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How to Excel at Data Extraction

Martin DukeCADD Manager – Aurecon - Queensland

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Class Summary

Data extraction is a powerful feature of AutoCAD that allows the user to liberate their drawing data for reuse. Using the Data Extraction tools data from one drawing can be exported to a number of formats such as Microsoft Excel and Access, and then linked back into AutoCAD. Or, it can be directly linked to a table in the drawing. Data extraction tools offer the serious power user an incredibly powerful suite of tools for exchanging data, eliminating data entry errors, and for increasing efficiency and effectiveness.

This class will explain the workings of data extraction with real world examples of how it can be applied in a production environment. The course will cover the full range of capabilities of the system include Extracting, linking and advanced table formatting topics.

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Learning Objectives

At the end of this class, you will be able to: Understand the importance of reusing data Improve reliability of data by minimising the potential for human error Extract data from drawings for reuse in tables or other drawings Link your drawings to Excel spread sheets Create tables from extracted data

And along the way we’ll have a little fun.

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Key Concepts

Blocks Attributes Tables Data Links Data Extraction

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The Importance of Reusing Data

Manual data entry is prone to errors and extremely inefficient Single point of truth for data on drawings Ease to maintenance Change management

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Blocks

Blocks are a collection of objects such as lines and arcs that are joined into one named object.

Blocks should be used wherever you need to show the same object more than once or you need to group the data for clarity and consistency

Blocks have the following properties Insertion point (X, Y, Z) Scales (X, Y, Z) Rotation angle

Blocks can be nested within other blocks. Model space and paper space are just special blocks.

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Block - Commands

BLOCK – Creates a block INSERT – Inserts a block into drawing EXPLODE – converts a block into it’s component parts. BEDIT – Allows in place editing of blocks.

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Attributes

Attributes are used to attach variable data to a block. Attributes are similar to text, they can be annotative. Attributes should be used where you need to attach data to a block, the drawing

title block is a common example of a block with attributes.

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Attribute - Commands

ATTDEF– Create a new attribute definition INSERT – Inserts a block ATTEDIT – Edit block attribute values EATTEDIT – Enhanced attribute editor BATTMAN – Block attribute manager ATTDISP – Globally controls visibility of block attributes in a drawing.

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Attribute - Variables

ATTREQ– Controls whether to use defaults or prompt for values ATTDIA – Controls whether to display a dialog box for values.

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Data Links

A Data Link is a reference to an external Excel File Created with

the DATALINK command Copy from Excel and Paste Special into AutoCAD

Data Links show up in the External Reference Palette

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Tables

A table is an object that contains data in rows and columns. A table object can be created.

As an empty table From a data link From data extracted from a drawing(s)

Contains much of the functionality that Excel users will be familiar with. A table can be linked to data in a Microsoft Excel spread sheet and update

automatically whenever the source data changes.

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Tables - Commands

TABLE – Creates an empty table object TABLEDIT - Edit text in a table cell TABLEEXPORT - Exports data from a table object in CSV file format. TABLESTYLE - Creates, modifies, or specifies table styles.

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Tables - Variables

FIELDEVAL - Controls how fields are updated

FIELDDISPLAY - Controls whether fields are displayed with a grey background TABLETOOLBAR - Controls the display of the Table toolbar CTABLESTYLE - Sets the name of the current table style

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Data Extraction – More than just Attributes

Enables the extraction of data from a drawing or drawings for documentation such as a parts list, or Bill of Materials or setting out data.

Eliminates mistakes caused by transposing the data manually. Can be used to populate tables in the drawing or output to a spread sheet. Can be linked to external data Multiple Categories

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Attribute Extraction Commands

ATTEXT - old school command used to create ASCII files. DATAEXTRACTION - more advanced and can be used to link data to tables DATALINK – Displays the Data Link Manager DATALINKUPDATE - Updates data to or from an established external data link DATALINKUPDATE_W – Updates the data source with data from the drawing

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Data Extraction

The Data extract command DATAEXTRACTION starts the data extraction wizard which take you through eight steps:

Download the latest data and update the table

Upload the data from the table to the source document

Extract data from the drawing

Create a data link in the drawing

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Attribute Extraction Variables

DXEVAL - Controls when data extraction tables are compared against the data source, and if the data is not current, displays an update notification

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Data Linking and Matching

Data linking is the process of selecting a Microsoft Excel spread sheet with the purpose of merging all or some of its contents with extracted drawing data.

Data matching creates a relationship between two sets of data; the data in a column from the extracted drawing data the data in a column from an Excel spread sheet.

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Data Extraction options

The user can extract the data to a XLS/XLSX/MDB/CSV file for reuse somewhere else

The user can extract the data and place it on the current drawing as a table The user can extract the data and place it on a different drawings

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Data Extraction

The Data extract command DATAEXTRACTION starts the data extraction wizard which take you through eight steps:

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Worked Through Scenarios

Extract data from this drawing onto this drawing Extract data from another drawing onto this drawing Extract data and merge with external data Extract data from multiple drawings Extract data for quantities

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Questions…

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Autodesk, AutoCAD* [*if/when mentioned in the pertinent material, followed by an alphabetical list of all other trademarks mentioned in the material] are registered trademarks or trademarks of Autodesk, Inc., and/or its subsidiaries and/or affiliates in the USA and/or other countries. All other brand names, product names, or trademarks belong to their respective holders. Autodesk reserves the right to alter product and services offerings, and specifications and pricing at any time without notice, and is not responsible for typographical or graphical errors that may appear in this document. © 2011 Autodesk, Inc. All rights reserved.