Possible view on one of AutoCAD-based vertical products
About Map 3D
It is interesting to consider the situation with one of AutoCAD-based vertical products – Map 3D, the application for mapping and GIS tasks. This application was generally shaped in 2004.
It might be interesting and revealing primarily as general examples and not only for Map 3D users. It may be interesting – how is it going “next door” as long as few people work with more than one-three specialized AutoCAD-based vertical applications. I'm pretty sure same parallels can be found in other vertical products.
The part of Map 3D intended to work with DWG will be discussed further, as it’s closer and better known for me as a topographer. Although, there is a well-implemented GIS-tool in Map 3D – FDO, with SDF format.
It is already remarkable in Map 3D that this vertical application has marginality symptoms – it has been partly merged with another one related and more "successful" application – Civil 3D. It is often written: Civil/Map 3D or simply Civil 3D. Many (most?) Civil users are unaware that they make use of Map 3D features, too. Or Map 3D is considered to be an add-on for Civil by many of them.
Map 3D is not mentioned among some common product lists at Autodesk site, among Autodesk polls and general discussions.
The number of Map 3D users is negligible – few percent among all Autodesk products. This is partly natural – fewer people are engaged in cartography, topography, geodesy and GIS than in constructing, design, etc. But in this case it is particularly surprising that Map 3D users are the distinct minority in the professional environment of cartographers and surveyors who use AutoCAD. It corresponds with small number of Map 3D issues and questions on professional forums, very negligible number of the publications and custom developments. The latter is close to zero. A similar situation is likely in all countries. There are no Map 3D experts in Autodesk’s Russian office. Furthermore, there is hardly more than a decade of Map 3D experts both in Russia and the CIS.
Insufficiently supported vertical product
In the past ten years Autodesk created almost no add-ons and upgrades, did not correct known Map 3D errors and shortcomings regarding drawing and raw maps creation tasks. Map 3D was developed regarding maps usage and analysis but this hasn’t improved the situation. Map 3D has not become the choice of the majority of specialists, including those using AutoCAD.
Thus, Map 3D – an example of AutoCAD-based vertical product that is scarcely supported by Autodesk while in some key part is not supported at all. This fact is amazing itself as vertical applications are relatively new products and Autodesk develops its software towards the creation of vertical applications.
The most likely explanation for the lack of Map 3D support by the company is the commercial one – low profitability due to small number of the application users.
But how could it be when there is a lot of specialists in the subject area? How could it happen that most specialists do not use Map 3D or use only its universal benefits? Most surveyors, topographers, cartographers prefer basic AutoCAD, its custom applications and third-party software. A small part of these specialists uses Civil 3D, many use Raster Design.
Probably, it’s all about Map 3D development strategy. It’s all about inadequate development of the application part dealing with common issues for a large number of specialists.
The tasks related to topography and cartography can be conditionally divided into two groups:
1. The creation and drawing of raw plans/maps;
2. The use of the existing plans/maps.
Most of the specialists are engaged in the creation of raw plans/maps – surveyors, topographers, cartographers. Usage and analysis of plans/maps are for GIS experts, general layout designers, etc. The number of latter specialists is fewer by times.
Autodesk has adequately implemented the tools for solving plans/maps usage tasks as well as GIS-tasks in Map 3D. The company has also created, but has not finalized, has not developed the tools for plans/maps creation and drawing. In Map 3D there are excellent concept tools for drawing, attribute data collection, topological modeling in DWG – Feature classes, Object Data, Topologies. But these are made with serious deficiencies, incomplete, inconvenient. These shortcomings were not fixed while these tools were not developed from the moment of its creation.
The latter is also surprising because the complexity of drawing tools and that of GIS tools relate nearly as the complexity of a scooter and a car. Drawing, attribute data collection, etc. – simple, trivial processes that do not require any complex algorithms or large resources.
In other words, there is a paradoxical situation in Map 3D where more complex tasks part is solved better while these solutions are designed for smaller part of the specialists. And basic “simple” tasks are poorly solved.
Accordingly, the actual number of Map 3D users is probably one hundredth or less of the number of target specialists.
It can be assumed that in the mid-2000s, Autodesk decided that plans/maps creation and drawing tasks will be resolved outside Map 3D – in Civil 3D, in Raster Design (raster maps digitization), in basic AutoCAD. Perhaps, it was assumed that the problems of territories mapping had already been solved in many countries. That the task of paper plans/maps digitization of most territories had already been solved. And that there comes a period of usage and analysis of already collected map data. And maybe graphic information itself is sufficient for the majority of plans/maps users, and they do not require attribute data, topological accuracy, etc.
It's probably true, but not fully, not for everybody and not always. Even for the most surveyed territories it is always necessary to create new plans and maps – to update and refine. The tasks of plans/maps creation on vast territories based on remote sensing data (orthophotos, laser data, etc.) appear instead of scanned paper maps mass digitizing. Many territories not yet provided with the detailed maps are gradually explored. That is, the need for drafting, plans/maps creation always exists and the surveying, mapping activities in general are not reduced – they are proportional to the exploration, development and the usage intensity of the territories.
It can be also assumed that a role was played by market conditions – the creation of GIS-application is much more prestigious, sonorous, fashionable than the creation of high-quality application for such "simple" tasks as mapping.
Map 3D at Autodesk’s site is now referred to only as a tool for existing data usage, although both drawing and maps creation capabilities were mentioned for earlier versions.
For these or other reasons, but until now the users of Autodesk software have no simple enough, convenient, high-quality tool for drawing, plans/maps creation with the capabilities of objects’ attributes definition and the creation of its topological models. And again, this is despite the fact that Map 3D already has very effective concept tools, the improvement of which does not require significant costs.
In general, it can be said that there is no need to find the reasons of AutoCAD Map 3D poor success (or even failure) in the competitors’ actions, market conditions, forward-thinking, etc. This failure can be sufficiently explained with the lack of Autodesk’s attention to the basic, routine, "trivial" processes and tools, to the solution of "old", "well-known" tasks which are always main ones for most users.
Given weak support of Map 3D and the appropriate negative users’ reaction, it seems natural that Autodesk may stop Map 3D support at all. And Map 3D marginality can be replaced with the stop of its supply handling.
In common, AutoCAD is a drawing, model creation tool. This is its original, primary purpose and primary use. And just chronologically – to analyze a drawing/model, it must be created at first. AutoCAD vertical applications remain just applications no matter what analytical tasks they resolve. For the buyer acquiring data analysis tool, CAD extra charge is not justified. Conversely, acquiring analytical CAD application, the buyer would expect sound drawing and analytical models creation capabilities. Therefore, drawing and proper models creation capabilities are the first, main, essential, basic opportunities.
This was not provided in case of Map 3D.
Map 3D as a "collector"
Map 3D after basic AutoCAD has not avoided “collecting”. That is, there are several tools for the same tasks but none of them can be neither complete nor universal. Probably, these "collection" are formed historically – through the development or acquisition of new tools or solutions by Autodesk, which repeat partly the available ones. Furthermore, no revision or modification of the latter is probably made. Or it is required to develop new tools due to poor development quality of the available ones.
For example, there are four ways to create annotations for graphical elements based on its parameters:
1. With basic AutoCAD – attributes;
2. With a query – text elements;
3. With display manager’s text styles – Map 3D text proxy-objects;
4. Map 3D – annotations.
There is at least one more annotation creation possibility based on the elements’ parameters as a part of Civil/Map 3D product.
Both general considerations and practice make it clear that it’s better to have one universal tool that would simplify both user experience and AutoCAD support. For example, attributes capabilities expansion. But probably there are reasonable doubts.
Other example – there are at least four ways to describe additional, attributive object data:
1. With basic AutoCAD – external database;
2. With Feature classes – its Custom properties;
3. With Object Data (extended data in Map 3D);
4. With Feature classes using Object Data instead of Custom properties.
Moreover, Map 3D has its own external database connection service better than that of basic AutoCAD.
Plus, basic AutoCAD has two (!) types of extended data – XData and XRecord, unavailable for average user.
In general, all of these ways to describe additional data are implemented incomplete, inconvenient for the users, they have errors or may even cause problems during workflow.
Map 3D GIS-part has its own means to describe and work with attributive data using FDO.
Universal benefits of Map 3D
Map 3D has several features not only related to the specific tasks of plans/maps creation or GIS analysis, but also useful for a wide range of users.
For example:
- Insertion of georeferenced images into DWG;
- Drawing cleanup, a powerful and user-friendly set of tools to correct common geometry errors automatically (delete duplicates, extend undershoots, weed polylines, etc.);
- Cutting, trimming and breaking along the specified boundary in DWG;
- Data insertion into active drawing from any number of DWG files with advanced selection features (by graphical properties, mutual position or almost any parameter);
- Ability to create object annotations automatically based on almost any of its parameters, ability to place the annotations in proper positions relative to the objects;
- Transformation with several source points.
All of these features can use special parameters of Map 3D objects but do not require them, i.e. they work with common AutoCAD graphical elements. All of these features could enrich basic AutoCAD as they are easily portable. Since the implementation of these Map 3D features, users have written hundreds or even thousands of programs solving same tasks, thousands of man-hours of work were spent. But Map 3D functions are almost always better, efficient.
Autodesk might have not added these capabilities to AutoCAD intentionally, in order to attract users to Map 3D. And, perhaps, such an option was not simply considered.
By the way, it is these universal features that are the extent for most Map 3D users. Thus, successfully increasing speed and simplicity of workflow using basic AutoCAD graphical elements.
A word about Feature classes, Object Data for DWG
Feature classes, Object Data – in principle, very effective Map 3D tools for drawing, graphical elements identification as objects, object characteristics data analysis. Any Map 3D user can draw more convenient, fast, precise with it, can create not only graphical, but also information mapping models. However, Feature classes and Object Data are implemented with shortcomings outweighing its benefits for most users.
A minority of the users who have mastered Feature classes and Object Data, who have learned to overcome the drawbacks, were able to assess its considerable merits and successfully use it. Feature classes allow faster and better drawing. Feature classes along with Object Data allow the creation of drawings, models with graphical elements definition as objects and determination of its characteristics. In other words, these tools allow to create information system models.
It’s too sad that Autodesk has not yet fixed a few rather simple drawbacks of Feature classes and has not provided Object Data with sufficient tools. These fixes and additions aren’t time-consuming and not as complicated in principle as the available ones or as GIS tools. The latter might be the answer – all efforts were focused on Map 3D GIS tools (FDO).
Feature classes and Object Data should be taken not as special mapping tools, but as common ones.
Feature classes – object menu drawing tool with proper graphical properties, with non-graphical object identification and the possibility of non-graphical definition of the objects’ characteristics. In concept, Feature classes – a successful (but not complete and bug-free) implementation of OD/DB-technology (possibility of "information” data description in DWG models). The idea of Feature classes has nothing specifically cartographical – objects of any subject area could be described and drawn this way.
Object Data – a specific implementation of Map 3D extended data. Using Object Data any graphical element in DWG can be attached with additional information in the form of table entries with proper data fields of proper type. The possibilities and conceptual conveniences of Object Data please refer: Object Data AutoCAD Map 3D. In the article mentioned above it is said about cartography, while Object Data itself has absolutely nothing specifically cartographical – it’s a method and a tools suitable for additional data description in any subject area.
The extended and revised version of Feature classes or the extended version of Object Data (implemented in basic AutoCAD) could give users new powerful capabilities, could become an option of AutoCAD upgrade.
At that, it should be taken into account that Feature classes and Object Data are the "collections" – they are intended for the same tasks. Moreover, Object Data is a part of two "collections" – one with Feature classes and other with extended data (XData and XRecord). In other words, only one thing must be chosen for the task solution – either Feature classes, or Object Data. Or even XRecord.
About SDF format
Map 3D GIS-tool (FDO, Feature Data Object) is notable for using different data format – SDF (Spatial Database File). "SDF – open format for storing both geometry and associated attribute data."
That is, AutoCAD vertical application has an additional special data format, not DWG. That is not only quite surprising itself but also revealing.
One of the probable reasons to use different from DWG format was the need to work with really large amounts of data. Autodesk representatives announced SDF to work successfully with files from 5 to 500 MB, to handle tens of thousands objects per second. Practitioners reported about successful handling of projects with tens of millions objects (while shared access).
Given that SDF data visualization is done by means of AutoCAD.
On the one hand, this SDF format is specialized, i.e. may not be extensible for other tasks. On the other hand, the use of format other than DWG – the response to DWG workflow difficulties with rather small data volumes – and 200, and 100, and 10MB. Working with DWG of tens of megabytes can be simply agonizing.
An analogy can be drawn between the situation with Map 3D and AutoCAD in principle. The focus of Autodesk is aimed at the development of vertical applications and AutoCAD-independent software (at advanced and prospective developments). However, AutoCAD isn’t really upgraded, all the main approaches in its workflow are the same for more than thirty years since its launch. AutoCAD itself became a "routine", "well-known", "simple" tool long time ago as compared to "information" and other trendy technologies. In other words, it is not interesting for marketing and PR (with all the possible consequences for AutoCAD).
The marginalization happening to AutoCAD Map 3D can be regarded as a precedent.
22.07.2016
Alexander Sharov
Translation: Sheviakov Sergei
