Import CAD floor plans

Available for an ArcGIS organization licensed with the Indoors extension.

After completing the configuration spreadsheet, you can use the Import Floorplans To Indoors Geodatabase tool to import your CAD floor plans into an existing indoor dataset or Indoors geodatabase.

Caution:

Before you import floor plans, ensure your CAD drawings are accurately georeferenced.

The annotation layer used to create the UNIT_ID field should contain a unique value for each unit. The following common issues can occur:

  • Multiple units contain the same annotation—If multiple features on the same level have the same annotation value (for example, two stairways named Stairway in the annotation layer), they are assigned identical values for the UNIT_ID field when you import floor plans to the indoor dataset. If you update floor plans and load them to the same indoor dataset, the duplicate feature is removed.
  • Some units are missing annotation—If annotation is not included for a unit feature, it is assigned a sequential number as an identifier. If units are added to or removed from the floor plan, the same feature may be assigned a different number when you import your updated floor plans to the indoor dataset. When this occurs, units are imported as new features.

Tip:

A good way to test for configuration issues is to set PROCESS to Y for a single level and run the tool. Review the tool messages for errors or unexpected warnings, and review the indoor dataset feature classes for the expected features and attribute values. Once any issues are resolved, you can update the PROCESS column and re-run the tool to import the remaining levels.

Complete the following to import CAD floor plans:

  1. Open ArcGIS Pro and open the project that contains your indoor dataset or Indoors geodatabase.
  2. Run the Import Floorplans To Indoors Geodatabase tool.
  3. Inspect the output.
  4. Optionally, run validation attribute rules to identify errors in the data if you created attribute rules in your Indoors workspace.

Once you load the floor plans to the indoor dataset or Indoors geodatabase, you can load additional features, events, and occupant data.

Update CAD floor plans

Once data is maintained in the ArcGIS Indoors Information Model, you may need to periodically integrate updated CAD files with the indoor dataset. This could be for a new building, a new floor in an existing building, or remodeling an existing floor. The ArcGIS Indoors geoprocessing tools allow you to apply updates to a selected subset of data. The Import Floorplans To Indoors Geodatabase is designed for use in branch version scenarios.

Tip:

Before updating Indoors data, consider making a backup of the geodatabase.

Process updated CAD files

To update your existing indoor data from updated CAD files, you first update the configuration worksheet and run the Import Floorplans To Indoors Geodatabase tool.

Note:

Ensure that your CAD data contains a unique annotation value for each unit before running the tool on a populated geodatabase. If unit features do not have unique annotation values, delete existing unit features in your Indoors database before you import updated floor plans.

Update the configuration spreadsheet

In the configuration spreadsheet used by the Import Floorplans To Indoors Geodatabase tool, on the Level Properties sheet, the PROCESS column identifies the CAD files the tool processes. You can manage all CAD files for one or more sites in a single configuration spreadsheet because you can choose to only process a subset of files.

Fields are populated in the Indoors database based on how CAD annotation is mapped to the Indoors feature class’s attribute fields in the Annotation to Field sheet. Existing CAD annotation that is mapped in the Annotation to Field sheet will overwrite existing field values in the Indoors feature classes. You can remove mappings to preserve existing attribute values.

Note:

The tool preserves attribute values for space planning and workspace reservations.

Before you run the Import Floorplans To Indoors Geodatabase tool on a populated indoor dataset, update the configuration worksheet as follows:

  1. Update the configuration spreadsheet with new CAD files, CAD layer names, building information, and floor information, where applicable.
    Note:

    The format of any new SITE_ID, FACILITY_ID, and LEVEL_ID values you add to the configuration spreadsheet must match the format used by those fields in the existing dataset.

  2. Update the Annotation to Field sheet.
    1. To overwrite an attribute’s existing values with updated values in the CAD data, keep or add the mapping.
    2. To preserve an attribute’s existing values, remove the mapping.
      Caution:

      Do not change the mapping for any Indoors ID fields in the list, such as UNIT_ID. If the ID field mappings are changed, the indoors data will not be updated correctly.

  3. Set the PROCESS column to Y for only the levels you want to update.
    Tip:

    When updating multiple levels, a good way to test for configuration issues is to set PROCESS to Y for a single level and run the tool. Review the tool messages for errors or unexpected warnings, and review the indoor dataset feature classes for the expected features and attribute values. Once any issues are resolved, you can update the PROCESS column and re-run the tool to update the remaining levels.

Update the indoor dataset

Once you have updated your CAD data in the configuration worksheet, you can run the Import Floorplans To Indoors Geodatabase tool to update the indoor dataset.

Complete the following to import CAD floor plans:

  1. Open ArcGIS Pro and open the project that contains your indoor dataset or Indoors geodatabase.
  2. Run the Import Floorplans To Indoors Geodatabase tool.
  3. Inspect the output.

Related topics


In this topic
  1. Update CAD floor plans