Simple Database Search and Retrieve System Required

[Ethica]

This is my first post. Although I feel like I may have posted on this forum before. I've definitely used the advice I've found here in the past.

 

I have a question that CAD users who deal with vast quantities of drawings might have some answers to.

 

I work for a company that has a database of scanned drawings some of which date back nearly 200 years. There are over 10,000, mostly in a .rlc file type. Since AutoCAD has been around there are also a few thousand .dwg files on our server.

 

We used to search through the drawings using a program that someone here wrote. You'd type in a search term in 1 or more of the fields and it'd bring up a list of relevant drawings. You could then click on any of them for a preview and then save to your local hard drive or where ever.

 

Unfortunately, the old program doesn't work on windows 7 and the server it's on is also being updated so we need to migrate everything to a new server and we need a new method of doing the same thing as the old program did.

 

Apparently the database information is in a standard format SQL database or something and I've seen an excel spreadsheet that shows all the fields and the data.

 

A rep came along and showed us Autodesk Vault which seemed very nice, but a total overkill for what we need to be able to do, not to mention that it would cost a fortune every year to have.

 

So basically does anyone use, or know of a simply program that can replace our old one? Ideally it could preview the rlc files but that is probabaly a very specific function for what would otherwise only need to be a very basic search and retrieve type program.

 

Thanks in advance for any help on this.

[Dadgad]

Welcome to CADTutor.

You might check out this amazing lisp by Lee Mac, on his wonderful website,

 

http://www.lee-mac.com/bfind.html

 

look at the SEARCH ONLY option described.

 

Thanks Lee!

[Ethica]

I don't think that's going to be any use, because the .rlc files are merely raster images with no objects in them.

 

But a great tool none the less.

[Dadgad]

Whoops! Sorry about that, I just noticed that you are using LT too, and so are unable to use lisp.

Be patient somebody will be able to help you.

[BIGAL]

It sounds like you will have to dump your old database out in a supported format like csv, then go down the path of a new database engine maybe Access. We use a proprietry package and they keep updating its independant of Autocad. Your choice of database needs to have the ability to externally view your rlc files. You can get Autocad to automatically open a dwg its just a case of invoking it at the WIN 7 command level it would be something like "C:\Program Files\Autodesk\AutoCAD Civil 3D 2013\acad.exe" /P > K:\\server1\projects\freds\drawing56b.

 

From a corporate point of view we run a system called Dataworks it lets you record everything letters, emails, view images etc.

 

Bottom line talk to a document management software company.