The features you create in Utility Design are defined by the industry model and can contain extensive attribute data in addition to the geometry drawn on the canvas. When you connect or attach base map data using Map 3D Data Connect or AutoCAD xref, the referenced data is not based on the industry model in the design drawing. To incorporate data from other sources into your design, you must use Convert to Model Data.
The conversion process enables you to define mappings from the source data to corresponding feature classes and attribute values in the Utility Design drawing. You can convert multiple sources in one operation. You can apply filters to the sources to convert only the data of interest from each source. You can apply different filters to the same source as needed.