Exporting 3D Contour Lines from GIS to 3D CAD format files

suzannevandijk

I am requesting from our GIS department to have 3D contour lines exported from ArcGIS into a usable 3d Cadd file.   I was hoping to use them in either Autocad or MicroStation (*.dgn, *.dwg, or *.dxf)

Not being an ArcGIS user, is this even possible?  If it is possible, does anyone have any step by step instructions on "How To".

MichaelContratto

Go to ArcToolbox > Conversion Tools > To CAD > Export to CAD.  Here is a link to the documentation for this tool.

http://help.arcgis.com/en/arcgisdesktop/10.0/help/index.html#//00120000001n000000.htm

Regards,
Eric

Eric,
I do not use ArcGis but depend on getting contour lines in .dxf format for use in OCAD.  OCAD is a program to make maps for oreinteering.  We work with the local county GIS (PeoriaGIS) to get the contours in .dxf format.  They sent us files earlier this year and they were fine.  Last month they did the , I quote "The exact same thing" and the files do not work.  The contours come out as polylines but they do not have field 38 which is the elevation of the contour line.  We have also gotten contours in .dxf format from two local cities and both of these had the correct format. 

Here is an extract from the file that worked

Extract from Jubilee file:
##########################
AcDbPolyline
90        <- The Number of Vertices flag
      583 <- The Number of Vertices flag

70
     0
43
0.0
38       <- The Elevation flag
612.0     <- The Elevation Value
10       <- The X Value Flag
2386302.028874598  <- The X Value Flag
20 <- The Y Value Flag
1517499.999887429 <- The Y Value
10
2386301.690949522
20
1517501.495912425
10
2386299.30808254
20
1517504.652094021
10
2386296.49115454
###########################

This is an extract from the file that did not work.  Notice no 38 field

Extract from the Wildlife Prairie Park File
###########################
AcDbPolyline
90
      234
70
     1
43
0.0
10
2412105.140975837
20
1480678.342197761
10
2412106.589463755
20
1480678.551514924
10
#############################

I spoke with the city that gave us the good data this week and tried to talk the local county guy through it and got the same 2D data with no elevation.

I wrote him and he responded

"Mike,

I do not have a great deal of knowledge about CAD data, but I can tell you
from looking at the DXF and DWG files in ArcCatalog, that a field called
"Elevations" is populated with elevation data.  There is also a field called
"Elevation" that does not have any values.  Will the "Elevations" field
containing the elevation data work for your purposes?  I double-checked my
work in exporting the data to CAD format, and the result was the same as the
data that we delivered to you."

Any idea on what he is doing?  We need to get a bunch more maps and the county is the only source.

Thanks!

Mike C.