KozMos AutoTableX-Convert

  Table conversion solution
　         AutoTableX-Convert provides a fully intelligent and integrated solution on table conversion among the drawn table, AcDbTable and active Excel spreadsheet. Aided by some key control parameters, AutoTableX-Convert can manipulate the table data and build beautiful destination tables very fast and accurately.
        To start AutoTableX-Convert, just type ATXCONVERT at AutoCAD "Command:" prompt.

        AutoTableX-Convert contains the following great features:

  • Content synchronization between AutoCAD and Excel:
    Once a dynamic linkage between active Excel spreadsheet and AutoCAD table (AcDbTable and/or drawn table) is established, AutoCAD users can process content synchronization from Excel into AutoCAD very quickly. This will provide AutoCAD users a way to modify tables in AutoCAD from within Excel.
    Empty cells in drawn table will be processed normally: When contents is added in Excel for these empty cells, the contents will also be added within AutoCAD while the synchronization.
  • Fully support on cell background color synchronization:
    AutoTableX-Convert can synchronize the cell background color and content color in Excel into AutoCAD table, even the old drawn tables without any pre-defined background color. The colored background will be added and set to back automatically. Change the background color will also be do easily. This will help AutoCAD users beautifying the old drawn table quickly via Excel.
  • Fully support on color translation:
    AutoTableX-Convert support both ACI (AutoCAD Color Index), AutoCAD true color and ECI (Excel Color Index) and can manipulate them all working together. A most matched color will be used while translating the color from another system.
  • Friendly interface:
    AutoTableX-Convert provide friendly interface both in dialog and processing steps.
  • Key control parameters:
    Users can choose the final tables effects just by setting the imported parameters within dialog. Once the table is created, no more modification may be needed.
  • Math functions synchronization between AcDbTable and Excel:
    Math functions in AcDbTable will be passed into Excel directly, while any change (modify or add) on math functions in Excel will also be transferred back AutoCAD to keep the data linked.
  • Convert between BlockCell and TextCell freely:
    BlockCell in AcDbTable will be supported, converting between BlockCell and TextCell are very easy to do.

        In AutoTableX-Convert, we can set the source and the target table type from any one of the three supported table types. In three situations there will be a warning message appear:

  • AcDbTable is selected in AutoCAD2004 and below.
  • Source table type and target table type are same.
  • Excel was selected as source but Excel is not activated.

        Please notice that the warning message may appear twice because the program will check both the source and target tables.

        Once the source and target table types are selected and valid, the Convert options... button will be active and then we can set the key control parameters on certain conversion.
　 Export options for drawn table

        To export a drawn table into AcDbTable, there are four options:

  • Erase source drawn table
    The source drawn table will be erased automatically.
  • Keep the MTEXT format
    This will import the full MTEXT content (may contain control characters), or AutoTableX-Convert will only transfer the MTEXT content without any control characters (This may cause some data lost on too complex MTEXT content).
  • Auto horizontal margin
    This will add a default horizontal margin (value as cell content height) to all cells.
  • Unique alignment
    Nine different cell alignments will be supported.

        The created AcDbTable will have same column width and row height as the drawn table (if the cell contents are too long, AcDbTable size may be adjusted automatically). All text height will be set to the minimum height of all existing source annotations. Text style will also be recorded and passed into cells.
        As MTEXT is used to be the cell content after EXPLODE, AutoTableX-Convert can support drawn tables with MTEXT as cell content and can pass the MTEXT itself (cell content MTEXTs may contain control characters such as font, size etc.) directly into AcDbTable.

        Two  toggle switch were used to control the procedure of exporting drawn table contents into Excel:

  • Synchronization from Excel
    If this option is selected, a data synchronization from Excel back to AutoCAD will be ready after the drawn table is converted into active Excel spreadsheet.
  • Close Excel while quit
    The active Excel workbook will be closed without save if this option is ON. The Excel session with empty workbook will remain because Visual LISP ActiveX can NOT shut down the Excel session clearly.

        Merged cells in drawn table will be transferred into Excel. As there are two types of cells in drawn table: The common cells with content(s) and the empty cells. We can distinguish the two types in Excel by setting different background color (setting by Excel Index Color) from within the DrawnTable Export dialog.

Export options for AcDbTable

        To export an AcDbTable into drawn table, there are only three simple options:

  • Explode MTEXT contents
    AcDbTable uses MTEXT as cell contents, EXPLODE the AcDbTable will get the MTEXT, this option will automatically EXPLODE the MTEXTs into TEXTs.
  • Merge border lines
    AutoCAD use lines for cell border, so explode an AcDbTable will create many line segments on same line. Merge these lines can reduce data and make the table easy to be selected and managed.
  • Gather objects
    Also these objects (MTEXT, TEXT and LINE) can be gathered into a unnamed group or unnamed block in AutoCAD so that they can still be an monolithic object in AutoCAD.

        AutoTableX-Convert support fill Excel color in simulated table in active Excel spreadsheet so that they can be recognized in Excel easily. The fill color can be set in the same dialog. The other two options are:

  • Export alignment to Excel
    Cell alignment in AcDbTable can be exported into Excel directly.
  • Synchronization from Excel
    If this option is selected, a data synchronization from Excel back to AutoCAD will be ready after the AcDbTable is converted into active Excel spreadsheet.

    While the exporting procedure, all MTEXT control characters in contents will be ignored.

Export options for active Excel spreadsheet

        AutoTableX-Convert provide many many options on controlling a table in AutoCAD from Excel in order to reduce the further manipulation on created tables (whatever an AcDbTable or a drawn table). The global settings will be valid both for export Excel as AcDbTable or drawn table. The cell background color and content color can both be exported into AutoCAD if the option is selected. We can choose to use TEXT or MTEXT as the cell content in drawn table. While using MTEXT, the font name and size in Excel will be recorded and exported into AutoCAD. Only in case the TEXT is selected, AutoTableX will discard these information in Excel.

        As AcDbTable use MTEXT as cell content, if MTEXT is selected, the font and size will be passed into AcDbTable cell as same as in Excel, or only the content string will be passed into AcDbTable.

        If the cell content contain it's own font and size information, modify the table style will take no effects on these cells. If TEXT is selected as the content object, we can define the following text properties in drawn table:

  • Text Style:
    Can be any existing text style in current drawing
    Default: Current text style.
  • Text Alignment:
    Can be Left, Middle Right and Excel (means to keep Excel horizontal justification). This will not only set the alignment of TEXT, but also re-locate the TEXT in proper cell position.
    Default: Middle
  • Default Text Height:
    This option is used to set the size of the table by a unique smallest text height. Then the table will need not further scale in order to fit different plotting scales. Since Excel spreadsheet may contain different text heights and this value will be use to match the smallest text height. Texts with other size and all of cell height and width will both be scaled automatically.
    Default: 300.0
  • Unique Text Height Factor:
    In default, the text height is calculated by the cell height. This mean different cell height might cause different text height and it is NOT what we like to do. In most situations, we need the contents have same height. To do so, just enable this option and the text height can be set as the percentage of the smallest cell height in Excel. KozMos do not recommend you set this value bigger than 0.618.
    Default: 0.5
  • Unique Text Width Factor:
    We can set a unique text width factor.
    Default: 1.0
  • Auto horizontal margin:
    This will add a default horizontal margin (value as cell content height) to all cells.

 Dynamic synchronization options for drawn table è Excel è drawn table

        AutoTableX-Convert support dynamic synchronization for drawn tables:

  • The contents' alignment and color.
  • The cell background color (Fill, Erase, Modify)

        The powerful AutoFill feature can fill empty drawn table cells while the relative cells in Excel contain contents and the AutoConvert feature may process the multiple-line contents as well as the single-line contents.

        AutoTableX-Convert can process the data synchronization for all used Excel cells or selected cells, the synchronization can be performed on all drawn table cells or just the AutoFill cells, The cell background color in AutoCAD will be placed back the contents automatically.

Background color synchronization & delete:
        Cell Background color in Excel can also be transfered back to AutoCAD even the source cells DO NOT have background.
        The background will be erased only by activating the [Erase background color] option and the Background color options MUST be inactive.

AutoFill:
        AutoFill is a very useful design which will enable AutoCAD users modify the existing drawn table in Excel and get the perfect final table. Especially for filling contents in empty drawn table cells.
        Please notice that AutoFill will only take effects by a PROTO text is indicated. If the PROTO text is not exist, the certain data will be ignored.

AutoConvert:
         AutoConvert means automatically convert a normal TEXT into MTEXT in order to process the multiple-line contents. There are two situations in synchronization procedure what will trigger AutoConvert:

  • There is only one TEXT or none TEXT in drawn table cell, but Excel cell contain multiple line content;
  • The line number of multiple line texts in drawn table cell is less than it is in Excel cell;

Dynamic synchronization options for AcDbTable è Excel è AcDbTable

        AutoTableX-Convert support synchronizing the following properties from Excel back to AcDbTable:

  • Cell content string;
  • Cell background color;
  • Cell content alignment;

        A unique width factor can be set to all AcDbTable cells and AutoTableX-Convert can synchronize all data cells or selected cells in Excel.

        If BlockCell is in the AcDbTable, we can overwrite the blocks in cell by content string in Excel or keep the blocks there.
        Normal fields can be locked by activating the certain option.　

　
　

//Koz Jono Yeoh//

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