AutoCAD 2010/2011/2012 DWG Format

[#1]

I have a basic floor plan in AutoCAD 2012 that has blocks in specific locations which contain personel data....name, phone, computer tag, desk key numbers, etc.  I extracted the data to an Excel spreadsheet and I thought set up a "data link".  But I don't know how to make the data update.

My problem...moves of staff, phone, computers are often made, but no one lets me know about it until they want a new floor plan printed and the computer and key tags get so messed up from the moves that it can take me hours to fix.

My goal is to be able to have our secretarial staff update the spreadsheet and in turn update the blocks in my AutoCAD drawing when it is opened and/or "updated".

Is this possible?  Am I missing something?  I have tried to wade through the posts and tutorials, but can't quite get a good grasp on this issue.  Any help would be greatly appreciated!  Thanks.

[#2 · Accepted solution]

Hi,

>> I thought set up a "data link".  But I don't know how to make the data update

You can make datalinks, but you can't update then any block-attributes from the datasource (imho).

What you can try are the commands ATTIN and ATTOUT. Therefor you need the ExpressTools to be installed and running, then you can export existing attribute-data to aa txt file (that can be opend with Excel then), modify the data in Excel and then import the new data back into the attribtues.

HTH, - alfred -

[#3]

I don't think the system was designed to have Excel drive the drawing.  If you make changes to the drawing, you can refresh the excel links to create the report.

You can break the link to the spreadsheet and edit it manually. But such edits won't change the drawing and the drawing and spreadsheet will no longer be linked.

A third party solution might be developed or available.

[#4]

Thanks Alfred!  This worked great.  I can make edits to the text file and using the ATTIN command, it will update the blocks in place.  I can see too that arranging the attributes in a different order will make this easier for staff to update the text file.