topic Re: Showing Object and Line Totals in Text in AutoCAD Forum

AutoCAD Map 2022 - Showing Object and Line Totals in Text

rlindsey8PJ57 — Wed, 07 Dec 2022 11:26:59 GMT

Hello all,

I'm looking for a way to automate totals for a bill of materials (BOM) that I have in a DWG. I've tried looking into Fields and Diesel expressions to no avail or it may just be over my head.

It boils down to adding up all lines, arcs, polygons on certain layers and certain blocks in a DWG to display those totals in text that is in a "BOM" block.

I've attached an example DWG showing what would need to be added up. The ideal scenario would be a field in the BOM that is dynamic and always updates according to the totals of the lines/objects in the CAD file. Any help on this would be immensely helpful. Thanks!

CAD File Preview:

I'm on Windows 10, AutoCAD Map 3D 2022

[ The subject line of this post has been edited for clarity by @handjonathan Original: Showing Object and Line Totals in Text ]

Re: Showing Object and Line Totals in Text

cadffm — Tue, 06 Dec 2022 17:16:31 GMT

Hi,

"onboard" you have DATAEXTRACT [F1] and since V2022: COUNT [F1]

>>"I've attached an example DWG" >> Where?

Re: Showing Object and Line Totals in Text

rlindsey8PJ57 — Tue, 06 Dec 2022 17:23:10 GMT

Attachment added to original post, not sure why it wasn't there.

Hooly cow, I didn't know they added that "Count" command. That is awesome and will probably solve the block counting issue. Is there any way to use that get a total length of all lines on that are on certain layers?

I'm aware of DATAEXTRACT, but seems like a lot of hoops to get my total line lengths to end up in that BOM block. What I tried doing before was inserting the excel file it produced as an OLE and then somehow taking the number from that as a field into the BOM block, but never got it working.

Re: Showing Object and Line Totals in Text

cadffm — Tue, 06 Dec 2022 17:32:27 GMT

>>"Is there any way to use that get a total length of all lines on that are on certain layers?"

DATAEXTRACT is the only onboard feature in plain ACAD

>>"I'm aware of DATAEXTRACT, but seems like a lot of hoops to get my total line lengths"

Yes, dataextract is a Multitool, so you can reach the goal of many tasks,

but for some it looks like much overloaded.

Re: Showing Object and Line Totals in Text

rlindsey8PJ57 — Tue, 06 Dec 2022 17:38:41 GMT

I've used DATAEXTRACTION a lot in the past, but just not for this. The hurdle I couldn't get over with it was needing the inserted excel file from the DE to be dynamic as the lines change in the file. I also wasn't able to take a cell from an inserted table and link as a field to text in the BOM block. Is any of that possible, that you know of?

Re: Showing Object and Line Totals in Text

cadffm — Tue, 06 Dec 2022 23:25:01 GMT

>>The hurdle I couldn't get over with it was needing the inserted excel file from the DE to be dynamic as the lines change in the file."

Yes, it needs a new export 😞

>>I also wasn't able to take a cell from an inserted table and link as a field to text in the BOM block. Is any of that possible, that you know of?"

So far I know: No, there is no field access from <outside of this table> 😞 😞 😞

Perfect solution: Individual programming - A tool what does exact what you needs.

Note: I am not a MAP3D user and I don't know about MAP3D features..

Re: Showing Object and Line Totals in Text

rlindsey8PJ57 — Tue, 06 Dec 2022 23:29:40 GMT

Yeah, I do use a lisp to add the lines together but I have to do that manually any time I want the total then type it into the place in the block. I'll keep digging....need to learn to lisp or find someone who can write what I need! Thanks for all your responses!