564 Part III Working with Data

Working with Attributes

Your drawings do not exist in a vacuum. The objects in your drawing represent real objects. These objects have characteristics that you cannot visually represent in a drawing, such as cost, manufacturer, date purchased, and so on. Attributes are labels that are attached to blocks. Using attributes, you can attach labels with pertinent data to blocks. You can then extract the data and import it into a database program or spreadsheet, or even redisplay the data in an AutoCAD table.

Attributes can also be used to place text relative to blocks. A common example is to use attributes for completing title block information, such as the drawing name, drawing number, date, scale, revision number, drafter, and so on. In this case, your plan is not to extract the data at all; you just use the attributes to help you precisely place the text in the title block. By inserting fields into these attributes (in AutoCAD only), you can gain another benefit from

attributes: automating the creation of title block text. For more information, see the discussion of fields in Chapter 13.

Attributes have several limitations. For example, they can only be attached to blocks (either regular or dynamic). However, you can create a dummy block that contains only attributes. The database features are also limited. Nevertheless, attributes are quite useful for simple database needs, as well as for placing text.

Defining an attribute creates a template into which you can place values when you insert the block. You define a tag that is equivalent to a field or category in a database. When you insert the block, you’re prompted for the tag’s value. For example, if your tag is COST, the value may be 865.79. This template is called an attribute definition.

Creating attribute definitions

The first procedure when working with attributes is to draw the individual objects that are to make up the block. The exception is when you want to create attributes without creating any other objects in the block. You might do this to extract attributes that apply to the drawing as a whole.

After you have the objects, choose Draw Block Define Attributes to start the ATTDEF command. The Attribute Definition dialog box opens, as shown in Figure 18-31.

Figure 18-31: The Attribute Definition dialog box.

Mode section

The Mode section of the dialog box sets certain attribute properties, including visibility and default value. These properties are shown in Table 18-5.

Attribute section

In the Attribute section of the dialog box, specify the Tag, which is the name of the attribute. You use this tag when you extract the attributes. A tag is equivalent to a field in a database. For example, if you import the data into a spreadsheet the tags would be the column heads. The tag name cannot include spaces or exclamation points (!) and is converted to uppercase letters.

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The Prompt is simply a plain-English version of the tag. The prompt asks you for the value of the attribute. For example, if the tag is PUR_DATE, you could define the prompt as Date Purchased.

Text Options section

Use the Text Options settings to format the text. Choose a justification and text style from the drop-down list boxes. When you set the height, be sure to take into account the scale factor. You can also set a rotation angle for the text.

Insertion Point section

In the Insertion Point section, check the Specify On-Screen check box to specify the insertion point in your drawing. Uncheck the same checkbox if you want to pre-specify coordinates.

If you’re using the attributes to place text in a schedule or title block, then the placement is obviously very important. If you’re inserting invisible attributes, simply place them near the block. If you’re creating more than one attribute for a block, place the attribute so that there is room for the other attributes underneath. When you’ve completed the entire dialog box, click OK. If you chose to specify the insertion point in the drawing, specify the point to insert the attribute.

Creating the block

Name the block and define the block’s insertion point as you would normally. Generally, you want to check Delete because you have no need for the block with the attribute tags in your drawing.

After you create the block, you cannot edit the attributes in the Properties palette. I cover other techniques for editing attributes later in this chapter.

STEPS: Creating Attributes

1.Open ab18-h.dwg from the CD-ROM. This is a plan of an office building zoomed in to one office. A file containing one set of office furniture has been inserted, as shown in Figure 18-32.

2.Save the drawing as ab18-08.dwg in your AutoCAD Bible folder.

3.Choose Explode from the Modify toolbar, select the furniture in the office, and press Enter. This block has nested blocks. Choose the chair and explode it again to get its component objects.

4.Choose Draw Block Define Attributes. In the Attribute Definition dialog box, check Invisible in the Mode section.

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5.In the Attribute section, enter the following:

Tag: mfr

Prompt: Manufacturer

Value: American Office Furniture

6.Leave the Text Options as they are. Make sure that the Specify On-Screen check box is checked and click OK. Pick point 1 in Figure 18-32.

7.Repeat the ATTDEF command. Check the Align below previous attribute definition check box. Enter the following:

Tag: pur_date

Prompt: Date purchased

Value: 3/91

8.Click OK.

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Figure 18-32: An office with a set of office furniture.

9.Choose Make Block from the Draw toolbar. In the Name text box, type armchair. Click Select Objects. Select the entire chair along with the two attributes. End selection. The dialog box shows that 18 objects are selected. Choose Pick Point. Use the Endpoint object snap to choose 2 as the base point. Check Delete. Click OK.

10.A message asks whether you want to redefine the block because there is already a block definition with the same name in the drawing. Choose Yes.

11.Save your drawing. If you’re continuing on to the next exercise, leave the drawing open.

Inserting blocks with attributes

After you define a block with attributes, you insert it as you would any block. Your drawing automatically detects the existence of the attributes and prompts you for their values.

STEPS: Inserting Blocks with Attributes

1.Use ab18-08.dwg if you have it open from the previous exercise. Otherwise, open it from the Results folder of the CD-ROM.

2.Save the drawing as ab18-09.dwg in your AutoCAD Bible folder.

3.Type attdia . If it’s currently set to 0, type 1 .

4.Choose Insert Block from the Draw toolbar. Chose ARMCHAIR from the Name drop-down list. Verify that the Specify On-screen option is checked only for Insertion Point, and click OK.

5.Pick a point in front of the desk (turn off OSNAP if necessary) to insert the armchair, and open the Enter Attributes dialog box, as shown in Figure 18-33. The values that were entered when the attributes were defined are displayed, but you can change them.

Figure 18-33: The Enter Attributes dialog box.

6.The default values exist because most of the furniture was purchased at one time when the office was opened. However, let’s assume that this chair was purchased recently. Change the purchase date to 3/05. Click OK. Because the attributes are invisible, you see only the chair, but the values do exist in the drawing database.

7.Save the drawing.

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Editing attributes

You can edit the properties of the attribute tags before you create the block, by using the Properties palette or DDEDIT (choose Modify Object Text Edit). If you have AutoCAD, after you create the block, use the Block Attribute Manager. The Block Attribute Manager manages all properties of block attributes in one place. Use the Block Attribute Manager and its Edit Attribute dialog box to edit any aspect of block attributes. If you have AutoCAD LT, use the Edit Attributes dialog box (ATTEDIT command).

Editing attribute properties in AutoCAD

After you insert a block and give values to its attributes, you can modify the following:

Attribute prompt order

Tag and prompt names

Attribute visibility

Text options

Properties (layer, linetype, color, lineweight, and plot style)

Attribute value

After you make your changes, you can update all of the blocks in your drawing to reflect the changes.

Choose Modify Object Attribute Block Attribute Manager to start the BATTMAN command and open the Block Attribute Manager, as shown in Figure 18-34.

Figure 18-34: The Block Attribute Manager.

From the Block drop-down list in the Block Attribute Manager, choose the block whose attribute values you want to change. You can also click Select block to select the block in your drawing. Use the Block Attribute Manager to:

Change the order of the attribute prompts when you insert a block with attributes.

Choose any attribute from the list in the Block Attribute Manager, and click Move Down or Move Up. Continue to use this procedure until you have the order that you want.

Delete an attribute. Choose it and click Remove.

Change which attribute properties are listed in the Block Attribute Manager. Click Settings. In the Settings dialog box, click all of the properties that you want to see listed. For example, you can include columns for layer, style (text style), and color. Click OK.

Edit the attributes, including prompt, default, text display, and properties. Click Edit to open the Edit Attribute dialog box, as shown in Figure 18-35.

Update all of the blocks in your drawing to reflect the changes that you’ve made.

Click Sync. Usually you do this after using the Edit Attribute dialog box. Because changes such as attribute order and mode affect only new insertions of the block, this update brings existing blocks into concordance with new blocks.

Figure 18-35: The Edit Attribute dialog box.

Use the Edit Attribute dialog box to edit all of the properties of individual attributes. This dialog box has three tabs:

Attribute: Allows you to change the mode and attribute properties. For example, in the Mode section, you can change the visibility of attributes. In the Data section, you can change the tag, prompt, and default. You can right-click the Default text box and choose Insert Field to use a field. (See Chapter 13 for a discussion of fields.)

Text Options: Allows you to change text style, height, justification, and so on.

Properties: Allows you to change attribute layer, color, linetype, and so on.

After you finish making changes, click OK in the Edit Attribute dialog box to return to the Block Attribute Manager. Click OK to return to your drawing.

When you create invisible attributes, you can’t edit them because you can’t select them.

The ATTDISP command controls attribute visibility globally, for all attributes in your drawing. Choose View Display Attribute Display and choose one of the following options. The currently active option is checked on the menu.

Normal: Attributes that were created as visible are visible. Attributes that were created as invisible are invisible. This is the default option.

On: All attributes are visible.

Off: All attributes are invisible.

Changing the current option causes your drawing to regenerate.

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You may need to change the values of an attribute. Perhaps you entered the wrong purchase date or a part number has changed. Choose Modify Object Attribute Single to start the EATTEDIT command, and select the block containing the attributes that you want to change. You see the Enhanced Attribute Editor, as shown in Figure 18-36.

Figure 18-36: The Enhanced Attribute Editor.

As you can see, the Enhanced Attribute Editor is similar to the Edit Attribute dialog box. For example, it has the same three tabs. However, the Attribute tab enables you to change attribute values, something that you can’t do in the Edit Attribute dialog box. To change an attribute’s value, select it and type a new value in the Value text box. In AutoCAD only, you can right-click the Value text box and choose Insert Field to use a field. (See Chapter 13 for more about fields.)

The Text Options and Properties tabs of the Enhanced Attribute Editor are the same as in the Edit Attributes dialog box.

Editing attribute properties in AutoCAD and AutoCAD LT

In both AutoCAD and AutoCAD LT, you can change attribute values using the ATTEDIT command to open the Edit Attributes dialog box, as shown in Figure 18-37.

Figure 18-37: The Edit Attributes dialog box.

If a block has a number of attributes and you want to change them all in order, this dialog box makes it easy to go through all of the attributes quickly. Press Tab to go to the next attribute.

In AutoCAD LT, one way to change attribute properties is to explode the block and doubleclick the attribute. This starts the DDEDIT command and opens the Edit Attribute Definition dialog box, where you can change the tag, prompt, and default value. You can then redefine the block. This method works in AutoCAD, but is not necessary if you use the Block Attribute Manager, as explained in the previous section.

To edit attributes on the command line, type -attedit. At the Edit attributes one at a time? [Yes/No] <Y>: prompt, select the Yes option. This command then prompts you for changes in attribute values and properties, such as position, text style, color, and so on.

Making global changes in attributes

In both AutoCAD and AutoCAD LT, you can also use the -ATTEDIT command on the command line to make global changes. If you answer No to the Edit attributes one at a time? [Yes/No] <Y>: prompt, you can make global changes to attribute values. For example, you can change all instances of A- in your part numbers to B-. You can even change invisible attribute values.

To use -ATTEDIT to make global changes, follow these steps:

1.Choose Modify Object Attribute Global.

2.At the Edit attributes one at a time? [Yes/No] <Y>: prompt, type n .

3.At the Edit only attributes visible on screen? [Yes/No] <Y>: prompt, answer y or n , as desired. If you answer n to edit invisible attributes, then you must know the attribute text string that you want to change because it is invisible.

4.At the Enter block name specification <*>: prompt, you can type a block name to limit the changes to one block, or press Enter to include any block.

5.At the Enter attribute tag specification <*>: prompt, you can type a tag to limit the changes to one tag type, or press Enter to include any tag.

6.At the Enter attribute value specification <*>: prompt, you can type a value to limit the changes to one value, or press Enter to include any value.

7.If you chose to edit only attributes that are visible on-screen, you see the Select Attributes: prompt. (If not, skip to Step 8.) Pick each attribute that you want to modify, or use a window. Press Enter to end selection. If you include other objects or blocks that do not fit the block name, attribute tag, or attribute value specifications that you made, then these other objects are not selected. The command line informs you of how many attributes were selected.

8.At the Enter string to change: prompt, type the text string (any consecutive text) that you want to change.

9.At the Enter new string: prompt, type the text string that will replace the old string.

If you chose to edit attributes that are not visible on the screen, the drawing regenerates, and the command line lists the changes that it made.

Redefining attributes

You can redefine a block with attributes to include different objects and attributes, using the ATTREDEF command. Redefining a block lets you add or delete attributes or redefine a block that contains attributes. Follow these steps:

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AutoCAD LT does not include this feature. Instead, explode the block and start from scratch. You can also use the DDEDIT command to change attributes after you explode a block.

1.Explode one of the blocks with attributes. If there are nested blocks that you want to change, explode them, too.

2.If you want to add attributes, define and place them. Delete unwanted attributes. Make any other changes that you want to the objects.

3.Type attredef .

4.At the Enter name of Block you wish to redefine: prompt, type the name of the block.

5.At the Select objects for new Block...: prompt, select the objects and the attributes that you want to include. Do not include any existing attributes that you want to delete.

6.At the Specify insertion base point of new Block: prompt, pick the base point for the block.

Here’s how your drawing handles the changes:

STEPS: Editing Attributes

1.Open ab18-i.dwg from the CD-ROM.

2.Save the file as ab18-10.dwg in your AutoCAD Bible folder. This is a portion of an office building plan layout, as shown in Figure 18-38.

3.Choose Modify Object Attribute Single.

•If you have AutoCAD: At the Select a block: prompt, In the Value text box of the Enhanced Attribute Editor, change the date purchased to 4/97.

•If you have AutoCAD LT: At the Select block reference: prompt, pick the chair at 1 in Figure 18-38. In the Edit Attributes dialog box, change the date purchased to 4/97.

Notice that the manufacturer is American Office Furniture. Because these attributes are invisible, you can’t see the result in the drawing. Click OK.

4.To see the attributes, choose View Display Attribute Display On. You can now see the attributes for the chair, as well as nearby attributes for the desk. To turn off the attributes, repeat the process, this time choosing the Normal option.

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Figure 18-38: An office building plan layout.

5.Choose Modify Object Attribute Global. Follow the prompts:

Edit attributes one at a time? [Yes/No] <Y>: n

Performing global editing of attribute values.

Edit only attributes visible on screen? [Yes/No] <Y>: n

Drawing must be regenerated afterwards.

Enter block name specification <*>: armchair Enter attribute tag specification <*>: Enter attribute value specification <*>:

6 attributes selected.

Enter string to change: American

Enter new string: Acme (Press F2 to hide the text window if it is open.)

6.Choose Explode from the Modify toolbar and select the chair at 1 in Figure 18-38. Press Enter to end selection. The attributes reappear, but without their values. Choose Draw Block Define Attributes. Create an invisible attribute with a tag and prompt of Color, and a value of Dusty Blue. Click OK and pick an insertion point underneath the other two attributes of the armchair. (You’ll need to pan down a little. Exact placement is not important.) Choose OK.

7.To redefine the block, do one of the following:

If you have AutoCAD: Type attredef . Follow the prompts:

Enter name of Block you wish to redefine: armchair

Select objects for new Block...Select objects: Use a window to select the chair and the three attributes. Press Enter to end selection.

Specify insertion base point of new Block: Use an endpoint object snap to pick the endpoint at 2.

If you have AutoCAD LT: Choose Make Block from the Draw toolbar. In the Name text box, enter armchair. Click the Pick Point button and use an endpoint object snap to pick the endpoint at 2. Click the Select Objects button and select all of the objects that make up the chair, and then the three attributes. Press Enter to end selection. In the Objects section, choose the Delete option. Click OK. Click Yes to redefine the block.

The armchair block disappears.

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8.Choose Insert Block. In the Insert dialog box, choose armchair from the Name dropdown list. With Specify On-screen checked only for Insertion Point, click OK. Insert the chair at 2. In the Enter Attributes dialog box, click OK to accept the values, or press Enter to accept the values on the command line.

9.AutoCAD only: To verify that your drawing has redefined the block elsewhere, choose Modify Object Attribute Single. Select the block at 3. Notice that the Color tag has been added with a value of Dusty Blue. Click OK to accept the values. (In AutoCAD LT, the new attribute appears only in the block that you redefined, and new blocks that you insert.)

10.Use Zoom Window to zoom in closely to the telephone at 4 in Figure 18-38. The telephone has a visible attribute of the phone number. The number is so small that it cannot usually be seen, and so does not interfere with the drawing.

11.To modify the properties of this attribute, do one of the following:

If you have AutoCAD: Choose Modify Object Attribute Block Attribute Manager. From the Block drop-down list, choose Phone. Click Edit. On the Attribute tab of the Edit Attribute dialog box, change the prompt to Extension. On the Text Options tab, choose Fit from the Justification drop-down list. On the Properties tab, choose Blue (if you’re using a white background) or Cyan (if you’re using a black background) from

the Color drop-down list. Click OK twice to return to your drawing. The text of the phone extension is now blue and fills up the entire rectangle on the phone.

If you have AutoCAD LT: Choose Modify Object Attribute Global. Follow the prompts:

Edit attributes one at a time? [Yes/No] <Y>: Enter block name specification <*>:

Enter attribute tag specification <*>: Enter attribute value specification <*>:

Select Attributes: Select the phone number.

Select Attributes: 1 attributes selected.

Enter an option [Value/Position/Height/Angle/Style/Layer/Color/Next] <N>: c

Enter new color <BYLAYER>: blue (or enter cyan if you are using a black screen).

Enter an option [Value/Position/Height/Angle/Style/Layer/Color/Next] <N>:

The phone number is now blue.

12.Choose Zoom Previous from the Standard toolbar. Save the drawing.

The Express Tools command BURST (choose Express Blocks Explode Attributes to Text) converts attributes to text. Apply the ATTOUT and ATTIN commands (choose Express Blocks Export). Attribute Information and Import Attribute Information work together to enable you to edit attributes in another program. For example, ATTOUT creates a tab-delimited file that you can open in Notepad or Excel. When you use ATTIN, existing blocks are updated with the new attribute information.

Extracting a database from attributes

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Click Next to go to the next screen, Select Attributes, as shown in Figure 18-40. Here you choose the blocks with which you want to work, along with their attributes. You can also choose from a number of standard data-extraction fields, such as the coordinates, scale, and layer of the block. These fields are described in the table in the sidebar “Creating a Template File the OldFashioned Way.”

Figure 18-40: The Select Attributes screen of the Attribute

Extraction Wizard.

First, select the blocks with which you want to work. Right-click and choose Uncheck All or Check All if you want to check or uncheck only one or two from the list. You can include general block properties, such as layer, color, X position, and Y position. To view these properties, uncheck the Exclude General Block Properties option check box. If you want to extract only the attributes that you’ve created, make sure that this check box is checked. Click Next when you’re done.

On the Finalize Output screen, you can view the extracted attributes. You can sort the list according to any column by clicking that column. You can also change the order of the columns by dragging them to the left or right. Click Full Preview to see the data in its final form.

In the Extract Attribute Data To section, check the output that you want to create. You can output to an AutoCAD table, an external file, or both. You can create the following types of files:

CSV (Comma Delimited) (*.csv): Lists its attribute values with a comma between each value. Most spreadsheets and databases can import this format.

Tab Delimited File (*.txt): This is like a CSV file, except that there is a tab between each attribute value.

Microsoft Excel (*.xls): Creates an Excel spreadsheet.

Microsoft Access Database (*.mdb): Creates an Access database file.

To continue, click Next.

If you choose to export to a table, on the next screen, you can choose a table title and style. If you don’t have a table style (except the default, Standard), click the Ellipsis (. . .) button to open the Table Style dialog box. Click New to create a new table style. When you have chosen a table title and style, click Next.

The Finish screen lets you create and save a template file. You can then use the template in the future to ensure that you extract attributes with the same settings. If you don’t want to save a template, click Finish. To save a template, click Save Template to open the Save As dialog box. Here you can specify the name and location of the template. The file name extension is .blk. Click Save. Then click Finish.

If you chose to create a table, you see the table at the cursor, and the Specify insertion point: prompt. Specify a location to place the table. If you chose to create an external file, you see a message on the command line that looks something like the following:

External file “C:\AutoCAD Bible\Ch18\ab18-08.xls” was successfully created.

Creating a Template File the Old-Fashioned Way

With AutoCAD’s Attribute Extraction Wizard, you don’t need to create templates “by hand.” You can still create templates on your own, but you must use the ATTEXT command to extract them. If you have AutoCAD LT, you must use the following method.

Create the template file in a text editor such as Windows Notepad. The template file contains two columns. The first is the name of the attribute tag. The second is a format code that specifies whether the data is a character or number, how many spaces to allow for the data, and the decimal precision to use. The format code uses the following syntax:

TWWWPPP

where T is the data type (either N for numeral or C for character), WWW is the width, including commas and decimal points, and PPP is the precision. For integers and all character data, use 000 as the precision.

For example, you would use N006002 for costs that range up to $999.99. The N means that the data is numeric, 006 means that you will have up to six spaces, including the decimal point, and the 002 means that you have precision to two decimal places.

In addition to information from your attributes, you can extract certain standard fields from the drawing’s database. The table that follows lists these fields and their formatting.

Continued

580 Part III Working with Data

Continued

The block number is a number given to the blocks that you select when extracting the data. The block handle is a unique alphanumeric code given to all objects in your drawing; to see a block’s handle, use the LIST command and select the block. Handles are used for referring to objects when you write AutoLISP or other programming code. The extrusion data is used for 3D drawing. See Chapter 24 for an explanation of extrusion.

Template files are quite finicky. Here are the rules that you should follow:

You must include at least one attribute tag in your template.

Each row must be unique — don’t include the same attribute more than once.

You must use only spaces to line up the two columns — no tabs! (Lining up the two columns just makes it easier to read.)

End each line with a return, including the last line.

Don’t put any extra spaces after any line, or any extra returns after the last return that is after the last line of text.

Each row in the template file becomes a column in the resulting output file. If you choose spacedelimited form for the output file, then spaces do not automatically appear between the columns; as a result, the output files are hard to read. You can place dummy rows in the template file for the purpose of creating spaces in the resulting columns. A typical dummy row looks like this:

DUMMY1 C002000

Because each row must be unique, if you need another dummy row, call it DUMMY2. This row creates a blank column of two spaces in the output file.

The figure shows a typical template file that tracks the company division, as well as the furniture’s manufacturer, purchase date, cost, and color.

After you’re done, save the file with a file name extension of .txt. To use the file, you must use the ATTEXT command, which opens the Attribute Extraction dialog box. In this dialog box, click Template File and choose the file that you created. Choose the file format that you want to create, and name the output file. Then click OK to extract the attributes.

STEPS: Extracting Attribute Data in AutoCAD

1.Open ab18-j.dwg from the CD-ROM. This is the same office building plan that you used earlier in this chapter, shown in Figure 18-41. Save the drawing as ab18-11.dwg in your AutoCAD Bible folder. Change the current layer to 0.

2.Choose Tools Attribute Extraction to open the Attribute Extraction Wizard.

3.The Create Table or External File from Scratch option should be selected on the Begin screen. Click Next.

4.On the next screen, the Current Drawing option should be selected. Click Next.

5.On the Select Attributes screen, right-click on the Blocks list and choose Uncheck All. Then check Armchair. On the right side, uncheck the Exclude General Block Properties check box. In the Properties for Checked Blocks list, check the following:

•COLOR

•MFR

•Position X

•Position Y

•PUR_DATE

•Rotation

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Figure 18-41: The office building plan includes several blocks of armchairs with invisible attributes.

6.Click Next.

7.You should see the data with each attribute in its own column. Click Full Preview to see all of the data, and then close the Preview window.

8.In the Extract Attribute Data To section, check both check boxes: AutoCAD Table and External File. Click the Ellipsis button next to the External File text box. In the Save As dialog box, navigate to your AutoCAD Bible folder. From the Files of Type drop-down list, choose *.csv. Leave the default name (ab18-11.csv) and click Save. (If you have Microsoft Excel or Access, you can choose the appropriate file type for one of those applications.) Click Next.

9.On the Table Style screen, type Armchair Data in the Enter a Title for Your Table text box. The table style should be set to Office. Click Next.

10.On the Finish screen, click Save Template. Save the file as ab18-11.blk in your AutoCAD Bible folder. Click Save. Click Finish in the wizard.

11.At the warning message that explains that manual edits to the table will be lost when you refresh the data in the table and asks if you want to continue inserting the table, click Yes.

12.On the command line, you see a message that the CSV file was successfully created. You also see a Specify insertion point: prompt for the table. Pick a point to the right of the floor plan to insert the table.

13.To view the CSV file, open Windows Explorer and double-click ab18-11.csv in your AutoCAD Bible folder. It should open in Microsoft Excel or another application that opens CSV files on your system. The data should look like Figure 18-42.

14.Save your drawing.

STEPS: Extracting Attribute Data in AutoCAD LT

1.Open ab18-j.dwg from the CD-ROM. This is the same office building plan that you used earlier in this chapter, shown in Figure 18-41.

2.Type attext to open the Attribute Extraction dialog box.

3.Choose the Space Delimited File (SDF) option.

4.Choose Select Objects. Pick the eight armchairs in the lobby and the three offices. Press Enter to end selection.

5.Choose Template File. In the Template File dialog box, navigate to and choose ab18- j.txt from the CD-ROM. Click Open.

6.Choose Output File. In the Output File dialog box, choose your AutoCAD Bible folder and name the file ab18-11.txt. Click Save.

7.Click OK. The command line displays the message 8 records in extract file.

8.To view the output file, choose Start Run from the Windows task bar. Type Notepad and click Run. In Notepad, choose File Open, and locate the ab18-11.txt file in your AutoCAD Bible folder. Click Open.

This exercise shows how to extract attributes using space-delimited format. This format is easier to import into AutoCAD by copying and pasting. However, comma-delimited format is easier to import into most spreadsheet programs.