This command allows edits to a project scratch database file to write back
to the project drawing set to update existing attribute values with new,
edited values. Some (power!) users find this a convenient way to update
large quantities of assigned data quickly and easily.
Ace2006 introduced an automatic scratch database "freshen" function, PDS,
which complicates use of this command. With PDS running, it will autoupdate
the scratch project database without the user intervention (and without the
user even realizing it). If the user edits the scratch database with all of
the changes he/she wants to write out to the drawings, there is a chance
that PDS will come in, without warning, and remove all of these edits (to
match the current state of the unmodified dwgs) before the user has a chance
to run the command to upate the drawings.
Even if the user is careful not to disturb the drawings while doing the mdb
edit (so that PDS will not feel compelled to update anything), the user can
still lose his edits when he actually launches the "Proj Scratch Database
Import/Retag" command. This is because the command, just before it begins
the update, may ask the user if it is OK to "Qsave" the active drawing. If
the user hits OK without thinking, then PDS sees a change and updates the
database (i.e erases changes for current drawing), just as the command is
getting ready to process.
So, the key for using this command in Ace2006/2006 SP1 appears to be this:
do not disturb the drawings while editing the scratch database file AND
answer "NO" to the Qsave prompt when invoking the actual update command.