Importing CSV into AutoCAD 2018 as block and including Point ID on block

[andrew.wheaton]

Good afternoon.

I'm hoping someone can help me.

I've been asked to import a CSV file into AutoCAD. I have around 1000 points to plot. My idea is to import the points using the X and Y coordinates from the CSV, and adding a block to each point with an identifying ID as an attribute.

Can anyone help me?

[john.vellek]

Hi @andrew.wheaton

This should be fairly easy. Open your CSV in Excel and use the concatenate function to combine all the values and to insert commands such as _Insert and the block name.  If you would like to attach your CSV I can get you started on this process.

On e you have combined all this information, you can then copy the new data to a test file and run it in AutoCAD as a script.

Please select the Accept as Solution button if my post solves your issue or answers your question.

[leeminardi]

Check out this post.  My post (#9) provides details for adding a block that may have space characters in its name.  It also shows how to specify an attribute with the script.

[andrew.wheaton]

John,

Please find attached file.

Andrew

[leeminardi · Accepted solution]

Create a block with one attribute for the label (I named the block MyPtBlock) and you can use the attached Excel file.  Copy and paste column I into the AutoCAD command prompt and it will add the blocks with attribute labels.

[andrew.wheaton]

How do I insert these points in one go?

[leeminardi · Accepted solution]

Select cells I2 thru I11 and copy them to the Windows clipboard (Ctrl-C) then go to AutoCAD and do a Paste into the command line (Ctrl-V).  This assumes you have defined a block with the name MyPtBlock which has one attribute.

[john.vellek · Accepted solution]

Hi @andrew.wheaton,

Lee did a great job (and faster than I got to it) on this solution.  Please reward him with marking his post(s) as a solution for your issue.

[Anonymous]

Sorry for opening an old thread but I'm trying to implement this solution and am having trouble.

When I paste in one of the text strings to the command line, it doesnt fully work. When it comes to defining the Block attribute a dialog box opens which must be dealt with manually, rather than automatically taking the label from the text.

Am i doing something wrong? Have I defined the attribute incorrectly?

[leeminardi]

I think I was able to paste the content of column I from my spreadsheet directly into the AutoCAD prompt.  That doesn't appear to work with 2019. It stops with the display of the attribute dialog box.

There is a simple fix.

Copy and save the contents of column I  in Notepad or some other ASCII text editor (I prefer Notepad ++) then save the file as a text file but with the file extension .scr (not .txt).  Just edit the file name so that it ends with .scr.  Back in AutoCAD give the script command and select the .scr file.

[Anonymous]

Script solution worked perfectly, thanks

[Anonymous]

Hello, I follow most of this, however I am Running AutoCAD 2020 and the Script method is not working for me.

Any other thoughts on the matter? I was simply trying to plot the points in John's excel file w/o editing them to see if it worked and it only plots 1 point and then here is what the command prompt spits back at me:

Command: SCR
SCRIPT
Command: (command "-insert" "MyPtBlock" "511852.557,180065.876,0" 1 1 0 "SOP001")
-insert Enter block name or [?] : MyPtBlock
Units: Inches Conversion: 0'-0.0833"
Specify insertion point or [Basepoint/Scale/X/Y/Z/Rotate]: 511852.557,180065.876,0
Enter X scale factor, specify opposite corner, or [Corner/XYZ] <1>: 1 Enter Y scale factor : 1
Specify rotation angle <0>: 0
Command: SOP001 Unknown command "SOP001". Press F1 for help.
Command: nil

Thanks ahead of time.

[Anonymous]

Hi @leeminardi, I followed you so far, and it's worked well. I would like to modify names in the xCel workbook to show up in my block. I have three attributes that read out (NEZ). I'd like one more that reads the "description" column. Do I need to add an attribute to the block that will accept the "description" that I also want to auto-fil when i copy past the fields into the command line?

[leeminardi]

If I follow you I think you want to have the script add the contents of an Excel cell for the value for an additional attribute.  If so, then yes, you will need to add an another column that contains the value of the attribute and the cell of course needs another attribute.

After you make (edit) your new block try adding it to your drawing interactively and observe the order in which you are prompted to enter values for the attributes.  The AutoCAD command you build in Excel with the concatenate function should duplicate this order.  Note, when defining a block you can control the sequence order of prompts for attributes by selecting the attributes in the order you want them to be presented to the user. 

[Anonymous]

I got it working exactly the way i need it, i can't thank you enough. This is an issue that I've been trying to find a better solution for the last 3 years. Thank you!

[martin.phamVJ8N9]

Hi,

I managed to insert att block from xcel to cad. When I try to copy and paste 100 lines/att block from xcel to cad, it seem like they're all in the wrong positions. I convert those line to .scr and try on cad and it doesn't work as well. Can you advice solution to this.

Thank you.

[leeminardi]

Post a sample file with a few instances of the block and the Excel file you created to extract the block data.

[matthew_fuller46E6T]

I found this thread and am looking for an assist with a task at hand. I'm using 2022, and am trying to mark several gps'd locations using the x/y coordinate data.  

I followed the information above and made the spreadsheet that works with a single attribute block. That worked well, however, when the blocks insert, the x/y dats is ignored. All blocks insert at the same point on the drawing.

It sounded like someone else might have had the same issue, so I tried the script option as well. I had the same result there too. Any help would be greatly appreciated. 

[leeminardi]

Please post a sample xlxs file and a "before" dwg file and I will  take a look at it.

[matthew_fuller46E6T]

Lee,

Thanks for the quick reply. The drawing has the start point marked. The attached excel file has the x/y data formatted to match the example above.