The Geospatial Value Chain: Stage One

This post is the first in a five part series and will explain the five stages of the Autodesk geospatial value chain. The five-stage model may help you understand where you are today and how you can extend the value of your geospatial data going forward. This series is taken from the "Best Practices for Managing Geospatial Data" document.

Stage One: AutoCAD or AutoCAD LT

Since it was first introduced, AutoCAD has been used by engineers and drafting technicians to create maps. These CAD maps stored in DWG files have provided a viable mapping solution for municipalities, public works departments, utility companies, and many other organizations. Many of these organizations have migrated from paper-based, mylar, or vellum files, and now store their infrastructure data in DWG drawings on the desktop computer or in a file directory on a server. Data for individual assets is often stored as blocks, along with the attribute data associated with them.

However, there are several limitations to a system that uses a CAD program such as AutoCAD or AutoCAD LT as the principal mapping tool:

➔ Only one user can access any particular DWG map.

➔ The maps have no geo-referencing information (coordinate system) assigned to them.

➔ AutoCAD does not import or export commonly used mapping formats, such as SHP.

If your organization is using AutoCAD or AutoCAD LT but needs to add spatial intelligence to the data, bring in data from other sources, or allow multiple designers to edit the same data, you have outgrown Stage 1 and may be ready to move to Stage 2 or Stage 3.