Custom NLCS integration development
Appfront builds integrations with NLCS, the Dutch CAD Standard for the civil engineering sector. Because NLCS works object-based, a drawing contains not just lines but objects with data. We extract those objects from NLCS drawings into your own asset or project management system, check drawings against the standard, and ensure information flows from design to management without redrawing or retyping.
What is an NLCS integration?
NLCS is the CAD standard for civil, road and hydraulic engineering. It sets out agreements on design drawings: the objects and their data, drawing sheets, layers and presentation. A key principle is object-based working: in an NLCS drawing, a sewer pipe or a lighting column is an object with data attached. Version 5.0 appears on the list of open standards under 'apply or explain', and includes an integration with GWSW and BGT.
In practice, NLCS drawings are produced and delivered, but the information within them is then rarely used. A manager receives an as-built drawing and redraws the objects in the management system. An estimator counts quantities by hand. And whether a delivered drawing really complies with the standard only becomes apparent when someone tries to do something with it.
We build bespoke solutions because organisations differ: which drawings you produce or receive, in which CAD software, and in which system the information needs to land. The standard is maintained by the NLCS governing body; we ensure your systems extract the information it contains.
Objects, not lines
Objects and their data from NLCS drawings into your asset or project management system.
Checked
Drawings checked against the standard before they are delivered or processed.
Design to management
As-built drawings processed in management, without redrawing or retyping.
How we build your NLCS integration
We start with your drawings: which types, in which CAD software, from whom, and into which system the information needs to land. It often turns out that drawings partly comply with the standard already. An initial check shows where, so the integration works reliably and deviations can be sent back to the draughtsperson. This also improves the quality of drawings from the design firms that produce them.
Your drawings, software, suppliers and target systems.
Objects and data from NLCS drawings.
Checks against the standard, and processing in your systems.
Go-live, monitoring, and maintenance when new versions are released.
What an NLCS integration actually does
The components below recur in almost every NLCS integration. Which ones you need depends on your drawings.
Reading
Objects from NLCS drawings.
Details
Attributes of each object.
Validation
Drawings against the standard.
Management
Revisions into the management system.
Quantities
For estimating.
Audit log
Every drawing recorded.
Who we build NLCS integrations for
The integration is intended for anyone who creates, receives or manages NLCS drawings.
Municipalities and water boards
As-built drawings from many projects. Management is the core.
Engineering firms
Drawings to the standard. Checking matters most.
Contractors
Delivering as-built drawings. Upfront checking is what is needed.
Software suppliers
Management or design software. Reading is the core.
Technology and integrations
This page is about integrations with NLCS. For large-scale topography, see our page on a BGT integration; for building models, our page on an IFC integration; and for sewerage, our page on sewer software. You can read about our approach at custom software development.
Why choose Appfront for your NLCS integration?
Redrawing an as-built drawing full of objects in your asset management system is duplicate work and an opportunity for errors. That is where we focus: objects instead of lines, drawings that have been checked, and information that flows from design to management.
No redrawing
Objects go directly to asset management.
Reliable
Drawings meet the standard.
Usable
Quantities taken from the drawing.
Security and privacy in an NLCS integration
The integration works with drawings and data on public space and underground infrastructure, some of which is confidential. Access is set by role, and every processing action is logged.
The integration runs in a European data centre or in your own environment, with encrypted storage and daily backups.
Frequently asked questions about an NLCS integration
Questions that asset managers and firms ask before getting started.
The Dutch CAD Standard for the civil engineering and public works sector. It sets out agreements on objects and their data, drawing sheets, layers and the layout of design drawings. The current version is 5.0, and it appears on the list of open standards with the designation 'apply or explain'.
It means that an element in the drawing, such as a sewer pipe or a lamp post, is an object with data attached, rather than just a line or symbol. That data can be read and used by other systems. A drawing can therefore serve as the source for asset management, cost estimation and planning, rather than just being a picture.
Version 5.0 includes an integration with the Gegevenswoordenboek Stedelijk Water (Urban Water Data Dictionary) and the Basisregistratie Grootschalige Topografie (BGT, the Dutch large-scale topographic register), so design, sewerage and topography recognise the same objects. This means objects from a drawing can connect better to those other standards and registers.
The integration checks whether objects, layers and data comply with the standard, and reports any deviations along with the reason. This allows a drawing to be corrected before it is handed over or processed.
With the software you use to draw to the NLCS, as long as the drawing is delivered in a readable format. In the first step we establish which formats you receive, and from which parties. Where different firms draw in slightly different ways, the check shows where the differences lie.
Yes, if your management system has an interface or import facility. Objects from the as-built drawing are offered to the management system, so they don't need to be redrawn. An administrator reviews the changes before they are adopted.
For public authorities that receive and manage large numbers of drawings, for firms and contractors who want to check drawings before handover, and for software suppliers who want to be able to read NLCS drawings.
Actually using the information in your drawings?
Tell us which drawings you produce or receive, in which software, and into which system the information needs to go. We'll show you what the integration looks like.