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Searching multiple dwg files for text


clowe-thcp

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I'm looking for a program that will search across multiple files and directories for particular words in our dwg files. I don't want to replace the words, just locate the files that contain them. We have a huge library of dwg files for repeat customers and engineers. We often waste time looking for details we used previously for a customer. If we could just do a search of the dwg files for say "Jones Contracting" or "formliner" or "Cumberland County" and get of listing of the dwg files that contain that text, what a wonderful world this would be! Help!?!

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You need to create text files. In these files write the words to search. Then the search will be fast.
That is sort of what we do. Each dwg file gets published to a pdf for repetitive printing since we are fabricators. All the drawings use TT fonts, so we only need Windows Explorer to search the project files. When a pdf is located containing the right words, we simply open that folder (right click >> Open File Location) and open the drawing file.
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Pretty sure Lee-mac has a find replace that uses OBDX

 

Maratovich as Autocad dwg is a compressed binary format not sure about using a Text compare ? Do you have something, I know you have some real good code.

 

Just a side issue for text FINDSTR its a windows command.

eg FINDSTR subst *.lsp

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Thanks everyone for the input. I checked with Lee-mac and he said that his find and replace program could do it but would be cumbersome and probably not the best option.

 

We do export our drawings to pdf and it's been hit or miss doing a windows content search. After some more research I found that apparently we should be using TT fonts instead of shx if we want to use this option. Additionally, often the information we would search would be in our title block area so the text is placed as attributes of a block. On a whim, I wondered what would happen if I BURST the block and then created the pdf. Viola! Now when I do a content search of the pdf file, the search lists that pdf as a result.

 

If anyone would like to elaborate on what I found, please feel free.

 

Thanks again for the input

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Yup, that's why I mentioned TT fonts. SHX fonts are not searchable since they are basically a shape rather than text and then Adobe treats them like a raster.

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Additionally, often the information we would search would be in our title block area so the text is placed as attributes of a block.

 

If you have them as Attributes - Why not extract your attributed data, make that your drawing register then search that?

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If you have them as Attributes - Why not extract your attributed data, make that your drawing register then search that?

 

While the attributes of the title block are important, we need to search the entire drawing content for details as well. At this point the best option is to insure we use TT fonts and search the the pdf files.

 

Thanks for the input!

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I've been tasked to find a low budget solution. With 7 seats that software is outside the budget.

 

Thanks

 

Calculate how much time you and six others are spending on this task now, including the search for a solution, and you'll probably find the ROI.

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  • 3 years later...

I know this is 3 years old, but we could search back to like 1999 for dwg details as we have always kept a database of dwg details, takes like 1 minute to find something. Answer is start making a database MS-Access comes to mind.

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On 8/27/2021 at 7:28 PM, BIGAL said:

I know this is 3 years old, but we could search back to like 1999 for dwg details as we have always kept a database of dwg details, takes like 1 minute to find something. Answer is start making a database MS-Access comes to mind.

 

The DwgSearch tool listed above is now freeware on the App Store.  It searches the actual drawing file without opening it in the editor so the results are quite fast.

 

The problem with 'a database' is that if everyone involved is not TOTALLY diligent about posting their changes and additions, the quality of the results begin to degrade on day one.  The only way it would work well is if an app was running on drawing close, or perhaps scanning the drives looking for changed dates, scanned the DWG file and updated the records.

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