Sheet List Table / Table C3D Object Tied to Excel .XLSXS, .CSV or .TXT File?

[Jacob.IsomHASK]

Is there a way to tie a C3D Sheet List Table to a Microsoft Excel .XLSX, .CSV, or .TXT file. 

To put things into applicability.  We constantly have changes to sheet list(s) for varying disciplines that require updating.  I am hoping to streamline this process by creating a table that pulls from either a .XLSX, .CSV, or .TXT file so that the drawing does not have to be opened and modified (constantly).

I've seen this done before on a separate forum, or article.  Though I cannot find it.  Any help would be greatly appreciated!

[jeff_rivers · Accepted solution]

Use a Data Link, and link directly to the pertinent cell range of your Excel file.  

Annotate ribbon, Tables tab, Data Link.  Enter the path to your Excel file, and enter the range of cells.  Then use the Table button to insert a table.  Select From Data Link.  Et Voila, a dynamic table linked to your excel file.  Update excel, and you should get a notification that the data link needs to be updated.  

[ChrisRS]

I suggest that you look into sheet set manager. This is basically AutoCAD functionality.

SSM files are at are in reality small external databases. Information stored in the SSM file is accessible via fields.

If you do some internet searches you'll find a couple good series on setting up and using sheet set manager.

If if you have trouble finding the information, let me know and I will try and dig up some links.

[Jacob.IsomHASK]

@jeff_rivers I cannot thank you enough for your speed and tact in this pursuit!  This is exactly what I was looking to accomplish, our team was THRILLED today.  Thank you for your assistance and taking the time to solve this.

[Jacob.IsomHASK]

Thank you for your comment.  Unfortunately, SSM will not help in the generation of table(s) with the varying disciplines as these are outside of our company.  Could be made in Microstation, etc, we do not have the files for them.

Some sort of "data link," as @jeff_rivers mentioned ensures that my superiors can manage these sheet numbers and titles from a linked data spreadsheet on the company server.

Without me getting involved in editing these sheets time after time.

[ChrisRS · Accepted solution]

Thanks for the informatioon, @Jacob.IsomHASK 

SSM Is powerful, but has its limitations. As is often the case with AutoCAD/Civil 3D, Work Arounds can help.

You can add "dummy sheets" to the SSM to represent these "foreign" drawings.

See the following video: Adding PDF files to your Sheet Set in AutoCAD | AutoCAD | Autodesk Knowledge Network

The video goes into detail about adding the PDF to the dummy DWG file and actually printing it from SSM. You do not need to go that far. Once you have the dummy files in the SSM, you can manage page numbering and sheet titles using SSM rather than an external file. 

As I see it:

• Using SSM requires creation of dummy files for foreign sheets, but after that, all sheets are managed in SSM. A SSM based sheet list is easily updated.
• Using an external file makes all sheets "foreign", including the sheets that you create in AutoCAD or Civil 3d.
  • You will need to manually update foreign Sheet Title and Sheet Number in your external file.  
  • You will need to manually update or link Autocad/Civil Sheet Title and Sheet Numbers in your sheet files and your external file.
    (There is a risk of things getting out of sync. SSM eliminates both update and sync. issues)
• You are free to pick the approach that works best for you.

Possible advantages of SSM:

• Ease of publishing. If you add Xref attachable (PDF, DWF, DGN, image) versions of the foreign sheets you can include them in the dummy file as shown in the video.
  (I would include the image full size with out my company border.) 
• If you include the foreign sheet image in the dummy sheets you can add SSM fields if necessary. Say a foreign sheet is "Structure Site plan", "Sheet S-1 of 4"
  You could add a marginal note like "My Company, Project 1234, Page 15 of 23 Total", where SSM based fields are indicated as 1234.
  1234 would be a SSM Property. 
  "Structure Site plan" would be a manually populated SSM Sheet Property. 
  "S-1" would be a manually populated SSM Sheet Property. 
  15 would be a SSM Sheet Custom Property.
  23 would be a SSM Custom Property.  

Good luck. Keep us posted if you decide to look at eh SSM approach. 

[Jacob.IsomHASK]

I see, @ChrisRS.  I appreciate your thorough explanation on how I might implement this same sort of functionality within the sheet set manager.

In regards to adding those discipline sheets as "dummy sheets," to the sheet set manager and importing them as .PDF as solution:

Pros In This Instance

• Adding the .PDF to the Dummy sheet and adding that to my sheet set would also help produce the same result I was looking for.  Though, at times I do not always have the .PDF plot(s) from those other disciplines.  I suppose at a minimum I could add dummy template files and name/number/custom property these sheets and and add a sheet set table from the subset of that discipline.  This way I could easily rename/renumber them etc. from the sheet set manager as opposed to this data link.
• Custom fields would help through SSM as well as the quick manipulation of sheet number/title

Cons In This Instance

• Because I rarely if ever have these disciplines .PDF sheets it makes it difficult to plot them directly from the sheet manager though the table feature of SSM would still work on our sheet index

Either way Chris this still works as solution, because I could essentially just delete these "dummy," sheet templates that would be blank in the instance that I do not have the .PDF in my respective .PDF viewer/manager. 

Though, because I do not ever know what these sheet numbers/titles are or seldomly get that deliverable from that discipline the data link works, as another solution.

Thanks again!

[MMcCall402]

Isn't this data link linked to a static range of cells?   When sheets are added/deleted such that the range of cells changes then the data linked table will need to be recreated for that new range of cells.

[Jacob.IsomHASK]

@MMcCall402 unfortunately I discovered this limitation this morning, if the number of sheets change.  The data linked table will not increase the number of rows in the instance another “sheet row,” is added on the excel.

This would be a great implementation in the future!

Well stated, thank you!

[MHultgrenGDJBP]

It is easy enough to edit the range of the excel file in the Datalink settings. Or, you could set it to entire sheet and only the cells that actually have data in them will populate into the table.