Web feature layers—ArcGIS for AutoCAD

Feature layers in ArcGIS for AutoCAD are the expression of GIS feature layers within the AutoCAD drawing. ArcGIS for AutoCAD supports two forms of feature layers: web feature layers sourced from ArcGIS web services and document feature layers that are stored within the AutoCAD DWG file. Feature layer symbology is primarily controlled by standard AutoCAD graphic properties and some additional customization for point features.

Web feature layers

ArcGIS for AutoCAD provides access to ArcGIS feature data shared through ArcGIS web services that can be edited, modified, or updated within Autodesk AutoCAD using standard AutoCAD commands. These web feature layers can be synchronized with the editable web services, if you have editing permissions. When web feature layers are added to the drawing, they maintain a connection to the source ArcGIS web service. Web feature layers support subtypes, attachments, and fields with range and domain constraints. ArcGIS web feature layers in ArcGIS for AutoCAD support a range of geometric capabilities that may include 3D geometry and curves.

To limit the number of features that will be added to the drawing, set the project area from the main ribbon. If you do not set the project area, or if the area you set will result in the addition of more than 15,000 features, you are warned that the feature count exceeds the recommended maximum and you are presented with the option to cancel or continue adding the features for that layer. Another way to further limit the number of features is to specify a definition query in the Add Data by URL dialog box to limit features by values, or ranges of feature attribute values. Web features can be published with definition queries that will be honored by ArcGIS for AutoCAD. You can override these existing definition queries published on web feature layer items by specifying your own query expression to limit features by values, or ranges of feature attribute values.

Note:

A web feature layer's properties and its attribute schema are defined by the source web feature services. Although infrequent, the author of web services can change their properties and schema. If you believe that the properties of a web feature layer's source have changed, it is recommended that you remove the web feature layer from your drawing and re-add the web feature layer to update the drawing with the schema from the feature layer's source. There are a number of web feature layer properties that you can set and save to configure the symbology and behavior of a web feature layer within the drawing. Use the Web Feature Layer Properties dialog box to view and manipulate the properties of a web feature layer.

Web Feature Layer templates

Web Feature Layer Property templates are a way for you to set specific properties of a web feature layer within the current drawing including those drawings used as AutoCAD template drawings. These properties can be persisted with the drawing and will be used anytime that layer is added to the drawing. By saving these properties ArcGIS for AutoCAD will automatically configure layers with a matching name to use the properties from the template, reducing time needed to configure the way layers look after they are added. The following configurable web feature layer properties can be viewed and modified using the Web Feature Layer Properties dialog box and saved to the drawing using the Add to Layer Templates context menu option:

Symbol Type—The symbol type to be used when drawing the layer. Currently only applies to point layers. Can be drawn as points, block references, or COGO points
Symbol Description—The symbol description to be used when drawing the layer. Only applies to points and goes hand in hand with the type property. This property is the name of the block when type of block reference is selected and in the case of COGO points is the COGO point description to be set.
Query Expression—This is the SQL query expression you want to apply to the service when features are drawn (for example, STATENAME = "TEXAS" in order to draw features only from the state of Texas).

Branch versions

ArcGIS web layers allow you to create different versions of data that you can edit separately over time and then reconcile at a later date. ArcGIS for AutoCAD supports the editing of web layers of a specific editing branch as well as the capability to create, modify, and delete editing branches. You interact with branch versions though the Branch Versions dialog box, which you can access from the context menu of the TOC or by entering the esri_branchversion command in the command line. The Version Management capability must be enabled on feature services by the GIS administrator to enable the branch version functionality of web feature layers within ArcGIS for AutoCAD.

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 your 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 maps layers with a unique value renderer for use as subtypes in ArcGIS for AutoCAD is sometimes refereed 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 and field coded value 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.

Synchronization geometry

The entities added to a web feature layer will retain their AutoCAD properties and symbology upon synchronization. This may include properties and distinction not stored on the web feature itself. Block attributes that are not part of the schema of the web feature layer, for example, will be retained upon synchronization. When web features are created from these entities and then added to a different drawing, these non-web feature layer distinctions and properties will not inherently be included in a different drawing.

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.

Supported geometry

Web feature layers may be defined as 3D or 2D and may or may not support curves depending on the definition of that layer created by the GIS administrator and or allowed by the feature service used. These are the default mappings between features and entities.

Default entity type created from web feature layers


Web feature geometry	Entity type
Point	Point
Point	COGO Point—If working in AutoCAD Civil 3D. See also Assign Default Symbol user interface.
Point	Insert (Block)—If a defined block's name matches the web feature layer name
Polyline and polygon	LW Polyline
Polyline and polygon	3D Polyline
Polyline and polygon: Circle	Circle
Polyline and polygon: Ellipse	Ellipse
Polyline and polygon: Spline	Spline

AutoCAD entity types supported as ArcGIS web feature layer geometry


Entity type	Web feature geometry
Point	Point
Block Reference	Point
LW Polyline (must be closed for Polygon)	Polyline and polygon
3D Polyline (must be closed for Polygon)	Polyline and polygon
2D Polyline (must be closed for Polygon)	Polyline and polygon
MLine	Polyline and polygon
Spline	Polyline and polygon
Circle	Polyline and polygon
Ellipses	Polyline and polygon
Face	Polyline and polygon
Trace	Polyline and polygon
Solid	Polyline and polygon
Arc	Polyline
Line	Polyline

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.