Integrating CAD and GIS with
Spatial ETL

Overview
 What is Spatial ETL?
 Quick look at two CAD-GIS Case Studies
 CAD-GIS Common Themes

What is Spatial ETL?
Extract Transform Load
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Why Spatial ETL?
 Significant proliferation of different spatial data
formats and types
– Hundreds of formats, with more added each year
– Multiple types of data stored in multiple systems
– Unique data model requirements for each application
 Traditional approaches to data translation and
data model manipulation are not viable
– Complex, inefficient and time-consuming
 Increasing pressure for access to spatial data
– More users, beyond traditional GIS users
– Expectations of real-time custom data views, 24x7
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Format Proliferation

Data Convergence
ranslate from one
format to another
ransform into the data
model you need
ntegrate different data
types at once
eliver data to users in
the structure & format

Transformation is Key
 CAD <->GIS needs transformation
 Need ability to change data model
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Spatial ETL
Safe Overview 8

#1 Use of Spatial ETL
CAD GIS
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Case Study: Enstar Natural Gas
Company
 Organization
– Provides natural gas service to 340,000 customers in Alaska
 Problem
– Migrating large volumes of AutoCAD drawings to GIS-based
mapping system in very short timeframe
 Solution
– Read and extract information from “group” entities in
AutoCAD files and load them into a geodatabase
– Perform file mapping and geo-referencing to leverage key
semantic and context information from drawings
 Results
– Information in CAD files no longer inaccessible
– Time savings through a repeatable data conversion framework
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Case Study: Gulf Power
 Organization
– Provides electricity to 372,000 customers in Florida.
 Problem
– Moving CAD data into seamless database. Stitching of tiles and
resolving quality issues in an automated approach where possible.
 Solution
– Resolved gaps in lines. Joined linework together.
– Mapped CAD entities to new GIS entities
– Used Proximity to associate annotation with linear features.
 Results
– Fast and accurate data translation
– Detailed translation statistics reported as files are processed and
moved to the new system
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CAD <-> GIS
Common Themes
 CAD and GIS represent information
differently
– The representation must be changed to effectively move
data from one environment to another
CAD
GIS
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CAD <-> GIS
Common Themes
 CAD Annotation <-> GIS Attributes
– Must be able to move this between the systems.
– Use Proximity to associate annotation with features
– Often there is no explicit link in the CAD data.
CAD
GIS
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CAD <-> GIS
Common Themes
Quality Assurance
– What are the issues with the existing data that are going
to cause problems in new system?
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CAD <-> GIS
Common Themes
Quality Assurance
– Automated data cleanup is often possible.
Before - GAP
After – GAP Removed
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CAD <-> GIS
Common Themes
Quality Assurance
– Automated data cleanup not always possible.
2 Internal Points
0 Internal Points
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CAD<->GIS
Common Themes
 Connectivity Cleanup
– Build connectivity for linear networks
representing water, gas, etc.
Before
After
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CAD<->GIS
Common Themes
 Deciphering layer codes, colors, linestyles,
etc.
– E.g. 2 lane paved roads are on layer 4, color
red, solid line of thickness 3.
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Summary
 GIS and CAD data represent information
differently
 To effectively communicate data must be
restructured to fit the tool being used
 Spatial ETL is all about restructuring the
data to fit the tool and user consuming the
data
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Thanks
 If you would like more information please
stop by our booth at the show or
 Contact me at dcm@safe.com
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