Prepare CAD drawings and configure the environment

Before using CAD data with ArcGIS Indoors for AutoCAD, you must do the following:

• Prepare the CAD drawings
• Review the drawing content organization
• Configure the Autodesk AutoCAD environment settings

You can also configure or disable automatic loading for Indoors for AutoCAD.

Prepare the CAD drawings

To prepare the CAD drawings for use in Indoors for AutoCAD, complete the following steps:

1. Create a backup of all drawings.
2. Perform automated drawing cleanup using the following AutoCAD commands to clear unnecessary entities and simplify the drawings:
   • OVERKILL—Eliminate unnecessary entities from the CAD drawing.
   • PURGE—Eliminate unnecessary blocks and layers from the CAD drawing.

Review drawing content organization

You can use AutoCAD commands to review how the drawings and layers are organized, and review information in the CAD drawings such as layer properties, selection properties, and block entity attributes. You can use these commands to check the data and ensure that entities representing the unit names, unit use types, and unit boundaries are organized into the layers you will use for validation checks in Indoors for AutoCAD.

To become familiar with AutoCAD commands for reviewing information on entities and layers in the CAD drawings, complete the following steps:

1. Review the CAD layers in the drawing and their properties using the LAYER command.

   The LAYER command opens the Layer Properties Manager pane. You can review the CAD layers in the drawing and their properties, and turn layers on and off to review the entities in each layer.

   Review the drawings for the following:

   • Identify layers containing entities that represent room boundaries, such as doors, walls, and windows.
   • Identify layers containing text-based room information, such as names and descriptions.
   • Compare layer names for consistency across drawings.
2. Review the properties of a selected entity using the PROPERTIES command.

   The PROPERTIES command opens the Properties pane. You can review properties for the selection in the drawing. Select an entity to review its type, color, and other properties.

   Review the drawings for the following:

   • Identify entities that represent room boundaries. For example, doors can be composed of separate lines and arcs or block references.
   • Identify how room information is stored. Room names and descriptions can be stored as separate text entities, multiline text, or defined as block attributes.
3. Review block references using the -BEDIT and BATTMAN commands.

   If room boundaries or room information are stored as block references, use BEDIT to open the Block Editor dialog box, or BATTMAN to open the Block Attribute Manager dialog box.

   Review the block entities and attributes for the following:

   • Identify entities that represent the block. For example, a door block can be composed of lines, arcs, text, polylines, or other blocks.
   • If a block has attributes, identify the attributes that have room information such as names and descriptions.

Configure the AutoCAD environment settings

To enable AutoCAD settings that can help when determining and addressing issues in floor plan drawings, complete the following steps:

1. Enable selection cycling to minimize confusion while making selections.

   Selection cycling detects and displays overlapping entities in a list when making a selection. This helps with selecting a specific entity when multiple entities are overlapping in a drawing.

2. Enable object snaps to ensure that lines are connected when creating or editing room boundaries.

   Recommended object snap modes include Endpoint, Midpoint, Node, Extension, and Nearest.

Configure automatic loading of Indoors for AutoCAD

You can configure AutoCAD to load Indoors for AutoCAD automatically when AutoCAD is started. Administrator privileges are required to enable this setting.

To configure AutoCAD to load the Indoors for AutoCAD extension on startup, complete the following steps:

1. Close AutoCAD if it is open.
2. Open File Explorer and browse to the ArcGIS for AutoCAD installation folder at <AutoCAD installation directory>\Autodesk\ApplicationPlugins\ArcGISForAutoCAD.Bundle.
3. Open the PackageContents.xml file in a text editor with administrative privileges.

   To open the text file with administrative privileges, you can sign in to Windows with administrative privileges and open the text editor, or browse to the text editor, right-click it, and choose Run as Administrator.

4. Press Ctrl+F and search for Indoorsforautocad.dll.
5. On the next line, change the value for LoadOnAutoCADStartup to True.
6. Save your edits.

   Administrator privileges are required to save edits to this file.

7. Start AutoCAD.

Indoors for AutoCAD loads automatically.

Disable automatic loading of Indoors for AutoCAD

You can disable automatic loading for Indoors for AutoCAD if it was previously configured.

Caution:

This workflow involves editing entries in your computer's registry. Use caution when directly editing the registry.

To disable automatic loading of the Indoors for AutoCAD extension, complete the following steps:

1. Close AutoCAD if it is open.
2. Open File Explorer and browse to the ArcGIS for AutoCAD installation folder at <AutoCAD installation directory>\Autodesk\ApplicationPlugins\ArcGISForAutoCAD.Bundle.
3. Open the PackageContents.xml file in a text editor with administrative privileges.

   To open the text file with administrative privileges, you can sign in to Windows with administrative privileges and open the text editor, or browse to the text editor, right-click it, and choose Run as Administrator.

4. Press Ctrl+F and search for Indoorsforautocad.dll.
5. On the next line, change the value for LoadOnAutoCADStartup to False.
6. Save your edits.

   Administrator privileges are required to save edits to this file.

7. Click the Start button on the Windows taskbar.
8. Search for Registry Editor, right-click it, and choose Run as Administrator.
9. Press Ctrl+F to open the Find window.
10. Search for Indoorsforautocad.dll, and for each key found, do the following:
    1. If the LOADCTRLS name is present, double-click it to open the Edit String window to review registry values.
    2. If the value for Value data is 2, change it to c.
    3. Press Enter or click OK to save the change.
    4. Press F3 to go to the next key.
11. Close the Registry Editor after editing all keys.

The Indoors for AutoCAD extension no longer loads automatically when AutoCAD is started.