GIS teams use ArcGIS Pro to analyze, visualize, and share project data authored across a wide variety of design and engineering software tools. Models of buildings, transportation structures, utilities, industrial facilities, and other physical infrastructure become sources of spatial information. Maps and scenes authored in ArcGIS Pro include CAD and BIM data from many file formats. These include Autodesk® Civil 3D®, AutoCAD® (.dwg), Revit® (.rvt), Industry Foundation Classes (.ifc), and others. Sharing built content, in context, from ArcGIS Pro fuels collaboration with designers, project managers, and others using web layers in ArcGIS Online and ArcGIS Enterprise.
Enhancements in ArcGIS Pro 3.5, released in May 2025, reduce manual efforts for both consuming and sharing project information. These updates benefit GIS teams across architecture, engineering, construction, and operations (AECO); transportation; and other industries. Check out the new features highlighted below.
Release highlights
New features for CAD and BIM integrations simplify authoring tasks in ArcGIS Pro 3.5 and boost collaborative use of design and engineering data with other project teams. Save time in sharing workflows by directly creating scene layers from 3D CAD content. Reduce manual cleanup and export preparation efforts for symbology in maps that incorporate CAD hatch objects. Additionally, keep better track of your BIM Cloud Connections to projects in Autodesk Construction Cloud® by setting favorites.
See the release notes to find detailed documentation on the full collection of new features in ArcGIS Pro, as well as other product resources that support your day-to-day work.
Directly create scene layers from 3D CAD
ArcGIS Pro 3.5 simplifies sharing workflows by allowing you to directly create scene layers from 3D CAD. This enhancement reduces the number of required steps in sharing drawing content to ArcGIS Online and ArcGIS Enterprise. Provide engineering data to web scenes and digital twins for roadways, railways, and other physical infrastructure. Enrich project coordination activities for stakeholders like project and asset managers.
The example video shows scene layers being created from engineering data stored in a Civil 3D drawing and then shared for use in a transportation digital twin.
Direct-read and export of CAD hatches
CAD drawings routinely include hatch objects, which symbolize demarcated areas like cross walks, medians, and bike lanes. Previously, GIS teams could spend hours per drawing turning this symbology into geospatial elements. ArcGIS Pro 3.5 adds support for both direct-read and export of hatches for CAD drawings. This enhancement reduces the challenge of preserving design intent, both when authoring maps using CAD data and when exporting GIS features to drawings for use by design teams.
See use of this enhancement in action below for working with pavement markings. This example video highlights both direct-read of hatches from an AutoCAD drawing and exporting content that incorporates hatches into a CAD file (.dwg).
Set your BIM Cloud Connections as favorites
BIM Cloud Connections in ArcGIS Pro allow you to access design and engineering files in online BIM cloud storage repositories, such as Autodesk Construction Cloud®. Manually keeping track of connections to these repositories leaves less time to consume and combine CAD and BIM with other spatial data for projects that your GIS team supports.
With ArcGIS Pro 3.5, you can set your BIM Cloud Connections as favorites, better allowing you to stay focused on using built content to author scenes and keep them up to date.
Stay tuned for more integrations of CAD and BIM project information into ArcGIS Pro analysis, visualization, and sharing workflows.
Ask the ArcGIS experts
Reach out to the ArcGIS Pro product team with ideas and questions for CAD and BIM integrations. Ask questions and contribute to discussions with other users in the Esri Community area. Share your product ideas for new capabilities and enhancements in future releases.
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