BACKGROUND

This application relates to computing processes for converting electronic files.

DXF files are generated by an example computer-aided design (CAD) program (e.g., commercial CAD programs or drafting software applications) and encode data representations of real-world constructs. For example, the data representations can be two dimensional floorplans for a building, where the floorplans include different outlines for each room of a floor. Data representations of real-world constructs in separate DXF files can be encoded and arranged differently based on preferences and design choices used in the CAD program. Because data representations can be encoded in DXF files in a variety of ways, interpreting DXF files can be challenging.

SUMMARY

A computer application is described that can interpret spaces, sizes, entity information, and location details for rooms of a floor plan, or other items/features that can be represented in a DXF drawing file. For example, the application encodes a standardized method for identifying certain entity records of DXF files and for extracting relevant information from the entity records. The application parses the extracted information to obtain space profiles for features of a floorplan and matches or associates the space profile data with new or existing features and locations of floorplans stored in an asset management system.

One aspect of the subject matter described in this specification can be embodied in a computer-implemented method. The method includes, receiving, at a location interpreter module, a first electronic data file comprising a data section that includes data representing real-world entities for a layer of a digital geographic structure, and wherein the location interpreter module communicates with a computing system for managing a location hierarchy. The method further includes, extracting, by the location interpreter module, location information included in multiple entity records for the layer, each entity record corresponding to a respective space profile feature for a real-world entity of the digital geographic structure; and associating, by a mapping module of the computing system, a data item of the extracted location information with entity information of the location hierarchy managed by the computing system, the entity information being included in a data structure of the location hierarchy.

These and other implementations can each optionally include one or more of the following features. For example, in some implementations, associating the data item of the extracted location information with entity information of the location hierarchy includes: determining whether the data item matches the entity information included in the data structure of the location hierarchy; and in response to determining that the data item matches the entity information, associating, in the computing system, the data item with the entity information.

In some implementations, associating the data item of the extracted location information with entity information of the location hierarchy includes: determining whether the data item matches the entity information included in the data structure of the location hierarchy; in response to determining that the data item does not match the entity information, generating, in the computing system, a second data structure of the location hierarchy; and associating the data item with entity information of the location hierarchy by storing the data item in the second data structure.

In some implementations, extracting the location information included in multiple entity records for the layer includes: executing a parsing function to identify location information included in multiple respective entity records, the identified location information describing each of the respective space profile features, each space profile feature defining a geometry or attribute of the real-world entity represented by data included in the data section.

In some implementations, executing the parsing function to identify location information includes: generating a query string for the parsing function; and analyzing one or more of the multiple respective entity records to identify location information based on the query string, the location information relating to a particular graphical object. In some implementations, the particular graphical object at least partially defines a space profile feature, and wherein the query string is at least partially descriptive of the particular graphical object.

In some implementations, the layer of the digital geographic structure corresponds to a virtual floorplan representing a physical space of a real-world geographic structure. In some implementations, the respective space profile feature includes at least one of: i) a dimension of a room included in the virtual floorplan that represents the physical space; ii) a description of the room included in the virtual floor plan that represents the physical space; or iii) an asset assigned to the room.

Other implementations of this and other aspects include corresponding systems, apparatus, and computer programs, configured to perform the actions of the methods, encoded on computer storage devices. A computing system of one or more computers or hardware circuits can be so configured by virtue of software, firmware, hardware, or a combination of them installed on the system that in operation cause the system to perform the actions. One or more computer programs can be so configured by virtue of having instructions that, when executed by a data processing apparatus, cause the apparatus to perform the actions.

The subject matter described in this specification can be implemented to realize one or more of the following advantages. DXF files can be interpreted so that spacing and location information can be obtained from the file irrespective of the different ways in which data is arranged within the files. The described standardized framework can be implemented to efficiently identify data within different sections of DXF drawings files, parse multiple entity records included in the data for the sections, and extract relevant location and spacing data from each of the multiple entity records. Extracted location information can be associated with new or existing data structures of a location hierarchy managed by an asset management system.

The details of one or more implementations of the subject matter described in this specification are set forth in the accompanying drawings and the description below. Other potential features, aspects, and advantages of the subject matter will become apparent from the description, the drawings, and the claims.

