Vicinity Maps

Using Map makes it easy to create vicinity maps. Not quite sure how everyone else is doing it, but this is the way that I’m doing it now on when there is GIS data available.

The first step is to download the street data from where the County where the project is located. For the County of Los Angeles it is available as a Shape File. Next change the workspace to Map’s. It’s got a code name of Planning and Analysis, so it makes it obvious that it contains the Map commands.

I import the shape file into a drawing, but one could also use FDO. I then save the file with a catchy name like LAConfidential.dwg. That way I can follow Autodesk’s lead of giving it a code name so it’s contents are obvious.

When I need to create a vicinity map I attach the LAConfidential drawing using the Map Task Pane and the Map Explorer tab. To open the Task Pane type MAPWSPACE at the command line.  I then assign the correct Coordinate System to the drawing. If the survey is using State Plane Coordinates, them I’m set with knowing where the project is located at in the real world. If not, I have to find the coordinates of the site. To do this I use Google Earth or Maps to find the lat. and long. of the site and then use the Coordinate Track to find the location in the drawing.

Next I create a rectangle delineating the area I want the vicinity map for. Now I create a query to get the streets from the drawing file.

Here are the roads imported into the drawing. I imported all of the streets, but you can limit the import to major streets if the GIS data contains those classifications.

Now I’m able to label the streets using Annotation.

Then I detach the drawing from Map Explorer. I now have a vicinity map and I don’t have to trace anything or approximate anything or type any of the street names. I do have to adjust the labels or delete any of the local roads I don’t want in the drawing. I could also import the various streets based on their classifications and put them on their own layers.