DATALINK to an Excel Spreadsheet

[Anonymous]

Since upgrading to AutoCAD LT 2016 I have been unable to use the DATALINK to Excel spreadsheets.  I have gone through the help desk and had 4 different people from AutoDESK work on it, and they are unable to get it to work.  The error message I continue to receive is:

 "Only Excel 2000, Excel 2003, and Excel 2007 file formats are supported.  You will need to save the Excel file into one of these formats."

Since we are using MS2010 here, I can't go back to 2007.  It doesn't make sense to me that as AutoCAD is upgraded it doesn't allow other formats to load into it at the same rate.

Anyone out there know how to get around this?

[pendean]

MSExcel2010/2013 can be set to 2003 format and lower (SAVEAS from there will get you that), as can MSWord2010/2013 etc. with little or no real effect to usage: Microsoft designed them that way.
Is there a particular challenge you wish to overcome beyond that? Autodesk isn't rewriting LT2016 anytime soon otherwise. Hope that clears it up.

[Anonymous]

Hello Pendean.

Thank you. I have actually tried that. I am saving my excel file as an Excel 97-2003 Workbook (*.xls). That is the only option I am given for 2003. The default extension, if I don't opt to change it each time, is as an Excel Workbook (*.xlsx). I also have the option of saving as an Excel Macro-Enabled Workbook (*.xlsm). I have tried all three options, and none of them get me to the point of allowing a link into my AutoCAD LT dwgs.

It is very frustrating that this occurred with the update. I use excel spreadsheets extensively for BILL OF MATERIALS addition into my drawings. Since the upgrade, I have had to start from a standard table for each new drawing. Then, when I have to update the table, it gets tricky. I can change information within the table, but am unable to delete any rows. I can add rows, I can clear all row contents, but I cannot not delete a row. This leaves empty rows, which really doesn't look professional. In addition, when I add a row, it always shows up as not part of the actual table. Very odd. Very frustrating.

I am sure there has to be a way around this, and hope you can help.

Thank you.

Dorrie Martinchek


[Gamry-225]

_____________________________
Office: (215) 682-9330 ext. 143
Cellphone: (620) 710-1095
Email: dmartinchek@gamry.com
_____________________________
Gamry Instruments = 734 Louis Drive = Warminster, PA 18974 = USA
Phone +215.682.9330 = Fax +215.682.9331 = http://www.gamry.com

[Anonymous]

Hello Pendean.

Thank you. I have actually tried that. I am saving my excel file as an Excel 97-2003 Workbook (*.xls). That is the only option I am given for 2003. The default extension, if I don't opt to change it each time, is as an Excel Workbook (*.xlsx). I also have the option of saving as an Excel Macro-Enabled Workbook (*.xlsm). I have tried all three options, and none of them get me to the point of allowing a link into my AutoCAD LT dwgs.

It is very frustrating that this occurred with the update. I use excel spreadsheets extensively for BILL OF MATERIALS addition into my drawings. Since the upgrade, I have had to start from a standard table for each new drawing. Then, when I have to update the table, it gets tricky. I can change information within the table, but am unable to delete any rows. I can add rows, I can clear all row contents, but I cannot not delete a row. This leaves empty rows, which really doesn't look professional. In addition, when I add a row, it always shows up as not part of the actual table. Very odd. Very frustrating.

I am sure there has to be a way around this, and hope you can help.

Thank you.

Dorrie Martinchek


[Gamry-225]

_____________________________
Office: (215) 682-9330 ext. 143
Cellphone: (620) 710-1095
Email: dmartinchek@gamry.com
_____________________________
Gamry Instruments = 734 Louis Drive = Warminster, PA 18974 = USA
Phone +215.682.9330 = Fax +215.682.9331 = http://www.gamry.com

[pendean]

If your Excel templates are always 2003 format, you never have to keep changing back whenever you start an Excel spreadsheet. Takes no time at all to change them and move forward with them. Everyone that uses Datalink in AutoCAD has done so since that command was available. Seems to work quite well for us.

I'm not familiar with your other challenges: you create a table in LT first then go out and try to link it to an Excel spreadsheet?

*How about just attaching the Excel spreadsheet into LT2016 without creating a Table object first? What we do.*

You can also start HELP in LT2016 and look up the topic:
About Linking Excel Spreadsheets
It has links at the bottom to go further into the concepts.

[Anonymous]

Hello again Pendean.

With respect to your reply of:
I'm not familiar with your other challenges: you create a table in LT first then go out and try to link it to an Excel spreadsheet?
You can also start HELP in LT2016 and look up the topic:
About Linking Excel Spreadsheets
It has links at the bottom to go further into the concepts.
Not really correct. I work within Excel, make and save the spreadsheet with the extension currently set as Excel 97-2003 Workbook (*. xls). I know I can change the extension, and have tried. The only 3 options I have that make sense with what I read in the error message are:
Excel 97-2003 Workbook (*.xls)
Excel Workbook (*.xlsx)
Excel Macro-Enabled Workbook (*.xlsm).
I have tried saving with all 3 options, and none of them work with AutoCAD LT 2016.

My previous AutoCAD LT version was 2011. Our company just upgraded to version 2016. We skipped the 2012,13,14 and 15 versions.

Nothing has changed in the manner in which I am using DATALINK. After saving a spreadsheet, I work the same as I used to with the previous version of AutoCAD LT, which is exactly as detailed in the AutoDesk HELP:

1. Click the "Annotate Tab" on the Ribbon
2. On the "Tables" panel, click the DATALINK icon
a. Alternatively, type DATALINK into the "Command Line" and press Enter
3. Within the Data Link Manager, click "Create a new Excel Data Link"
4. Enter the name of the data link within the "Enter Data Link Name" dialog box and press OK
5. Click the button next to "Browse for a file ..." and navigate to the location of the Excel file to be inserted into the drawing
6. Click OK to close the Data Link dialog boxes
7. In the Tables panel on the Annotate Tab, click the "Table" icon
a. Alternatively, type TABLE into the "Command Line" and press Enter
8. In the "Insert Table" dialog box, check "From a data link" under the "Insert options" header. Then from the pull down menu, select the linked table and click OK
9. Select the insertion point for the data link table

This always worked fine for me, until I updated to AutoCAD LT 2016. I cannot figure out what changed.


Dorrie Martinchek


[Gamry-225]

_____________________________
Office: (215) 682-9330 ext. 143
Cellphone: (620) 710-1095
Email: dmartinchek@gamry.com
_____________________________
Gamry Instruments = 734 Louis Drive = Warminster, PA 18974 = USA
Phone +215.682.9330 = Fax +215.682.9331 = http://www.gamry.com

[pendean]

So steps 1 through 9 work fine here with 2003-format xls files: so what doesn't work?

Note: between steps 5 and 6, do you have that pop-up fully expanded? little tiny arrow on the bottom right of the pop-up, you set what you want to link to from there. Perhspa these options need to be adjusted.

[Anonymous]

Hello again.

Yes, I do expand that popup, and it shows all the various files I saved, varying the extensions.  I have tried it.  It doesn't work. 

You say it works for you, with the .xls extension.  I have tried it.  I am stumped on this one.

[john.vellek]

HI Dorrie52,

Welcome to the Forums!

It sounds like you have been through the wringer trying to get this resolved.  I went through all of your steps and brought the table into LT 2016 without issue.

When I created and then saved my Excel file I chose the "Excel 97-2003 Workbook (*.XLS)" option and it came right up in AutoCAD LT 2016 just fine. If this is not showing up in your list of file types then try going back to the Excel 5.0/95 version of the XLS as that format should work fine as well.

If none of these options are present then I suspect your Excel install is incomplete. At one point Microsoft had available for download, a utility that would provide backward conversion of Word and Excel files. That might be another option.

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

[pendean]

Can you share your DWG and XLS files with us here? Ensure they are ones that worked in LT2011 but does not work in LT2016. delete any sensitive info from both.

[john.vellek]

Good morning Dorrie52,

I have not seen an update on your post so I thought I would check back with you to see if your issue had been fixed. If not, please attach some sample files so I can take a look and continue to work towards a solution for you.

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

[Anonymous]

Hello again pendean.

I was out this morning, so just getting to the messages.

I have attached the file formed with the 2010 version, then converted to the 2013 version of ACAD LT. Unfortunately, most of my files have already been opened to the 2013 version. The Excel file used in the drawing originated with the 2010 drawing.

I have actually gone in and performed a "Repair" on my Microsoft programs, and made sure that I have up to the latest update with my AutoCAD LT 2016. Is there a patch that I can try to upload to my ACAD program?

Thank you.

Dorrie Martinchek


[Gamry-225]

_____________________________
Office: (215) 682-9330 ext. 143
Cellphone: (620) 710-1095
Email: dmartinchek@gamry.com
_____________________________
Gamry Instruments = 734 Louis Drive = Warminster, PA 18974 = USA
Phone +215.682.9330 = Fax +215.682.9331 = http://www.gamry.com

[Anonymous]

Hello John.

I have just posted a reply to pendean (Autodesk Support). Thank you for asking.

Dorrie Martinchek


[Gamry-225]

_____________________________
Office: (215) 682-9330 ext. 143
Cellphone: (620) 710-1095
Email: dmartinchek@gamry.com
_____________________________
Gamry Instruments = 734 Louis Drive = Warminster, PA 18974 = USA
Phone +215.682.9330 = Fax +215.682.9331 = http://www.gamry.com

[pendean]

Nothing attached.

LT2016 does have updates, not sure it's related, but go for it https://knowledge.autodesk.com/support/autocad-lt/downloads?release=2016

[pendean]

I'm not "autodesk support", I'm an end user like you who likes to help other end users.

If you want Autodesk help that would be the other fella 🙂

[john.vellek]

Hi @pendean

I am one of the "fellas" and want to express, on behalf of myself and team mates, that we appreciate everything you "end users" do to contribute to the forums.

[Anonymous]

Thank you.

Tomorrow morning I will do the update.

Also, tomorrow morning our IT folk are going to delete and reinstall Windows. Maybe that will help.

Dorrie Martinchek


[Gamry-225]

_____________________________
Office: (215) 682-9330 ext. 143
Cellphone: (620) 710-1095
Email: dmartinchek@gamry.com
_____________________________
Gamry Instruments = 734 Louis Drive = Warminster, PA 18974 = USA
Phone +215.682.9330 = Fax +215.682.9331 = http://www.gamry.com

[Anonymous]

Oops! Sorry about that. I am truly thankful for all the help you are giving me on this.

Dorrie Martinchek


[Gamry-225]

_____________________________
Office: (215) 682-9330 ext. 143
Cellphone: (620) 710-1095
Email: dmartinchek@gamry.com
_____________________________
Gamry Instruments = 734 Louis Drive = Warminster, PA 18974 = USA
Phone +215.682.9330 = Fax +215.682.9331 = http://www.gamry.com

[Anonymous]

Oops! Sorry about that. I am truly thankful for all the help you are giving me on this.

Dorrie Martinchek


[Gamry-225]

_____________________________
Office: (215) 682-9330 ext. 143
Cellphone: (620) 710-1095
Email: dmartinchek@gamry.com
_____________________________
Gamry Instruments = 734 Louis Drive = Warminster, PA 18974 = USA
Phone +215.682.9330 = Fax +215.682.9331 = http://www.gamry.com

[john.vellek]

Good morning Dorrie52,

I was hoping to see your results in your post regarding the workstation refresh and whether or not it has fixed your issue. Please give the post an update at your convenience.