Ability to Import and Export CAD files

Question

Ability to Import and Export CAD files:

Would be great to find out if there any plans to include an importing and exporting CAD files (DWG and or DXF) into Experience Builder.

The majority of our potential customers would like this feature and whilst it is achievable through the Esri CAD to GIS free plugin, the majority of our potential customers do not have access to AutoCAD (The full version), they either use the AutoCAD Lite or other CAD programs.

Ideally if a CAD widget could include a georeferencing option this would provide a great USP.

The CAD drawing would need to be exported with features that have been plotted by the user as a minimum including points and lines.

As we are now in final testing with Esri 3D Scene Viewer to add to our Mapscape Tree Management Software, being able to import 2D & 3D drawings that automatically appear in Scene Viewer from experience builder, would be of real value for construction projects and improve our marketing ability.

Please would you consider this CAD widget request for inclusion on the Experience Builder Development RoadMap.

Mapscape-tree-management · Answer

Hi,
Thanks for your comments on the importing / Exporting CAD. it is a tricky one, especially with the exporting with features, had had some success with converting the CAD file to KML for importing which works so long as its georeferenced.
Otherwise, we currently use a 3rd party CAD technician company to provide CAD to GIS services using the free Esri plugin.
Hope the Add data and Print widget might offer some extra support in future updates?
Many thanks!
David @ Mapscape.

ericsamson_tract · Answer

Great suggestion, this is possible but would have to be a custom widget.

For exporting, I believe you would need the following workflow:

1. Create a copy of the source code from the select widget

2. Within the source code, add an option to the drop down buttons to export to CAD

3. Use a polygon feature service that has all of your projections you would like the data to be in (ie feet, meters, UTC etc.).

4. Get the center point of the data the user selected and has chosen to export.

5. Use that center point to select by location on the projections feature service to get the desired projection.

6. Reproject the data into the new projection.

7. Export to shapefile or some other CAD data (the default within the widget is geojson, not sure how to do this part, conversions to CAD data can be difficult, shapefile easier)

AutoCAD can take in shapefiles, so this may be the easiest route.

Translating DWG into GIS data can be very difficult, and I don't have a recommendation on how to do that.