Keynotes/Construction Specs system.

[Anonymous]

Trying to device a system around a central database. Our Keynotes are simple
& can be derived from a simple concatenation of strings A+B+C or A+B+C+D.

e.g.: Name: + Model/Type + Installation instructions + Disclaimer + Refer
sheet....

I envision it as a single Dialog Box (Form) with several drop downs for
A/B/C/D. This one dialog box should be able to pull data from across several
woorksheets in one Excel workbook OR an MS Access database + also populate
the database with new rows. I do not have experience programming either
Excel or Access. Is this easy to program ? Among Excel/Access, which one
would you recommend ?

Does someone know of any readymade templates or software to do this, so I
do not have to re-invent the wheel !

-Raj

[Anonymous]

Trying to understand the connection...

And why you are not asking for help or software on a Microsoft site?
And how this has anything do with your Autodesk applications?

*******************************************************
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*******************************************************

Tracy W. Lincoln, Assistant Moderator
Autodesk Discussion Groups Forum Moderator Program

Discussion Group Links:
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Sharing the information is what it is really all about!

[Anonymous]

It's a CAD Management issue. The Keynotes will ultimately be placed into a
AutoCAD file, using DB Link or OLE or similar.

I am hoping that someone uses a AutoCAD based keynoting tool (ActiveX, Lisp,
VBA) etc. Sorry if my original post did not specify that.

-Raj

"Tracy W. Lincoln" wrote in message
news:3E766376.BEEBC315@iroquois.com...
Trying to understand the connection...

And why you are not asking for help or software on a Microsoft site?
And how this has anything do with your Autodesk applications?

*******************************************************
Please, DO NOT send technical requests to me via private e-mail
*******************************************************

Tracy W. Lincoln, Assistant Moderator
Autodesk Discussion Groups Forum Moderator Program

Discussion Group Links:
Index: http://discussion.autodesk.com
Rules: http://discussion.autodesk.com/webx?groundrules
Product Support: http://support.autodesk.com/


Sharing the information is what it is really all about!

[Anonymous]

From within the DWG via DWGPROPS?

Possibly using the Express Tools PROPULATE?

We have a document server OpenText's LiveLink that allows for searches for text
within the document as well as keywords & categories.

You might want to look at Terry Dotson's DWGBrowser utility
http://www.dotsoft.com/dwgbrowser.htm

Or look at what Autodesk's Partners have to offer:
http://partnerproducts.autodesk.com/catalog/

*******************************************************
Please, DO NOT send technical requests to me via private e-mail
*******************************************************

Tracy W. Lincoln, Assistant Moderator
Autodesk Discussion Groups Forum Moderator Program

Discussion Group Links:
Index: http://discussion.autodesk.com
Rules: http://discussion.autodesk.com/webx?groundrules
Product Support: http://support.autodesk.com/


Sharing the information is what it is really all about!

[Anonymous]

When a student in the UW--Milwaukee School of Architecture and
Urban Planning I designed and developed a prototype using
AutoCAD called 'SpecSymb' that allowed a CAD operator to
pick a keyed symbol from a menu and insert into a drawing. A script
was to read the keyed attributeID mapped to data in a database used
to build a key note specification displayed within each drawing.

The premise of course was to integrate the specifications with
the drawings thereby reducing the cost of managing CAD production
and also reducing errors and omissions made by contractors using the
documentation.

I presented the prototype as a proposal to representatives of
the school and the Wisconsin Chapter of the American Institute
of Architects (A.I.A.) who thanked me politely and that was that.

Shortly thereafter the A.I.A. was marketing key noting software using
their brand name... make of it what you will.

This is the same group I discuss in the 3/6 post "Stolen Drawings. How
to Respond?"

The A.I.A. may still market and sell the software.
SEE: http://www.aia.org/

--
<%= Clinton Gallagher
A/E/C Consulting, Web Design, e-Commerce Software Development
Wauwatosa, Milwaukee County, Wisconsin USA
NET csgallagher@REMOVETHISTEXTmetromilwaukee.com
URL http://www.metromilwaukee.com/clintongallagher/

LaGarde StoreFront 5 Affiliate: e-Commerce Software Development
SEE: http://www.storefront.net/default.asp?REFERER=-201499070




"Raj" wrote in message news:1DF4E27BC0E8312624CF639943255049@in.WebX.maYIadrTaRb...
> Trying to device a system around a central database. Our Keynotes are simple
> & can be derived from a simple concatenation of strings A+B+C or A+B+C+D.
>
> e.g.: Name: + Model/Type + Installation instructions + Disclaimer + Refer
> sheet....
>
> I envision it as a single Dialog Box (Form) with several drop downs for
> A/B/C/D. This one dialog box should be able to pull data from across several
> woorksheets in one Excel workbook OR an MS Access database + also populate
> the database with new rows. I do not have experience programming either
> Excel or Access. Is this easy to program ? Among Excel/Access, which one
> would you recommend ?
>
> Does someone know of any readymade templates or software to do this, so I
> do not have to re-invent the wheel !
>
> -Raj
>
>

[Anonymous]

I was looking into this a couple of months age and posted messages to the
customization newsgroup. It is fairly easy to insert a tag refering to a CSI
spec into your drawing. Unfortunately autocad linking to access databases does
not support drop down fields (look-up fields). Therefore it is very limited.
There is a huge potential here but so far as I know no one has done it yet.

The most advanced system I have seen but not worked with is Archibus FM facility
management which integrates with Autocad and many databases.

Jon

Raj wrote:

> Trying to device a system around a central database. Our Keynotes are simple
> & can be derived from a simple concatenation of strings A+B+C or A+B+C+D.
>
> e.g.: Name: + Model/Type + Installation instructions + Disclaimer + Refer
> sheet....
>
> I envision it as a single Dialog Box (Form) with several drop downs for
> A/B/C/D. This one dialog box should be able to pull data from across several
> woorksheets in one Excel workbook OR an MS Access database + also populate
> the database with new rows. I do not have experience programming either
> Excel or Access. Is this easy to program ? Among Excel/Access, which one
> would you recommend ?
>
> Does someone know of any readymade templates or software to do this, so I
> do not have to re-invent the wheel !
>
> -Raj

[Anonymous]

Thank you everyone, for your responses.

-Raj