Dataextraction - output order

[rockrat]

Hello all.

I have been trying to use the dataextraction tool to capture text in a drawing, in a specific order and output it to a txt document. Is it possible to start the data extraction tool, select text in a specific order and then output that data in that order to a txt doc?

Every time I try this I find that the data is somewhat random in sorting. Then again, I may well be using the tool in a manner not intended, never done that before <grins>.

Thanks for your help
Cheers~

[irneb]

Unfortunately DE doesn't ask for a selection. All I can think of is to sort the text by using its X/Y positions.

Have you possibly tried using the Express Tools Txt2MText (http://www.ellenfinkelstein.com/acadblog/tutorial-convert-text-to-mtext-and-vice-versa/)? After that you should be able to export / copy-paste the text.

[jpo82]

I have also noticed some problems or inconveniencies regarding DE sorting. Once I did "poor mans" bill of materials using block attributes and then created table from block attributes using DE. I had part numbering starting from 1 so sorting didn't work correctly until I changed part numbering so that first number was 01 instead of 1. So I guess DE sorting doesn't use same principles that for instance Excel does, or at least I didin't find a way to change sorting options back then.

[irneb]

For the sorting, you've hit the nail on the head. DE uses text sorting it does not convert the "1" into a number 1. So "12" is "less than" "2" because "1" is less than "2". Excel converts the text into true numbers, that's why it sorts them "correctly".

You could always export the table/de to xls and fiddle with it in Excel - then import it back to ACad.

[rockrat]

Unfortunately DE doesn't ask for a selection. All I can think of is to sort the text by using its X/Y positions.

Have you possibly tried using the Express Tools Txt2MText (http://www.ellenfinkelstein.com/acadblog/tutorial-convert-text-to-mtext-and-vice-versa/)? After that you should be able to export / copy-paste the text.

Tried converting as recommended. The text is still very random and is minimally better than hand typing it all into a word doc. Experimenting with creating a pdf, then converting the pdf to a docx. This seems to get me closer but still not quite what I was looking for although it is much better than dataextraction.

Thanks for the replies.

[jpo82]

Maybe you could use TCOUNT to help here. First you select text you want in that order you like, then TCOUNT, sort by select-order, start numbering for instance from 100, increment 1 and add this number as prefix for all textes. Now I think you can sort data extraction the way you want. And I think you can lose this extra number added if you extract your data to .txt file and then open it in Excel. Not tested, just a thought.