[Mapserver-users] Reading DWG

[Frank Warmerdam]

Ben Lewis wrote:
> Does anyone know of efforts to get Mapserver read AutoCAD DWG files?  
> (I am aware of a group, OpenDWG http://www.opendwg.org/ that has created a DWG toolkit and some specs.)
>  - Ben

Ben,

I have been intended to implement OGR support for DWG (and DXF) via the
OpenDWG toolkit at some point but haven't gotten to it yet.  I have a couple
clients who have expressed some interest, so there might be work on this in
coming months but nothing is certain.

One issue with doing this is that DWG and DXF files are "graphically rich".
Getting the line work out and accessable in MapServer wouldn't be too hard.
Getting a DWG file to look the same when rendered in MapServer as it looks
in AutoCAD is worlds harder.

With the DGN format some graphical information was captured and passed through
to MapServer and with STYLEITEM AUTO you would get something that look similar
to what the picture looked like in Microstation.  I would imagine this would
also be done for DWG but it is important to realize that even if a moderate
effort is made to support DWG it will come with many limitations and caveats.

Best regards,

-- 
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I set the clouds in motion - turn up   | Frank Warmerdam, warmerdam at pobox.com
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and watch the world go round - Rush    | Geospatial Programmer for Rent