Navigating CAD File Lifecycle Management in WSD: An Examination of Two Approaches

[Mederic Morel]

Map Studio, offers the capability to transform CAD files of buildings into interactive maps, directly accessible to users from the WSD portal and the ServiceNow mobile application. A question that inevitably arises is the management of modifications in these interactive plans once CAD files are imported. Two distinctive approaches are proposed in handling such a situation.

• Approach “Single Import”. The first approach involves a one-time import of CAD files into Map Studio, after which the platform assumes the role of the master data repository. Consequently, any subsequent alterations to the building floor plan are executed manually within Map Studio by the administrator. This method comes with the burden of manually implementing changes. However, it proves to be the only viable option when CAD floor plans for buildings are not consistently updated by professionals following every modification.

• Approach “Multiple Imports”. The second approach treats CAD floor plans as the master data source for the building, stipulating that all modifications must initially and systematically be made by a specialist within the CAD file. These updated files must then be reimported into Map Studio to refresh its data. This approach forbids further alterations to the building within Map Studio, with the exception of data not originating from CAD files, such as direction graphs. The benefit of this method is that it allows for the simple reimport of CAD files to update the Studio whenever there are floor plan modifications. Its downside is the necessity for CAD expertise and the time commitment required to keep CAD files up-to-date. It's worth noting that with this method, any building modifications made in Map Studio will be lost upon the next CAD file re-import.

The choice of approach largely depends on the availability of CAD skills within an organization and the capacity to maintain existing files. One critical point to remember is that it is impossible to export modified CAD files from Map Studio. Therefore, the operations under discussion here strictly pertain to the import of CAD files into Map Studio and never the other way around. An essential next step, once CAD plans are updated in Map Studio, is ensuring synchronization with WSD. To facilitate this task, a new application has been developed specifically for handling this synchronization process. The subsequent article, found here, provides a comprehensive explanation on how to accomplish this crucial task.