Esri provides a plug-in application to Autodesk Civil 3D and AutoCAD that adds GIS-specific functionality and data to a standard AutoCAD file.
In addition to the standard AutoCAD geometry that ArcGIS Pro directly reads as feature layers, you can use ArcGIS for AutoCAD to generate user-defined attributed ArcGIS feature layers within an AutoCAD drawing file.
ArcGIS Pro can export a wide range of ArcGIS feature content to AutoCAD DXF and DWG files with the Export To CAD geoprocessing tool that ArcGIS for AutoCAD can view and edit as ArcGIS feature layers. This is in addition to the tool's ability to export simple CAD geometry that is accessible to CAD users even without the ArcGIS for AutoCAD application.
ArcGIS for AutoCAD is a web client of ArcGIS web layers, which means both ArcGIS for AutoCAD and ArcGIS Pro can be used to create, edit, and share the same ArcGIS web layer content from ArcGIS Online and ArcGIS Enterprise.
Reading DWG and DXF files created by ArcGIS for AutoCAD
ArcGIS for AutoCAD supports the creation of ArcGIS user-defined document feature layers within the CAD file that ArcGIS Pro reads as read-only ArcGIS feature layers. When a DWG file or DXF file created by ArcGIS for AutoCAD is opened in ArcGIS Pro, the following ArcGIS content is supported, these are in addition to the standard CAD and Civil 3D geometry and CAD properties read by ArcGIS Pro. CAD drawings edited by ArcGIS for AutoCAD are supported with the following content and characteristics:
- User-defined attributed ArcGIS document feature layers of the following types: point, polyline, polygon, multipatch, multipoint, and annotation.
- Polyline document features layers can contain m-values.
- Document feature layers may contain domains and subtypes, but are not supported when reading.
Note:
Field domains are not supported in ArcGIS Pro for read-only file data sources such as CAD.
- An Esri coordinate system definition is embedded within the file.
- Web feature layers, map imagery layer, and imagery layers that were used in the drawing within ArcGIS for AutoCAD are listed in the Web Layers section of the CAD file properties dialog box.
Note:
These web layers are not included when the CAD file is added to the map. You can use the information in the Web Layers section of the CAD file properties dialog box to add those layers separately if accessible.
Exporting ArcGIS Pro data to DWG and DXF files for use in ArcGIS for AutoCAD
When exporting feature layer data to a DWG or DXF file, that feature layer data is included as simple AutoCAD features; attributed ArcGIS for AutoCAD document feature layers are also created automatically. Anytime these files are opened by an application that can read DWG files, they will see this simple CAD geometry. However, when the file is open in ArcGIS for AutoCAD, users have access to the fully attributed document feature layer data correctly positioned within an Esri coordinate system. Exported ArcGIS feature layer data can include the following feature layer types and attribution capabilities.
Esri coordinate system
Exported drawings will always have an Esri coordinate system stored within the DWG or DXF file. AutoCAD and Civil 3D have their own method of storing coordinate systems within a CAD file. If there is a matching AutoCAD coordinate system, both will be added to the CAD file. The Export to CAD tool can specify an output coordinate system so that all data exported to a CAD file will be projected to that output coordinate system.
Document feature layers
Point, polyline, polygon, multipatch, multipoint, and annotation feature layers may be included as document feature layers in DWG or DXF files. The geometry for the resulting CAD entities can be read by any software that can read DWG or DXF files. However, when working with the resulting files within ArcGIS for AutoCAD, these geometries are also accessible as attributed feature layers with a GIS layer distinction. Feature layer data within an ArcGIS for AutoCAD file have the following behaviors:
- Feature layers with subtype definitions exported from ArcGIS Pro to DWG or DXF files are retained and usable in ArcGIS for AutoCAD.
Note:
Subtypes in ArcGIS for AutoCAD can also create feature layers with subtypes by extracting web feature layer data with subtype definitions from within ArcGIS for AutoCAD. ArcGIS for AutoCAD does not support the creation of new document feature layers with subtypes directly.
- Multipart features within a feature layer will be grouped CAD entities.
- Feature layer subtype distinction is retained when exporting to document feature layers.
- Feature layers with field domains are retained when exporting to document feature layers.
- Multipoint feature within an AutoCAD file will be grouped point features, either grouped point, COGO points, or block insert entities.
- Polyline features with m-values will be created as 2D or 3D polyline entities within the DWG or DXF file and are usable in ArcGIS for AutoCAD.
- The related records of exported features are not retained.
ArcGIS for AutoCAD web layer capabilities
ArcGIS for AutoCAD is an ArcGIS web editing client software and can access various web layer types and many of their capabilities. Some of the resulting document feature layers within a DWG or DXF file could have been extracted from web feature layers using ArcGIS for AutoCAD.
Web feature layer, map image layer, and imagery layer references may be present in a DWG or DXF file edited by ArcGIS for AutoCAD, but are not displayed in ArcGIS Pro.
Note:
These layers are not included when the CAD file is added to the map. You can use the information in the Web Layers section of the CAD file properties dialog box to add those layers separately if accessible.
Document feature layers extracted from web feature layers within ArcGIS for AutoCAD have the following behaviors:
- Document feature layers contained within a DWG or DXF file edited by ArcGIS for AutoCAD can contain subtypes. These subtypes can be generated from data exported from ArcGIS Pro or extracted from web feature layers when working inside ArcGIS for AutoCAD.
- Document feature layers extracted from web feature layers with related records do not retain the related records data.
- Document feature layers extracted from web feature layers that have file attachments are not retained.