Migrating to Map 3D from vanilla Autocad's Attributed Blocks

[Anonymous]

Hello everyone! As said in the title, im trying to migrate from Cad to Maps some .dwgs representing towns.

Each map is composed by parcel blocks, square blocks mergingsets of parcels, radius blocks including squares, circunscription blocks incruding radius' and street blocks,made one by one, as blocks with data attached as attributes.

Now, i have access to Maps 3D and i would like to migrate all that data from my previous dwgs, maybe as attributed polygons, but i have no clue how to do that mantaining the same functionality. Also i have acces to other towns in shapefile format, it is possible to migrate those and get the same result? 

Also i would like to know if i will be able to visualize the map (and maybe plot some PDFs) in vanilla Cad after that  migration... I attach a file with some blocks to explain myself better.

I have some programing experience (AutoLisp, VLisp, very little VBA) so i can handle codes if needed... In fact they would be great as exercise.

OH great forum helpful ones, imbue me with your wisdom, i beg you! Thanks 🙂

[АлексЮстасу]

Since the most competent specialists, probably for a long time on the summer holidays, I will assume:
1. In my opinion, the most "simple" option is to write Lisp or the like, which will replace blocks on the outlines of objects with attaching information to them from the attributes. Contours in the form of closed polylines or Mpolygon's - to better convey complex contours.
If you use Object Data for characteristics, then you can solve this problem with Lisp or the like. If you use FDO, then you probably need to use ObjectARX or the like. From Object Data, you can always go to FDO.
2. If to go "manual" way - separate commands and actions, it can be long and difficult. The biggest difficulty is the uniqueness of the block name of each object. And the fact that the attributes are no different from each other, except for the names of Tag's.

[ChicagoLooper]

Your title of the your post says it all. You want to move away from using blocks and migrate towards Map 3D. Start with using the shapefiles  that you already have and drop them into a drawing with an appropriate coordinate system. You can also use MAPIMPORT to import your shapefile and effectively use it in your map. The import will convert it into Cad 'line work' and retain the shapefile's attributes as Cad 'object data.' Either way, you are using existing commands and tools. You can spend more time detailing and creating prettier maps which will impress your clients, your boss, and possibly, even your girlfriend.

[Anonymous]

Thans for your answer! I haven'f found yet the proper codes to fill custom attributes of an object... Tryed vla-put-* but that does not work. Can you advise me in the attributes or methods that i need to accomplish this?

[ChicagoLooper]

You do not necessarily need to add attributes. The attributes are probably already sitting there doing nothing. They are most likely taking a nap. When you bring in the shapefile, you wake them up, and put them to work. Trust me, attributes like to work.

First, do this:

1. Make sure your Workspace is Planning and Analysis.
2. Assign an appropriate coordinate system (MAPCSASSIGN) to your drawing, such as UTM84-20S. (EPSG 32720)
3. Connect to your shapefile using DATA CONNECT palette. (I am assuming you have at least one shapefile and that you have experience working with them.)
4. Turn on Bing Aerial map.

You will need to do this to verify that your data is geospatially accurate.

I believe this is your site. Correct?

Note: Your current blocks are not geospatially accurate. They are off, way off, and are currently in the ocean. To allow Map 3D to work for you and not against you, you will need to make everything spatially correct and this will allow Bing maps appear as a basemap directly underneath, and consistent, with your streets and parcels. 

You will also need to become proficient at using MAPIMPORT command. This will allow you to import the same shapefile as Cad drawing objects. Cad objects allow you to control the line work in the Layer Properties Manager and Properties Palette. The command will also allow you to bring in the shapefile's tabular data which you can use to perform queries. These queries give you more power than what's available in Plain Vanilla Cad. 

[АлексЮстасу]

I agree with ChicagoLooper that you do not need to fill attributes. Attributes already have in blocks Invisible, and contain the necessary descriptive information about objects. Conversely, characteristics should be taken from the attributes, and transferred to objects - in Object Data or the like.
With programming, I can not help - I'm not a programmer.
But in general, you can make only one program:
1. In dwg, you need to create an Object Data with object type names (Parcel or the like) in advance. In Object Data, describe data fields with the names, the same attributes tags.
2. Input data for the program: the name OD for descriptive data and a set of blocks - one type of objects.
3. The program takes out the contours of area objects from blocks, appends the specified OD to them, and fills OD fields with values ​​from the same attributes.
4. The program deletes the source blocks.