General Autocad Questions

[dsw283]

I'm pretty fluent with excel the thing is though, but I'm not as fluent as transferring into autocad. I've been working with Autocad on a regular basis now for about 6 months and am getting pretty fast with it but there are a couple of things with the tables that I haven't even been able to work with but would like to. FYI I have Autocad 2012.

 

1. First off is there anyway I can link my excel sheet to autocad and any changes I make it will automatically update the excel sheet in autocad?

 

2. We use blocks a lot as we do Fire Sprinkler and Fire alarm. When I use these blocks, instead of having to individually count each block on the drawing at the end when I'm tallying up the amount of heads, etc, is there a lisp program that will tally up each type of block on the drawing? For instance, if I have 200 sprinkler heads in the building, is there a way for me to link some type of counter to my table so it automatically updates the # of spinkler heads each time?

 

3. Is the tables to work with in Autocad far more troubling than just copying and pasting my excel file into Autocad?

 

4. I've changed my key Aliases, but I can't find how to change the F1 key? It is quite a bothersome as sometimes I hit it when I click esc, etc... I've figured how to change half the F keys but for some reason not F1 and a couple of the others.

 

5. Kind of like the same question with the counter but when we run our circuits, is there anyway to have a link of some what to account for the length of the circuit?

 

6. I've also tried creating my own line types but for whatever reason, I can not get the text that I'm putting in the line type to line up directly in the middle like I'm wanting. I would rather the drawing look nice than it to look sloppy.

 

7. Also whenever I edit my aliases for some reason if I open an old drawing it takes resets all my aliases is there anyway to correct that?

 

I can't think of anymore off the top of my head at the moment, and I know these are kind of petty as they don't take to long to do but time is $ and anything that speeds up my work would help out tremondously. Thanks again!

Edited March 22, 2012 by dsw283

[RobDraw]

That's a lot of questions. You will get better results if you asked each one individually.

[ReMark]

AutoCAD 2012? You can create a DATALINK between AutoCAD and Excel. I've done it and so have others.

 

Yes, there are lisp routines that will count blocks. BCOUNT, found in your Express Tools, is one and you'll find custom lisp routines written by other users that will do the same thing or similar.

 

I don't find tables more troubling. Then again, since DATALINK came along I no longer cut and paste my spreadsheets either.

 

Redefine the F1 key. Read this...http://usa.autodesk.com/adsk/servlet/ps/dl/item?siteID=123112&id=7340104&linkID=9240617

 

Working with Linetypes by Ralph Grabowski - Part 1....http://www.upfrontezine.com/tailor/tailor15.htm

 

And for Part 2 click here...http://www.upfrontezine.com/tailor/tailor16.htm

 

Re: Aliases and the acad.pgp file. If you don't run the REINIT command after making edits to the file then the changes you made will not take affect. If you edit acad.pgp while inside AutoCAD rather than outside of it the feature automatically issues the REINIT command for you after saving your edits.

Edited March 22, 2012 by ReMark

[dsw283]

Re: Aliases and the acad.pgp file. If you don't run the REINIT command after making edits to the file then the changes you made will not take affect. If you edit acad.pgp while inside AutoCAD rather than outside of it the feature automatically issues the REINIT command for you after saving your edits.

 

I am running the REINIT afterwards that is what was confusing me. After I open up an older drawing it resets the list back to the original. I have the same problem with my snaps quite often as they will reset, and I will have reset those as well using Restore Osnap.

 

 

Also I do not have the cancel command under redoing the F1 hot key. I'm assuming I will have to call tech support on this one then.

[SLW210]

Are you editing the correct /pgp?

 

(findfile "acad.pgp")

on the command line.

 

or

 

(startapp "notepad" (findfile "acad.pgp"))

to open the correct file in Notepad.

 

Could be you have something in your acad.lsp or acaddoc.lsp resetting. What is _ACADLSPASDOC =?

[dsw283]

Yes I believe I'm editing the right one, as I can use the command on new drawings but after opening a previous drawing that is not open at the time when I make these changes it resets everything.

 

My _ACADLSPASDOC = is at 0.

[ReMark]

If you do your edits from within AutoCAD there is no chance you would open the wrong one. Look on the Ribbon...Manage tab, Customization panel, and the Edit Aliases icon. BINGO!

[dsw283]

Haha, I wish that was the problem but that is where I make all my changes at, as it is the simplest to access. I think the problem is somewhere else as I have to reset my snaps quite often as well as they do the same type of thing. Unless other people experience that same problem.

[ReMark]

I think I reset my snaps maybe once a year. Don't know why you would have to constantly reset yours drawing to drawing.

 

Is update 1 installed?

[SLW210]

What does the command line show loading when you open a drawing?

[dsw283]

Yes I had to double check if it was but it is currently installed.

[dsw283]

I do have a dinosaur for a computer but I don't think that would be the problem. I seem to have fixed the problem, althought it may be temporary but I just did saved as and went that route instead of just save. But thanks for the help.