Problem with proprerties of an excel data link Table

[litrico.andrea]

Hello to all,

this is my first request post, I hope I'm explaining it clearly :

(I'm using AutoCAD 2013).

I've added some excel data link tables to the Layout of my dwg (Layer 0).

I've needed to change their proprieties to fit them properly in the drawing with the same aspect: changed the text style, text height, cell width and length.

Then I've enabled the table interruption of a specific table to extend it to the right (no more space under it) and moved the extension to a wanted position (I enabled the "manual position" voice).

The problem is that, if i save and close this dwg and then reopen it, the properties of the extensions of the table with enabled interruption, are changed! Some of them have a very small text height, some other have a bigger one!

What can I do to fix it?

Thanks

[Otto]

Hello litrico.andrea and welcome to the Autodesk community!

It looks like you are looking for information related to datalinking between AutoCAD and Excel. Community members with similar questions found the following article(s) useful:

DATALINK (Command)

To update data links, use the DATALINKUPDATE (Command)

To provide an interface to external database tables use:DBCONNECT (Command).

If this information was helpful, please consider marking it as an Accepted Solution by clicking on the "Accept as Solution" link, below. Taking a moment to do this will help others with similar questions find useful answers. Thank you!

Kudos (click on the link or the "thumbs-up!" icon), are also gratefully received! (Even a bot likes praise.)

If this answer missed the mark, please let us know so that other community members can lend a hand. Any additional details might help, too: consider including relevant screenshots, log files, error messages, or system specs.

[john.vellek]

Hi @litrico.andrea,

I see that you are visiting as a new member. Welcome to the Autodesk Community!

Formatting datlink tables can be tricky. Can you share some files by attaching them to a post or emailing them to me if they are private? my email address is john.vellek@autodesk.com

[litrico.andrea]

Hi @john.vellek, thanks!

I'm sorry but the file I'm working on, can't be sent because the company property policy.

If the suggestions by the bot won't help me to solve it, I will try to reproduce the problem in a simple file and will send to you.

[litrico.andrea]

Hi @john.vellek, I'm attaching two files to this post.

One is a simple dwg containing two similar tables with "table interruption" enabled on both: first one was created with data added manually by me (titled "no link") , second one has the data taken from the xlsx file attached ("Cartel1").

I formatted both the tables with the same parameters (text heights: 2, cell width: 15, Vertical and horizontal cell margin: 0.6).

As you will see when you'll open the file, the first table parameters are OK but the second one have the good parameter JUST on the left part of the table, the first rows; the following part had changed them with no reason!

Thanks for your help

Andrea

[john.vellek]

Hi Andrea,

When I cleared the overrides on the bottom (linked) table you will see that all the cells match formatting-wise.  I suggest to do the formatting in Excel and then keep the cell formatting to "Keep table updated to Excel formatting"

[john.vellek]

Hi @litrico.andrea,

I am checking back to see if my post helped you with your problem or if you need additional assistance or information. Please add a post with how you decide to proceed and your results so other Community members may benefit.
Please hit the Accept as Solution button if my post solves your issue or answers your question.

[litrico.andrea]

Hi @john.vellek,

thanks for the suggestion but your solution is partially suitable to my problem.

If I enable the option to synchronize the table properties to the Excel file, it works and doesn't give me problem when I close and reopen the drawing, as you said. BUT I can't set all the parameters that I want from Excel, for example it's not easy to change the font and the cell size because Excel and AutoCAD uses different scale or it's impossible to change the spacing inside a single cell from the text and the borders, as I can do in AutoCAD with the property Horizontal and Vertical cell margin. (All of these maybe because my limited AutoCAD knowledge). 

What I've done to solve the problem is use a little trick and avoid the Table Interruption at all. So I've created different excel sheets for the same table if I know will paste it in different parts (hope I explained well).

So, if you agree, I think I will mark this message as solution of my problem for the future users.

[john.vellek]

Hi @litrico.andrea,

Yes using multiple Excel files can be one option but can be a bit difficult to keep maintained to work well in this manner. I feel that formatting in Excel should be explored a bit further.

Can you give me an example of a format you use in AutoCAD that you can't do in Excel? Please give me a graphic example.