Import CAD floor plans with the Import Floorplans To Indoors Geodatabase tool

Available with the ArcGIS Indoors Pro or ArcGIS Indoors Maps extension.

CAD files are commonly used for architectural modeling and can be used to create an indoor map. Entities in CAD files can be either text or block annotation objects that contain information about the features of a building. The Import Floorplans To Indoors Geodatabase tool imports entities from an AutoCAD .dwg or .dgn file and appends them to an existing indoors workspace using a configuration spreadsheet to map CAD data to layers in the ArcGIS Indoors Information Model during the import process.

You must complete the configuration spreadsheet before you can import your CAD floor plans into an existing indoor dataset or Indoors geodatabase with the Import Floorplans To Indoors Geodatabase tool.

Note:

You can alternately use the Import CAD To Indoor Dataset tool to import CAD entities from .dwg or .dgn files and create floor plan features in your Indoors workspace. The Import CAD To Indoor Dataset tool does not require a configuration spreadsheet.

Import CAD floor plans

Ensure that you have accurately georeferenced your CAD drawings and completed the configuration spreadsheet before importing CAD data with the Import Floorplans To Indoors Geodatabase tool. Complete the following steps to import CAD floor plan data to your indoor dataset:

1. Start 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 Indoors model, you may need to periodically integrate updates from new CAD files into the indoor dataset for scenarios such as adding a new building, adding 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 tool can be used with branch versioned data.

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

Update the configuration spreadsheet

On the Level Properties sheet of the configuration spreadsheet referenced by the Import Floorplans To Indoors Geodatabase tool, the PROCESS column identifies the CAD files the tool processes. You can manage CAD files for one or more sites in a single configuration spreadsheet and 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 overwrites existing field values in the Indoors feature classes. You can remove mappings to preserve existing attribute values.

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.

Note:

The Import Floorplans To Indoors Geodatabase 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, add or keep an existing mapping for that value.
   2. To preserve an attribute’s existing values, remove the mapping for that value.

      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 in the configuration sheet 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 the PROCESS column to Y for a single level and run the Import Floorplans To Indoors Geodatabase 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 rerun the tool to update the remaining levels.

Update the indoor dataset or Indoors geodatabase

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 or Indoors geodatabase.

Tip:

Before updating Indoors data, it is recommended that you create a backup of the geodatabase or the Indoors dataset.

Complete the following to import CAD floor plans:

1. Start 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.

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