Export a feature class to Autocad block ...... with Z value !

[FabienCAPRI]

Hi,
Sorry for my English, i'm French ....
I have ArcEditor 9.3.1SP2 and a point Z feature class.
When I use the EXPORT TO CAD tool to export this feature class in Autocad POINT Entity (attribut CADType = POINT) , i have points with Z values in the result dxf .... OK.

Now I add the 2 attributes (Refname and Layer) to export to a dxf file containing blocks.
When I use the EXPORT TO CAD tool to export this feature class in Autocad BLOCK Entity (attribut
CADType = INSERT, Refname = "good name of a block"), with a valid seed file, it works ! ...... but the blocks and points insertion of the blocks have not Z values (elevation value = 0)!!!

I tried to force the Z value by giving a value for the attribut ELEVATION in my original feature class ... without success.
I tried to export in another formats (DXF, DWG, 2000 - 2004) .... no success.

Any suggestions or ideas ? Thanks a lot ... Chapp.

[ShawnBenteau]

I am having the exact issue and have contacted ESRI on this, they say it is an AutoCAD issue, when I contact CAD support they seem to believe it is on the ESRI end. This is a little frustrating, maybe Don Kuehne could add some insight to this issue?? This is the missing link for our seamless export of 3D GIS to 3D CAD clients. The thing is we want to be able to supply clients a cad file that contains all our 3D GIS data, without them having to script a solution in CAD (i.e control the output through ArcGIS Desktop).

Does anyone out there have an answer to this?

Shawn

[FabienCAPRI]

Hi Shawn, I totally agree with you that the missing link, cause we can transform the 3D points and 3D polylines.
I contacted ESRI and have the same answer: it's a software limitation.
What is most surprising is ESRI responds: "However, BLOCK Entities cannot have Z values" or "but it is not possible to have block With Z values�??�??".
When analyzing the dxf file created by EXPORT CAD tool, using a text editor, one finds that he has not recovered the original value of Z of the object (tag <30>) ..... when he does it well when converted into Pointz.

for example (pointZ(ESRI) --> block(CAD))

  0
INSERT
  5
2966
  8
0
  2
O-CHAMBR
10
437077.665
20
229355.639
30
0.0

0/INSERT --> block entities
8/0 --> layer 0
2/O-CHAMBR --> use "O-CHAMBR" block
10/437077.665 --> X value of the insertion point
20/229355.639 --> Y value of the insertion point
30/0.0 --> Z value of the insertion point

If the tool was able to read and write, in the dxf, values �??�??of X and Y origin point, why has not he done the same for the value for Z ?
Of course by changing the tag value 30, it allows me to give my block value of Z required.

Chapp

[LilyKerrigan]

For novices like me who had this problem, if you have a DEM and want to retain the Z-values, you can use "Raster to Multipoint," and this will retain the Z Value when you export to CAD.