Computer monitor with CAD drawing of an airport runaway and a laptop with CAD drawing of an airport terminal

ArcGIS for AutoCAD

CAD and GIS working together

Synergize CAD and GIS

ArcGIS for AutoCAD is a plug-in application that connects CAD and geographic information system (GIS) professionals to help them design with geographic context, streamline information sharing, and make spatially informed decisions. The plug-in brings ArcGIS to Autodesk design environments to enrich existing CAD user workflows with authoritative GIS content, greatly increasing the effectiveness of CAD-GIS interoperability and saving time and effort in quality control.

Benefits of ArcGIS for AutoCAD

ArcGIS for AutoCAD builds a bridge between CAD and GIS professionals for two-way, synchronous information sharing and decision-making.

Enrich CAD with authoritative GIS content

Use your own organization’s ArcGIS Online or ArcGIS Enterprise content and data from ArcGIS Living Atlas of the World to inform your CAD drawings with geospatial context. Gain a geospatial understanding of your design project surroundings.

A world map used for geolocating a drawing in ArcGIS for AutoCAD that shows several continents in green and the blue ocean

Work where you already are

CAD professionals can work with GIS data in their familiar Autodesk design environment while GIS professionals can work in ArcGIS, with everyone working synchronously with the same data.

A satellite imagery basemap showing buildings and roads open in ArcGIS for AutoCAD with text on the left

Save time and effort in quality control

Eliminate unnecessary rework by delivering ArcGIS software-ready CAD drawings to your GIS team. CAD drawings with GIS attributes can be utilized as a data source across ArcGIS.

A series of connected lines and red icons on a black background representing a 2D CAD drawing of some topography

No need for ArcGIS familiarity

Leverage advanced GIS data management tools in your AutoCAD or Civil 3D design environment without extensive ArcGIS proficiency. ArcGIS for AutoCAD seamlessly integrates GIS into CAD workflows, providing CAD users with self-service access to GIS content.

Green grass surrounding gray buildings representing an airport runway layered with CAD data on top in ArcGIS Pro

How it works

Geolocate your CAD drawings

With ArcGIS for AutoCAD, easily add an Esri coordinate system for geolocating drawings and see your design in real-world context.

A bridge spanning water with boats and land and numerical data representing a CAD drawing in ArcGIS for AutoCAD

Self-service access to GIS content

ArcGIS for AutoCAD lets you easily bring GIS content directly into your AutoCAD or Civil 3D design environment. Connect to your organization’s GIS content via ArcGIS Online or ArcGIS Enterprise and supplement that content with maps, layers, and imagery from ArcGIS Living Atlas.

A drawing of a housing track on top of an imagery basemap open in ArcGIS for AutoCAD

Work together in a GIS system of record

Edit GIS data and attributes aligning with CAD layers. Any edits, additions, and deletions made in ArcGIS or AutoCAD are synchronized with one another to maintain the GIS system of record.

A black map with connected green and yellow lines representing an imagery basemap with major roads and highways highlighted

Use templates for industry-specific workflows

Templates allow CAD professionals to start a drawing with stored coordinate system definitions, web and document feature layer definitions, project areas, and web map and image layers. Templates also include standard CAD layer definitions and block symbology.

Series of connected squares and lines representing a housing tract with an imagery basemap and document feature layers pane

CASE STUDY

Streamlining CAD-GIS workflows

Santa Margarita Water District used ArcGIS for AutoCAD to optimize CAD-to-GIS conversions, and import and edit GIS datasets.

Read the case study

Inform GIS with CAD

CAD drawings with GIS attributes can be utilized across ArcGIS and used as a valuable dataset in multiple different tools across the ArcGIS system.

ArcGIS Pro

ArcGIS Pro

Add CAD data directly in ArcGIS Pro. The geometric attributes assigned in ArcGIS for AutoCAD are displayed as feature layers.

Learn more about ArcGIS Pro
ArcGIS Indoors

ArcGIS Indoors

ArcGIS Indoors for AutoCAD is an extension to Esri’s free ArcGIS for AutoCAD solution. It offers diagnostic checks to help CAD users detect and locate common problematic conditions.

Learn more about ArcGIS Indoors
ArcGIS Field Maps

ArcGIS Field Maps

Using ArcGIS Field Maps, mobile workers can add attributed geometry to CAD drawings within ArcGIS for AutoCAD.

Learn more about ArcGIS Field Maps
ArcGIS Living Atlas of the World

ArcGIS Living Atlas of the World

ArcGIS for AutoCAD allows you to add map and feature layers from ArcGIS Living Atlas.

Learn more about ArcGIS Living Atlas

Download ArcGIS for AutoCAD