Help needed: Problem extracting data from drawings

[kirium18]

Hi,

 

I am not only new to this forum, but am also new to Autocad.

 

I am working on a project which requires me to study and manipulate data from drawings and what better way, then to view this data in excel.

 

However, I have encountered the following issue:

 

I found a software called DWG Miner DLL which extracted everything I wanted but only for some drawings. For the other drawings, I can see the information on the drawing but is not being extracted by the software.

 

I am wondering why it works for some drawings, and not others?

 

Is there a macro or code that I can use to call out all the information I need without the use of the software? Information such as Block, Layout, Value, Layer Name, Handle, ElementID, X, Y and Z?

 

Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance!

[Lee Mac]

Yes, I think this could be achieved using either LISP or VBA ~ however, I think this thread would be better suited to the Customisation Forum.

 

Upon saying this, don't created another thread in that forum - ask a mod to move this one.

[kirium18]

Lee Mac,

Thanks for the advice. Do you know how I can get a Moderator to move the posting to the right thread?

[Came]

he 'l stop by :wink: no worry

[Lee Mac]

Information such as Block, Layout, Value, Layer Name, Handle, ElementID, X, Y and Z?

 

I think this could be done, but could you elborate on exactly what information you would like extracted please?

 

For instance, when you say "block", is there a specific block name you would like extracted?

 

Also, with "layout", would you like a list of all the layouts in the drawing extracted? Or something else?

[JoeC]

Depending on the data you need to extract, you might try experimenting with the EATTEXT command. It gives you the option to extract to Excel near the end of the process.

[Lee Mac]

Good call Joe - especially if its blocks he's after

[kirium18]

Hi,

Thanks for your replies.

 

1) How do I use the EATTEXT command?

 

2) I have enclosed a screenshot of one of the drawings I am looking at (unable to enclose the full documentation) and the example output file generated by DWG Miner DLL.

 

Actually, my main intention to get the grid location of POCs, i.e. KM5-OFA-I1-1-55a by identifying the grid location (denoted by the Alphabets and Numbers of the squares in the drawing)

 

More details of what I need is as follows:

Block: Model Space, Paper Space, Building Location, i.eKM05-1M-AE (Mezzanine)

Layout:Model/Layout

Value:The values of the Layer Name

Layer Name: i.e.POC, Wall, Room Area, etc

X: location

Y: location

Z: location

OFALatPOC.zip

[Lee Mac]

to use EATTEXT, just type it at the command line and follow the prompts - it will extract the attributes that you specify to an Excel file.

[JoeC]

I think I attached a sample of a quick test drawing that I did to show you the output from EATTEXT. This site won't allow attaching an excel file!?!?, so I had to paste it into Acad. I would suggest practicing on a small test drawing the first time to keep the file size / time to a minimum. I have had this command lock my computer on occasion with an extremely large file!

Test.dwg