Bi-Directional Data-Extract to dwg

[bellis.239472]

Hi All,

Once you use the Data Extraction Wizard to extract attributes (ie: Door Block for Schedule) and set up the table, is it possible to enter data into the table and PUSH it back into the block.
I know that if you set up a excel spreadsheet and link that to an Acad data table it is bi-directional by using the UPLOAD to Source, why cant this do the same for updating the blocks?

Any feedback is welcome.

Thanks in advance

Brad

[RobertB]

No, you cannot. However, with ACA Schedules, you can.

[rjohnson42]

No, you cannot. However, with ACA Schedules, you can.

Is it possible to get this into Vanilla ACAD?

[irneb]

I don't think so - not without some serious custom programming.

[rjohnson42]

I only ask because I was trying to do the same thing (see http://forums.augi.com/showthread.php?t=122602).

It would be great of ACA Shedules became an express tool or something in Vanilla ACAD.

[irneb]

It would be great of ACA Shedules became an express tool or something in Vanilla ACAD.Yes it would ... and it would be nice to have all the capabilities of ACA in Vanilla as well (for Architects that is - some other professions would not like all the tools cluttering up their CAD).

But hang on, isn't that what ACA (http://store.autodesk.com/store?SiteID=adsk&Locale=en_US&Action=DisplayProductDetailsPage&productID=183601800&pgm=12938000&ThemeID=1293100&Currency=USD) is? Vanilla (http://store.autodesk.com/store?SiteID=adsk&Locale=en_US&Action=DisplayProductDetailsPage&productID=183363700&pgm=12938000) + the extras? For slightly higher price? I think if you get a 3rd party app to do just the scheduling it would be very close to the difference in price between ACA and Vanilla (if not more). If you're going to create one yourself,think of the cost of your time spent - it's probably going to take a very experienced programmer about a month to make something even adequate, never mind of the same caliber. So why not simply buy ACA instead of Vanilla if you want those functions?

And if that is what you want, then I'd suggest to look at the Architectural Suite (http://store.autodesk.com/store?SiteID=adsk&Locale=en_US&Action=DisplayProductDetailsPage&productID=188048300&pgm=12938000&ThemeID=1293100&Currency=USD) - which is about the same amount extra, but includes Vanilla, ACA and Revit. And once you start using Revit, even ACA seems a bit lame - especially for those schedules.

And those are just the quoted prices online. Usually when you work through a reseller, they have lots of special deals (not to mention upgrades are a lot cheaper as well). I'm not saying go and buy another product, but keep this in mind when you do next decide you need an upgrade.

For the time being another workaround is to use Express Tools - ATTOUT & ATTIN. Then link your table to the TAB file which is created. You can edit the file in Excel, and use ATTIN to update the blocks. And since you can link to the file using Data Linking, it can be bi-directional from the table as well. Unfortunately it doesn't have all those nifty capabilities of Data Linking though (like sorting on multiple columns, hiding columns, creating calculated columns, totals & averages, etc.). And updating to / from the blocks is always going to be a manual system.

[rjohnson42]

I'll get a trial copy of ACA to test that, thanks.

The one issue I have with the ATTOUT/IN tool is the blocks I have don't have attributes, but custom properties. So, unfortunately I can't import those properties (I can export though).