Many of them are the same tools you might use with native ArcGIS feature data stored in shapefiles and geodatabases.

Examples of how you can use CAD data in ArcGIS for Desktop include the following: Apply a unique symbol to CAD point features.

Use CAD features with proximity tools such as the Buffer tool.

Isolate CAD polylines on different drawing layers such as Roads and Railways and use them as input to the Intersect tool to create points for additional analyses.

Load CAD parcel geometry into a geodatabase and create a topology.

Whether your goal is to load CAD data into a geodatabase or to simply overlay it with existing spatial data, all CAD integration workflows start with a common task sequence: define a spatial reference, add the data to the map, georeference the dataset with existing data, and set the display properties.

The geometry and annotation contained in the file along with supporting information such as property values and metadata are mapped to similar data structures in ArcGIS and displayed as GIS simple features.

Defining a spatial reference You can define a spatial reference for CAD datasets in the following two ways: Use the CAD Feature Dataset Properties dialog box.

Both methods open the Spatial Reference Properties dialog box and provide a list of predefined coordinate systems and a menu bar with tools to import and clear the spatial reference.

Adding CAD data to a map You can add an AutoCAD or MicroStation dataset to a map document by dragging it from the Catalog window and dropping it into your map.

Adding a child feature class displays a subset of the data based on shape type.

This is a read-only table view of the properties contained in the CAD drawing.

This data can be used to drive symbology and labels, queried and used as filtering criteria for visualization tasks, and computed as feature data.

Georeferencing Georeferencing is the process of spatially adjusting a CAD drawing without actually changing the original source data.

In ArcGIS for Desktop this is performed by registering arbitrary points in the CAD drawing to known geographic coordinates.

Once you have georeferenced a CAD dataset, subsequent ArcMap sessions transform the dataset in memory on the fly while the source data remains unchanged on disk.

The best practice for georeferencing a CAD dataset is to use the Georeferencing toolbar.

Integrating them generally requires additional filtering with a definition query to narrow the collection to features on a particular drawing layer, of a certain color or line type, or other properties.

In a map document you can define a query in the Layer Properties dialog box for each feature layer.

Definition queries display what is passed to geoprocessing tools.

Using them can also help ensure predictable results for others who may open the map document and perform analysis or load the CAD data into a geodatabase.

The default CAD renderer draws CAD features by unique values combining line type, color, and line weight properties.

You can change the symbology in the Layer Properties dialog box using many of the same symbols and rendering methods available for geodatabase feature classes.

Loading CAD data into a geodatabase You can choose from several geoprocessing tools and data loaders to load CAD data into a geodatabase.

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