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Data extraction in AutoCAD and everything about it
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  Ten must know Fusion 3

quick Tips

 Data extraction in AutoC

and everything about it

 Object snap and how to

it in AutoCAD

 AutoCAD 2020, looking

new features and
Before AutoCAD came with a Data Extraction feature,
improvements
CAD users had to track their data by hand. Luckily, the
DATAEXTRACTION command was created as a  How to import x,y,z
method of circumventing this nuisance. coordinate data from ex
to AutoCAD
Even after the by-hand method, you could extract data
from AutoCAD, but you couldn’t showcase the data on
the AutoCAD drawing itself. Once again, newer
versions of AutoCAD allow for a more streamlined
process. We now can do everything involving our data
from within AutoCAD itself.

For the Purposes of this Tutorial, we will be using a

drawing le which contains lots of blocks, layers and
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other object types. You can use your own drawing le
to follow along, this tutorial. If you want this tutorial in Email address*

video format then here it is.

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All about Data extraction in AutoCAD

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  Ten must know Fusion 3

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 Data extraction in AutoC

and everything about it

For this example, let’s say we are interested in  Object snap and how to
creating, for whatever reason, a table that lists all the it in AutoCAD
properties including the count of blocks used in our
 AutoCAD 2020, looking
drawing. The work ow of doing this using data
new features and
extraction is explained below.
improvements
The same work ow will work for extracting other
types of data from drawing using the Data extraction  How to import x,y,z
coordinate data from ex
tool
to AutoCAD
Starting The Data Extraction Wizard

To start the Data Extraction command, type DX into

the Command Line and hit ENTER.

The Data Extraction wizard will open on the screen as

shown in the image below, with options to create a
new data extraction or to edit a pre-existing one.

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 Data extraction in AutoC

and everything about it

Choose the Create a new data extraction option in the  Object snap and how to
window, and then click on Next >. it in AutoCAD

In the next window specify the name of the data  AutoCAD 2020, looking
extraction le and specify a location where you want new features and
to save it and click the Save button. For this example, improvements
I will name this data extraction le “Sample DX” and
 How to import x,y,z
save it on Desktop.
coordinate data from ex
The next page i.e. page 2 of Data Extraction wizard to AutoCAD
has the Panel on top called “Data source”
which involves choosing whether we want to extract
data from the whole drawing, or only a speci c part.

Since we are interested right now in every block of the

drawing, choose the rst option as shown by
annotation A in the image below and then proceed by
clicking Next >.
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 Data extraction in AutoC

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 Object snap and how to

it in AutoCAD
Understanding options on Page 2 of the Data
Extraction wizard  AutoCAD 2020, looking
new features and
Option B
improvements

You can select the second radio button which

 How to import x,y,z
says, “Select objects in the current drawing”
coordinate data from ex
and the box next to this option will activate.
to AutoCAD
Click on the button as shown in option B of
the image above and the data extraction
wizard will disappear, and you will be able to
select objects from your drawing.

After making the selection press enter key

and the wizard will pop back in. When you
select speci c objects from the drawing area
the data extraction will happen only from
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selected objects of the drawing.
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Option C
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You can also add multiple drawings to extract
data for the data extraction table. To add
multiple drawings, click the “Add Drawings”
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button and select drawings from where you
wantto extract data and click Open Button.
 Ten must know Fusion 3

You can also select an entire folder of quick Tips

drawings using the “Add Folder” button and

 Data extraction in AutoC
the data will be extracted from all the
and everything about it
drawings of the folder.
 Object snap and how to
Option D
it in AutoCAD

You can make additional settings in the data

 AutoCAD 2020, looking
extraction table by clicking the Settings
new features and
button as shown in the option D of the gure
improvements
above. You will get a list of checkboxes that
look like the gure below.  How to import x,y,z
coordinate data from ex
to AutoCAD

Here you can choose to extract data from

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blocks, Xref and include Xref as blocks in the
data extraction table. You can also choose to Email address*

extract data from only model space of the

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entire drawing using the options in the
“Extract from” panel.

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For this example, we will leave theAlldefault
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selection as shown in the image above but
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you can obviously modify it as per data
extraction requirement. quick Tips

 Data extraction in AutoC

and everything about it

 Object snap and how to

As we will be extracting data from a single drawing it in AutoCAD
we will not use options C from page 2 of data
 AutoCAD 2020, looking
extraction wizard. With the default options selected
new features and
simply click Next on page 2 of the wizard.
improvements
Selecting Objects for Data Extraction table
 How to import x,y,z
The Window will go through a loading process to a coordinate data from ex
new window called Data Extraction – Select Objects to AutoCAD
(Pages 3 of 8) as shown in the image below.

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This page of the Data extraction wizard has all the
type of objects of the drawing listed in the Objects
panel. Select the objects from which you want to
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extract the data. To simplify the list of data types you Recent Blog Posts

can use display


options which is right underneath the
 Ten must know Fusion 3
objects panel. Following are the options of this panel.
quick Tips

 Data extraction in AutoC

Display all object types and everything about it

If you keep this checkbox selected all objects  Object snap and how to
in the drawing will show up in the objects list. it in AutoCAD
You can uncheck this option and select
 AutoCAD 2020, looking
“Display blocks only” or “Display non-blocks
new features and
only” to show either blocks or non-blocks
improvements
objects.

 How to import x,y,z

Display Block with attributes only
coordinate data from ex
If you check this option AutoCAD will only to AutoCAD
show blocks that contain attributes in the
Objects panel and if you want to extract data
from the block containing attributes then this
is obviously the option you would want to
select.

Display objects currently in-use only

As the name suggests this option allows you

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to show only the objects used in the
drawings. Selecting this option will let you Email address*

remove objects like blocks or layers which are

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present in the drawing but are not used
anywhere.

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For our example I will keep “Display all object types”
and “Display objects currently in-use only” selected  Data extraction in AutoC
and I will uncheck the remaining options as shown in and everything about it
the image below.
 Object snap and how to
it in AutoCAD

 AutoCAD 2020, looking

The objects panel of page 3 of data extraction also new features and
contains a lot of object types which we might not improvements
need.
 How to import x,y,z
In this case, I will uncheck all the blocks that start coordinate data from ex
with A$C pre x as they are automatically created to AutoCAD
blocks which we don’t want to use in our data
extraction table.

After unchecking those blocks from the Objects panel

of page 3 of the data extraction wizard click next.

Now you will see a list of properties of the selected

objects. To avoid overwhelming amounts of data in
our data extraction table I will uncheck some
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categories from the category lter and the properties
from those categories will hide from the properties Email address*

panel.
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In our example I will only keep Drawing, Misc and Text
categories selected as shown in the image below and
then click on the Next button.
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You can make the properties list even shorter by
  Ten must know Fusion 3
unchecking the properties that you don’t need in the
data extraction table from the Properties panel of quick Tips

page 4 of the data extraction wizard.

 Data extraction in AutoC
and everything about it

 Object snap and how to

it in AutoCAD

 AutoCAD 2020, looking

new features and
improvements

 How to import x,y,z

coordinate data from ex
I have also unchecked some properties from the to AutoCAD
Properties panel to simplify our table.

Preparing and Inserting the Data Extraction

Table

Now you will have page 5 of the data extraction

wizard which will show you the nal table. We can
modify this table the way we want and here too we
will make some customizations.
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 Data extraction in AutoC

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In page 5 you will see properties like Block Unit,  Object snap and how to
Rotation, Unit Factor listed in different columns. it in AutoCAD

To hide any column right-click on the name of the  AutoCAD 2020, looking
column and then select “Hide column” from the new features and
context menu. Similarly, you can grab the name of the improvements
column and move them to different locations.
 How to import x,y,z
coordinate data from ex
to AutoCAD

Under the table, you will see some checkboxes. Here Join 50K Subscriber
“Combine identical rows” option will let you combine Email address*
multiple rows of a single object and show in in a
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single row. This helps reduce the number of rows of
the table.

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The “Show count column” checkbox will show or hide Recent Blog Posts
the Count column from the table and “Show name
  Ten must know Fusion 3
column” will show or hide the name column from the
table. quick Tips

When you are done making changes to this table click  Data extraction in AutoC

Next button and you will reach page 6 of data and everything about it

extraction wizard.
 Object snap and how to

On page 6 of the Data extraction wizard, you will only it in AutoCAD

see two checkboxes. The rst checkbox “Insert data

 AutoCAD 2020, looking
extraction table into drawing” will let you make an
new features and
AutoCAD table right inside the drawing.
improvements

 How to import x,y,z

coordinate data from ex
to AutoCAD

The second option “Output data to external le” will

let you export the data extraction data into an
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external le like XLS, CSV and TXT.
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When you select the second option AutoCAD will let
you specify the location where your data extraction
le will be saved. You can click the box right
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underneath the second checkbox and specify a Recent Blog Posts

location and

name of le and save it on the speci ed
 Ten must know Fusion 3
location.
quick Tips

For this example, select both the checkboxes as we

 Data extraction in AutoC
will be adding the data in our drawing as well as
and everything about it
exporting it into an external le, after selecting the
checkboxes click Next button.  Object snap and how to
it in AutoCAD
Now page 7 of the data extraction wizard will open up
where you can change the settings of the table and  AutoCAD 2020, looking
give your data extraction table a name. new features and
improvements

 How to import x,y,z

coordinate data from ex
to AutoCAD

For our example, I will call this table “Sample Data

extraction” and now click next button and nally click
the Finish button on the last page of the data Join 50K Subscriber
extraction wizard.
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The table will now show up on your cursor and you
can click anywhere in the drawing area to place this
table.
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If this table is very tiny or large you can use Scale
  Ten must know Fusion 3
command to resize it properly. We will also have an
excel table on the location we speci ed with all the quick Tips

selected data.
 Data extraction in AutoC

The nal table extracted in my drawing looked like the and everything about it

image shown below.

 Object snap and how to
it in AutoCAD

 AutoCAD 2020, looking

new features and
improvements

 How to import x,y,z

This table is obviously not the complete table and the
coordinate data from ex
actual table had more rows as well as columns but
to AutoCAD
here I am only showing a part of my table, just for
reference.

One of the best things about this table is that it is

linked with your drawing and if you change the
property of any object which is available in this table
then the property will also update in the table.

If the property did not update automatically in the

table then you can select the table then right-click and Join 50K Subscriber
select “Update table data links” as shown in the
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image below.
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  Ten must know Fusion 3

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Summary
 Data extraction in AutoC
So, as shown in this tutorial you can use the data and everything about it
extraction tool to extract many different kinds of data
 Object snap and how to
from your drawing and add that table in your drawing
it in AutoCAD
as linked entity or export it as an external le. I hope
you will nd this tutorial helpful if you have any
 AutoCAD 2020, looking
question related to this tool feel free to let me know in new features and
the comment section below and I will try my best to improvements
answer it.
 How to import x,y,z
This is a guest post by Ben Richardson of Acuity
coordinate data from ex
training, you can share your own guest articles as well.
to AutoCAD

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About the Author: Ben Richardson

Home Ben Richardson

Free Tutorials is
a director of
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Acuity Training. Acuity Training is
 based in Guildford, UK and provides  Ten must know Fusion 3
classroom-based IT training on packages quick Tips
including AutoCAD, Adobe and Microsoft O ce.
 Data extraction in AutoC
He’s a recent to convert to CAD but is an
and everything about it
engineer at heart, having studied materials
science at Cambridge University, UK.
 Object snap and how to
it in AutoCAD

4 Comments  AutoCAD 2020, looking

new features and
Chandresh January 8, 2020 at 6:46 pm - Reply
improvements

Hi Ben, I have AutoCAD LT 2017 but I don’t

 How to import x,y,z
have the extract data command in the menu
coordinate data from ex
(linking & Extraction), how can I add it?
to AutoCAD

Denise Inacio January 17, 2020 at 2:02 am - Reply

DATA EXTRACTION isn’t available in LT.

not in the normal sense. you can get
around it though.

Siita Adams November 21, 2019 at 4:11 pm - Reply

I have now started reading my send eBooks Join 50K Subscriber

as I was on a project, and they are very
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contributing and hope to receive more from
you best regards.

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Richard B Harris November 14, 2019 at 11:53 pm - Reply

  Ten must know Fusion 3

Great video and information. Is it possible to
pick a section of a drawing to extract data quick Tips

and have that section dynamically update as

 Data extraction in AutoC
blocks are added to that section? ie multiple
and everything about it
drawings is a drawing using Model and
Paper space but I only want to get the count  Object snap and how to
from a certain view or section. Is that it in AutoCAD
possible?
 AutoCAD 2020, looking
new features and
improvements
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