Spatial Georeferencing of the AutoCAD Map by Using GIS Software

ABSTRACT<br /> With the ever increasing need for design and GIS professionals to share data, it is critical that GIS users understand and are able to make use of data created with Autodesk's Computer Aided Drafting (AutoCAD) software. In GIS applications, it can be display and query the data as it exists in its native CAD file format, or it can convert it to a geodatabase feature class or shapefile if you want to edit the spatial features or attribute table.<br /> This paper presents a procedures to using AutoCAD Data in ArcGIS by applying (.dwg) format and integrating it into standard ESRI data formats (shapefiles). The final output results of this study are a files in a GIS shapefile format that spatial georeferencing with respect to UTM WGS84_38N projected coordinate systems (metric). Spatially displacement process was applied to align the final reprojected shapefile with the reference image satellite acquired by IKONOS satellite. The satellite image covered the same area of CAD drawing (represented Mosul University Campus).<br /> The results show, perfect coincidence between the new polygon shapefile with the closed buildings appears in the IKONOS image satellite of the study area. The output map layer was ready to be fully usable in all GIS operations and can be help in making important management decisions.