AutoCAD Architecture :: Export Data From Spaces And Blocks
Feb 7, 2012
I have questions about exporting data for drawings.We make use of spaces to create a list with room numbers, room use and the area.
we also create plans with office furniture.we have blocks with attributes to extract data like workstation numbers, department, roomnumbers etc.for the info from the spaces we use export property data to create an database file.for the export of the attributes we use dataextraction to crete an .xls file
Is there a way to combine the work so that we can export the attribute data with the export property data?Is there a way to link the blocks (who are within a closed pline) to the pline (space)? Can it be done with lisp or VBA?
Seems like Multi-View Blocks are like that hot red-head in high school that you really want to get to know until you get to know them.
I made a bunch of blocks for my electrical plans. Annotative symbols for plan view, 3D blocks for model view, and elevation blocks for elevations. I then started creating the MVBs.
Upon insertion the annotative blocks appear super small and the model view blocks scale way up. The model view blocks are not annotative and are not supposed to scale at all. It seems MVBs see any block inside that is annotative as an indication that the entire MVB shall be annotative. Fustrated, I finally found a work-around that is a bit half-arsed:
I made another block as a sort of holder for the annotative symbols that was set to not be annotative and inserted that into the MVB. VOILA! the MVB itself doesn't scale, but the annotative symbol inside the non-annotative block does. This works fine except for one caveat: I can't edit attributes that are in blocks inside of blocks. If I made another block to use in the MVB for the attributes, it would work, so long as I don't make it annotative, which isn't what I want.
So, A) is there a better work-around than the block-in-a-block-in-a-multi-view-block method, or B) Is there a way to access and edit attribute data of sub-blocks inside a MVB?
Maybe my next thread will be about red-headed Multi-View Blocks with carpets that match the drapes.
I´m trying to write a script to convert all the blocks in a drawing to mass elements and export them to IGES thereafter.
I would like to select everything first. Then launch refedit and select all the blocks.
After that I would like to convert them to mass elements. When saving to IGES I would need to select everything again.
I pieced the following script together, but it fails. I think it is bexause of the request to select objects manually. Could I add a delay which would enable me to select an object?
Also it looks like ACADA is not accepting the "all" command when pselect is called by a script.
--- PICKFIRST 1 select All efedit OK
A N _AecMassElementConvert ALL _REFCLOSE _SAV _EXPORT all ---
I have found the theme legends on the documentation tool palette, but I was wondering how the themes are assigned to the individual spaces? I would have expected additional spaces to be loaded into the file at the time the legend was brought in.
Is the active connection between the legend and the individuals spaces? or is the legend only a static representation?
Will i need to create these space types or are they hidden within the Design Center or a catalog?
When the spaces are auto created, is there a way they would include doors? I mean, doors are also floor area and they should be also scheduled/added to the space.
Is there a trick to get spaces to be on the same level as the walls? On my 2nd floor plan located at 12'-8", the spaces are generating at the ground floor level.
I have created custom spaces and I have been able to build room with doors and then add a door tag that updates automatically with the info of the door. But for some reason, I am unable to assign the door to the space. I am not using project and I think that may be my problem. I feel as though I am almost there, but I can't assign the door to the space so that when I add a door tag it recognizes that the door is in a wall in a space and then gives me those numbers. If I click on the tag, I am able to anchor it to the space and then the room number appears in the tag, but I was hopnig to have it do it automatically. I have the door squiggle inside the space but I don't know how to attach it and also the space seems to have a number project based assigned to it, but that is not what I want since the drawing is not project based.
Any way to add all the areas of a space style to get a total SF#? Is there a way to add this information to a display theme style legend?(preffered) Is there a way to get this information in to a schedule? (less desirable)
I have a file with several Space Styles. As I progress on the drawings I would like to modify some of the display properties, primarily color of the fill. I would think I could set the overall appearance of each Space Style in one location and then adjust elements of various display representations. In my case have a red hatch for a space style but in one display rep it would be solid and in another it would be a diagonal hatch.
As I see it, if I wish to modify the color I have to go into each display rep and adjust the color of the base hatch and click on the Style Override check box. It seems like duplicative work. Is there another method of setting the color of each Space Style so that it shows the same in all display reps?
I've looked at adding spaces to a plan that is simply lines and arcs... no intellegent objects.
It could get somewhat messy doing Generate Spaces... if the doors and swings are frozen the bounding objects don't get found... but if the doors and swings are on... the spaces go in fairly well... but then the door swing is used as a boundardy.
I am using some custom property set definitions to add information to spaces. However as I insert spaces I find that I have to go to the extra step to add the property set to the object using the Extended Data tab in the Properties Palette.
It is not a huge deal but sometimes it is forgotten and schedules are not reporting properly, or the display theme is not correct. Although there are tools to quickly add them I would like to know if there is an automatic way to add them while creating the spaces/zones.
On a related note. There is a property set definition that is in each file by default called RoomFinishObjects. Is there a way to purge this? I don't want to attach finishes to my objects. But it seems to be embedded in the file.
We work in space management and deal with associative spaces every day. As a platform we use ACA 2012, with out own Add-on tool (whch simply groups ACA's own tools in one).
We have issues on a daily-basis with the usable boundaries of associative spaces (the green line indicated in the example attachment). Generally when a floorplan is simple, consisting mainly of 90-degree angles wall intersections, everything works fine. However when we work with floorplans consisting of arched, or even more often slanted walls or walls that meet at different angles, the usable boundaries' lines tend to create a "spike" (labled B. on the attachment) which extends outward from the plan, thus creating i.e a 28m2 space out of a 13m2 space (labled A). We use our own calculation standard, however using BOMA or SIS the issue occurs in the same manner, using SIS its even worse.
Generally we solve these issues by changing wall justifications, deleting and re-creating spaces, etc, etc. This can be a very tedious process, one which takes a long time and time is of the essence!
We are aware that by making the spaces non-associative, we can then manually edit the usable boundary, however this is not an option as we handle a great deal of different floorplans each day, and these plans are updated frequently, so we do not want to send out a drawing which has a problem like this because the next person who edits some of the spaces will most likely come across the same problem again.
How can I update the script to replace spaces with underscores on export? I assume I need to add a line somewhere between 183-195 but I don't know what it needs to be.
My company produces drawing sets that show the same information in multiple places. I.e. an attribute in drawing A is also shown in a different block in drawing B and a different block in drawing C and in a table. This creates problems in that as soon as one piece of information changes, you have to change it in 14 places... and it creates typos. A LOT of typos. So I'm trying to come up with a good solution as to how to link these pieces of information.
I know how to use data links in a table... but is there a way to link block attributes? Also, am I just barking up the wrong tree? Because in my head, you'd have to manually link all of these things for every new drawing, and they can be easily broken.
I was given a C3D file with a road alignment including sections. But the all the road data is a block. Is there a way to retrieve all the data in order for me to do some quanities for my estimates on material volumes. When I go to the prospector tab, there are no points, surfaces, or alignments listed.
Start with a new drawing Drawn a rectangle. Place a block which has an attribute with a number at each corner. ie. 1-4. Convert all objects into one single block. (the attributes become nested). If you use data extraction and retrieve the attribute number, position X and position Y, and output to a table the information displayed is correct. HOWEVER, if you rotate the block and update the link the coordinates become incorrect? This seems to be an issue with nested blocks?
I am new to this company, we manufacture and build panelised buildings. We are 3 users in the drawing office, we all have Pallettes set up in ACAD and our pallettes all reference the same block files on the server.
We do Data extraction when we move into the production phase of any project and we extract all block information into Excel.
The problem is that when these blocks were made very little thought went into the naming of them. So now when ACAD produces a list of the blocks on the drawing I have electrical, plumbing, fittings etc all mixed together, making it time consuming to sort through them and put them together in their separate spreadsheets.
What I am hoping to do is go through our library of blocks and rename them all, simply giving them a single letter prefix at the start of the file name IE E - Single plug, P - Tap, D - 826 Door etc. The problem is obviously if I rename them then all 3 users have to reassign each individual block again to their palettes.
I need to create a small table to ID the User, Computer name, Door Key, etc for a floor plan drawing of our office. I'd like to get this done in Excel and link it all so the bldg manager can make changes to the drawing without me. I have created the excel file and created a "name set" in excel for each room. In Autocad 2013 I have inserted a table from a data link and pointed that link to the named range of the room (the named range in excel is an 8 cel block with al the info I need repeated and uniquely named for each room.
This works great...so my next step is to create a block out of the table and make the DATA LINK a variable attribute...that's where I'm stuck. i cannot figure out how to do this. I would love to be able to INSERT BLOCK and have one attribute question...ROOM NUMBER?. That should look to the excel NAMED SET the corresponds and populate the table.
I wanted to get a few opinions regarding exporting data.
We are working with AutoCAD 2013 Vanilla.
We have dynamic blocks with attributes that contain the block Name, Size, Color, material etc...
What is the best way to export the information?
Schedule and linked to a spreadsheet?
(I have experience with schedules but not so much with linking to spreadsheets)
DbConnect? (I know very little on this)
Another way to ask the question;
What is the best way to export the data that I can successfully train 20 designers on how to do it correctly.
So part one is determining the best method,
part two is training a group of designers to use it correctly.
I worked on getting a schedule out and linking to a spreadsheet but even after talking to my reseller support I feel that is too cumbersome. I would like a more streamlined process, you know the one, click here and presto!
Can a sheet set itself contain AEC data, where a reference via a field to any element within the sheet set would cause AEC modules to load upon opening a drawing?
I design all of the architectural metal used on most project homes being built in Sydney at the moment.
I draw up balustrade and screening etc.
Basically what I have is a huge collection of complex dynamic blocks that I insert into my drawings, I then change all the variables to suit.
These drawings are then dimensioned, and a parts list manually written out based on the lengths etc of each type of material.
All of these drawings are exact reproductions of what is produced on the factory floor, so it is quite easy to identify the parts, but rather painfull to manually write out a cutting list.
I'd like to add attributes and/or fields for material type and length to each of these dynamic blocks, which update as the blocks are manipulated to the required sizes.
where I get stuck is that there are multiple drawing methods used to create these blocks, and I cannot seem to figure out exactly what I should be naming, and assigning length fields too, or even how to extract or what to extract!
When I extract the data, I get a mess of conflicting and confusing information that is impossible to sort correctly, as I can use the dynamic parameter field for some, but not others, and on others it is a simple line, but on others again they are polylines and the length is useless to me.
I have tried to creat a block with an attribute for each and every individual part, but when I combine these into a complex part and try to assign dynamic parameters as a single dynamic block, the previously blocked and named parts wont behave correctly.
Im not sure if im making much sense here, but in my mind it all seems simple enough, I just cant get it to actually work with my exsiting blocks...
All im really after is a simple BOM, for example, I have a dynamic block with the Style code A0-1, when this is inserted I change 3 different lengths depending on the job. This style code is made up of several components such as a 40 mm square post (coded 40SQ), an 80 sq baseplate (coded PF2) and a 50 x 25 mm handrail (coded HR5025).
I need to extract a length for the 40 sq post, a length for the 50 X 25 handrail and an item count for the baseplate.
There may be 25 of these in a drawing, all at different sizes.
The dynamic block works perfectly for drafting, but not so well for data extraction.
There are over 1100 of these dynamic blocks, created over the last 2 years, and the only missing piece in the drafting puzzle is the extracted cut-list to save a large amount of time, and I just cant get it working.
Is there a methodology I need to learn here? will I need to re-create these blocks to allow for extraction?
I have explained to my boss the theory behind all of this and he is keen for some working examples that the monkeys on the shop floor can read and understand, and Im stuck creating an extraction template that can work, even if just for proof of concept that I can refine over the next few months.
I know ACAD can do this, I know my brain has all the data, I'm just not getting the ACAD>BRAIN interface working here.
I work at a machine shop and have a Dynamic Block setup with quite a number of Blocks in it where I can choose whichever tooling I am working with to place into a drawing.
I am also Data-Linking parts of the drawing to Excel that has information fields to be updated in the drawing for these same toolings.
I would like to setup my drawing so that when I update the data links from the Excel spreadsheet the Dynamic Block I mentioned will also be automatically updated and display the appropriate block drawing for the tooling retrieved from Excel.
Possible to send attribute data that is in our title block to a schedule that is populated with property set definitions? We are not using the Project Navigator at this time.
1) We can create one etransmit file but if we try to create a second one we get a fatal error. It doesn't matter if we try to etransmit the same files or a different set.
2) Also, if we etranmit the same batch of files with the same settings multiple times the etransmit dialog box shows a different amount of files that it's grabbing.
3) We have the settings set to grab the data extraction files, however the zip file that etransmit creates doesn't include the actual .dxe files. The data extractions are present in the .dwg files though.
I work for a company that makes sheet metal cabinets. Each cabinet we construct has 17 parts that all different different blank sizes and notching. I have a template for each part right now that I have to shrink or stretch to the appropriate size every time we get a custom size order.
What I've created so far is an excel spreadsheet that determines the sizes of all the parts based on the overall height width and depth of the custom cabinet that was ordered. Any way to define a parts properties with a dynamic block and get the width depth or height imported in from the excel spreadsheet to automatically adjust the size.
I have a question. I have several 3d models i've set up with 3d blocks in each one. They're separate to cut down on drawing size. I want to create a database of blocks so to speak by copying all the blocks into one drawing. I tried going through Design Center to copy the blocks in, but it won't let me just copy them. Is there a simple way to do this?
Is it possible in ACA2011 to explode a block, but control what layer the pieces go to?
I have a block for a closet rod and shelf , but it always has to be re-sized once in the drawing so i must explode it. since it was made on layer 0 it explodes to that layer and I have to change the items to the proper layer.
Lately our drawings are showing frames around most of our blocks and clipped xrefs. I have set xclipframe to 0 in a drawing and then when I immediately go into the drawing it's like I never set it to 0. This is becomming an issue in a lot of our drawings since switching to 2012. There's only a few of us using 2012 and there are a few using 2011. I was just in a drawing that wasn't showing any frames and then all of a sudden I mirrored somehting and all these frames appeared around the blocks in the drawing. Other than constantly setting xclipframe to 0 this is annoying. This is also a problem now when we send the drawings to consultants. We send it with the frames off but when they get it the frames are on.
