19cruthik68 Posted February 29, 2012 Share Posted February 29, 2012 Last month, I read in the forum about the data link manager and tried to do it as what the user told in the steps, and it works, now i am trying to do it again but it is not working (think i forgot some methods here) can anyone send me the link again or can anyone just please help me to do again about the data link manager command. because i want to use it importing an excel files to autocad. also tell me about apdating the links. thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ReMark Posted February 29, 2012 Share Posted February 29, 2012 You can set up a new data link via the TABLE command. Under Insert Options select From a data link and then launch the Data Link Manager. Click on Create a new Excel data link. Name the data link. Browse for your Excel spreadsheet. Note that the New Excel Data Link dialogue box can be expanded via the round button with the arrowhead on it. Where it says Cell Contents put a check in the boxes for Retain Formulas and Allow writing to source file. Exit out of the dialogue box and insert your new table. Fields with a grey background represent calculated values. To modify a cell's contents the cell must be unlocked. Just right-click in the cell, look for Locking then choose Unlock. To update the Excel file, right-click and in the menu that appears choose Data Links then click on Upload user changes to source file. To update a spreadsheet in AutoCAD after you have made changes in Excel use the DATALINKUPDATE command. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Organic Posted February 29, 2012 Share Posted February 29, 2012 That is a good explanation there Remark. I was just trying it out (don't normally use it, we still insert Excel tables as OLE objects) and wondered what the best practices for formatting a table (with a datalink) was? Do you normally format in Excel and update it to AutoCad or does AutoCad fail to recognise some of Excels formatting (the basic stuff I tried seemed to work though)? Or is it better to format the table in AutoCad and then export that out to the Excel version? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ReMark Posted February 29, 2012 Share Posted February 29, 2012 I do it all in Excel then when I am satisfied with the results I open my drawing and establish the data link. Since what I do is far from complicated as concerns Excel I can't tell you from experience how creative you can be in Excel and still have it show up as intended in AutoCAD. That is something I would have to test. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
99zizzer Posted February 29, 2012 Share Posted February 29, 2012 I am also currently using this. My problem is with updating one you already have it setup in AutoCAD. I have added some lines in Excel, so I went in and edited the range on that certain link. The preview shows correctly, but the table shows everything blank. How do you update these if your cell range has changed? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SLW210 Posted February 29, 2012 Share Posted February 29, 2012 I do recall a thread on CADTutor, back around Summer or Fall of 2008, a formula was not working in AutoCAD 2008 Table, but worked in Excel. If I find time, I will see if I can track it down. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ReMark Posted February 29, 2012 Share Posted February 29, 2012 How do you update these if your cell range has changed? That is a good question. I'd have to do a test and get back to you on that. Is this a rush? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
99zizzer Posted February 29, 2012 Share Posted February 29, 2012 No.. it's an on going project. Just that I'm starting to use this excel file alot and deleting and adding tables seems crazy if there was just away to update the cell range. Which looks like there is... I'm probably just not doing something correctly. FYI.. my process in changing this was: highlight the table, right click and go to properties, click cell data link, highlight the excel link then right click and hit edit, choose file then select link to range, preview, and ok. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
19cruthik68 Posted March 1, 2012 Author Share Posted March 1, 2012 Remark, Im done with that step but the thing is after browsing for the file that i want to put, and then select OK, nothing happens, but in the preview it shown there the file that i want to put but as i was saying, nothing happens if i click OK. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dadgad Posted March 1, 2012 Share Posted March 1, 2012 Have you tried your right click shortcut menu? Perhaps along the lines of Update Link or some such? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
19cruthik68 Posted March 1, 2012 Author Share Posted March 1, 2012 tried it, but still i didnt found a command there to update or something all about the link. so that means when i click OK on the last part of the step in datalinkmanager, nothing happens Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ReMark Posted March 1, 2012 Share Posted March 1, 2012 Post a copy of your spreadsheet and I'll have a look at it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
99zizzer Posted March 1, 2012 Share Posted March 1, 2012 19cruthik68, I had the same problem. I finally just copied the cells I needed from Excel then did a Paste Special, Paste Link, AutoCAD Entities, OK. Then place it where you want. I had to scale it also. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
99zizzer Posted March 1, 2012 Share Posted March 1, 2012 Also note that when you look in the Data Link Manager, what you have pasted will show as Excel Data Link 1 or such. But you can right click on it and rename. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
99zizzer Posted March 2, 2012 Share Posted March 2, 2012 Figured out my problem... It's do to the scaling, I couldn't see the text. Now just on how to get that correct. Thanks for all the comments & help, though! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.