the SHP name in the LAYER file by using notepad++ (search the name of the original SHP and replace it by the name of the SHP of the overlay). i save the LAYER file in a different name.

3 - the feature overlay created extra columns in the data table of the SHP. so the title of column (Layer_1) doesn't match anymore the name of the column saved in the original LAYER file (styling based on the column "Layer") 

4 - for modifying the column title,  i go to Qgis and modify the name of title of the column Layer_1 into the name "Layer" (same name as the original SHP)

5 - i go back to autocad map and import the new LAYER file.

the result is a feature overlay that is styled in the same way as the SHP file containing the styling.

it's a whole process but i don't see how else i could make it easier/faster.

I understood from @ChicagoLooper  that it was possible to activate/de-activate the imported SHP or Layers (styles) within different VP on the layout tab. i still didn't find out how. i'd be happy to hear how to do that. in my case, i know how to de-activate or color layers that are physically inside the DWG file (styling within the layer property manager), This works easily to present different styles in different VPs, but i didn't find out how to style the same SHP in different ways in different VP.

[O_Eckmann]

Hi @a_salembierWM9YE ,

For applying a saved layer to another data source, it isn't available OOTB. Manipulating xml file is necessary.

For applying specific map per VP, here is screencast.

[a_salembierWM9YE]

Great @O_Eckmann ,

your screencast brought me a little further in the world of Autocad Map! Thanks a lot for that.

When i saw your name (Olivier), i had a feeling you were probably french or at least a native french speaker (but with your family name, you could for sure also be belgian, swiss or from Luxembourg 😄 ). I'm french myself but living and working in the Netherlands for about 26 years now (but still learning on Autocad hehe). Once i saw your screencast and a french Autocad Map... it confirmed my thoughts 🙂 Hope all is well there. have a nice day and thanks again for the effort and time.

[O_Eckmann]

Hi @a_salembierWM9YE 

my great-grandmother lived in the German-speaking part of Switzerland before moving to France.
Later generations stayed in France.
I hope you enjoy learning AutoCAD Map, and if you're interested in using object data, I've developed a plug-in that lets you work with this data.