The requirement
As an Esri partner developing Mapscape, a cloud-based tree-management platform built around ArcGIS Online, ArcGIS Experience Builder and ArcGIS Field Maps, we need users to be able to import and export DXF files directly through Experience Builder, including assigning or georeferencing the drawing to the appropriate coordinate system, so that CAD drawings and field survey data can move easily between CAD and GIS.
For us, this is no longer simply a desirable enhancement. It has become a significant barrier to sales of our Experience Builder / Field Maps offering.
We are losing approximately 1 in every 3–4 potential customers because of this
During Mapscape demonstrations and discussions with prospective customers, approximately 25–33% of the potential customers we lose identify CAD/DXF interoperability as a significant reason why they cannot proceed.
A very common workflow is:
DXF topographical or architectural drawing → GIS field survey → updated survey information → DXF returned to the project team
For example, an arboricultural consultant may receive a DXF topographical survey from a land surveyor or architect. They need to:
- Import that drawing into their web-based GIS environment.
- Position or Georeference it correctly — for example to British National Grid (EPSG:27700).
- Make it available as project context for a Field Maps survey.
- Capture tree locations and associated survey information in the field.
- Export the resulting spatial features back to DXF for use by architects, engineers, landscape architects or other members of the project team.
Experience Builder currently lacks a simple native workflow for doing this.
For many SMEs, requiring a separate desktop CAD/GIS conversion process or access to a full AutoCAD-based workflow defeats one of the major attractions of deploying a cloud-based ArcGIS solution in the first place.
What we would like Experience Builder to provide
Ideally, this could be provided as a DXF Import/Export widget, or by extending the existing Experience Builder data import/export capabilities.
A practical first version could allow an end user to:
- Upload a DXF file directly into Experience Builder.
- Select or assign the appropriate coordinate reference system.
- Where required, Georeference/reposition the DXF drawing against the map.
- Display the imported DXF geometry as usable map layers.
- Retain useful CAD layer organisation and point, line and polygon geometry where practical.
- Use the imported drawing as project context for ArcGIS web and Field Maps workflows.
- Export selected GIS features and collected survey data back to DXF, using the required coordinate system and a sensible CAD layer structure.
This does not need to replace the sophisticated capabilities of ArcGIS Pro or ArcGIS for AutoCAD.
The important requirement is a straightforward browser-based bridge between everyday DXF drawings and ArcGIS workflows.
The opportunity for Esri is much larger than arboriculture
Our evidence comes from the arboricultural sector because that is where Mapscape operates, but the workflow is not specific to trees.
The same requirement potentially affects organisations and SMEs working in:
- land and engineering surveying;
- architecture and landscape architecture;
- construction and development;
- planning;
- utilities;
- environmental consultancy;
- ecology;
- highways and infrastructure;
- facilities and asset management; and
- local government.
These organisations routinely exchange spatial information with architects, surveyors, engineers and contractors in CAD formats.
The absence of an easy DXF bridge can therefore create a barrier at exactly the point where an organisation might otherwise move from conventional CAD-led working towards a wider ArcGIS Online, Experience Builder and Field Maps workflow.
Why this would benefit Esri
Esri has already recognised the strategic importance of bringing CAD and GIS together elsewhere within the ArcGIS ecosystem.
Bringing a practical level of that interoperability into Experience Builder would extend the same principle to browser-first and mobile-first customers, particularly SMEs that may never operate a sophisticated enterprise CAD environment.
For Mapscape, removing this single barrier would potentially convert a significant proportion of currently lost opportunities into organisations actively using more of the ArcGIS ecosystem.
Instead of a prospect saying:
“We like the system, but our projects are delivered in DXF.”
the answer could become:
“Upload the drawing, locate it correctly, carry out the survey in Field Maps and export the results back to DXF.”
That is a very powerful proposition for ArcGIS.
It reduces conversion, duplication and desktop pre-processing while making Experience Builder and Field Maps considerably easier to integrate into established professional workflows.
A request to the Experience Builder product team
We would therefore strongly encourage Esri to consider native DXF interoperability within Experience Builder as a priority enhancement.
Mapscape would be very willing to contribute practical use cases, example workflows and real-world testing from commercial arboricultural projects if that would assist the Experience Builder development team.
From our experience, this is one of those relatively specific capabilities that could have a disproportionately large effect on adoption.
A native DXF bridge could turn one of the most frequent reasons prospective users give us for not adopting an ArcGIS-based workflow into a compelling reason to adopt one.
