Object Data-getting it and using it - how?

DO you ever have the need to count the objects in a file or drawing? The “old school” method was to take a print, different colored markers, and physically count each item. Then you would create a chart, or table. This is one way to create a bill of material, or a quantities sheet, or an assets tracking form, what ever you call it. Well, we use AutoCAD to help us out for many reasons, one to draw quicker, revise drawings quicker, and to count items faster too.

DATAEXTRACTION is a command that will automatically count the objects in a file and list them in a table. That list is linked to the objects so that if they change, the table is updated. How cool is that?

How do I start? Well, open your data file. In my case it is a site plan of a small parcel with about 11 residential single-family home lots on it. But yours could be anything that has stuff in it to count. I want to know how many lineal feet of water main pipe, sewer main pipe, and drainage pipe I have. I could dimension each one, or measure each one, and add up the totals, then create a table and input that data into it. Sure, if I had the time.

Enter in DATAEXTRACTION. I am asked if I want to create a new data extraction, edit an existing one, or use a previous extraction as a template. I would normally use one as a template, but I want to show you how to set one up. I pick Create a new one. Then click next. A file name and location are required for this data extraction. The data is counted and stored in this file. When the objects change, the data file can be updated, which will update the table we are about to produce. I name my file and click save.

Now I have to tell AutoCAD what data I want to count. There are two options: Drawing/Sheet set, or Select Objects in the current drawing.

This means that I can select everything in an entire sheet set (holy abacus batman!!) or just pick certain objects in the current file. Pick the one that suits your current needs. I only want to pick from objects in the current file. I find that this fits the majority of my needs, most of the time. I select the button for this and then click on the button that allows me to go into the drawing and actually pick my objects. Ok, then I pick my objects.

I select my objects and press the Enter key. There is a SETTINGS button at the bottom right of this dialog box. I click it. I can then alter some of my extraction settings. These settings allow me to choose if my extracted objects will include objects from an xrefed file or not. I choose not in this case, but pick what ever it is you need to do. I also have the choice of picking only from model space, or from the entire file. I am done with my settings so I click the OK button. I am done with this part so I click the next button.

A list of the object types selected (in my case lines and polylines) is displayed. I can choose to include or exclude any object type from my list at this point. There is also a display options area where I can choose if all object types are displayed according to their block settings (attributed blocks, non-attributed blocks, in use or not.) I am done here so I click the next button.

A list every possible object property is given and I have to choose which ones I want to have in my table. Some of these options are: angle, area, author, closed, color, delta x, delta y, drawing revision, file size, file name, linetype, LT scale, material, thickness, title, layer, and much much more. There is a category filter that will help select and un-select these options. I choose to display the length and the layer because I want to know how much pipe I have of what type. I am done so I once again click the next button.

Now I have a preview of the general setup of my table. There area some options on controlling the rows and columns. I can tell it to combine similar objects, or to separate them for each one. Very handy. I also have the options here to sort the columns how I want them and to link external data to them. There is a full preview button so you can check to see if you got it all right or not. Ii looks good so I click next.

Now I can insert this data into a table in my file, or I can output the data to an external file (.csv, .xls, .mdb, or .txt) I just want to put it in the drawing this time. But I often find that I need this data somewhere else so many times I will export it to an .xls file or a .csv file. This is very useful indeed. I am ready to proceed so I click next.

Now I can change my table settings or use a table template that I already have. I’ll do that and then click on next. One more click. I have to finish by clicking the FINSH button. Good idea there. If I chose for an external file to be created it will be when I click finish. If I chose to insert a table I will have to pick an insertion point after I click finish. Which is what I do. There you go, a nice neat table that is displaying my pipe types (by layer names but you can do this in many different ways) and their lengths.

Since this table is linked to the objects, (my pipes) I can change the length of my pipes. Select the table, right click and select the UPDATE TABLE DATA option to update my table. I don’t have to redo it.

I used this on lines and polylines, but it can be used for blocks too, which can be very useful. If you need to count it, this command can count it.

Experiment with the settings and create a template. Once you get it set up why set it up again right?

Happy CADDING.

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Quick Xref Tip-2 - attachemnt or overlay?

We have all referenced a file at some time, perhaps. Maybe you haven’t yet. I recommend it. It can help to keep drawing data current and accurate across a drawing set.

If you haven't, well I posted another tip on x-reffing (my spell check is going crazy with the red squiggle on x-reffing) a few days ago that provides a few tips on opening files that are referenced. Check it out: X-Ref Quick Tip

Let’s assume that you are referencing files. Good for you. How do you do it? What do you mean “how”? (Yes I am talking to myself. It’s ok, I do it all of the time.) What I mean is do you reference the drawing as an attachment or an overlay? HUH???? (Again, it’s ok that I talk to myself.)

In AutoCAD, when a drawing is referenced, there are two different ways to connect it to your drawing file. One way is as an attachment. The other is as an overlay. What’s the difference? Good question.

Attached files are just that. The data in the file will go with the drawing file it is attached to. On overlay is like Las Vegas, what happens there stays there. Let’s try to clear that up. I have a DWG file, it is file aa.dwg. It is my model file. I need to reference it in my drawing file, file name draw.dwg. I open file draw.dwg. I start the reference manager. I reference my model file (file aa.dwg) to show the linework in my drawing file. I have the choice of making it an attachment reference or an overlay reference.

When the model file is an attachment reference in my drawing file, that information goes with it if I reference the drawing file into another file. If I reference the model file into my drawing file as an overlay, and then reference my drawing file into a different file, that overlay file will not go into the third file. Clear on that?

Why would I choose one over the other? Best question yet. I would reference a file as an attachment if I need those two files to go together, everywhere. If I only need the data from the model to show up in the drawing file, but nowhere else, then an overlay. This will prevent circular references when attaching files and it helps in file management or drawing management procedures. It is often the case that I only need data from a certain file, but in order to create that file I needed the data from a third file.

Think about it. You might be saving yourself some work if you attach or overlay a file.

Happy CADDING!

AUGI Wish List - Voting almost over!

If you are a member of AUGI (AutoCAD User Group International), then you are probably aware of the AUGI Wish List. Every year AUGI puts together a list of wish items that its members would like to see added to AutoCAD and many of its vertical applications. During the year AUGI members post their wishes in the appropriate AUGI forum. AUGI then takes these items and put them in a list for us (AUGI members) to vote on. Well, it’s that time again. Time is running out. If you haven’t voted yet, you still have a few days to vote. The wish lists will be open until March 10, 2008.

You can vote on wish lists for AutoCAD, Inventor, Civil3D and Revit Architecture. At these forums, you can read each wish item and then vote for your top ten!! Each wish has been categorized and grouped making it easier to vote for your favorite. After you have chosen your ten favorite, rank them on how important they are to you. Each year Autodesk turns to AUGI to see what their users want in the software. And they listen!

Click on the links below to go and vote today. Hurry up, time is running out.

http://www.augi.com/autocad/ballot.asp

http://www.augi.com/inventor/ballot.asp

http://www.augi.com/civil3D/ballot.asp

http://www.augi.com/revit/ballot.asp

Quick Xref Tip

Here is a quick tip to use when working with xref's. How many times have you been working with a drawing file that is referencing another file only to find that you need to edit that file? Follow me? Example: I was working on a site plan for a small project that was adjacent to another project we did several years ago. To provide background information I referenced a file in the older project.

Well, that older file needed some updating due to a revision to the design. I wanted to open it and make these changes. There are several options to take. I can select the referenced file, right click and start the REFEDIT command. I can also start the REFEDIT command, then select the object.

I could select and then right click the object to select the open file option in the short cut menu. Or I could, FILE, OPEN< then browse. What I did was open the xref manager, right click the file, then select the open option.

Any of these methods works great. The shortcut menu option is probably the quickest, unless you have the option turned off.

Just a quick tip I wanted to share.

Happy CADDING!!

AutoCAD 2009 Menu Browser

In one of my first posts about AutoCAD 2009 (screen shot) I discussed the addition of the Ribbon. That post discussed the changes made in AutoCAD 2009’s user interface, at least the most obvious change, the Ribbon. I went back to re-read it and noticed that I finished it by saying the next post will talk about the Menu Browser. I never did post about it. Sorry. I know the suspense is killing you. Today I would like to end your agonizing wait and talk about the Menu Browser.

If you look at the screen shot provided, look for the giant red A in the top right hand corner. If you have worked with the ribbon on the Office 2007 products from Microsoft, this concept will be familiar to you. Office 2007 has a Microsoft Windows logo in the top left hand corner of the screen. This icon is where you can get to more menu items. In AutoCAD, the giant red A is very similar. Click it to open the Menu Browser.

Before clicking this, you might have searched and searched for the pull down menus. They are now in the Menu Browser within the big red A (the big red A reminds of the novel, “The Scarlet Letter” where those convicted of adultery were forced to where a giant red, or scarlet, letter A on their clothing.) If you love using the pull down menus then click the A to bring up a host of menu items. On the left will be a list of the possible menus. The gold old-fashioned, file, edit, view, insert, and more are there. At the bottom of the list there will be the additional menu items of recent documents, open documents, and recent actions. The menu items are nothing new, and neither are the recent and open documents options. The recent actions option is a nice addition. This will provide a list of some of the major actions that you preformed in AutoCAD. There is also a feature that works throughout the Menu Browser, called Pinning. Clicking on the icon that looks like a pushpin will lock that item in place. This can also be done with the recent documents menu option. A user can PIN a particular drawing to the list so that it won’t disappear after opening many other documents. This helps to aid in the quick access of files that are frequently accessed.

At the top of the menu browser there is also a search box. This allows the user to search the CUI for specific or important items. Actually, the items don’t have to be important at all, jus there. Start typing in the LINE command. The menu browser will then start to filter the options to contain only those with the word LINE in them. Click on the displayed command in the Menu Browser to execute the command. Nice!!

There is a preview guide in the Recent Documents menu item that is customizable. The files can be displayed in list form, icon form, or image form. And these too have options like small, medium or large. The list form can be ordered by list, date, or type.

This new interface structure retains many old and familiar methods of view and interacting with data. It also adds new features to familiar settings that can improve the way we work within AutoCAD.

Happy CADDING!!