Topic: attribute import

[gatorcadd]

okay, everyone here seems to know how to export the attributes to an excel file.  i have an excel file that i want to get the information from and assign it to the default value of my attribute.

it is a plant label, and the excel file lists in one column the plant name (botanical), another plant name (common), the size and other information like 6' ht, x 4' spread, and stuff like that.  i have the block ready to go, but dont know how to reverse attribute export.  how do i do it other than copy clipping every one of them?

is there a way or a lisp or something that will go and get the information for me and let me click on the attibute, then flip to the excel file and let me link the information?

a great big help is needed...

[Murphy]

Does the list of plant names contain only unique items?

You can have it so you can select from a list of names and it will get the remaining info from Excel.

[gatorcadd]

no the excel file is just made up of text in each cell.  what i wanted to do was link the cells to the block attribute or at the very least import the information into cad so i can access it.  then i will need to attach it to an attribute.  the problem is that i have the attributes set up and dont know how to apply the information into the default box of the block attribute.

to simplify, i want to cut the information from excel and paste it into the default value of the attribute.  then i will save the block as a dwg and import in another dwg.  i probably will never change the value of the attribute, but the block has like 8 values assigned to it like price, size, spacing, etc.

[Murphy]

Sorry, I guess I didn't make my question very clear.

Is your Excel file setup so that the column full of plant names is unique

For example:

Botanical         common     value      value    value
Botanical1       uncommon  value      value    value

^This column is the one I need to know if it contains unique items or not.

Basically, we can show you how to setup a window to show the users items in the first column. If they are unique then it will fill out the rest of the attributes from there. If they are not unique then you will have to present the next choice on down through to fill out the attributes.

[V-Man]

Here play with this. This works both ways. It allows you select a block and the attributes are inserted into Excel. Then you can edit/change the attributes and place back into Autocad.

[gatorcadd]

okay, that was sweet...

is there a way to import the text into acad from excel, and then split it into two separate words.  this is what i have done, as it is trial and error...

the botanical name for a coconut palm is cocos nucifera.  that is in one cell in excel.  i didnt think to make two cells one for genus and one for species...

when i copy clip the text into cad, it comes in as text with two words.  i want to pick the first and apply it to the botanical1 attribute and the second to botanical2 attribute...

is there a thingy out there to let me explode the text into two words?

thanks for the file, it works great...