AutoCAD Map 3D Forum
Welcome to Autodesk’s AutoCAD Map 3D Forums. Share your knowledge, ask questions, and explore popular AutoCAD Map 3D topics.
cancel
Showing results for 
Show  only  | Search instead for 
Did you mean: 

MAPEXPORT Xref

14 REPLIES 14
Reply
Message 1 of 15
Peter_NDNG
2055 Views, 14 Replies

MAPEXPORT Xref

I'm the GIS manager for a state agency, and until now we have been importing our .dwg files into ArcGIS 10 and using a spatial adjust to georeference the drawings and then push them out to our web mapper.  Recently I've decided to give a try working with the data in it's native environment and they managed to move a Map3D license that wasn't getting used over to me.  So far I have been able to use the rubber sheet tool to georeference the files after they have been loaded as Xrefs that are overlays.  We're doing it this way so that if our engineers or architects update the asbuilt data the changes will automatically show up in Map3D.

 

The issue I'm having now is using MAPEXPORT to convert the georeferenced xref .dwgs to a shapefile so we can push that data up to ArcGIS server.  When I try to export the data I get an AutoCAD Map Warning "No entity to Export".  I've selected the data I want under the Data tab and have the Object type selected as Line.  The only time this doesn't give me an error is when I have the Object Type set to Point, and when I open that file in ArcMap there is only a single point.  Is it possible to export a group of xrefs to a .shp file? and if so how?  If this isn't possible is there a way to move all the xrefs into a single .dwg and then export that?

 

Ultimately  my goal is to have this process scripted so that daily, if changes are made, the data will be exported and pushed up to our server so that the web mapper will have the most up to date asbuilt data.

 

Thanks for the help in advance.

14 REPLIES 14
Message 2 of 15
antoniovinci
in reply to: Peter_NDNG

If you wanna _MAPEXPORT any XREF content, you should "melt" it in your main drawing, so look for the 'BIND' sub-option of the _XREF command, sir. 

Message 3 of 15
Peter_NDNG
in reply to: antoniovinci

Thanks for the help, but I'm still getting the "No entity to Export" error.

Message 4 of 15
antoniovinci
in reply to: Peter_NDNG

After binding that XREF, what happens if you _LIST a linear or polygonal entity? 

Message 5 of 15
Peter_NDNG
in reply to: antoniovinci

I get this ouput (note: point X and Y gave actual coordinates, but I blocked them out)

 

BLOCK REFERENCE  Layer: "0"
                            Space: Model space
                   Handle = 5b5
       Block Name: "030 Bsmnt & 1st Floor Current ASBLT"
                at point, X=***********  Y=************  Z=   0.0000
   X scale factor:    0.0255
   Y scale factor:    0.0255
   rotation angle:     31
   Z scale factor:    0.0255
  Scale uniformly: No
  Allow exploding: Yes

                  BLOCK REFERENCE  Layer: "0"
                            Space: Model space
                   Handle = 176a5
       Block Name: "040 current asblt"
                at point, X=***********  Y=************  Z=   0.0000
   X scale factor:    0.0254
   Y scale factor:    0.0254
   rotation angle:     31
Press ENTER to continue:
   Z scale factor:    0.0254
  Scale uniformly: No
  Allow exploding: Yes

Message 6 of 15
Murph_Map
in reply to: Peter_NDNG

You need to explode the bind xref which will turn it back into lines, polygons, points etc. However that defeats the purpose of using xref's.

Murph
Supporting the troops daily.
Message 7 of 15
thepworth
in reply to: Peter_NDNG

You might look at the CIty of Aurora, Colorado's requirements - they actually require a GIS submittal with all new land development.  The City specifically enumerates the coordinates, data parameters, etc that are manditory for you to move forward in the development process.

 

As engineers, we're using more & more "real world" state plane based coordinates with our drawings due to the use of GPS surveys - the days of arbitrary 10,000; 10,000 coordinates are dwindling.  Might be easier to have us provide what you need as "source driven."  A submittal for a Quick-Service Restaurant is what updated my skills from the old ArcCAD platform to Map...

 

Besides, stirring interest/demand for Map keeps folks like Murph & me busy..... 😉

 

Just another $.02....

 

Todd Hepworth, P.E.

Message 8 of 15
Peter_NDNG
in reply to: Murph_Map

I've been trying to bind my xrefs for a while and hunting for answers, because I keep getting this error, "Error: At least one of the specified xrefs failed to bind for an unknown reason."  And, MURPH I need to do this so I can get all our drawings out in ArcServer and to the guys at our installations via our web mapper.

Message 9 of 15
thepworth
in reply to: Peter_NDNG

Then, I'd start with the options in etransmit  - expand out the drawing name for what you're etransmitting, expand "external references" and enable only one reference at a time to see what's causing the error.  Then see if auditing/purging the problem drawing lets you proceed.

 

Best of Luck!

Message 10 of 15
Murph_Map
in reply to: Peter_NDNG

I would forget abouty the xref altogether. Use the Map DWG Attach commands and query the other dwgs into you project dwg. Then export to shp format.

Murph
Supporting the troops daily.
Message 11 of 15
Peter_NDNG
in reply to: Murph_Map

Thanks, but will this allow the drawings to be automatically updated in my map3d drawing if our engineers modify the drawing that was attached?

Message 12 of 15
thepworth
in reply to: Peter_NDNG

Unfortuantely, No - drawing queries are "static." so you'd have save the query and then re-execute each time.  Also, for whatever reason, drawing queries do NOT pick up / speak AEC object language - you won't get Civil3D surfaces, alignments, points, parcels, etc.  Forwarned is foreamred 😉

 

TdH

Message 13 of 15
Murph_Map
in reply to: Peter_NDNG


@Peter_NDNG wrote:

Thanks, but will this allow the drawings to be automatically updated in my map3d drawing if our engineers modify the drawing that was attached?



Not any more than the exported file that you export. If you save the query to an external query you can open a blank dwg and run that query to get all new updated objects.

 

Murph
Supporting the troops daily.
Message 14 of 15
Murph_Map
in reply to: thepworth


@thepworth wrote:

Unfortuantely, No - drawing queries are "static." so you'd have save the query and then re-execute each time.  Also, for whatever reason, drawing queries do NOT pick up / speak AEC object language - you won't get Civil3D surfaces, alignments, points, parcels, etc.  Forwarned is foreamred 😉

 

TdH


Saving the query as an extrenal query makes it easy, also those AEC objects (Civil3D) don't export either with the mapexport command.

Murph
Supporting the troops daily.
Message 15 of 15
Peter_NDNG
in reply to: Murph_Map

Thanks all, I've got it all working.  When I attach an xref I need to do it a as an attachment rather than an overlay.  Then I set up ETRANSMIT to insert exrefs under transmittal setups.  Now I just open the .dwg with ArcGIS and use the CAD to Geodatabase tool, and BaDOW! Smiley Very Happyour asbuilts are in in a .gdb which we can push out to ArcServer and to our FLEX viewer for our guys in the field.

 

Thanks a lot for the help everyone.

 

Now I just need to work on getting all this scripted.  Thank goodness lisp looks really easy.

Can't find what you're looking for? Ask the community or share your knowledge.

Post to forums  

Autodesk Design & Make Report

”Boost