Using Windows Search for Information Inside Drawings

[07lodgeT]

Hello,

 

Is there a way of searching across a number of AutoCAD files for files containing particular text? This used to be possible in Windows XP, but does now not work in Windows 7 annoyingly. We have thousands of DWG files that have been drawn up over the past 20 years and to be able to search for a particular text string in a file would be hugely beneficial, such as part numbers and job numbers etc.

 

We are running Windows 7 and AutoCAD 2018 LT.

 

Can this be done with our current setup, or is there a another program we could use? I believe Autodesk Content Explorer used to serve this function, but has now been discontinued.

 

Your help would be greatly appreciated.

[Dadgad]

Welcome to CADTutor 07lodgeT.

 

When in doubt, check Lee Mac out.

 

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

 

Thanks Lee!

 

Better yet, before you are in doubt, check out his incredible offerings preemptively.

Whoops, you are using LT, no lisp!

Do you have access to a non LT machine on which you could use this?

Edited July 4, 2017 by Dadgad

[07lodgeT]

Welcome to CADTutor 07lodgeT.

 

When in doubt, check Lee Mac out.

 

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

 

Thanks Lee!

 

Better yet, before you are in doubt, check out his incredible offerings preemptively.

 

Thanks for that, unfortunately Autocad LT doesn't support LISP or VB

[BIGAL]

"FINDSTR" is for text files it is a Windows command line operating system option. There may be a binary version. Else you will need a compiled .net version of something like bfind.

 

Findstr VLA *.lsp

[SLW210]

There is a DwgSearch tool in DotSoft's ToolPac available at Dotsoft.com. Perhaps you can contact them to get just the DwgSearch function.