Data Integration Drives Real Results:
Utilising INSPIRE-led Initiatives for Bridging the Gap between CAD & GIS.
John Allen
Geo-spatial Solutions Engineer, Northern Europe
Anthony Neal
Consultant
Autodesk UK
The disciplines of GIS and CAD exist as parallel initiatives for many organisations. There
are, of course, relative strengths and specific niches of the two technology groups, but the
challenges they look to address can be common. On one extreme there can be duplication of
effort between departments, striving to maintain land parcel data in their separate silos, while
even the most joined up of organisations can struggle to share data across disparate systems.
INSPIRE provides a regulatory framework and technical standards to accelerate the process
of sharing spatial data. Clearly these standards are vital to the success of this initiative, but
the benefits to the organisations that participate go beyond a successful audit. For the user,
obtaining access to data can be a time consuming task, while the confidence they place in the
accuracy and currency of the data they utilise can be anecdotal at best. INSPIRE removes
this uncertainty, putting relevant data with associated metadata in the hands of users, who can
focus on achieving their objectives rather than losing time to data hunting. For the
organisation, the efficiency gains of a streamlined information sharing process are tangible,
helping to drive smart growth through the intelligent use of technology and resources.
INSPIRE can be perceived as a GIS initiative; however CAD teams are often the gatekeepers for INSPIRE datasets. This presentation will outline Autodesk’s approach to bringing
CAD into the INSPIRE fold. Common workflows will be shown along with a demonstration
of Autodesk’s CSW tools and techniques that enable AutoCAD users to create data and
metadata that conform to an INSPIRE SDI. It will focus on the practical benefits of an
INSPIRE-led solution and will also include an overview of advanced visualisation techniques
that can be applied to spatial data that has been shared based on INSPIRE’s directives.