Tuesday, June 29, 2010

How to Insert Excel Tables With Data Link

In the last few years I have noticed that some techs and engineers insert drainage and storm tables, created in excel, as PDF files or even do a copy and past into their drawings. I am sure some of you do the paste special option and select AutoCAD entities or Microsoft chart option.




Tonight I will show you another way to insert excel tables with the data link command. If you type the command DATALINK the data link manager will appear. Click on the “Create new excel sheet” and small dialog box will appear asking you for a data link name. I typically provide the project number then the table name such Prop Storm or Ex Storm.




BE SURE TO TURN OFF YOUR PREVIEW
The New Excel Data Link dialog box will appear. You will first browse to your excel sheet. Then select the sheet or tab that you want to use . !. The reason I say this is because it has a tendency to bog down when trying to display your table in a small preview area.





Next select the area that you want to insert.  I have provided a short video presentation on how to insert the able that you just create. The data link command will definitely be a helpful way to add storm and drainage area tables into you plans. I hope this information will be help improve production time.



6 comments:

  1. This seems to be more complex than paste special/link. Does it provide any more benefit?

    ReplyDelete
  2. The paste special/link works great if you pick the autocad entities option but if you pick the Microsoft worksheet it will add your data as an ole object which, if i remember right, does not allow you to update the data. If you pick autocad entities your data is added as a table which has an update link option. With datalink you will not have to re-insert your table or data if you had made changes to excel sheet. You can simply just type the command datalink, and select your file, right click and pick Edit and change the link range and your table will update. This comes in handy when your tables keeps getting larger. One thing you need to do is create a table style that works for what you are doing such as drainage area or storm calculation table. If you don't, your table could come in pretty messed up. Anyways i hope this clears some things up. This is only just another alternative to added excel tables. Thank you for our comment and reading my post.:)

    ReplyDelete
  3. I use the OLE option and when I update my Excel file, the OLE object is updated in my dwg. Since my excel files have formulas, I prefer to update Excel. I do like the ability to change the link range with your option, I'll keep it in mind. Thanks for posting the reply. I learned something today, yea!

    ReplyDelete
  4. hmm wow i didn't know that the ole object would update. I also learned something new. Oh yeah one of the reason I do tables or datalinks was because we were having problems printing plans that had ole options in them.

    ReplyDelete
  5. IS THERE A WAY TO DETACH THE ONES I NO LONGER WANT?

    ReplyDelete
  6. yes type datalink, and a smallpull down will appear. right click on the table you want delete and select delete.

    ReplyDelete