Python script to read CAD data

[tsurvey]

I have Civil 3D 2012 with ArcGIS for AutoCAD 300. I want to read the extents of a polygon in the drawing. Feature Class in A4A300 = Boundaries, the CAD layer is PROP-BNDY, there is only one polygon on that layer since it is the perimeter of the site.

Do I have to convert the polygon to a temporary shapefile, read it, and then delete it? I will be using the boundary extents plus a constant in all directions to clip raster images. The process should not involve user input. I have 30 directories that I will be looping through, a drawing file in each directory and a polygon in each drawing. I have the python routines for creating a list of directories that have the *map.dwg files in them and I'm familiar with clipping the rasters, I just cannot find how to read the polygon extents in the dwg file.

You help is greatly appreciated!!

[Bill Tillman]

Wow, that's a real chore there. But like all things in this forum someone will know how to do it. I also do lots of automation tasks where no user input is allowed. Not being a Python programmer and not knowing the properties of the object in the AutoCAD files you're after I can safely say you've got your work cut out for you. Many times when you look for totally automated methods you find it's easier said than done. I will be following this thread to see how it works out. I am hearing from some IT people I know how Python is good at talking to CAD files, but must admit no first-hand experience to date.