Esri and Autodesk have worked together to make Esri’s ArcGIS basemaps accessible using built-in functionality in Civil 3D and AutoCAD. The current recommendation from the ArcGIS for AutoCAD team is to use the built-in Esri basemaps when working in these tools.
Know that these basemaps work right along with GIS content you add to drawings using ArcGIS for AutoCAD. As a best practice in using any GIS content in your CAD drawings, start with one of the several ways available for setting the ArcGIS for AutoCAD coordinate system.
For example, use ArcGIS for AutoCAD to set a coordinate system as a first step when working with a new drawing or setting up your drawing templates. By doing so, ArcGIS for AutoCAD will automatically set the Autodesk coordinate system, which enables the Geolocation contextual ribbon. From the Geolocation contextual ribbon, you can access Esri ArcGIS basemaps whether working in Civil 3D or AutoCAD.
