---
title: "Load CAD Wizard"
canonical: "https://help.innovyze.com/space/infodrainage2021v1/16548131/Load%20CAD%20Wizard"
format: markdown
---
[**Inflows**](https://help-innovyze.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/infodrainage2021v1/pages/16548374)**, **[**Storm Water Controls**](https://help-innovyze.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/infodrainage2021v1/pages/16548446)**, **[**Surface Data**](https://help-innovyze.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/infodrainage2021v1/pages/16548124)**, **and [**Background Data**](https://help-innovyze.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/infodrainage2021v1/pages/16547999) can all be loaded from **CAD Files** via the **Load CAD Wizard**.

**Areas** for **Inflows** and **Storm** **Water** **Controls** require **polygons** to be imported.

Currently supported file formats are:

- Drawing eXchange Format (.DXF)
- AutoCAD Drawing (.DWG)

## Select Source

This step allows the **location of the file** to be loaded by pressing the **s****elect button**.

![image](media://51a09414-0623-4357-983e-2b0b51e2413e)

## Select Layer

This step allows **layers** of the CAD file to be **turned off before loading**, as well as **setting the units** of the file,** providing a preview image** of the file, and **additional options **when loading** surface data**.

![image](media://a9541275-4a78-4dbb-af7c-c980a89b034e)

***Toolbar***

At the top of the page is a toolbar containing controls for the preview image.

**Band Zoom:** Clicking this icon lets users zoom into a specified area of the drawing using the Band Zoom tool.

**View Extents:** Zooms out the viewing window  to full size extents.

***Preview Image***

The preview image will display the layers of the CAD file which are selected in the layers grid. The view can be moved by clicking and dragging with either the left or middle mouse button. The view can be zoomed in and out with the scroll wheel. The size of the preview image can be changed by left clicking and dragging the bottom edge.

***Units***

Select the units for the DXF/DWG being loaded so that it can be converted for use with the current [**units**](https://help-innovyze.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/infodrainage2021v1/pages/16548034)** **within the software.

***Cover Type***

This section appears only when surface data is being loaded. Surface Data is added to existing ground points and breaklines.

**Points Only: **

> Macro (legacy-content)

**Include Breaklines: **

> Macro (legacy-content)

**Text to Cover:** The program can also convert text entities to surface points if this option is turned on.  The surface point will exist at the text insertion point and will have an elevation equal to the value of the text object (the z coordinate of the text is ignored).

***Layers Grid***

The grid is used to select which layers are displayed in the preview image, and therefore brought in to the design after clicking Finish.

**Areas / Images / Surface Data: **This is the first column of the grid. The header of this column is dependant on what the CAD file is being loaded into. The check boxes in this column determine if a layer will appear in the preview image loading.

**Layers: **The names of the layers in the CAD file.


> ℹ️ If importing a CAD file previously exported from InfoDrainage, you may see a layer titled XPS_StormwaterControlChambers. This layer contains all of the internal [Chamber](https://help-innovyze.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/infodrainage2021v1/pages/16548432) sub-outlines, and should not be used to import Stormwater Controls or Inflows. The full outlines of all Stormwater Controls are contained in the XPS_StormwaterControl layer.


***Select / Deselect All***

Clicking on the Select All button will select all of the layers in the table and conversely Deselect All will un-check them.

## Select Template

When using the Load CAD Wizard to load **a****reas** of either **stormwater controls **or** inflows**, a third step will appear in the wizard. This step allows the selection of a template which the imported areas will be based on.

![image](media://93a64413-196a-43b5-bf20-7caa5c419f67)