Spatial Manager have some utilities for working with terrains and elevations, one of them allows to search elevations for existing points. Doing some steps it is possible to create a data field and store in it the elevation value, even adding it to other existing fields.

Available for AutoCAD, BricsCAD, ZWCAD and GstarCAD


1. Existing points with data without elevation

  • Having some points with X-Y coordinates, but without elevation values, the goal is to add a data field with the value of elevation (Z coordinate)

2. Create layer and download elevations

  • Create a new layer and set as current layer
  • Execute SPMTERRAIN command
  • Select “Select points from drawing” option and select the existing points in the drawing
  • When asking if you want to download elevations from online services, click yes
  • In the section “Objects to create” check “3D points” and click OK
  • A new set of points will be created in the current layer

3. Create table and field for elevation values

  • These new points have elevation/Z position, but there have no data attached
  • Execute SPMDATATABLEDEFINE command and create a new table with a field of type decimal number
create table and field for elevation

create table and field for elevation

4. Attach table with points with elevations

  • Select all the poits created in the step 2
  • Execute SPMDATATABLEATTACH command
  • Select the table created on the step 3 and “Attach to the current selection” option
  • Now the points have the table attached but with empy values

5. Set elevation value from geometry

  • Execute SPMDATACALCULATOR command
  • Select the new empty table as source table
  • On the expression panel select Geometry/ElevationZ
  • For “Save value in” select “Update existing field” and the empty field created on step 3 and click OK
calculate elevation value to field

calculate elevation value to field

  • Now the points have the elevation value both in the position Z for the geometry and as data table attached

6. Join previous data and elevation data

  • For the last step original points and new points with height values will be join and the resulting points will have
  • Execute SPMOVERLAY command
  • As source select the original points layer
  • As overlay select the new points layer
  • For operation keep Intersect selected
  • Set the desired name of the final resulting layer and table
join data fields

join data fields

  • Review the final result, the created points have both source data fields and a new field for elevation/height

Note: Some functionalities can be found in the Standard or Professional editions only