idea Allow the end user to set the Web Feature Layer name on import or afterwards in ArcGIS for AutoCAD Ideas

Allow the end user to set the Web Feature Layer name on import or afterwards

Marc_Graham — Sun, 09 Mar 2025 23:10:35 GMT

Hi there,

We have a user that wantes to add the same web feature layer multiple times using LISP with a different definition query each time. However they get an error due to the name not being unique.

Can you please add a parameter on the esri_webfeaturelayer_add tool to let the user specify the name of the imported layer.

Could you also allow the user to update the Web Feature Layer name later in the GUI so if they want to bring it in again for whatever reason they can.

Thanks,

Marc

Re: Allow the end user to set the Web Feature Layer name on import or afterwards

DanWade — Mon, 10 Mar 2025 21:14:31 GMT

Hello @Marc_Graham,

So, for this workflow were you would like to add the same web feature layer multiple times to the same drawing is unsupported at this time.

At version 435 you can now modify the layer from the previous pre-pended "ESRI_" to a layer name of your choosing that perhaps matches the organizations CAD standards.

Web Feature layer properties user interface > Symbol Layer
Web Feature Layer templates

Re: Allow the end user to set the Web Feature Layer name on import or afterwards

Marc_Graham — Mon, 10 Mar 2025 21:21:26 GMT

Thanks for the reply @DanWade

Modifying the CAD Layer is helpful, but we also need the ability to modify the name of the Web Feature Layer as well to enable users to add the same service multiple times.

Cheers,

Marc

Re: Allow the end user to set the Web Feature Layer name on import or afterwards

MichaelDavidsonPM — Mon, 24 Mar 2025 21:42:21 GMT

Hi @Marc_Graham,

Thanks for posting this and other community Ideas.

For this Idea, would you be willing to provide additional information as to why the user wants to bring the same web feature layer in multiple times (as opposed to, for example, combining multiple queries into a single query)?

Re: Allow the end user to set the Web Feature Layer name on import or afterwards

Marc_Graham — Wed, 02 Apr 2025 21:11:02 GMT

Hi @MichaelDavidsonPM

Our use case was to selectively add certain zoning parcels and have them be individually addressable as web feature layers and CAD layers. This gives the end user more flexibility over turning different things on and off and changing symbology. Perhaps there is a different workflow I don't know about?

Thanks,

Marc

Re: Allow the end user to set the Web Feature Layer name on import or afterwards

DanWade — Thu, 03 Apr 2025 13:25:26 GMT

Hello @Marc_Graham

Have you thought about using a field based on of a domain which you could then use as the unique value renderer? This WFL would be added to the drawing with the root layer and sublayers based on the domain values from the field. All layers can then be toggled on/off etc. using basic CAD tools.

Re: Allow the end user to set the Web Feature Layer name on import or afterwards

Marc_Graham — Thu, 03 Apr 2025 22:10:23 GMT

Hi @DanWade

Just to confirm, you mean to set up the default symbology for the Feature service in the ArcGIS environment and it will flow through to the AutoCAD Model?

Or are those actual separate sublayers in a hosted feature service?

Another use case I recall is the following:

We have a single layer Hosted Feature Service in an ArcGIS Map that is symbolised by multiple attributes. I think that if we want to replicate this in CAD we need to be able to add the layer multiple times with different definition queries to replicate the combination of attributes, and be able to replicate the symbology classes in CAD. If there is another way to do this I would love to know.

Thanks,

Marc

Re: Allow the end user to set the Web Feature Layer name on import or afterwards

Marc_Graham — Thu, 03 Apr 2025 22:12:15 GMT

Another quick note - configuring the properties in the ArcGIS side is not always an option, as our CAD users often want to consume public layers or other layers where the symbology is set or is unable to be modified, and so needs some flexibility in the CAD side.

Re: Allow the end user to set the Web Feature Layer name on import or afterwards - Status changed to: Under Consideration

MichaelDavidsonPM — Thu, 02 Oct 2025 04:16:24 GMT

Hi @Marc_Graham ,

Thanks for this and your other Ideas--much appreciated. We thought the following information might be of interest while we take this Idea under consideration, given the additional info you've provided:

While we haven't implemented the ability to add layers by type, you do have the ability to symbolize by attributes.

See the Esri_FeatureLayer command.

If the feature layer already contains sublayers, then manage sublayers option can be used. Note the aspect about clearing first for these instances.

If the feature layer does not contain sublayers, then the generate sublayers option can can be used.

Please let us know if this is helpful to address the Idea.

Re: Allow the end user to set the Web Feature Layer name on import or afterwards - Status changed to: Closed

MichaelDavidsonPM — Wed, 25 Mar 2026 14:06:23 GMT