Residue-Free Labels Latest in Tools and Supplies

Linking Drawing Data to Spreadsheets

Tips on pulling data from AutoCAD drawings into Excel spreadsheets to compile cabinet ordering information. November 26, 2007

Question
I am in the process of drawing casework for a few hundred apartments. One thing I would like to do is include a MS Word document in the drawing that I can edit with quantities of different base cabs, wall cabs, fillers, etc. Is there a way I can pull the numbers from the drawing and insert them back into a spreadsheet for ordering?

Forum Responses
(CAD Forum)
From contributor Y:
I do not know about MS Word, but the latest version, ACAD 08, has a bidirectional link with MS Excel. Depending on the ACAD version, you can find an add-on program that will do this. Check Cadopolis.com for ACAD useful add-ons.



From the original questioner:
Currently running AutoCad 2006.


From contributor J:
Look into using tables. On one project with hundreds of cabinets, I set up various blocks with attributes. One for each type of cabinet, base, upper, tall, sink, etc. The attributes where (name, WxHxD). I created one of each type of unit with the attribute above or below the cabinet along with a dimension. Then when I needed to put a string of cabinets together, it was like drag and drop. Then when I was ready to create a table, just window the area I wanted, and the table was created with the quantity of each block and the attributes. You need to play with the table setup a bit, but it worked out great.


From contributor B:
You should be able to copy an Excel table into your drawing. Once it's there, you can easily edit it. It's been a while since I used 2006, but have been using Excel in AutoCAD since version 2000.