A local ArcGIS Feature layer is a named selection set of Autodesk AutoCAD objects that share a common set of properties. Create and configure objects on the fly to display a particular subset of content as an ArcGIS ready feature layers that is recognized by ArcGIS Desktop. They function similarly to definition queries in ArcGIS Desktop with the added ability to define attribute fields and attach feature attributes to native Autodesk AutoCAD geometry.
Feature layer schema
Feature layer schema is non-graphic information that is embedded in the drawing at the dataset (or drawing) level. They are empty schema-only feature layers that store metadata and do not contain the actual feature data. The information is stored as native DWG xrecords in a standardized framework of DWG object dictionaries.
Name
This property specifies the feature layer name. The name must be unique to the current drawing, begin with a letter. The best practice is to choose a name that clearly describes the features with a mixed-case naming convention. Document feature layer name can be changed using a the ESRI_featurelayer command.
Type
This property defines the ArcGIS feature geometry type and limits the feature layer to specific AutoCAD objects listed in the following table. To change the feature type, you must create a new feature layer.
| ArcGIS geometry type | Supported AutoCAD DWG object |
|---|---|
Point | Point, Insert |
Polyline | Arc, Circle, Ellipse, Line, Mline, Polyline, Spline, solid, 3Dface |
Polygon | Circle, Solid, Ellipse, Face, Closed Polyline, Closed 3D Polyline, Closed Mline |
Annotation | Text, Mtext, Attribute, Attdef |
Multipatch | Circle, Ellipse, Closed Mline, Closed Spline, Solid, 3Dface |
Query
A user-configurable property that narrows the selection set defined by the type property. This aggregate list creates the final selection set object that is passed to the selection method.
Commas can be used as logical OR operators to separate property values that are specified with strings, such as multiple layer names or line types. If the filter is left blank, all Autodesk AutoCAD objects defined by the feature type are members of the feature layer by default.
Fields
Fields enable you to attach feature attributes directly to Autodesk AutoCAD objects and edit them. You can add or remove fields from a document feature layer at any time. You define them with a name, data type, and value similar to a field definition in a geodatabase.
Name
The name property defines the name of the (virtual) table column. This name appears as a field heading when you view feature attributes in the attribute table.
Type
Type specifies the kinds of values you can store in the attribute field.
| Type | ArcGIS equivalent |
|---|---|
String | Text |
Double | Double |
Short | Short integer |
Integer | Long integer |
Date | Date |
Default value
This property sets a default attribute value for all new members of the feature layer.
Length
Length sets the maximum number of characters that can be input for a feature attribute. This property is recognized only for text fields.
Feature layer diagram
