Can anybody provide some insight on converting dwg files to shp files. We are using ACAD MAP w/Carlson. Can it be done with this setup or do we need ARCGIS or another program.
In Carlson/Survey in the GIS pull down menu EXPORT ESRI SHP FILE
You are lucky... very lucky
Through AutoCAD, Map -> Tools -> Export
MAP allows you to produce Polygons from your closed polylines. The command line is MPOLYGON.
What's so good about Polygons? The object is the hatch and polyline in one. The hatching uses significantly fewer system resources than Hatch and your Shape Files then include the hatching for a more robust GIStastic experience.
I'm sure there's more, but I just run the Mpolygons for all my hatching now. I tried making the map below with hatches and it just chewed up my resources, but with polygons, life was good.
Another option is to use the mapexport command in autocad.