Quick Insert of Spreadsheet into CAD file (and link them)

I’m going to finish up my posts on data extraction with a tip & trick on how to get data into your AutoCAD file. I have posted about the new feature in AutoCAD 2008 called DATAEXTRACTION, I discussed using the older commands of ATTEXT and EATTEXT, and I also talked about the BCOUNT command.

Today I want to show you how easy it is to take existing data in a spreadsheet, put it into AutoCAD, and have the two linked.

This is a very useful tip when one employee creates a spreadsheet for a report that has data that also needs to go into a cad drawing. It is even more useful to have both documents (the report and the drawing) to have the same data, be it right or wrong.

Very simply, open the spreadsheet file. Select the cells that you want to have in the CAD file. Copy them (right click, then copy – or click on edit, copy.) Open the AutoCAD file (or Civil3D, Revit, etc.). Click on the EDIT, PASTE SPECIAL. Don’t use the paste command, your data is special, treat it that way.

A window will open. Select the appropriate file type (in my case a Microsoft Excel Worksheet.) If you want the data to be linked to the spreadsheet (which I do) then make sure to select the PASTE LINK button. This will link the data in your cad file to the spreadsheet. If the spreadsheet is changed, then your drawing will reflect that change. Pick you insert point and there you go.

You can’t change this info in the cad file, only in the spreadsheet. You can change the size, layer, plot quality, etc. Select eh object, right click and select OLE. This will give you sizing ability and allow you to automatically open the spreadsheet.

There is nothing fantastic about this method, but it is a quick and easy way to get data into your drawing that is linked to the source. This will keep your drawings and your reports in sync.

Happy CADDING!!

 Subscribe in a reader

Free AutoCAD Training from AUGI (and I'm teaching!!)

Are you looking to better yourself as an AutoCAD user? Is there something you don't know how to do, but want to? Or maybe you need a refresher? Maybe you want to have a better understanding on? Often the biggest two obstacles to these problems are time and money. Perhaps you only have one of these problems. I would like to offer help in two ways.

First offer. CAD-a-Blog. CAD-a-Blog has tips and tricks of all kinds. If you ever see anything missing, let me know. Post a comment on one of the other posts, or, e-mail me. I will be happy to try to provide a post addressing a readers question. Plus it makes my job easier of coming up with ideas!! So, help me, help you, well, you get the idea.

Second offer. AUGI (AutoCAD User Group International) has free training available in all sorts of Autodesk programs. There are several different types of classes and subjects. Some teach LISP, some teach Revit, others provide tips and trick. If you want to know how to do something in AutoCAD, AUGI's ATP (AUGI Training Program) can teach you. I have participated in many of these classes myself. If you missed a class, or don't see a current class that interests you, go to the archives. There they have downloads of past classes. This list of classes goes back several years which provides many subjects to choose from. I suggest that you take advantage of these free classes.

Now for the best news. On April 7th, I will be the instructor on one of the next classes for AUGI's ATP courses. The course will cover the new items in AutoCAD 2009. Please attend, I will be glad to see you in class.

More Data Extraction Tips

I have been posting about data extraction lately, so why stop now right? I posted about the ATTEXT and the EATTEXT (always makes me hungry). I also posted about the DATAEXTRACTION command too (this is really nice by the way.) Now I want to talk with you about a command that is very simple, but can get you basic information very quickly. It is also the easiest to use. That command is BCOUNT.

BCOUNT counts the blocks in a file and returns that info to you in the command line. So, lets go!!

Type in BCOUNT, select the objects you want to count, then enter. The command line will scroll with text, first stating the number of blocks selected, then each block with how many of each. Very simple. If you need that data, just select it in the command line, copy, and paste it to wherever you want to.

BCOUNT is not perfect. If you have accidentally inserted a block on top of a block, it will count both (this is true for all data extraction tools.) Also, BCOUNT won't count dynamic blocks that have been changed. That means if you insert a dynamic block then use one of its dynamic options, BCOUNT can no longer count it, so be careful.

That being said, BCOUNT is a good tool to give you a quick idea of how many of each block you have.

Happy CADDING!!

 Subscribe in a reader

AutoCAD Command History

I'm a sucker for history. I'm also a CAD geek (see my blog.) If you have ever wanted to know when a command came and went in AutoCAD, check out this page by Lee Ambrosius of Hyperpics. This is a chart of the many commands, and it is very colorful. This is just a bit of trivia for most, and trip down memory lane for others.

Have fun with it.

Getting Data From Your File

Yesterday I blogged about the data extraction command (dataextraction.) I failed to mention that command was new to AutoCAD 2008. However, there are several other commands that have been around for a while that can be used. They are not as cool as dataextraction, but they might be able to give you the options you need. Lets go.

ATTEXT

The ATTEXT command has been around since at least Release 12. It will count blocks and extract the data from them. It has the ability to place this data in an external file. There are three file types; CDF (comma delimited file), SDF (space delimited file), or a DXF (format extract file). The CDF and SDF files require a template file that has been created in ascii form. This can be difficult to do if you do have a working understanding of this type. For many releases it was the only way to extract data.

So, start the command, select the objects, the file type, the template, the output file and have at it. I have found that this command can be difficult to use, so I use other options that are available.

EATTEXT

The EATTEXT command will now start the dataextraction command in AutoCAD 2008. Eattext came to us in AutoCAD 2002. Thank goodness because the attext command was tough to use. Ok, start the EATTEXT command (I always get hungry when I use this one.) Determine your extraction type; objects, current drawing, or select drawing. You will have choices (as always) that will include the current drawing only, or to include xref files too. If there are nested blocks you will get the option of picking those too, or not. You will then be able to select your output file type, CSV, TXT, XLS, or MDB.

These are two of the “old school” methods of extracting block data from a drawing. However, the dataextraction command that is new in AutoCAD 2008 can get you info on any object, not just blocks!! If you haven’t switched to 2008 yet and you need to use the data in your files, maybe this will be reason enough to upgrade!!

If not, I hope this post helped.

Happy CADDING.

 Subscribe in a reader