AutoCAD Compatibility with ArcGIS Online

[MichaelLohr]

Not all that long ago, we used to be able to add an old version (2007) of an AutoCAD DWG file to a standard MXD file, then publish a map service with it and view the content on an ArcGIS Online web map, either in the browser or with the mobile devices. This was a very useful tool in quickly getting some unintelligent linework up on an online map for others to view.

That seems to no longer work, though you can still successfully add the DWG to the MXD. It no longer carries through to the published map service. Does anyone else use this or see this issue? What upgrade package would have lost this functionality?

[RichardDaniels]

This has been an issue for a while, FME has provided an extension to do this. Visit http://www2.safe.com/convert/dwg-to-arcgis-online-feature-service.

They have a free trial and demo available.

You might also try saving your DWG to a previous release like AutoCAD 2010. There was a known issue with AutoCAD 2013 and ArcGIS.

Rich

[MichaelLohr]

Thanks Rich. It hasn't been too long that this was possible, probably in the last few months this functionality went away. And yes, you are right, you had to back save to an older DWG format. 2010 didn't work, you had to save back to v2007.

We convert data all the time from CAD to SHP for use in ArcGIS and the online programs, it's not that we don't know how to do it. It just worked before as a simple, unintelligent attachment, and now it doesn't. You get a nice upgrade and some function disappears.

[JeremyMurfitt]

On a related matter when I have loaded CAD files into ArcGIS Online of detailed map data (in the UK a good example would be Ordnance Survey Master Map) I have had problems viewing that data at scales lower than about 1:1500. I sometimes want to get to 1:500, maybe less. Are there tricks in getting a feature service to function consistently at these scales?

[MichaelLohr]

Jeremy, there seems to be a built in limit to how far you can zoom in for the online mapping. I have guessed, and only a guess, that when you start to zoom below the level where the streamed ESRI imagery starts to get fuzzy, that ESRI cuts off from zooming any further. Even if you have implemented a layer of higher resolution imagery, it doesn't matter, you will be stopped at a certain zoom level, even if you have other layers with more detail.

Does that sound like your issue?

All we can do is convey these issue to ESRI and hope they include them for consideration in a future update.

[JeremyMurfitt]

Yes - you have described it exactly!! Let's hope that ESRI will address this. I use ESRI products for property management and in the the field ArcGIS Online/Collector etc are all great but would be even better if the real detail could be viewed.

[DonKuehne]

ArcGIS for Server 10.1 dropped support for various file based data-sources such as CAD for publishing to Map Services.  These in-memory data sources didn't always scale very well.   There is a renewed interest in making this functionality work moving forward, but technical hurdles need to be addressed.  There is an option in ArcGIS Pro to convert your drawings whenever you add them to the map.  This means that if you were to publish those maps to Server your CAD data would appear as drawn.   This is because the data although it looks the same is already in a geodatabase.  Converting your CAD data to a GDB and then publishing the resultant map would also work in ArcMap.   We do however recognize the convenience of including that CAD map directly... We hear you.

[MichaelLohr]

Thanks Don. We'll keep beating the drum as long as you all keep listening and considering the thoughts. Its always more complicated than it seems on the surface, but, I must say that I never saw any issue with the scalability with CAD attached data layers.

[MichaelLohr]

Don, any update from your perspective on returning this previous functionality? Any status update is appreciated.

[AdrianWelsh]

Michael,

I seem to hear a lot of chatter on the Data Interoperability Extension. I have never used it, but could this be an option?

http://www.esri.com/software/arcgis/extensions/datainteroperability/supported-formats