NEWS

We’ll be in New Orleans for Autodesk University 2022 – come visit!

Founded by a civil engineer, Plex-Earth remains active within the world of AEC but we’ve never before had the chance to meet so many of you in person – so it’s no surprise that we’re both exhibiting in and sponsoring this year’s Autodesk University!

Yes, there is an AU22 discount; $150 off any new annual plan while AU2022 is live (27-29th Sep) but the most important thing I want to say is PLEASE DO come visit our booth and say hello!

We can’t wait to hear more about what you're doing, how Plex-Earth has helped you and listen to what you'd like to see going forward, but it’s more than that; we’ve come to know many of you as friends!

You can meet the whole team at our booth, CON138, where we will be showcasing the good ol’ features as well as some exciting new ones!

Autodesk University 2022 Floorplan - This is where you'll find us!

This is where you’ll find us!

And it doesn’t stop there. Nick, our Head of Customer Success, will be giving a talk introducing Remote Surveying, with some case studies detailing the power of Plex-Earth across a variety of fields, from time-based imagery to our latest drone data. We know Nick has become super-popular with our readers but he remains as humble and helpful as ever, and is as excited as I am to actually meet with you guys!

While the last 2 years have been online-only, this year’s event celebrates finally returning to the real-world, and what better place for celebrations than the city of New Orleans?

Loosely translated from Cajun-French, the city’s motto of “laissez les bons temps rouler” means “Let the good times roll”, and the city is famous for its many celebrations, especially the Mardi Gras festival.

Of course, New Orleans is also famous as the home of jazz music, and even voodoo, but to engineers this colorful 300 year old city is perhaps best known for the tragedy and controversy 17 years ago, over levees, floodgates, 1,800 untimely deaths and Hurricane Katrina’s devastation. Much of the famous colonial architecture was lost or seriously damaged.

Yes, September is peak hurricane season, but we’re not letting any negativity stop us!

Previous events at Orlando and Las Vegas had people complaining it was far from their time-zones; well with fingers and toes crossed against hurricanes we’re coming all the way from Athens, Greece…

This year’s keywords are hope and positivity!

So what makes Autodesk University such a must-go event?

Well for a start it’s big – Autodesk University will be held at the 1.1 million square feet New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center, which is the 6th largest conference center in the United States.

10,000 attendees are expected, but let’s look at the number 3… Autodesk describe it as 3 days of 3 things; “three days of connection, learning, and exploration”.

Exploring

AU is where the AEC world shows off their latest and greatest products and services, indeed many companies will deliberately hold back their latest products so that they can launch them during AU! Likewise some end-user companies set budgets around this event.

Note that as a Software as a Service (SaaS) Plex-Earth gives you the latest updates the moment they have passed beta-testing, so there’s no need to wait for the next AU! We will be joining in the celebration with a special offer though, so if your company is like many others with a budget for AU, we’re offering a simple yet tempting $150 off every new annual subscription taken out while AU22 is live! This link should be live during the event:

AU22 discount code

Learning

Last year’s AU was online-only, but our live, personal tutorials last year were a smash-hit, so we’re excited to provide such a personal service in-person this year!

In total, more than 400 companies will be running tutorials and demonstrations, with some even offering on-the-spot tests and certifications.

Rumors of Plex-Earth offering a Professional certification are… unfounded for this year, but something about which we’d love to hear your interest level? Do tell us, in person if you’re coming. Anastasis, our Education Program Director, will be all ears!

Connection

During this pandemic Plex-Earth has proved itself fantastic for remote-surveying of sites, awesome for early-stage conceptual planning and now with centimeter-level drone date it’s arguably more accurate than an in-person survey – but we never forget Plex-Earth is all about the PEOPLE!

We know we would be nothing without you, the people who buy our products, and we know you also use it for the people you need to impress, the people you need to explain and show things to, and so on.

Sponsoring Autodesk University is a way for Plex-Earth to help us all transition back to the real world of people”
— Founder & CEO, Lambros Kaliakatsos

From the very first idea, to the final construction, civil engineering is about people; indeed it’s right there in the name, ‘civil’, late Middle English: via Old French from Latin civilis, from civis ‘citizen’.

People.

We often say our products help ‘connect design with the real world’, so apart from wanting to meet as many of our users in person as we possibly can, sponsoring Autodesk University is a way for Plex-Earth to help us all transition back to the real world of people. That’s you, the people who mean the world to us!

So, talking of slogans, we hope to meet you there, and laissez les bons temps rouler

Let there be Lite! Our Plex-Earth FREE version is official!

I’m very happy to confirm Plex-Earth Lite, our simple but functional FREE version, is a thing, and will stay a thing!

It's a big, bold move – but a delicate balance  – to launch a FREE version of commercial software, so there has been a very 'soft' ongoing launch while we assessed how things went...

They went great!

Which is a big relief, because I’ve personally been wanting a free version since Plexscape started;

...When I created Plex-Earth my aim was to build something other engineers could use freely... ...and so I’m doing exactly that!”
— Lambros Kaliakatsos, CEO and Founder

" When I created Plex-Earth my aim was to build something other engineers could use freely. Not just a free trial but simply for free, without restrictions. So it feels completely right to release Plex-Earth Lite, both as a continuation of Plexscape’s "Punch the Pandemic" initiative - and going beyond! The pandemic is still here but even if it were gone, it still feels right to help the world's engineers for free, and so I'm doing exactly that!"

If you were not aware of that soft-launch then let's take a look at Plex-Earth Lite...

How it works

Just like the original, Plex-Earth Lite uses the satellite images from Google and then:

  • Easily aligns and scales Google Maps with your viewport area as a background, which you can toggle on or off

  • Zooms and synchronizes Google Earth with your AutoCAD drawing

  • Can import single elements with a simple copy-paste from Google Earth

  • Creates placemarks, paths and polygons directly from within your drawing

  • Offers additional tools to manage georefenced images, such as exporting or importing images based on World Files, importing geo-tagged photos taken with your smartphone/camera etc

Georeferencing your drawing is made super-easy, by offering virtually any of the world's 3,000 coordinate systems, or just specify the location with a click in Google Earth!

It's the super-easy solution for when you just want more Google goodness!

And remember...

It's not a free trial; it's free!

Plex-Earth Lite offers the basics giving any engineer, anywhere in the world, a realistic geographical view of their project area, via Google's satellite imagery, for free.

It's that simple.

Click here for more details and a quick tutorial on how to add Google Maps to AutoCAD for free and here’s the direct link to download Lite from the Autodesk App store.

Yes, Plex-Earth Lite can put Google Maps in BricsCAD too!

Plex-Earth 2023 - Blockbuster Release!

Plex-Earth 2023: Our Biggest Blockbuster Ever!

Plex-Earth 2023 – it’s our biggest release… EVER!

First up is the debut of our newest rising star…

Introducing Inflights drone data – book custom flights!

Yes! For the first time ever, Plex-Earth brings you discounts on custom DRONE flights, with our little flying friends available almost anywhere on Earth!

Generating 2D orthomosaics, 3D models and maps can often have a higher degree of precision than traditional surveying methods. This game-changing development transforms Plex-Earth into a mandatory tool, not only for your early design stages, but for all design and even the later construction stages!

You just select the target area and pick your options from within Plex-Earth. You’ll soon receive a fast and firm quotation from a local independent pilot – and your Plex-Earth discount!

Your order activates the Inflights platform, which can obtain, process and analyze imagery and data from a global network of independent drone pilots and their equipment. This brings you consistent results with expert processing and analysis, while smartly avoiding the usual hassles of trying to arrange your own equipment or permits

It’s (nearly) all the fun of flying your own drone, without the flip-sides!

Orthomosaic expertise - multiple high-res’ drone images stitched together for you!

See our joint press release here: Drone data in AutoCAD: Plex-Earth and Inflights

Co-starring Cesium, a rising star in global 3D terrain!

Analytical Graphics Inc. went on a mission to produce the most accurate digital 3D version of our planet – all of it – ever created. The results are impressive!

Plex-Earth still offers terrain data from Amazon and Google Earth, but also introduces Cesium. Now you can choose from the unique characteristics of each provider, picking the best option for the different stages of your project, including the risks to avoid or the people you need to impress!

Importing 3D terrain into AutoCAD is now much improved, with:

  • Google Earth, Terrain Tiles (AWS) and now Cesium!

  • Fewer clicks

  • More features

  • Faster processing - much faster!

  • Global coverage of 3D terrain

  • Mesh points or contours, you’ve got it all!

  • Effortlessly imported onto your AutoCAD .dwg

  • Terrain analysis made easy (see tutorial link below)

  • Resolution varies by location, from 30 meters down to 50 cm!

Rising star Cesium is already winning the hearts of engineers!

See more here: Importing terrain into AutoCAD tutorial

Time-Travel Special Effects by TimeViews™!

It wouldn’t be a blockbuster without a superpower or some special effects, and in Plex-Earth 2023 the hero – that’s YOU – can travel back in time!

A timeline of historical satellite imagery inside AutoCAD let’s you see what’s stayed the same, changed or is still changing, with:

  • Worldwide coverage!

  • Various datasets available

  • High-quality and high-resolution from Airbus and Maxar

  • Spanning as long as 10 years or as recent as a few days ago!

This is the Arena MRV in Brazil, during construction.

Note that because this is real imagery, for best results you can select periods without cloud cover!

See more about Plex-Earth Timeviews

Talking about timeliness and being up-to-date…

Putting premium satellite and aerial imagery in AutoCAD: Maxar, Airbus, Hexagon and Nearmap!

Satellite imagery doesn’t have to be Bing!

With global coverage, imagery that can be just a few days old and resolutions down to 30cm, Maxar or Airbus can take your satellite image background to the next level!

It’s not hard to tell which image is most up to date…

With Plex-Earth 2023:

  • Static raster image – no flickering or reloading every time you zoom

  • Static images also avoid over-consumption of premium imagery

  • Multiple-image mosaics, to cover large areas at high resolution

  • Most areas only weeks old, not months or years!

  • Resolutions down to 50 or even 40 cm satellite

  • Resolutions down to 30, 15 or even 7.5 cm aerial

You can see the bigger picture with satellites, while our aerial imagery from Nearmap and Hexagon can reveal the finer details across the US, Australia, Canada and the urban areas of New Zealand.

How fine? Depending on the supplier and area it can be 30cm, 15cm, even 7.5cm resolution!

Special Guest Appearance: Google Maps and Google Earth

Yes, the crowd-pleasing Google Twins return to your big AutoCAD screen!

Google Earth + AutoCAD = easy with Plex-Earth 2023!

Exporting objects into Google Earth is another crowd-pleaser that returns to grace the big screen!

Exporting from AutoCAD into Google Earth is easy with Plex-Earth!

Updating from Plex-Earth 4.0?

Plex-Earth 2023 offers you everything you love about 4.0, including the return of the Google Earth goodness, while offering you even more flexibility and power!

As a current Plex-Earth 4.0 user you’re entitled to extra-special assistance when stepping up to this new platform, including booking a free Teamviewer session where we’ll walk you through the differences. We even have a special PE4 to PE2023 transition tutorial just for you!

Functional free trial? Of course!

Most movies only last around 90 minutes; our free trial lasts 7 whole days and yes you can use Plex-Earth 2023 on a real project, right now!

Compatibility with AutoCAD 2023

Game changing companies look forward and being one step ahead is always a plus. Plex-Earth 2023 offers full compatibility with the just released AutoCAD 2023, as well as with its most popular verticals (Civil 3D, Map 3D, Architecture, Mechanical, Steel).

Plex-Earth 5D: You Got What You Asked For!

Plex-Earth 5D: You Got What You Asked For!

Yes, we listened!

Google Maps into AutoCAD, AutoCAD objects into Google Earth, premium updated imagery providers; it's all great stuff but PERFECTION – and thus Plex-Earth - are always a work in progress!

The world's top engineers know that at Plexscape we frequently run surveys and even live interviews to make sure the projects we're working on are more than what you need, but what you (really really) want.

The new Plex-Earth is here: AutoCAD 2022 support, advanced image capabilities and more

The new Plex-Earth is here: AutoCAD 2022 support, advanced image capabilities and more

The term “continuous improvement” is fairly self-explanatory and widely used for any product or service, but when it comes to software it’s vital.

Being humbled by the massive support of the AutoCAD engineering community since Plex-Earth was born 11 years ago, our software is now on its 5th generation and its latest release comes with a number of important improvements, also supporting AutoCAD 2022!

As Heather Miller writes on the official AutoCAD blog:

“For years, many people have relied on Plexscape’s Plex-Earth to view Google Earth images in AutoCAD. Now, the company has released an incredible update to the plug-in that includes high-resolution aerial and satellite imagery from Airbus, Maxar, Nearmap, and more.”

Why we're burning our brand on purpose - and good riddance 2020!

Why we're burning our brand on purpose - and good riddance 2020!

Think of it as burning our boat!

The world has a number of boat (and bridge) burning festivals and folk-sayings, but here I'm referring to the English expression, probably based on the example of Spanish Conquistador Hernán Cortés...

In the early 16th century he arrived in what is today Mexico, upon which he ordered his crew to burn the ships they arrived on, deliberately destroying any option of retreat!

That's an extreme example, and perhaps more daring than changing our company look and logo, but we changed our logo with the same fighting spirit!

So what exactly did we do, and why?

Satellite imagery in AEC – what’s wrong with Bing, and what's so unique about Plex-Earth 5?

Satellite imagery in AEC – what’s wrong with Bing, and what's so unique about Plex-Earth 5?

If you somehow missed the excitement around the launch of Plex-Earth 5 at last month's Autodesk University, and now keep hearing about version 5? Well this short blog post will help explain what all the buzz is about!

The first big change is not the nifty new logo – nice as it is and more about that in a next post – but that Plex-Earth is now a multiple-provider platform.

We're here for you: Free Plex.Earth activations during COVID-19 pandemic

We're here for you: Free Plex.Earth activations during COVID-19 pandemic

Seeing how bad the COVID-19 situation seemed to be we arranged for our own staff to work remotely, but we wondered, could we help and encourage YOU, our Plex.Earth users, to do the same? Consequently, we decided to double your Plex.Earth licensed machines, without any extra charge, for the next 3 months.

This Christmas, we lend a hand to those in need

You get more by giving, don't you think? We firmly believe so.

That's why, this Christmas we decided to support the work of Doctors Without Borders and their mission to provide lifesaving medical care to the people who need it most, in more than 70 countries worldwide.

From all of us, we wish you laughter and love as you celebrate your holidays with family and friends, and we look forward to a peaceful and prosperous 2020!

medicins sans frontieres_plexscape .png
 

The story behind Plex.Earth: Taking the guesswork out of civil design

The story behind Plex.Earth: Taking the guesswork out of civil design

You have just won your next project and can't wait to create a model for your design. You have been in that position, right? Then, you know it: the whole process can be a cumbersome, time-consuming and prone to errors experience.

In 2009, Lambros Kaliakatsos, Plexscape founder & CEO, being a CAD manager back then, got a bitter taste of the difficulties designing without having the complete real-world view of his sites, anytime he needed it.

Having experienced the high cost of rework on projects he was responsible for, he decided to do something about it.

So, in case you wonder, here’s our story, as published in the TwinGEO magazine by the popular blog Geofumadas!

Free webinar: 3D vehicle simulations in Google Earth with Plex.Earth and AutoTURN Pro

Looking to publish your 3D vehicle simulations in Google Earth?

We’re hosting a free webinar with our trusted partners, Transoft Solutions, to show you how you can do this easily and quickly, with Plex.Earth and AutoTURN Pro.

Join this webinar to learn how to import the most up-to-date satellite imagery, create swept path analyses and display the end result in Google Earth.

The benefits are numerous:

► You can share breathtaking presentations with anyone you want.
► Take instant feedback whenever you need it to meet your project deadlines.
► Impress your clients and land new ones.

Plex.Earth and AutoTURN Pro live webinar
Date: Thursday, June 13, 2019
Time: 10:00 AM PT | 12:00 PM CT | 18:00 PM CET
Hosts: Nicolas Paraskevopoulos, Customer Support Specialist at Plexscape
Majo Varghese, Sales Consultant at Transoft Solutions

 

Sparking young minds with robotics: Two Greek students share their life-changing stories

Sparking young minds with robotics: Two Greek students share their life-changing stories

What about making robotics as cool for young people as sports are today;

Just a few months ago, two Greek university students, Georgia Kouvoutsaki and Vasilis Kokkinos, 23 and 21 years old, were selected to be on the panel of judges for the World Robotics Olympiad in Thailand.

Realizing how passionate they both are, we were more than glad to support them in their mission. Here's their inspiring stories that hopefully will encourage other young people and especially school students, to explore the magic world of robotics and science!



Plex.Earth is featured on DigitalGlobe's official blog

Data is the new oil, don’t you think? We firmly believe so!

Our new partnership with Bird.i is based on our shared vision to bring the value of the most up-to-date satellite imagery to businesses of any size for better -informed decision making (you can read our joint press release and visit our page for more information).

Corentin Guillo, Bird.i CEO, has written a great guest post on DigitalGlobe company blog about our partnership, explaining the real value it brings to the Architecture, Engineering and Construction (AEC) industry.

DigitalGlobe is a leading provider of high-resolution Earth imagery, data and analysis, owning and operating an agile and sophisticated constellation of
high--resolution commercial Earth imaging satellites.

Read the guest post here and watch this space for more news and updates regarding this powerful partnership.

Plexscape joins forces with Transoft Solutions

Since the creation of Plex.Earth in 2009, we have been committed to changing the way engineers work on Architectural, Engineering and Construction (AEC) projects, by bridging the gap between design and the real-world.

Following through on our commitment, we are excited to announce our partnership with Transoft Solutions, a global leader in transportation engineering design and analysis software.

Central to the partnership is integrating AutoTurn with Plex.Earth, allowing engineers and designers to demonstrate vehicle swept path analyses directly into Google Earth.

By creating and sharing self-explaining presentations in the Google Earth environment, engineers can make design decisions with more confidence, reduce revisions and keep their projects on time and on budget.

Do you want to know what Plex.Earth can do for you? Start your free trial now and stay tuned for more!

Plexscape awarded ISO 9001:2015 Quality Management Certificate

Plexscape awarded ISO 9001:2015 Quality Management Certificate

Since the creation of Plex.Earth in 2010, we are always looking for ways to improve customer satisfaction and add real value to the relationship with our users. Thus, we are really excited to announce that Plexscape, is now EN ISO 9001:2015 certified for its quality management system for the scope "Sales and Technical Support of Software Applications". We're proud of this accomplishment, given that it's the second time that we get ISO certified!

Plex.Earth: Import 3D terrain and imagery from Google Earth to AutoCAD

Plex.Earth: Import 3D terrain and imagery from Google Earth to AutoCAD

For the last months, our development team has been very busy in building the new version of our flagship product, Plex.Earth 4.

We're all excited having added some unique features to our software, and although our new version is in beta version, we would like to share a sneak peek at these new capabilities.

Children making their town prettier

plexearth_plexscape_town.jpg

Last week we spent a couple of days in Ioannina, one of the most beautiful cities in Greece, well known for its history and amazing natural beauty.

Also, it's a city full of energy. There, a bunch of children, from a very active local art school, put their best to transform the front wall of an abandoned building into a point of interest for the whole town.

Kids grabbed a paintbrush and gave an immediate answer to a very critical question: how can we make our life prettier?