Exporting DWG to Shapefile doesn't include MText

[aokeefe01]

I have a CAD DWG which includes various blocks and within the blocks are MTEXT.

I now want to use this data in ArcGIS Pro, so tried exporting to a shapefile multiclass - all seemed to export except the MTEXT (which are annotations needed).

I then tried: export ---> shapefile multiclass --->feature class ---> select attributes ---> object properties ---> selected both MTEXT and TEXT.

This exported the shapefile with various field but still no text or even a text contents attribute.

What am I doing wrong?

[Pointdump]

Hi @aokeefe01,
Welcome to the Autodesk Forums.
Interesting problem. I saw your post in GIS Stack Exchange.
Maybe you could use, in AutoCAD, command BURST to liberate the text, then in QGIS or ArcGIS Pro try again to use CAD-to-GeoDataBase.
I've never tried to save text as a shapefile. Maybe there's a difference between MTEXT and TEXT. Have you tried using MAPEXPORT in Map 3D to create a shapefile of only text?

Dave

[ChicagoLooper]

Sorry, but that's the wrong workflow. You don't (and can't) export mtext.

You can (and should) export the attributes of a block. Refer to the DATA Tab of MapExport procedure. The attributes of the block will populate the shapefile's database file (dbf).

Then, in ArcGIS Pro, you can use the shapefile's attribute data to create 'LABELS.'

Try as you  might, you cannot export mtext. You export the DATA which in your specific case the data happens to be block attributes. BTW, if you don't know how to create labels in ArcGIS Pro, you're a step behind and need to catch up.

[aokeefe01]

I've done that and it doesn't work. There is still no mention of the contained text within the shapefile

[ChicagoLooper]

Hello @aokeefe01 

Would it be possible to upload a screenshot.

The screen shot should show two items (a) the block in question and (b) the bottom of the properties palette. First select an individual block, then take a screenshot of both the selected block AND the properties palette. You may need to scroll to the bottom of the properties palette so the 'Block' section can be seen.  The block section at the bottom of the prop palette will look like this:

What does the Block section in your properties palette look like? It's critical to show the attributes of the block you want to export.

Alternatively, you may upload your block.

[aokeefe01]

@ChicagoLooper 

The block and properties palette look like below. Not sure if this answers your query

The DWG was not created by me, so it has taken some exploring as to what is what within this drawing

On another note, I've also just noticed that dashed lines do not appear when exported to a shapefile. Instead they are just solid lines. I know I can edit their appearance in ArcGIS, but it is just seeming like a lot of additional work

[ChicagoLooper]

Yes, you have a block. 

No, your block doesn't have any attributes. This is the core of your issue and why your procedure doesn't work. Your block doesn't have TEXT (attributes) so there's no text to export to the shapefile in the first place.

When you export the block to shapefile, your shapefile cannot CAPTURE the information (or the data) you need. However, you can capture GERNERAL information even though general info is not what you want. Examples of general info include: 

• block name
• block scale
• block rotation
• block insertion point
• etc., etc., etc.

If you want to capture data that's displayed as MTEXT then you can do that by capturing the mtext itself and NOT from a non-attributed block.

WARNING: If you capture mtext entities then AutoCAD doesn't correlate a specific piece of mtext with any block. The mtext and the block will be two totally separate entities.. To get what you need, just capture the mtext itsef and ignore the block.

If you didn't already know, mtext is a point entity. Why? Because mtext always has an insertion POINT and the insertion point has coordinates. When you export a point entity, you are actually exporting coordinates of a POINT and those coordinates offer no length nor area. Mathematically speaking, a point is dimensionless. The shapefile's dbf (database) can be populated by the mtext's CONTENT, and that content can be harvested from the DATA Tab of the dwg-to-shapefile procedure (also known the MAPEXPORT command).

Example: You have an AutoCAD map of the 48 contiguous states. You have 48 separate pieces of mtext and each mtext corresponds to each State's capital. If the capitals are geospatially accurate, then you can sue MapExport command to export the mtext to a point shapefile. The mtext's CONTENT is capture during the export procedure and will populate the shapefile's dbf. When you insert this shapefile into ArcGIS you may use a circle as a symbol OR you can simply insert the shapefile without any symbology whatsoever. Instead of using a symbol to represent the capital's location, use a LABEL. The label will be populate by the point shapefile's database and when this label is inserted it will be geospatially accurate.

[WarrenMichaelsen]

not sure if anyone is still monitoring this thread. I'm having a similar issue but need a workflow for TrueView Free. My boss does not want to pay for a proper Autodesk license .

Posting in the TrueView forum as well but this is exactly the same issue that I need a workaround for.

[ChicagoLooper]

Hi @WarrenMichaelsen 

Thank you for participating in the forum. This thread is over 18 months old. Please start a NEW thread with a new title that describes your specific need. Your situation might not be exactly like the OP's so it best to start a brand new post for your product version and addressing your specific needs, not his, not hers.

<<You may also provide a link to this post too, if you think it will help others understand the flow of the conversation.>>

When you piggy-back on an existing thread your issue gets buried. When your situation is resolved, the solution will get buried too. 

When another forum user has a similar issue, your post along with other similar posts, will be searchable and the accompanying solution, if applicable can be recycled. In the absence of a viable solution, the user can effectively start a brand new post with a new title just like you.

[pendean]

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@WarrenMichaelsen wrote:

....Posting in the TrueView forum as well but this is exactly the same issue that I need a workaround for.

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Same answer over there as it is over here I believe

Sorry.