Hello Andrew,

With thanks to Ben and Jonathan for their input!

I was having the same issues with importing an AutoCAD file (from another vendor 10+ years ago) until I used ogr2ogr, which was successful.  The subsequent problem was that my AutoCAD file came into ArcMap with entirely different ‘layers’ than the original.  It is a complex AutoCAD file of ground and subsurface features.  ArcMap tries to put all points on a layer and classify them.  Same with Lines, and so forth. What I did was use the attribute tables in the imported file in ArcMap to search and sort by points, lines, and polylines that belonged to distinct feature sets, exported those selected and re-imported them on their own layer (in ArcMap).  I was building a Postgresql spatial database in pgAdmin4 and needed separate database tables for spatial feature sets of data.  For purposes of testing my database, I ignored the georeferencing problem you all have spoken about. Everything tested fine, but now I am back to the trial and error process of georeferencing.

My next approach is to utilize recent (within 2 months) DJI Phantom 4 fixed imagery of the site that I processed through DroneDeploy resulting in high resolution orthoimagery and a 3D model.  I will import that ortho into ArcMap.  The resolution is adequate to reference 3 points in the AutoCAD file back to three points in the georeferenced orthoimagery.  I realize that it isn't survey grade, but it gets the AutoCAD data a lot closer, within a couple inches, than the middle of Africa.

There is a nice tutorial for georeferencing something that isn’t already.  It’s from Tufts 2007 so its a little dated, but the concept is the same.  http://ocw.tufts.edu/data/54/626689.pdf
I used this feature in a graduate program to move scanned plans and historic aerials into ArcMap.  It worked very well. 

Another idea is to go to Google Maps Pro and find three points on your site and save those Lat/Long coordinates, then match those same three points in the AutoCAD data and use the process above.  

If anyone has tips on the georeferencing issue, I would welcome the input.  Jonathan, would you mind letting me know how your process goes, as I’m still working on mine.

Thanks all,

Patrick McDonald

Ongoing GIS Master’s Program student, and

Assistant Director of Grounds, and

GIS Management Perspectives
Providing Innovative Value
201 Washington Street, Unit 2
Marblehead, MA 01945




On Dec 28, 2017, at 10:54 AM, Jonathan Hall <[log in to unmask]> wrote:

That is a really good tip, Ben!
Andrew, it sounds like you may need help georeferencing the autocad drawing-based features, after conversion. You will need to figure out what units and spatial reference was used in Autocad, if any, (usually a trial-and-error process of elimination).


On Dec 28, 2017 9:16 AM, "Benjamin Krepp" <[log in to unmask]> wrote:

Resending my original reply to Andrew to the list as well, which I neglected the first time. --- Ben

 

Hi Andrew,

 

You didn’t specify the format of the AutoCAD file you’re trying to import, so this suggestion might be off-base.

 

The Open Source Geospatial Foundation distributes a package called “OSGeo Live” which includes the OGR and GDAL libraries. OGR/GDAL itself includes a tool called “ogr2ogr” which is something of a GIS-practitioner’s Swiss Army knife: it can convert GIS data between a long list of formats, including AutoCAD’s DWG and DXF formats and ESRI’s shapefile, personal- and file-geodatabase formats.

I’ve found ogr2ogr to be an amazingly helpful tool to have on hand.

 

Info on OSGeo Live can be found at https://live.osgeo.org/en/index.html

The list of all the contents of OSGeo Live can be found at: https://live.osgeo.org/en/overview/overview.html

In order to use “ogr2ogr”, you don’t have to install the whole OSGeo Live bundle, just GDAL/OGR.

The list of data formats supported by ogr2ogr can be found at: http://www.gdal.org/ogr_formats.html

 

Hope this helps.

 

Best,

Ben Krepp

 

Benjamin Krepp  |  Chief GIS Programmer/Analyst

CENTRAL TRANSPORTATION PLANNING STAFF

857.702.3670  | [log in to unmask]

www.ctps.org/bostonmpo

 

[log in to unmask]"><image001.jpg>

 

From: Northeast Arc Users Group [mailto:[log in to unmask]UCONN.EDU] On Behalf Of Andrew Sylvia
Sent: Wednesday, December 27, 2017 7:22 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Importing Homemade AutoCAD Data into ArcGIS

 

Hello all,

 

I'm fairly unfamiliar with AutoCAD and I was hoping you could help.

 

I need to convert homemade AutoCAD data into ArcGIS, but I am not having much luck.

 

A few people have recommended FME's software, and that worked fine when it came to their tutorial data, but whenever I try to plug in the AutoCAD data I create in there, it's no go.

 

I've tried converting the AutoCAD data directly into ArcGIS, into ArcGIS using several routes in ArcToolbox, recreating the data through AutoCAD Civil 3D, converting the data through ArcGIS Pro, nada.

 

The closest I've gotten is saving the AutoCAD file into an earlier AutoCAD file type, but even then there are georeferencing issues.

 

On top of that, I've watched/read dozens of videos and help pages from Esri, Autodesk and elsewhere, but I'm still not making much progress.

 

I'm probably missing something very simple here, wondering if you all could shed some light on my issue here.

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