Data Extraction - Link to Excel

[Anonymous]

Hi,

Does anyone have an experience extracting data from blocks using attributes and then linking to Excel to make an inventory list?

I am working on a project in AutoCAD to create an equipment list.  

I am able to extract the data to excel (.xls) using the DATA EXTRACTION command but I am having issues linking external data between AUtoCAD and Excel. 

See attached example of example of external data link problem.

Any input would be appreciated.

Thanks, David

[john.vellek]

HI @Anonymous,

I am happy to look into this for you. Is it possible to attach the drawing file along with the excel file?

[SeeMSixty7]

I can't tell where your issue is from the image. You either have block attribute tags without unique tagnames, or your excel data does not have unique information in it that you are specifying. You will most likely need a unique key in your excel data to allow it to link to something specific.

As @john.vellek suggested, attach your dwg file and your excel spreadsheet you are using for the people here in the forum to tray and help you out.

Good luck,

[Anonymous]

Hi John,

Thank you for your reply.

Attached is a sample AutoCAD with equipment list & extracted data (using Data Extraction) to Excel for my project.

My blocks contain attributes from where I created my list. 

My assignment is to create a list of equipment on multiple floors in a building using block attributes I would like to have the list linked together in AutoCAD & Excel. Is this possible???

Thank you,

David

[SeeMSixty7 · Accepted solution]

I typically develop all my Excel data extractions, now I see why I do that, LOL.

It looks like you are trying to link the excel data you are extracting to the excel spreadsheet you extracted. I don't believe that is what this is for. It look like to me the link external data is to pull additional information into your resulting extraction file.

Say if you were extracting a block with an attribute called catalognumber and you wanted to pull information about that block from another file, like a full description of that item or dimensional data, weight, etc... It uses a single column unique ID to link in that data. it can me Many(Dwg) to One(excel spreadsheet) relationship, but it can not be a many to many relationship or a multicolumn unique identifier.

I believe since you have the data extraction table in your drawing it will link to the file defined in the dxe file you created to get the extraction. The Table cells themselves I don't believe are linked to cells in Excel, but it will update the entire table based on the contents of the excel file, when you tell it to update the links.

Hopefully that helps in some way shape or form.