Campus Editing

Import CAD data

To load CAD data into a geodatabase, you'll follow these high-level steps:

  • Georeference the CAD dataset in ArcMap.
  • Select specific CAD features using one of many tools or methods used to select the data in ArcMap, including SQL queries that isolate geometry.
  • Transform CAD data with one or more geoprocessing tools to perform cleanup operations, or generate new data, such as splitting geometry or generating polygons from polylines.
  • Load the CAD data into a feature class in your geodatabase.

The Campus Editing map provides a series of tools that optimize CAD data loading workflows.

Using the CADImport map document and tools

The CADImport map document contains sample geodatabase features and the CAD drawing EsriBuildingFeatures.dwg. The CAD drawing is georeferenced and has been assigned a spatial reference. For information about how the CAD dataset was georeferenced, see About georeferencing CAD datasets.

The Local Government toolbox contains the Campus Editing toolset, which includes two geoprocessing tools that generate polygon features from CAD geometry and load them into an existing feature class with minimal user interaction.

Creating the interior spaces

Create Interior Spaces utilizes an SQL query to extract geometry from the CAD drawing layers. It analyzes the geometry in memory, extending lines and removing gaps to improve the quality of the output and generate the maximum number of polygons. The tool writes the results to a polygon feature class in a staging geodatabase. This output is used as input to the Load Interior Spaces tool.

To create interior spaces, complete the following steps:

  1. Browse to the MapsandGeodatabase\CAD Import folder and open CADImport.mxd.
  2. Open the Create Interior Spaces tool from the Campus Editing toolset in the Local Government toolbox found at MapsandGeodatabase\CAD Import.
  3. Click the Input Features drop-down menu and click the Building Floor Plan.dwg Polyline CAD file.
  4. Click the Output Location parameter, browse to MapsandGeodatabase\CAD Import\Campus.gdb, and select the Campus dataset.
  5. Define the SQL query expression to select geometry from drawing layers A-WALL, A-WALL-MOVE, and A-DOOR-FULL.
  6. Click the Annotation parameter and select the Building Floor Plan.dwg Annotation feature layer as secondary input. This transfers its textual information as attributes to the output polygon feature class. In this example, you want the interior space identifiers.
  7. Click OK. This model requires approximately one hour and 50 minutes to process the provided sample data.

Loading the interior spaces

Load Interior Spaces takes as input the output of Create Interior Spaces. It selects the polygons with interior space identifiers, populates the fields with attributes, and appends the final output to the BuildingInteriorSpace feature class in the Local Government geodatabase.

To load the interior spaces, complete the following steps:

  1. Browse to the MapsandGeodatabase folder and open CADImport.mxd.
  2. Open the Load Interior Spaces tool from the Campus Editing toolset in the Local Government toolbox found at MapsandGeodatabase\LocalGovernment.tbx.
  3. Click the Building Interior Space parameter and choose the BuildingInteriorSpace layer.
  4. Click the Campus Polygons parameter, browse to MapsandGeodatabase\CAD Import\Campus.gdb, and select Campus dataset.
  5. Click OK. The tool will append the CampusPolygons features created by the Create Interior Spaces tool to the BuildingInteriorSpace feature class.

Although it is possible to create closed polylines on a specific CAD drawing layer that load directly to a polygon feature class, most legacy CAD data is authored without this consideration. As a result, loading CAD data often requires that GIS polygons be generated through a series of geoprocessing tools that analyze the geometry similar to the provided tools.

Your results will vary depending on how amenable your CAD data is to the target GIS data model. You can resolve issues in one of two ways:

  • Edit the CAD data in the CAD application and rerun your model.
  • Edit the features in ArcMap.

If you choose to edit the features in ArcMap, it is likely you will need to add the missing polygons and attribute values such as the interior space identifiers.

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