Excel Paste Special, No entities option

[Buffalodan]

I want to link an excel sheet with a drawing, so changing the excel changes the drawing.

 

I used this awesome site to learn about going to Edit->Paste Special->Paste Link->AutoCAD Entities...but I don't have that choice. Just the one that makes the OLE image. While that will work, that is less than ideal. Know any reason that wouldn't appear? It appears in just normal paste, but not under paste link.

 

AutoCAD 2007, A.54; Excel 2003 SP3; Windows XP SP3.

[ReMark]

Not 100% sure but could it be that 2007 did not have the Dynamic Link feature between Excel and AutoCAD?

 

This feature was new to AutoCAD 2008. The link could go in either direction. To link an Excel spreadsheet and an AutoCAD drawing one has to go through the Table Creation Dialog box.

Edited November 1, 2010 by ReMark

[Buffalodan]

Maybe, but I have a dynamic link for OLE objects. So what I do currently is paste an excel sheet as a static AutoCAD entities, then paste it again as a dynamic OLE Object. And just check the two charts with each other before I print something.

 

I mean, it does work, and thus this isn't a huge deal. But if there is a way to figure this out, I would love to have it.

[BlackBox]

What is there to figure out... in order for your paste special (as a linked OLE) to work, AutoCAD cannot paste multiple entities, hence the single OLE (raster) object. It's a picture, nothing more.

 

It's linked, so there is no need to check the sheet prior to printing (assuming you've changed the excel data accordingly)***.

 

*** There is one caveat - You will need to check the OLE *IF* you have added/removed columns or rows... as this directly alters the visible cell range for the linked OLE. In this situation, you will need to delete the existing OLE, and re-paste special.

 

Hope this helps!

Edited November 1, 2010 by BlackBox
Typo

[Buffalodan]

Ahh, disappointing but okay.

 

 

Was hoping there was someway to get this.

http://thecadgeek.com/blog/2007/08/quickly-link-excel-tables-to-autocad/

 

Thanks,

 

Buffalodan

[BlackBox]

Ahh, disappointing but okay.

 

 

Was hoping there was someway to get this.

http://thecadgeek.com/blog/2007/08/quickly-link-excel-tables-to-autocad/

 

 

... Interestingly, that worked for me. lmao (thanks for sharing!)

 

The date of the thread is August 2007, which leads me to believe this is a feature added to the 2008 software version.

[Buffalodan]

Ahh, yep. worked for an AutoCAD 2008 co-worker. Looks like it was added in 2008. I saw 2007 and thought I was golden, forgot about the release year being a year early.

[ReMark]

Ahh, yep. worked for an AutoCAD 2008 co-worker. Looks like it was added in 2008. I saw 2007 and thought I was golden, forgot about the release year being a year early.

 

But the CAD Geek link you posted almost makes it appear to be part of 2007 just not well documented or even given its own "special" name (a dynamic link).

[BlackBox]

I'm officially a convert - Dynamic Links rule! :wink:

[Buffalodan]

As

 

Displays applicable formats in which you can paste the contents of the Clipboard into the current drawing.

 

If you select AutoCAD Entities, the metafile graphics in the Clipboard are converted to AutoCAD objects. If the metafile graphics are not converted, the metafile is displayed as an OLE object.

 

That is what AutoCAD has in the help section for PASTESPEC. Which makes me think it should be there. During lunch I may try to hijack another '07 machine and see what it shows.

[ReMark]

I'm trying to follow three threads re: Excel files and AutoCAD and somewhere along the line I got off on a tanget. Forgive my muddled state of mind. I hate Mondays.

[BlackBox]

"Sounds like someone's got a case of the Mondays?!"

 

 

[supergbp]

Save Excel file as .xlsx or .xlsm and it will work.

[ReMark]

Save Excel file as .xlsx or .xlsm and it will work.

Why is that?

[supergbp]

Why is that?

 

Sorry, I do not know. That is what I found.