ArcGIS for AutoCAD and Shapefiles

[MaraAragones]

I have recently started using ArcGIS for AutoCAD. I am aware that it can be used for services and that it can detect GIS Contents if the drawing is created by using the "Export to CAD" tool in ArcGIS. However, if I bring in shapefiles with "Object Data" into AutoCAD, the plug-in does not recognize it as a local feature class, and so I cannot view its attributes and the data is not organized in a table.

My question is, is there a way to work directly with shapefiles in ArcGIS for AutoCAD(view table and edit attributes, detect object data as attributes)? This would be without having to go thru the "Export to CAD" in ArcGIS.

[DonKuehne]

Like you mention you can create ArcGIS data inside a DWG file that is better than shapefiles by exporting, from ArcGIS desktop with EXPORT TO CAD or connecting to ArcGIS for Server Services, or by creating GIS data using the plug-in from scratch.  But if you already have a shapefile the plug-in won't do anything with it.  AutoCAD Map can read the shapefile but like you say it create object data not ArcGIS (MSC) data.  Safe software's FME also support conversion to AutoCAD DWG with MSC, and of course exporting from ArcGIS desktop.