The document summarizes the history and evolution of integrating CAD and GIS systems within the City of Vancouver's Engineering Department. In the early 1990s, GIS had basic tools to extract data into CAD formats through a clunky multi-step process. Over time, the city created a dedicated CAD server to store base files from GIS and ensure common libraries. Conflicts arose between ground and grid coordinate systems which led to a CAD repository. The city now leverages a central spatial database and web mapping to connect CAD and GIS users, limit data handoffs, and support asset management from design to construction.

2. The City of Vancouver
 3rd Largest City in Canada
 Home of the 2010 Winter Olympics and
Paralympics
 Population 580,000
 Over 2,000,000 in Greater Vancouver
area
 Covers 113 sq. kilometers. 44 sq. miles

3. Engineering Department
 Plan, build, improve, manage, and maintain the following
services in accordance with policies set by City Council:
– Water supply and distribution
– Sewerage and drainage
– Utility corridor management
– Street lighting and traffic signals
– City communications system
– Streets, lanes, boulevards, sidewalks, and bridges
– Solid waste reduction, refuse collection, disposal, and
street cleaning
– Transportation

4. In the beginning….
 GIS system in the early 1990’s had rudimentary
tools to extract line work into CADD format
 Process had many steps, was rather clunky, and
only a few of the design branches bought in.
 As a result CADD files began to pile up in local
drives
 Data within was of little value to the rest of the
organization.
 Efforts made to develop a GIS interface to our
CADD system

5. And then we created….
 In the late 1990’s the City created a dedicated
CADD Server
 CADD Server stored base files that had been
generated from the GIS system
 Made use of drawing templates that ensured
that individual designers shared common
libraries and a common coordinate system
 The base files were static files updated from GIS
on a scheduled basis (often monthly).

6. Ground vs. Grid (1)
 Streets Division began using Total Stations
to collect survey data and generate
electronic field books.
 Data was downloaded and cleaned up and
passed on to the designers
 Conflicts arose with our Land Survey
Branch who were managing the GIS
cadastral base in grid units

7. Ground vs. Grid (2)
 Decision made to build a CADD-based
repository for these files
 In time some of the data was translated to
allow it to be overlaid on the GIS data.

8. Design to Construction (1)
 In 2002 moved our GIS data into an
spatially enabled GIS database
 CADD users and GIS users could connect to
the geo-database and query the data into a
CADD file
 Ensured that a designer would get the
most up-to-date background data for their
new design

9. Design to Construction (2)
 Design printed out and sent to Operations
who constructed the new infrastructure
 Field changes manually tracked and passed
to office staff for entry into GIS
 Not every change made it back into the
GIS!

10. PSAB & Asset Management
 Began implementation of Enterprise Asset
Management in 2007
 In part in response to PSAB 3150
 City acquired new GIS tools in 2008 to
support Asset Management Strategy
 Asset must be created first in GIS before
the work order to construct the asset can
be issued
 Design-based GIS using concept of jobs

12. CADD DESIGN
GIS
ASSET MANAGEMENT

13. Key Points for CADD/GIS Integration
 Get the data into a central repository that
is accessible to both your CADD and GIS
tools
 Leverage web mapping solutions as an
alternative to costly CADD packages
 Limit the number of data ‘handoffs’
particularly during design phase
 There is no ‘single solution’
 Business process may need to change

14. Thanks for attending!
Martin Tilt
GIS Analyst
City of Vancouver Engineering
martin.tilt@vancouver.ca