GDAL is a C++ translator library for more than 200 raster and vector geospatial data formats. It offers an API for a variety of languages such as C, C++, Python, Perl, C# and Java.
In the Visual Studio development environment it is possible to download NuGet packages. These are open source development libraries you can simply add to your .NET project.
A number of NuGet packages are available for GDAL. In addition to the complete GDAL environment, so-called .NET wrappers are installed with which C# functions in the underlying GDAL C++ DLLs can be called.
vdPConsulting is currently investigating the possibilities to implement GDAL/OGR functionality in a C# plugin in AutoCAD to export data to and import from GML, GeoJSON, GeoPackage and ESRI Shape files.
The Open Source Geospatial Foundation (OSGeo) is a not-for-profit organisation whose mission is to foster global adoption of open geospatial technology.
OSGeo projects
The projects listed here offer freely available tools and technologies under an open source license.
A small selection of the large number of projects:
MapGuide Open Source & FDO
MapGuide Open Source is a web-based platform that enables users to develop and deploy web mapping applications and geospatial web services. FDO Data Access Technology is an API for manipulating, defining and analysing geospatial information regardless of where it is stored.
MapGuide & FDO were Autodesk commercial products submitted to OSGeo in March 2006.
QGIS
QGIS is the leading Free and Open Source Desktop GIS. It allows you to create, edit, visualise, analyse and publish geospatial information on Windows, macOS en Linux.
GDAL/OGR
GDAL is a C++ translator library for more than 200 raster and vector geospatial data formats. It offers an API for a variety of languages such as C, C++, Python, Perl, C# and Java
The first step in a vdPCADdesign project is an analysis of the available Product Catalog and the desired data model.
What type of objects do we want to distinguish; pipes, bends, end caps, valves, fire hydrants etc.
Are these point, line or polygon objects, in other words they must be drawn as polyline, blockreference or closed polyline.
What information must be linked to those objects. Which comes from the catalog, which must be selectable from selection lists and which are free text fields.
In addition, it must be investigated whether point objects should be linked to line objects in a certain way.
Some points may be placed on a line at any location; a fire hydrant somewhere on a pipe.
Other points must be placed at a kink point of a line string; a bend at the bend of a pipe.
Certain points must be placed at the end point of a line string and adopt the direction of that segment as the angle of rotation; an end cap at the start or end point of a pipe.
The desired styling must also be mapped.
On which layer names do the objects appear; preferably we conform to NLCS layer codes.
Which standard color and line type are given to all objects on the relevant layer.
Which symbol is used with the relevant point objects.
Which information fields are used to display the labels.
As a result of the analysis, some things must be implemented in code.
Think in particular of the Ribbon interface. Here the functions are provided for entering the desired objects.
But also reading the catalog will have to be aligned with the structure of the existing Product Catalog.
The majority of the settings are recorded in a number of control tables for data model and styling. In addition, a DWG template must be set up with the definition of line types and symbols.
If the contractor uses vdPCADdesign, with the utility-company’s Products Catalog, the revision drawing contains customised object-information and can easily be loaded into the asset-managementsystem as a GML-file.
As a result, the revision is processed faster, the asset-managementsystem is up to date faster and the WIBON-obligation can be met on time.
vdPCADdesign is a C#.NET utility and available for various AutoCAD-versions.
Contractors carrying out work for utility-companies must provide revision drawings. These are usually layer-coded drawings in accordance with a drawing standard, without object-properties. These drawings must first be checked by the client, possibly provided with object-properties, and then loaded into the asset-managementsystem using an ETL-process.
All in all a time-consuming process, which often makes it impossible to meet the WIBON-obligation in time.
vdPCADdesign has been developed to implement information about the Product Catalog from the utility-company. With vdPCADdesign you can easily draw cables and pipes with AutoCAD-polylines and appendages with AutoCAD-blocks. The datamodel and the selection lists for the object-properties are defined in flexible control tables. This information is stored with the AutoCAD-objects.
The cables and pipes can be automatically labeled and these labels ”move” when the cables and pipes are moved. Appendages “know” whether they should be placed on a cable or pipe, at a vertex-point or at an endpoint and whether they should take over the direction of the segment as the angle of rotation. Appendages can also be labeled automatically.
If the contractor uses vdPCADdesign, with the utility-company’s Products Catalog, the revision drawing contains customised object-information and can easily be loaded into the asset-managementsystem as a GML-file.
As a result, the revision is processed faster, the asset-managementsystem is up to date faster and the WIBON-obligation can be met on time.
vdPCADdesign is a C#.NET utility and available for various AutoCAD-versions.
Thank you for all congratulations on LinkedIn. Let me immediately answer the question “do you stop van der Pol-Consulting bv and start working for the Cadac Group?“. Nope. But what …
Cadac has largely transformed its sales organization into a web store; customers buy their software licenses and updates there. In an automated process, they receive their license codes and, of course, their invoices. The sales guys are also transformed; they help customers to implement the solutions.
And that’s where they need the consultants.
“We are going to serve our customers in Europe and Australia with a new expert platform, inspired by Uber and Airbnb“, said Jan Baggen, CEO Cadac Group
Cadac has vacancies for various types of consultants and wants to fill them in partly with independent professionals; that’s why the Cadac Xperts platform is started. There, consultants can create their profile and sign an agreement with Cadac. In addition to the software license, the customer can also book the consultant on the web store. Read more…
