Auto-display of polyline length

[Anonymous]

I am wondering if there is a command or a lisp that I can use to get the length of a polyline. I am looking for something like a dimension line where all I have to do is click on a PL and it will give me a leader with the length.

This is what I am doing and why I want this. I am designing several (20+) different solar arrays and I have to get the length of the wiring that is needed for these solar panels. Some are over 100'. On a typical single inverter system there are about 16 different wire lengths, multiply that by 20 systems and there are a lot of wires. I have to manually enter the length of these wires into an excel spreadsheet in order to get a total length for the complete project. this would be easy if that was all I had to do, I could just use a DX and get a length total. However, I need the length of each wire so I can add 8' to it. This is so the pre-fab area can bundle the wire and tie them up and mark their "fall off" point. So what I have to do now is click on a PL look a the properites then look at the length. It would be simpler if I could just put a leader that is somehow attaches to the PL's length property.

ANY suggestions would be VERY helpful.

I am using AutoCAD MEP 2015

-Conrad

[CADmonkey_UK_Building_Services]

This is what you want - a FIELD object. If you copy the PLINE and the LEADER together, the copies will stay connected.

The Field contents need 'updating' if the Pline length changes, easiest way to do this is QSAVE.

Sorry, but it's in 'proper' units (mm) , so careful about pasting this into your drawings.

[Anonymous]

Yes I see what you did there, added the field and had it display the length. I thought of that but it would be counter productive for me to either add a field to the leader or use a PL and length it and add points on it. I will be deleting the "block"/"tag" what ever I use. I was just hoping there was a faster way to get the length of a PL than click on it and looking at the properties. If you come up with one please let me know.

[CADmonkey_UK_Building_Services]

Faster, eh? Why use Acad Plines when you can use Wire objects?

I've never used MEP Wire objects before so here are some I just drew and scheduled. Ignore the Label Curve showing the length and look at the Schedule.

If you want to add a wire to the Schedule, right-click the schedule and first click Selection-add and add your wire(s)- a lot of question marks appear. Then right click the Schedule again and select Add All Property Sets. Voila! All the Length values appear. This is the total length of each wire regardless of how many control points. You should be able to format the columns to show units, etc.

If the wire length changes, the schedule will grow a diagonal line to show it needs updating. Close and re-open the drawing or right-click-Update Schedule.

I don't know for certain, but you SHOULD be able to select any number of Polylines, right-click and Convert to Wires. Then add all property sets (window-all) and then add them to the Schedule object (window-All)

Once you have this Schedule to your liking, you can cut&paste it into any drawing. The best way to get started with a Schedule is to use the Tool Palette and drag one off. Then amend the 'applies to' page so it only applies to Wires. Delete all the redundant columns and add your own. The sky is the limit.

<jazz hands> Ta-Da!

[Keith.Brown]

You can go into the cui and under the rollover tooltips turn on the length for polylines.  See pic below.

And this is what you get in the tooltip.

[VitalyF]

Hi,

Try using a wire with a Length and Number label with MEP Schedule table

See how it works >> WireLengthLabel

Regards,

Vitaly

[Anonymous]

I like this for doing my counts but it seems that I cannot get it to display the correct length. This is what I am looking for to make my wire counts faster.  attached is the file I am working on. I need to be able to tag each poly line (soon to be wires) with the length so the guys in the prefab shop can cut this wire ahead of time. Right now, with your wire inserted it does not give me the correct length. Your video doesn't have sound so I am not sure how to edit this label to make it work for me. If this works it will save me a lot of time with data entry and human error will go down.

[jtm2020hyo]

This method works with polyline?