Document feature layers—ArcGIS for AutoCAD

Document feature layers are one of two types of feature layers supported in ArcGIS for AutoCAD. They are the expression of a GIS feature layers within the AutoCAD drawing.

Document feature layers are data structures embedded within the drawing to establish attributed ArcGIS feature layers from standard AutoCAD entities in a drawing. It allows you to organize the drawing into feature classes of similar objects that share the same attribute schema. Features are composed of a geometry and can maintain typed attribute field values. These attributes are managed by ArcGIS for AutoCAD. Block attributes on points, text labels, and user defined parameters on Civil 3D features lines can also be used in conjunction with features and will be kept in synch when editing these attribute values with ArcGIS for AutoCAD or AutoCAD.

Document feature layers use a filtering query to define the membership of AutoCAD entities by combinations of their AutoCAD graphic properties, such as the AutoCAD layer name or color. You can modify the attributes and definition query of the document feature layer using the properties context option or action button of a document feature layer accessed through the Esri Contents pane.

Document feature layers can be established using one of the New Document Feature Layer tools on the Create tab of the Add Data dialog box, which includes a gallery of feature layer template files that you can choose from to add document feature layer definitions and default symbology to the drawing. You can also extract a web feature layer or export feature layers to an AutoCAD DWG file using the Export To CAD geoprocessing tool from ArcGIS Pro. You can create feature layers from existing CAD layers in the drawing using the Esri_LayerToFeatureLayer command or similarly create document feature layers from blocks defined within the drawing using the Esri_BlockToFeatureLayer command.

Document feature layers in AutoCAD DWG files are recognized by ArcGIS Desktop as attributed ArcGIS feature layers, and you can add them directly to a map or use them in geoprocessing tools without conversion.

Feature classes exported from ArcGIS Desktop to an AutoCAD file will be created as document feature layers.

Document feature layers can be shared as hosted web feature layers.

Supported geometry

Document feature layers can be composed of standard AutoCAD entities and a select number of Civil 3D entity types.

AutoCAD entity types supported as document feature layer geometry


Entity type	Document feature geometry
Point	Point
COGO Point—If working in AutoCAD Civil 3D	Point
Block Reference	Point
LW Polyline (must be closed for Polygon)	Polyline\Polygon
3D Polyline (must be closed for Polygon)	Polyline\Polygon
2D Polyline (must be closed for Polygon)	Polyline\Polygon
Spline	Polyline\Polygon
Circle	Polyline\Polygon
Ellipses	Polyline\Polygon
Face	Polyline\Polygon
Trace	Polyline\Polygon
Solid	Polyline\Polygon
Arc	Polyline
Line	Polyline
Surface	Multipatch
<valid polygons> (with non-zero z-values)	Multipatch
Polygon Mesh	Multipatch

Note:

When adding a polygon feature using a polyline, the geometry of the shape must be closed. To ensure closed polygons for polylines, set the AutoCAD system variable PLINTYPE value to 1 or 2 to automatically close the shape.

Subtypes

Subtypes are a subset of features in a feature layer that are distinguished by the same key organizing attribute. They are used as a method to categorize data by a type field. For example, the streets in a city streets feature class could be categorized into three subtypes: local streets, collector streets, and arterial streets. Subtypes allow you to set separate default values on fields for individual subtypes. Subtypes may be created during the publishing of GIS maps either when the data is stored as formal subtypes or when a unique value renderer is used on the shared map layer. The method of sharing map layers with a unique value renderer for use as subtypes in ArcGIS for AutoCAD is sometimes referred to as a pseudo subtype. Document feature layers do not include a way to create subtype definitions, but web feature layers extracted as document feature layers maintain their subtype organization with any unique field definitions including subtype specific default values, coded values, and range domains. Different subtypes are managed on unique AutoCAD layers, much like separate feature layers. You modify the subtype of a feature by either changing its layer or modifying the type field value.

Note:

Document feature layers may be created with subtypes by either extracting web feature layers with a subtype or exporting feature layers that contain subtype layers.