I have been trying to export from MXD format to DWG format without much success. I used the Export to CAD conversion tool in GIS 9.3 but it only converts the lines and polygon.. etc to DWG format and NOT the colors and texts that are also included in the original MXD file. Any idea of how I might be able to convert the WHOLE MXD to CAD with all the features included?
[GIS] How to convert MXD to DWG File
arcgis-9.3arcgis-desktopdwgdxfmxd
Related Solutions
- if they are drawing in just autocad, you will be relegated (restricted) to planar equal area coordinate systems as the output.
- if they are drawing using autocad map3d then there is at least a chance that the drawing is in an actual crs to start with.
if 1 then you wil need to move, rotate, scale the dwg using a known point as "base point".
I ussually do them in the order listed unless the scale is WAY out. you should hope not because that means you are changeing from something other than a similar measure unit. you need a line connecting two known points in the data.
find a point that you know the coordinates for and also has a position in the dwg.
Use that as base point.
Turn on /thaw and unlock all layers.
move all (command) m(enter) all(enter)
select known point as base.
type in the coordinate of the known point.
zoom extent
If you don't need to scale first to be able to detect the angle you need to rotate. go to the rotate command.
ro(enter)
select the SAME base point. (read the command line carefully).
p(for previous selection)
r(for reference)
select the same base point
select a point in the data that you have the second set of coordinates for.
now type the second set of coordinates.
(doesn't matter if they are scaled correctly you have both data in the correct angle now.)
On to the third step. scaling.
You are using empirical scaling. you take the distance of something and give it the correct distance.
So type the command scale(enter)
type p(for previous) (enter)
select the SAME base point
r(for reference) (enter)
select the base point again
now select the second known point
now type @x,y (where x is the horizontal coordinate and y is the vertical) (with an @ symbol in front is absolute location)
If all went well you should be done...
Oh i'm sure you just did that on a copy of original
If 2 just set the coordinate system in map and export to shp.
If I mistype or missed a step I aplogize. that was all from memory
let me know if there are problems
It seems to me that the main problem for you is to introduce some order to your tons of DWG/DXF files with information (in several layers).
Regardless of choosing software/tool I can recommend you to describe your data. Here is some thoughts:
- You should develop some kind of unique codes for all types of your features. It can be one attribute or several or some other way. Let's say it will be some dictionary of codes. PS it is very possible that you already have such dictionary.
- You need to make description of your input data based on its properties (layer name, color, linestyle, line width, etc) to be able to pick any object from DWG, read it's properties, then search you description document, find matching record and assign code (of matching description) to your input feature.
- Prepare such description in some table format (i.e. Excel).
- Write script which will loop through all your input data, match it's properties to Description, assign code and save it to appropriate featureclass/SHP/table.
In such way you can easily update such documented description in future and apply it again to any data without need to modify your scripts.
My experience:
We usually prepare such descriptions in XLS file (it can be easily edited by any cartographer or technician) and use FME for transforming and converting data. But I think you can implement similar idea with any software which can read DWG with properties of objects.
Best Answer
As far as I know, which may not be very far, you can't do that. An mxd is a separate document from the data it contains. Many CAD programs can use shapefiles, although again you wouldn't get symbology. For text, try converting it to annotation and maybe that will export to CAD. Do this on a copy of your data. I'm more used to bringing CAD into Arc than Arc out to CAD.
edit: The reason for this is that symbology, labels, etc., are properties of the mxd, not the data itself, and an mxd is not data. You can export your feature classes to layer files (filename.lyr), which will preserve the symbology, but I have no idea if CAD programs can import those.