Bring maps from around the world and georeferencing into your CAD workflow
DWGExplorer extends your work environment with WMS and WMTS services and official maps so you can review the project in its real territorial context.
Map layers ready to support better decisions
Drawing coordinates
Choose from more than 5,000 coordinate systems worldwide, by EPSG code, name, country or coordinates, to avoid offsets and positioning errors.
Locate by city
Search about 160,000 towns in any country, with no internet connection. The program suggests the country's official system or, if none is configured, the UTM zone.
Base layers
A catalog of more than 70 official map and base map services from Europe, the Americas, Oceania and Asia, filtered by the drawing's area.
WMS and WMTS loading
Check availability, read layers and browse the official service directories of several countries. ArcGIS services and tile templates are supported too.
My services and keys
Add your own services, free or paid. Keys are stored encrypted on your computer and are not saved in the drawing.
Spanish services
Load Cadastre, PNOA, IGN and MTN with shortcuts, without typing the service URL by hand.
Layer order and opacity
Move layers up or down, hide or remove them and adjust the opacity of each one to decide which information takes priority at any time.
WMS info
Find out what is at a point in the visible WMS layers, on any service with queryable layers.
WMSON and WMSOFF
Temporarily turn off heavy map layers to move around quickly, then bring them back with the same configuration.
Useful georeferencing for review, cross-checking and verification
Start right: locate the drawing and set its coordinate system
Loading maps depends on a consistent coordinate system. Enter a town in any country and the program suggests its system, or choose from more than 5,000 by EPSG code, name, country or coordinates.
More than 70 services, filtered by your drawing's area
The catalog groups orthophotos, topographic maps, base maps, cadastre and relief. If the drawing has a coordinate system, the list shows only what is available in its area.
Overlay maps without losing the project geometry
WMS layers stay beneath the CAD drawing, so the vector content remains visible and editable without interference.
Add your own services, free or paid
Add WMS, WMTS, ArcGIS or tile template services with their key, and have them available in Base layers in any area. The key is stored encrypted for your Windows user and is not saved in the drawing.
Cadastre, PNOA, IGN and MTN one click away
Shortcuts remove manual steps and speed up setup for parcel, topographic or territorial validation work.
How to set up a GIS session in DWGExplorer
Set coordinates
Locate the drawing by city or assign its coordinate system before connecting services.
Connect the service
Choose a base layer or load a WMS or WMTS, review the layers and decide whether you want to zoom to extents.
Arrange the display
Put each layer in the right order and adjust its opacity to highlight the priority information.
Optimize performance
Temporarily turn services off with WMSOFF and bring them back with WMSON once you are at the view you want.
Get answers to the key questions before you try DWGExplorer
Do I need to know the exact coordinate system before loading a WMS?
Not always. DWGExplorer can use the coordinate system indicated by the WMS service itself or suggest one from a city. The drawing and the service also do not have to use the same system: if needed, the image is transformed automatically.
Which maps can I use outside Spain?
The Base layers catalog brings together more than 70 services from Europe, the Americas, Oceania and Asia, and the Directory button queries the official catalogs of Portugal, Italy, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Brazil and Canada, among others. The services are published by third parties, so their availability does not depend on ApliCAD, and a few require a key from their provider.
Can I use satellite imagery?
Yes. The catalog includes Esri satellite imagery, paid and with your own Esri account, for areas with little official mapping. ApliCAD does not provide or sell this service: its terms, limits and costs are agreed between you and Esri.
Do WMS layers cover the CAD drawing?
No. The drawing geometry stays above the maps, so you can keep working on it.
What if the session has many layers and becomes slow?
You can use WMSOFF to turn them off temporarily and WMSON to bring them back later with the same configuration.
Validate your drawing against official maps without leaving your CAD
DWGExplorer goes beyond analyzing the DWG internally: it also helps you place it in context with real territorial information.
Ideal for parcel work, territorial review and checks against orthophotos or the Cadastre.