Searching drawings for text

[Anonymous]

Hi all

I have been trying to search our .dwg files for a certain txt - e.g. tank - but I can't.  It is easy to search for files and filenames, whereas for text you have to use things like context explorer (and our IT won't allow that), etc.  I though somebody, somewhere, must have made an app to search through .dwg - or any AutoCAD files for that matter - for any text.

I am sorry if I missed a similar post but I did a search first.

AutoCAD 2018, Raster tools, Win 10

Thanks

Sarelius

[john.vellek]

HI @Anonymous,

Have you tried any of the add-ins (many are free) on the Autodesk App Store?  There are quite a few that apparently will search across drawings and might perform the search you are looking for.

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

[Alfred.NESWADBA]

Hi,

>> whereas for text you have to use things like context explorer

In case you are searching for attribute values you can use DesignCenter.

I have created a drawing showing you the "how to" steps:

- alfred -

[Anonymous]

John

Yes that was the starting point.  I searched all the apps, but perhaps I'm a bit stupid as I do not know what I should look for in the app description.  I would have thought that for a big, mighty program like AutoCAD, there would have been a stand-alone app like that - surely I'm not the first stupid (with regard to AutoCAD) guy trying to do a thing like a search inside a drawing?

Sarel

[Anonymous]

Hi Alfred

Thanks for the reply.  I will have to work on the sound of my system as it seems as if I could not follow your instructions without sound.  I will report back a bit later.

Thanks

Sarelius

[TerryDotson]

... somebody, somewhere, must have made an app to search through .dwg files.

Since you are considering add-ons, take a look at the grand-daddy of them all, DotSoft's ToolPac which contains a Drawing Search tool that runs inside of AutoCAD 2010 or higher.  It opens the drawings as side-databases (not in the editor) and quickly searches only the categories you want.

Does NOT use Content Explorer or any external process or service.

[Alfred.NESWADBA]

Hi,

>> I will have to work on the sound of my system as it seems as if I could

>> not follow your instructions without sound

There is no sound embedded, I thought it is easy to follow what I have shown on my video.

First I have shown a drawing with a text, closed that drawing, started DesignCenter and used it's search function for that text ... nothing more, nothing complicated I think (I thought 😉 ).

- alfred -

[Ajilal.Vijayan]

try Batch Find & Replace by Lee Mac

http://www.lee-mac.com/bfind.html

[Anonymous]

Hi Terry

Yes, I saw ToolPac everywhere (it's difficult to miss it if you search for what I'm searching for, LOL), but I thought o golly me, another big program just as difficult as AutoCAD.  I had to teach AutoCAD myself, starting from scratch and using text books.  Never had any draughting (spelling?) experience ever.  So I like programs like AutoCAD, ToolPac but I do not want to replace one difficult thing I do not know too well with another.  OK Terry, I will evaluate ToolPac (if one can get a trial licence or whatever), perhaps I works for me.

The message : I am not a clued up as all you experts on AutoCAD.  Most of the terms we use (and most experts use on the Forum) still floor me because I knew about it at some stage but not using AutoCAD daily one kind of forget these things.

Sarel

[Anonymous]

Hi Ajilal

I will try Batch Find & Replace, thank you so much for telling me about it.

🙂

Sarel

[Anonymous]

Hi Ajilal

I will try Batch Find & Replace by Lee Mac, thanks so much for suggesting the program

Sarel

[Anonymous]

Hi Alfred

I am so sorry, but if you look at my answer to Terry you will realise nothing is easy and straightforward for me.  I will follow it and try it again, AFTER I tried the ToolPac and other program suggested.  I am very stupid with regard to AutoCAD so I generally can do things but it takes a loooong time, lots of trying, lots of gentle swearing.

😉

Sarel

[Anonymous]

I had to go and look up what a kudos means because I did not know.  Suffice to say I will be giving this to everybody that answered my email so thanks everybody!!. 

Sarel

[john.vellek]

Hi @Anonymous,

I am checking back to see if my post or others helped you with your problem. You certainly got quite a few great suggestions. Please mark a post or posts as accepted solutions if they resolved the issue or give me a bit more detail on this issue so we can continue to work towards getting this solved.

Please hit the Accept as Solution button if a post or posts solves your issue or answers your question.

[Anonymous]

Thanks John.  I certainly will give feedback because I've got some programs to test/etc.  I also played around with the FIND command in AutoCAD but got mixed results as it just will not search multiple plans.

My evaluations of the plans will be slow (sorry for that) and I will start with Lee Mac's Batch Find & Replace.  After that I will test the Dotsoft Toolpac trial Terry so generously sent me to evaluate, but I will evaluate it for more than just my current problem as it could have solved a lot of similar questions I had previously.  Once finished, I will report back, because I believe that is how other Newbies and Slow, Stupid AutoCAD Users (like me) will be able to perhaps get an answer to a silly question in the future.

Thanks everybody, for everything.

🙂

Sarel

[Anonymous]

The tools is called DWG search in the autodesk appstore

[TerryDotson]

Thanks for the mention.  Here is a direct link for everyone's convenience.

DotSoft's DwgSearch Freeware on the Autodesk AppStore