Hey, ESRI and Autodesk, what about using a common open source file format instead of your own formats?
That you simplify the interoperability and make everything more simples…
For instance: how to convert a DWG file to an ESRI SHP shapefile? Well, first idea: google it, download a trial (you won’t find it for free…) and buy it or crack it :P
But, what happens when you have a DWG file with password (encrypreted file)? You won’t have a choice… Use Autodesk first to remove the password and then import the file using ArcCatalog. If you want to do it automatically (using a batch), you’ll require some more advanced tools, and paid, unfortunately.