Linking Excel Spreadsheets to AutoCAD Tables (AutoCAD 2008+)
Comments(36) You may have heard about how you can link Microsoft Excel spreadsheets to a table in AutoCAD 2008 and have them stay in sync with each other. It is easy to do but it’s not as straight-forward as you might imagine. Here is how to do it in a few easy steps.
STEP 1: Create a data link.
On the command line type DATALINK. In the Data Link Manager dialog box double-click on “Create a new Excel Data Link” and give the link a name.
Browse for an Excel file and modify settings in the New Excel Data Link dialog box:
As you can see, you can link to a sheet or a range in Excel. Hit Ok when finished.
If you want to modify your link, simply double-click on the name of your link and the Modify Excel Link dialog box will appear.
(click to view larger picture)
I recommend un-checking “Use Excel formatting” so that my table style matches the CAD standard instead of taking formatting from Excel.
STEP 2: Create a table using a data link.
On the command line type TABLE. Under insert options select the radio button called “From a data link”.
(click to view larger picture)
Launch the Data Link Manager dialog box:
Select a data link and hit OK:
Hit OK in the table dialog box and click to insert the upper-left corner of the table into your drawing.
STEP 3: Modify the table.
Select the table, right-click and select Table Style –> [your standard table style]
If you don’t have standard table styles already created, I recommend doing so and saving them to your drawing template.
If you want a row of cells to be the header row, you can hold down shift, select the first and last cell in the row, then right-click and select Cell Style –> Header.
The Excel file will now stay in sync with the AutoCAD table. If you make changes to the Excel file, right-click on the table and select “Update Table Data Links”. Anything you change in the Excel file will be changed in the AutoCAD table as well.
In the command line I typed datalink and hit enter, it says Unknown Command, press F1 for help.
Mike
Ah, I should be more specific. You need to be using AutoCAD 2008+.
[...] I talked about Linking Excel Spreadsheets to AutoCAD Tables but this time I am going to show you an even simpler way to get Excel data into an AutoCAD [...]
[...] is especially useful when your table is linked from an Excel spreadsheet. If the table gets too long vertically, you can simply make the table wrap by dragging that [...]
Can you use Excel spreadsheet data links for modifying the dimensions on parts in Solidworks, Pro E, and/or NX 5 Unigraphics? Thanks and appreciated.
When I select the table, to modify it, it highlights in large green block, hiding all the data. My columns are not evenly spaced and I need to manually modify them. What can I do to modify this table. I think that there may be an active lock on it.
J D,
I have no experience using any of the software you mentioned. Sorry I can’t help you there.
Craig,
Is your table on a locked layer?
I use Excel for creating my material lists and I have a construction unit drawings created in AutoCAD 2008. I am able to highlite & copy the cells on my material list; open my AutoCAD drawing, Edit, Paste Special, Paste Link, make sure that Microsoft Office Excel Worksheet is selected and click on OK. It drops the file into your CAD drawing. If it is too big or too small, then scale it up/down using Scale Reference. Make sure that the OLEQUALITY is set to 0, then plot.
FriendsIs it possible to link autocad drawing dimensions with excel sheet.I dont want the drawing to be parametric.I just want my drawing dimensions to get changed whenever I change some values in my excel sheet using some formulas.
I don’t know of any way to do this Pandian.
i tried it too.even pull down menu not showing any related function.can u please highlight what i should do to get these function?
Thanks for the Excel linking info. I was having trouble with this function but now it is slick. One thing I would like to be able to do is "collect" data points from the ACAD drawing into the spreadsheet ie. I would like to be able to click on points along a curve drawn in ACAD and have the coordinates of the points entered into the spreadsheet. Does anyone know if this is possible? Thanks very much.
[...] love that you can link an Excel spreadsheet to an AutoCAD table. This is a very powerful tool, but I quickly discovered a problem: using .shx fonts in AutoCAD [...]
I’ve been linking Excel 2003 into AutoCAD 2008 for about one yr or so… very simple. BUT since “upgrading” to Excel 2007, NO LUCK. What gives?
I’ve been using data linking for making mechanical schedules, but I’m having a problem. I can’t get the data link to come into my CAD drawing using my CAD RomanS text style. It wants to keep the excel text formating. I can remove formating by using ctrl spacebar to get the table to use the RomanS text style, but then when I download from source to update the table it brings back in the Excel text formating. Does anyone know of a way to get it to stop doing this?
Im running into a few problems using these tables, if lines have been entered into in the excel file, they import on the table in autocad, even though they are blank and i cant find anyway to remove them either in CAD or excel.
also the issue with the non-standard font, if you untick the use excel formatting, you lose all the formatting like merged cells ect. and if i keep the excel formatting i get the correct formatting imported, but the font is wrong.
any ideas?
any ideas?
another problem we have found, when using datalinks from excel to autocad, if the table is too long and you adjust using the “wrapping grip” when the drawing is closed and reopened the datalink is lost and the table isnt able to update when changes are made in the excel workbook, anyone come across this problem?
I am finding it difficult to attach to files larger than 25kb. I have gotten a 435kb down to 73kb and it still will not load. I am using Acad 2008
Is there any way to link a dimension to a table? So that I am able to change the table and dimension its linked with also change?
Dear Sir,
I am using autocad 2004 in this i want to link particular excel Cell Value to autocad drg dimention any where in the drg sheet & when ever i change the value the link made between excel & autocad , the value should be changed ie the drg is not to scale & it is only for veiw.
pls help me if it is possible or any compatible software to be use for linking between excel & autocad.
Regards,
Mahesh Lamani.
I have used the link command throughout a large project with multiple files with tables copied. As I am ending the project I have de-link Autocad and Excel tables and when I try to delete the Excel link, Autocad 2009 won’t let me do this.
I am getting the message that “the data link is being used and cannot be deleted”. I have tried everything I have found. I even moved the original excel file to a defferent location so Autocad doesn’t see it. What to do?
Butch
Have you tried running the datalink command and removing any excel links there?
If that doesn’t work, thaw and turn on all layers not in an xref, then zoom extents. Run the erase command. When prompted to select objects type all and press enter. Then type r (for remove) and press enter. Select all visible objects and press enter to execute the erase command.
Hope one of these two methods works for you.
autocad 2009, excel 2010.
when i try and insert from a data link, i receive and error.
Creating, editing and updating data links are unavailable because the following required application cannot be found:-Microsoft Excel.
Any Help?
“I have used the link command throughout a large project with multiple files with tables copied. As I am ending the project I have de-link Autocad and Excel tables and when I try to delete the Excel link, Autocad 2009 won’t let me do this.
I am getting the message that “the data link is being used and cannot be deleted”. I have tried everything I have found. I even moved the original excel file to a defferent location so Autocad doesn’t see it. What to do?
Butch”
You need to detach any link before removing it.
I have followed the steps to insert the linked table, but the formatting is all wrong. For example the cells are way to big for the font and the cells are disproportionate compared to the excel file. Is there something with my settings that is wrong? Thanks in advance.
Try changing the row type in the properties palette. Tables can be frustrating sometimes.
I am trying to find a way to link a spreadsheet with blocks. I can extract the information from the blocks with the DATAEXTRACTION command, but I haven’t figured out how to update the spreadsheet and then update the blocks with the new information. Is this feasible without a lisp routine? Thanks
Map3d or dbconnect, the old r14 had a sample dwg with it.
John, maybe try this suggestion, if you haven’t already: https://twitter.com/dmulamba/statuses/192000776229490689
Hi, Im having the same problem as craig was (way back in 2008) when i select the table in autocad it highlights with these big green boxes everywhere and I cant see anything so I cant edit anything.
Ive unlocked the content and its on my standard text layer, not locked. Im having trouble finding any answers with google too.
Thanks,
Is it possible to use the ‘linked excel table’ in to the command(or command list) so that dimension of the drawing change according to excel modified data..??
Alok,
Not that I know of. This is a common wish though.
I have a table that has 22 rows of linked excel data. Around row 9 I would like to insert another blank row without losing my data. Is it possible to do this in CAD? It will let me add a row at the end but not in the middle is there away around it?
[...] One feature that you would love is the capabilities to link Excel tables to AutoCAD table. You can modify the table in Excel or AutoCAD, then synchronize them. Many industries work with Excel, so it is very helpful. You need to have Microsoft Excel installed on your machine to use it. Open Office will not work. See about data linking in Lazy Drafter site here. [...]
RE: Craig and Fiona’s table grips problem (if any one else is still having it). http://forums.augi.com/showthread.php?109380-Table-grips
Thanks Scott, Ive only just gotten around to trying this out now. But I didn’t have any problems at all. Ive just upgraded to 2013 (problem was occurring in 2012 & 2012LT. so maybe its been fixed or its a fluke, I did get it to work once in 2012.