Technical information

Working with the Project Point Database | 37
the point data is added to the point database and the observation data is
added to the observation database.
■ All programs included with AutoCAD Land Desktop use the point data-
base.
■ You can set up the point database so multiple people can access it over a
network.
■ The point database stores all the point information outside of the draw-
ings, which keeps the size of the drawing files smaller.
Because all the project point information is stored in one file, it is easier to
manage point data for a project. This is especially true when you work on a
large project that contains several different drawings or when you work on
the same project with other people on a network.
All commands that use point data, such as when you draw a line between
points, refer to the point database, not to the drawing. Therefore, you can
perform these functions even when the points are not drafted in the drawing.
This gives you added flexibility when you work on large projects with thou-
sands of points. By keeping the points out of the drawing, you can speed up
redraw time significantly.
Because all point information is stored in a database, you can create a new
drawing and insert only the project points that meet specific criteria, such as
region, point number range, or description. For example, you can insert
points with descriptions associated with the boundary, such as iron pipes,
corner points, or fence points.
You can limit access to the point database to one person, or you can share it
with other people. If you share the point database with other people, then
you can use the Lock Points command from the Points menu to protect
against unwanted edits to the database.
Key Concepts
■ All drawings in a project share a single point database file.
■ AutoCAD Land Desktop protects against duplicate point numbers. You are
prompted for how to resolve any duplicates that may arise.
Setting Up the Point Database
When you start a new AutoCAD Land Desktop project, you are prompted to
create the point database before placing any points in the drawing.