IMPORT GIS INTO CIVIL 3D CAD DWG

[Anonymous]

In Civil 3D, what is the best method to import ESIR GIS shapefiles or geodatabases into an existing CAD drawing?

It is possible to export shape files from GIS to CAD, but how within Civil 3D, are shape files imported into a drawing?

[dan.higgins · Accepted solution]

Command "mapwspace"

Data --> connect to data

get your shape file

[Anonymous]

Does this simply point to the shapefile or add it permanently to the map?  Ideally, we are able to bring in a shapefile and add it to a CAD drawing and not simply point to it.

[neilyj666]

Yes this simply points to the data maintaining a live conection.

Save Current Map to AutoCAD may do it or you could export to SDF and then import to Civil 3D

[AllenJessup · Accepted solution]

MAPIMPORT will bring in entities from a shape file along with object data. This creates a permanent drawing.

It depends on what your goal is. If you want to display and interact with the shape file, the FDO attachment is best. If you want to use the data from the shape file to create a map that will be used in AutoCAD and Civil 3D then I'd say that MapImport is the way to go.

Allen

[richard]

Allen,

I used MapImport in c3d 2014 to import GIS polylines representing street center-lines into a drawing, however, the street names did not come in. The "do not import data" box was not checked, but the data still did not import. When I highlight one of the polylines, the properties show many things but I think the ones I am interested in are DIRPRE, FEANME, and FEATYPE. Do I need to query these polylines for data and alter properties? I am not sure how to do this. Can you suggest a solution?

[AllenJessup]

Well.... FDO is usually the better method if you're looking to do labels but is only a link. Although you can save to an AutoCAD drawing. You can start a new drawing and query in the labels you want. See: Plain Text from Object Data.

You can also set up an Annotation Template to label the data.

[jeff_rivers]

>The 'do not import object data' checkbox was not checked

Do you mean the 'Create Object Data radio button that appears when you click the ellipsis in the 'Data' field of the Import dialog box?  

This is what I see when I use MapImport, and when I select the 'Create Object Data' radio button I get all the GIS data associated with the entities in the shape file that is being imported.  Do you see a different dialog box?  

I am using C3D 2015. 

[Pointdump]

Jeff,

Jason Porter, @jporter , made an excellent YouTube on the subject. 34 minutes well spent:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g7HW6apnh3g

Dave

[jporter]

Dave (@Pointdump),

Thank you so much for the kudos on the video.  I'm glad to see it's appreciated.  I'm hoping it helps out in this case as well.  

I don't want to discredit Dan's approach thought.  The data connect is another viable option.  I've used it in some instances.  You may find that some GIS data needs to be imported through the data connect depending on how the metadata is gathered.  

The only reason I prefer the approach I laid out in the video is because I like the query option, escpecially when you have a large area, and I like the fact that I'll then have a resource drawing that I can pull from anytime I need.  I still have the county map fo the use and I use it to pull in counties from all over anytime I need to just to verify information is falling into the correct area.  

PS - I got that county map shape file years ago from the USGS website.  I don't even remember how I found it, but I've attached it here for you guys just in case you'd like it.  

[Anonymous]

I think these responses are going to the wrong person. I didn't need answers to this subject.

Thanks

John Wilson South Lake Tahoe Ca
Email johnwilson0805@yahoo.com

Sent from my iPad

[jporter]

John,

I'm cofused then.  In your initial post you stated:

In Civil 3D, what is the best method to import ESIR GIS shapefiles or geodatabases into an existing CAD drawing?

It is possible to export shape files from GIS to CAD, but how within Civil 3D, are shape files imported into a drawing?

What I speak of in the video and what the others here have offered are the methods used to import shape files into an existing Civil 3D drawing.  

If we're wrong here with our recommendatiosn I apologize.  Can you please restate what you're looking for?

Good day,

[richard]

Thanks for the link. It is indeed 34 minutes well spent. I had no problem importing contours, parcels, and streets into a drawing, but I could not get the street names to show up correctly.

The data objects show up but they all say "Text". "Text Style" shows up in the Map Task Pane in Display Manager under "Current Drawing Element". When I right click it to get Properties I do not get "Style Traits" just the normal properties. Can you advise me what to do?

Richard Truelove
13 Elmwood Road
Baltimore, MD 21210

410-323-5279

410-206-7892 (mobile)

[Pointdump]

Richard,

With Shapefiles, I've had the most difficulty with labeling. This is the best way I've found:

http://ketiv.com/support/tech-tips/extracting-editable-labels-from-feature-objects

Dave

[jporter]

Richard,

Sorry for the late response here.  I've been caught up in other things. 

I like the method Dave recommended.  It seems easy and manageable.  I do know of another method, but the text is simply static DTEXT.  You'll have to re-query the file.  Here's the method just in case you're interested. . .

1. After you attach the drawing, run a query on it.  This time toggle on the "Options" box and click the "Alter Properties" button:
   
2. In the "Set Property Alterations" dialog box, toggle on "Text Value" and click on the "Text" button:
   
3. In the "Define Text" dialog box click on the "Expression" button:
   
4. In the "Text Value Expression" dialog box, expand "Object Data" to view the data table.  Click on the data that you want to label.  Then click "OK".  In this example I've chosen the county for me state map:
   
5. Back in the "Define Text" dialog box you'll now have to adjust the text settings.  Like in Dave's recommendation, the text height will have to be tall since this is static text.  So you'll have to adjust it to what you need to see in your viewport:
   
6. Now back in the "Define Query of Attached Drawing(s)" dialog box, verify the "Draw" toggle is on and click on "Exectute Query":
   
7. You should now see the text for the object data you're trying to import.  This may take a few undos just to get the text height correct.  

[richard]

Allen,

Thanks very much for the link. I finally got properties to show "style traits" which I could open and select the value I wanted. The ESRI file I downloaded is from Baltimore City and the only option I had was "west" which is the west half of the city data. (this is where my project is located). I used a window to limit the location of my query and the properties worked as it should. I seem to remember a notice somewhere that if you try to query too much data, it won't work. Limiting the area for the query solved my problem. I now need to find out how to get the city to provide the data in smaller increments. Or, should I just limit my query?

[AllenJessup]

---

richard wrote:

 I now need to find out how to get the city to provide the data in smaller increments. Or, should I just limit my query?

---

You can try asking if they have smaller data sets. But I wouldn't hold high hopes for that happening. Ask - But continue with your project by limiting the query to the area you need.

[troma]

@jporter

The OP is 3 years old. Someone else just resurrected the thread. I'm sure the OP has moved on since.

[jporter]

Oh, I didn't even check that. Thanks for the update.

Jason Porter
Sent from my iPhone

[Pointdump]

Jason,

I didn't notice either. And I usually look at the OP's date.

Dave