Need ideas on add-on software for use with AutoCAD

[mark.81576]

I need some input on software to use within AutoCAD that will essentially:

1)Allow insertion of different scalable blocks with attributes pulled from our database
2)Allow labeling of groups of identical blocks (e.g. "5-catalog #222") with a leader line
3)Insert schedules of the attributes of those selected blocks
4)Output the block attribute data
5)Allow some customization/personalization
6)Work with future versions of AutoCAD

Vague enough for you? I guess I'm being purposely general because I believe an application developed for an industry other than the one I work in may be customized for our use. Do any of these features ring a bell with anything you've seen/used/developed?

Alternatively we're going to be looking for someone to write the programming needed to do this.

Thanks for any help you might be able to give!
Mark

[Glenn Pope]

Autodesk Map could do most of the things you are asking for. The one thing that would take a little work would be the schedules. You can make a table that contains the blocks. Just not have the number of them. That would have to be done by other means.

[mark.81576]

Thanks, Glenn. I do have Map but we've only ever kept a seat of it around in case we had GIS coverages we needed to use. I've tinkered with it very little but now that I've got a specific set of goals I should explore it more thoroughly.

The totalling component was anticipated as being the tricky part including that aspect of labeling. I have zilch programming experience but I image a competent programmer could come up with something for our needs. Third-party software I've looked at seems all to either have way more features than we need and/or lacks the customizability we seek.

Mark

[joe.bina]

Looks to me like you can do all of that within AutoCAD itself. No need for any add on software.


Just remember, when utilizing a database that contains block attribute information, AutoCAD likes to be the owner of that database (i.e. AutoCAD controls Excel, not Excel controlling AutoCAD).

(Excel was used a just an example in this case)