How to import Excel into AutoCAD 2000?

Hi all,

I am trying to import Excel into several AutoCAD 2000 drawings. In addition, I also want to get all the CAD drawings updated at the same time when I edit the excel file.

Can I use external references to do the job? Or I may stil need additional software like Auto XLS Table? And how to do that? Can anyone help me?

Thanks a lot.

hjcl,

It is very easy to "Copy" (Control-C) the file while in Excel, the switch to your AutoCAD in a separate window, then "Paste" (Control-V). You will get a reference image to the spreadsheet, that can only be edited with Excel.

If you want to convert the spreadsheet to an Autocad drawing, first copy the spreadsheet to a program such as Microsoft Powerpoint (a program that can convert the Excel file to the Windows Metafile format (*.wmf). Save the Powerpoint file as a metafile, then go to Autocad and click "Insert", "Windows Metafile", and browse to the Excel metafile *.wmf. Then you can edit it with normal AutoCAD commands.

hjcl said:

... I also want to get all the CAD drawings updated at the same time when I edit the excel file..

Click to expand...

Are you saying you want live changes in cad? ...if you make a change in excel then the page you have link (a cad drawing) will change on your .dwg file?

You are right. Live update on all the links is what I want.
I am still trying to find the way.

Thanks to all you replies.

….at least you don’t want much

from the AutoCAD 2000 Help file:

Importing OLE Objects into AutoCAD
There are two methods you can use to import information from other applications that support OLE into an AutoCAD LT drawing: embedding or linking. Embedded information is not updated when the original document changes. Linked information is updated when the original document changes.

You control the display of OLE objects in two ways:

• OLE objects are inserted in an AutoCAD LT drawing on the current layer. Turn off or freeze a layer to suppress the display of OLE objects on that layer.
• Set the system variable OLEHIDE to display or suppress the display of all OLE objects in paper space, model space, or both.

OLE objects in AutoCAD LT are not displayed or plotted in external references or block references. Also, on Microsoft Windows system printers, OLE objects do not respond to changes in plot rotation. Use the system printer’s landscape mode instead.

Linking Objects
A linked object is a reference to information in another document. Link objects when you want to use the same information in more than one document. Then, if you change the original information, you need to update only the links in order to update the document containing the OLE objects. You can also set links to be updated automatically.

When you link a drawing, you need to maintain access to the server application and the linked document. If you rename or move either of them, you may need to reestablish the link.

Linking Objects in AutoCAD Drawings
To link an entire file to an AutoCAD drawing

1. Open the AutoCAD drawing.
2. From the AutoCAD Insert menu, choose OLE Object.
3. In the Insert Object dialog box, select Create from File. The dialog box changes so that you can select an OLE server file.
4. Select Link and then choose Browse.
5. In the Browse dialog box, select the file you want to link and choose Open.
6. In the Insert Object dialog box, choose OK.
7. Choose OK.

The entire file is linked to the AutoCAD drawing.

Command line equivalent: INSERTOBJ