Batch Attribute Editor

Having written the first draft of my old 'Global Attribute Editor' program almost three years ago, I thought it was about time I offered something new and improved.

And so, I've spent some time putting together a new and improved...

Batch Attribute Editor

A full description of the program, including some 'Hints and Tips' for using it can be found here; but as a brief summary: the program allows the user to modify the values of multiple attributes residing within multiple attributed blocks across multiple drawings.

Upon starting the program using the command syntax 'batte' (Batch Attribute Editor) at the command-line, the user is presented with the first of two dialog interfaces: the first screen for input of attribute data; the second for drawing selection.

At the top of the first dialog there are three edit boxes in which the user can input a Block Name, Attribute Tag and a new value for such attribute. The program can also process multiline attributes and the attribute value can use Field Expressions.

The program also offers the ability to increment an attribute value for each layout/drawing processed. If an attribute value contains markers surrounding numerical data, the numerical section between these markers will be incremented by one for each drawing processed by the program.

The user can also reference existing attribute values, facilitating batch prefixing & suffixing of attributes.

After attribute data has been entered and a number of drawings have been selected to be processed, the user may click the 'Run' button to modify the listed attributes in each of the select drawings.

Some Previews...

Attribute Data Interface

Editing an Entry

Selecting Drawings to be Processed

BatchAttributeEditorV1-5.lsp

Lee: I would like to see the DCL made a little narrower. I have to change screen resolution to accommodate it. However, if others don't comment on the size of the DCL, I can live with it if I have to.

Steve

Lee: I would like to see the DCL made a little narrower. I have to change screen resolution to accommodate it. However, if others don't comment on the size of the DCL, I can live with it if I have to.

Steve

Others have mentioned this issue Steve, so I shall look to address it. The DCL is 1052 x 526 on my screen (as shown by the screenshot), and so I thought this size was suitable for most resolutions, but perhaps this is because I am running Win7.

Others have mentioned this issue Steve, so I shall look to address it. The DCL is 1052 x 526 on my screen (as shown by the screenshot), and so I thought this size was suitable for most resolutions, but perhaps this is because I am running Win7.

Lee, the screenshot from the info does not even fit on my old screen. With all respect, I think the right half of the DCL could be "wacked" twenty percent with out loosing any information for users.

Steve

I'll see what I can do Steve.

This is just my Laptop display (Windows 7), I use dual monitors at work ... The upper right window is Lee's dialog scaled 100% in browser:

BTW - You've always done great work, Lee. I'll have to give this one a try too.

Cheers!

BTW - You've always done great work, Lee. I'll have to give this one a try too.

Thanks RenderMan, that's very kind of you - let me know how you get on!

Following feedback received here and at TheSwamp, I have updated this program to Version 1.1; this version should hopefully fix the majority of issues reported in Version 1.0.

As always, your feedback is appreciated!

Lee

Following feedback received here and at TheSwamp, I have updated this program to Version 1.1; this version should hopefully fix the majority of issues reported in Version 1.0.

 

As always, your feedback is appreciated!

 

Lee

Very well done mate.... I love it ! ! ! glad to see the dcl now fits all screens ! ! !thanks Steve

Very well done mate.... I love it ! ! ! glad to see the dcl now fits all screens ! ! !thanks Steve

Excellent Steve, enjoy

I'll have to give this one a try too.

Did it work OK for you Renderman?

A bug has been reported at theSwamp regarding a prompt during the save command when this program runs the script to alter attributes.

Has anyone here experienced this issue or any similar issues?

I have updated this program to Version 1.2, this update should hopefully fix the scripting bug reported in the previous versions.

This new version also offers the user the ability to select multiple attributed blocks from the active drawing whose attribute values may be added to the list of items to be modified. This should no doubt greatly reduce the tediousness of manually inputting the attribute information.

The new version can be found here or in the first post of this thread.

Lee

Of all the programs I have written, I honestly thought that this would be a more popular program - but not being a draftsman, maybe I have invested time in the wrong application.

A few questions if anyone has time:

1) Is the task of batch updating of attributes something that regularly occurs when drafting?

2) Does this functionality already exist in AutoCAD, maybe a command that I have overlooked before writing this program?

3) Does the current version of the program function correctly?

What makes you believe this is not popular?

I have little need in any type of batch processing at my current job, though at previous companies this would have been quite handy.

Though I was considering (actually I will be downloading this today) checking this out in a few weeks/months, right now I am busy with design work, but when I start going through updating/cleaning up old files I may have need of your program.

If I find time, I will try to do some work with it next week and provide some feed back.

I tried it. works well Lee. Glad you made a separate routine specifically for attributes.

As you already know, your BFIND routine has its issues when dealing with attributes especially with Text justification.

Both routines are a tremendous help when "fissing" the hosed up Titleblocks may it be a MTEXT/TEXT or attributes

As for popularity, it depends on the usage really. I guess most of us use this quote as a go-by : "It is better to have and not need, than to need and not have."

So thank you Lee Mac.

Cheers

What makes you believe this is not popular?

Since the thread mostly consists of me talking to myself... Of the 34,000 members that we have here, only 'stevesfr' appeared to genuinely find the app useful...

I have little need in any type of batch processing at my current job, though at previous companies this would have been quite handy.

 

Though I was considering (actually I will be downloading this today) checking this out in a few weeks/months, right now I am busy with design work, but when I start going through updating/cleaning up old files I may have need of your program.

 

If I find time, I will try to do some work with it next week and provide some feed back.

Thanks SLW, I do appreciate the feedback, even just to know that the program is indeed working on other versions aside from my own testing.

I tried it. works well Lee. Glad you made a separate routine specifically for attributes.

 

As you already know, your BFIND routine has its issues when dealing with attributes especially with Text justification.

Thanks for testing it pBe, much appreciated.

The main reason for this program over both my BFind program and Global Attribute Editor program is that this application is Script based, and consequently doesn't have the bugs that come with using ObjectDBX for this task.

Also, my previous Global Attribute Editor program was severely restricted in that it could only modify attribute values within a single block, purely because I struggled to structure the dialog to allow for modification within multiple blocks and yet still have a clean and clear interface. So, although the task of running the script to update attributes was fairly straightforward, the interface for this new Batch Attribute Editor had a lot of thought and time go into it to make it clear and intuitive to use.

Both routines are a tremendous help when "fissing" the hosed up Titleblocks may it be a MTEXT/TEXT or attributes

 

As for popularity, it depends on the usage really. I guess most of us use this quote as a go-by : "It is better to have and not need, than to need and not have."

 

So thank you Lee Mac.

At my old job, there were a number of times when we would have to 'up-rev' a set of drawings to be issued to the client, which resulted in someone going through all the drawings and changing a number of attributes in each drawing to the same values. Hence, I thought that this would be a much sought-after application.

Also, I had seen so many similar requests on the forums asking for a program to change attributes in a set of drawings, so wanted to provide something a lot more robust than my BFind / Global Attribute Editor.

But thank you for your appreciation pBe.

At my old job, there were a number of times when we would have to 'up-rev' a set of drawings to be issued to the client, which resulted in someone going through all the drawings and changing a number of attributes in each drawing to the same values. Hence, I thought that this would be a much sought-after application.

Precisely one of my needs for this program.

Once I get a chance to run this I will comment back here.

Thanks SLW, I look forward to your feedback!