Question

How to convert Civil3D Objects to KML?

  • 17 August 2022
  • 1 reply
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I'm working on a workflow to convert a DWG file to KML file. I noticed that DWG files may contain Autodesk (ACAD) and/or Civil3D type features, so I added both Readers to my workspace to handle both. Features coming from the Civil3D Reader do not convert to KML well. See attached screenshots. I want to replicate how the Civil3D 2 KML looks. This was performed using the Civil3D Export To KML tool. The FME conversion looks very different. I tried toggling the Explode Blocks To Entities in the Civil3D Entities setting, but it didn't seem to make a difference.

 

Overall, I want my FME conversion tool to produce a KML that looks just like the drawing does in Civil3D. I'm looking into ways to Explode or Drop the drawing so that it breaks down to simple linework if that makes sense. Does anyone have any suggestions?

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jovitaatsafe
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Hi @osdev​, the Civil 3D reader has a parameter when you first read in the file that you can set Civil 3D Schema Mode to 'Civil 3D and CAD Entities' if you'd like to avoid using two readers. By default, the Civil 3D reader reads in Civil 3D Entities Only.

 

When you inspect your data from the CAD source in FME, do you see all your features already or is anything missing? If you appear to be missing anything and you have access to AutoCAD, consider going into AutoCAD to use the command AECTOACAD to export simpler Autocad entities and use this new exported file instead to read into FME.

 

I'd start with checking on what's read in to make sure everything is there represented the way you want, and consider what geometries might be simplified to get it to into KML. For example the first screenshot with the blue lines appear to be polygons, whereas the KML seems to be getting a line, so I'd check the Feature Information Window as well to see if geometries need to be coerced to something else. The features in green may need to be deaggregated as it seems to be coming through in KML as a placemark.

 

Hopefully that offers some ideas!

 

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