Vendors connect CAD, GIS

Several vendors recently released software that lets you access GIS data from within a CAD program. We hope to feature reviews of these products in upcoming issues of Cadalyst.

Haestad Methods released GISConnect for AutoCAD, an enterprise software solution that integrates AutoCAD with ESRI's ArcGIS products. You can work inside AutoCAD to create edit, view, and manipulate ArcGIS data. You can also filter data spatially or via attribute queries, select AutoCAD entities using geodatabase queries, and map blocks and attributes to GIS point data. GISConnect is compatible with AutoCAD 2002-2004 and all ArcGIS v8 or higher products.

Based on OpenGIS standards, Hitachi's Any*GIS provides read and write capabilities to and from ESRI, SmallWorld, Intergraph, MapInfo, and shape files. You can run reports, do thematic mapping, and transform coordinates on the fly. It uses client-server architecture with five available clients: pro, CAD, mobile, Web, and viewer. Of particular interest is the CAD client, which lets you use AutoCAD or Map to access data from the supported GIS systems. It can also access data stored in Oracle 91 and SQL databases. 

Safe Software announced FME Suite 2003 X2, the latest version of its Spatial ETL (Extract, Transform, Load) tool that makes it easy for organizations to translate, transform, and share data among more than 100 GIS, CAD, and database formats. Among the new features are additions to the Workbench graphic transformation editor for handling large data models and data volumes and batch deploy capabilities. Format support now includes MicroStation Design File v8.0 reading, and GeoMedia SQL Server Warehouse reading and writing. An evaluation version and detailed list of new features are available at: http://www.safe.com