You can specify the geographic location, orientation, and elevation of the objects in a drawing.

This information is useful for sun studies, environment analysis, exporting to AutoCAD Map 3D, and working with Google Earth.

Geographic location information can be specified in one of the following ways:

• Enter the latitude, longitude, and altitude manually
• Import a KML or KMZ file with the geographic information
• Import a location from Google Earth

When you specify the geographic location of a drawing, a geographic marker is created. The geographic marker is a visual representation of the location information, and is created at a specified point on the drawing.

This marker cannot be selected, but you can control whether it is displayed using the GEOMARKERVISIBILITY system variable.

You can display the latitude and longitude of the cursor in the coordinate display area of the status bar.

Procedure

To specify the geographic location of a drawing

1. Click Render tabSun & Location panelSet Location. At the Command prompt, enter geographiclocation.
2. Click Enter the Location Values.
3. (Optional) Select the latitude and longitude format, or click Use Map to specify the nearest city and time zone.
4. Specify the X, Y, and Z coordinates in the drawing corresponding to the geographic data.

   The north direction angle is calculated when you select a point with reference to the geographic location.

5. Click OK.

To import a kml or kmz file into a drawing

1. Click Render tabSun & Location panelSet Location. At the Command prompt, enter geographiclocation.
2. Click Import a KML or KMZ File.
3. Navigate to the location of the KML or KMZ file. Click Open.
   NoteIf a KML or KMZ file references multiple locations, only the first location is used. Click Close if the Multiple Locations Found dialog box is displayed.
4. Click or specify the coordinates for the location in the World Coordinate System (WCS) X, Y, Z format.
5. Click to specify the north direction.

   A geographic marker is inserted at the specified location.

To import a geographic location from Google Earth

1. Start Google Earth and select a location.
2. Click Render tabSun & Location panelSet Location. At the Command prompt, enter geographiclocation.
3. Click Import the current location from Google Earth.
4. Click Continue.
5. Click or specify the coordinates for the location in the World Coordinate System (WCS) X, Y, Z format.
6. Click to specify the north direction.

   The geographic marker is created at the specified point on the drawing.

To edit or delete a geographic marker

1. Click Render tabSun & Location panelSet Location. At the Command prompt, enter geographiclocation.
2. Do one of the following:

• Click Edit Current Geographic Location.
• Click Remove Geographic Location.

Quick Reference

Commands

GEOGRAPHICLOCATION

Specifies the geographic location information for a drawing file.

INSERT

Inserts a block or drawing into the current drawing.

XATTACH

Inserts DWG files as an external reference (xref).

System Variables

GEOLATLONGFORMAT

Controls the format of the latitude or longitude values in the Geographic Location dialog box, and the coordinate status bar in Geographic mode.

GEOMARKERVISIBILITY

Controls the visibility of geographic markers.