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AutoCAD Map does provide command to convert map objects (FDO features) into native AutoCAD entities. However, it is unfortunate/shame that the Map platform APIs (now called Map geospatial APIs) does not provide API to do it. It is up to you, the programmer to invent your "own wheel": reading the MgGeometry's geometric data and generate corresponding native AutoCAD entities (polyline, arc, circle, point...), among them, generating polyline would be quite difficult code work on your own.
AutoCAD Map's Industrial Model APIs (IM APIs) include converting Feature geometrie to AutoCAD entities. But the Features in IM is different from Map Features, but at least you can learn from the sample code coming from IM.
With that said, since your goal is to bring data from *.shp file into AutoCAD as native AutoCAD entities (and the attribute data with these objects), you can do it much easier with AutoCAD MAP Import/Export APIs than using Platform API, where you need to convert the geometries with your own code. The AutoCAD Map Import/Export APIs do the same thing as you use command "MapImport" to import from SHP file.
So, if your goal is to learn and use Plafform APIs, go ahead with that. But if the goal is to bring data in SHP into AutoCAD, doing it with Map's Import/Export API would be easier and more pragmatic, IMO.
AutoCAD Map does provide command to convert map objects (FDO features) into native AutoCAD entities. However, it is unfortunate/shame that the Map platform APIs (now called Map geospatial APIs) does not provide API to do it. It is up to you, the programmer to invent your "own wheel": reading the MgGeometry's geometric data and generate corresponding native AutoCAD entities (polyline, arc, circle, point...), among them, generating polyline would be quite difficult code work on your own.
AutoCAD Map's Industrial Model APIs (IM APIs) include converting Feature geometrie to AutoCAD entities. But the Features in IM is different from Map Features, but at least you can learn from the sample code coming from IM.
With that said, since your goal is to bring data from *.shp file into AutoCAD as native AutoCAD entities (and the attribute data with these objects), you can do it much easier with AutoCAD MAP Import/Export APIs than using Platform API, where you need to convert the geometries with your own code. The AutoCAD Map Import/Export APIs do the same thing as you use command "MapImport" to import from SHP file.
So, if your goal is to learn and use Plafform APIs, go ahead with that. But if the goal is to bring data in SHP into AutoCAD, doing it with Map's Import/Export API would be easier and more pragmatic, IMO.
MapImport DOES bring all the attribute into drawing with AutoCAD native objects in the form of ObjectData, which AutoCAD Map provides API to access.
Just being curious: if you bring the SHP data via Platform API as native AutoCAD entities, how/where the attribute data go (and somehow still related to the AutoCAD entities)? You probably either lose it, or write code to attach to the AutoCAD entities as XData, ExtensionDictionary, or ObjectData/Object Classification data, or datalink to external database? Again, if your goal is to bring SHP data into AutoCAD as AutoCAD entities with the attribute data still available to each entity, MapImport would be easier API to use.
Anyway, if you go with Platform API, you have almost been there. This old discussion would give you enough hint to go on next step:
HTH
MapImport DOES bring all the attribute into drawing with AutoCAD native objects in the form of ObjectData, which AutoCAD Map provides API to access.
Just being curious: if you bring the SHP data via Platform API as native AutoCAD entities, how/where the attribute data go (and somehow still related to the AutoCAD entities)? You probably either lose it, or write code to attach to the AutoCAD entities as XData, ExtensionDictionary, or ObjectData/Object Classification data, or datalink to external database? Again, if your goal is to bring SHP data into AutoCAD as AutoCAD entities with the attribute data still available to each entity, MapImport would be easier API to use.
Anyway, if you go with Platform API, you have almost been there. This old discussion would give you enough hint to go on next step:
HTH
Accepted solution
I am not saying which is better between Map platform APIs and Map APIs (which contained in "ManagedMapApi.dll", including namespace Autodesk.Gis.Map.ImportExport/ObjectData) for one to use without specific goal of work. In your case, since it seems you want to all geometries in SHP file to be brought into AutoCAD Map as NATIVE AutoCAD entities, thus I think using Map import/export API to do it would be much easier than using platform API, because with latter, you need write your OWN CODE to use geometric information obtained from platform API (but you have not even reached this step yet at this moment) to generate AutoCAD native entities.
So, if you do not mind to write your own code to generate AutoCAD native entities (invent a better or worse "new wheel"), you just need to reach the first step: obtain the geometry (MgGeometry) from FDO feature first. If you read the discussion provided with the link in my previous reply, you should have some code (borrowed from that discussion) like:
if ([propertyType] == ...)
{
//You get access to paticular feature property
}
...
//But when the property is Geometry type
//You need to obtain a MgGeometry object in order to access its geometric data
else if ([propertyType] == MgPropertyType.Geometry)
{
// This would read the binary geometry info from the feature
MgByteReader byteReader = reader.GetGeometry(propertyName);
OSGeo.MapGuide.MgAgfReaderWriter agfReader = new OSGeo.MapGuide.MgAgfReaderWriter();
//Then you obtain the MgGeometry object
OSGeo.MapGuide.MgGeometry geometry = agfReader.Read(byteReader);
//Now that you have the MgGeometry, you need to write code to generate the native AutoCAD entity
Autodesk.AutoCAD.DatabaseServices.ObjectId entId = ObjectId.Null;
switch (geometry.GeometryType)
{
case OSGeo.MapGuide.MgGeometryType.LineString:
entId = CreatePolyline(geometry); //Up to you to use the geometry information to create AutoCAD polyline
break;
case...
break;
}
}
I think, at this point, you question is answered, if you keep the Platform API approach. However, after you create all the AutoCAD native entities in the drawing, what about the attribute data comes with SHP/FDO source? How do you "link the data with the newly created AutoCAD entities? If you do not need the data any more, then that is fine. If you do, you need do extra work.
That is why using Map Importing API is much more easier> the geometries become native AutoCAD, and the attribute data attached to them as ObjectData, which can be accessed/manipulated via Map's ObjectData API. With Map API, you can import as many SHP file as you want. There is no need to create DrawingSet/Alias, as long as you know where the SHP files are. When you use Map API to import SHP data, you get chance to decide whether you want to import attribute data as ObjectData (all attributes, or only selected ones), or not; you can also choose desired OD table name, column name. It also automatically transform the coordinate system(projection), if the coordinate system of the SHP is different from the drawing's.
Again, what I have said aims your specific task: converting FDO geometries to native AutoCAD entities.
I am not saying which is better between Map platform APIs and Map APIs (which contained in "ManagedMapApi.dll", including namespace Autodesk.Gis.Map.ImportExport/ObjectData) for one to use without specific goal of work. In your case, since it seems you want to all geometries in SHP file to be brought into AutoCAD Map as NATIVE AutoCAD entities, thus I think using Map import/export API to do it would be much easier than using platform API, because with latter, you need write your OWN CODE to use geometric information obtained from platform API (but you have not even reached this step yet at this moment) to generate AutoCAD native entities.
So, if you do not mind to write your own code to generate AutoCAD native entities (invent a better or worse "new wheel"), you just need to reach the first step: obtain the geometry (MgGeometry) from FDO feature first. If you read the discussion provided with the link in my previous reply, you should have some code (borrowed from that discussion) like:
if ([propertyType] == ...)
{
//You get access to paticular feature property
}
...
//But when the property is Geometry type
//You need to obtain a MgGeometry object in order to access its geometric data
else if ([propertyType] == MgPropertyType.Geometry)
{
// This would read the binary geometry info from the feature
MgByteReader byteReader = reader.GetGeometry(propertyName);
OSGeo.MapGuide.MgAgfReaderWriter agfReader = new OSGeo.MapGuide.MgAgfReaderWriter();
//Then you obtain the MgGeometry object
OSGeo.MapGuide.MgGeometry geometry = agfReader.Read(byteReader);
//Now that you have the MgGeometry, you need to write code to generate the native AutoCAD entity
Autodesk.AutoCAD.DatabaseServices.ObjectId entId = ObjectId.Null;
switch (geometry.GeometryType)
{
case OSGeo.MapGuide.MgGeometryType.LineString:
entId = CreatePolyline(geometry); //Up to you to use the geometry information to create AutoCAD polyline
break;
case...
break;
}
}
I think, at this point, you question is answered, if you keep the Platform API approach. However, after you create all the AutoCAD native entities in the drawing, what about the attribute data comes with SHP/FDO source? How do you "link the data with the newly created AutoCAD entities? If you do not need the data any more, then that is fine. If you do, you need do extra work.
That is why using Map Importing API is much more easier> the geometries become native AutoCAD, and the attribute data attached to them as ObjectData, which can be accessed/manipulated via Map's ObjectData API. With Map API, you can import as many SHP file as you want. There is no need to create DrawingSet/Alias, as long as you know where the SHP files are. When you use Map API to import SHP data, you get chance to decide whether you want to import attribute data as ObjectData (all attributes, or only selected ones), or not; you can also choose desired OD table name, column name. It also automatically transform the coordinate system(projection), if the coordinate system of the SHP is different from the drawing's.
Again, what I have said aims your specific task: converting FDO geometries to native AutoCAD entities.
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