How to place text near line’s and polyline’s center with lengths of lines/polylines with Excel VBA Macro using NanoCAD Free/AutoCAD.

If you draw in DWG files lines/polylines which means are cables, electrical, water, gas networks or their segment, next Excel Macro will place to the right side of line/polyline their sizes in automate mode and saves into another file with "_Length_Text" suffix. Our Macro will define all coordinates for lines and polylines on your drawings.
To run our file with Macro use free version of NanoCAD or AutoCAD commercial software.


NanoCAD users:
1. Adjust settings for Microsoft VBA for NanoCAD
http://free-excel-vba.blogspot.com/2016/07/settings-vba-excel-nanocad-autocad.html
2. Download “Place_Line_Length_Text_DWG_NanoCAD.xlsm” Excel file with Macro.
3. Copy all DWG files to the same folder with Excel file. In these DWG files NanoCAD will find all lines and polylines are not in the blocks with “Polyline Color (Red, Green, Blue)”according to Data Table of “Place_Line_Length_Text_DWG_NanoCAD.xlsm” Excel file.
4. Press “ALT+F8” to run “Place_Line_Length_Text_DWG_NanoCAD” macro.
5. Macro will open NanoCAD application and place lines/polylines lengths near center points of them to the right side. Coordinates for all lines/polylines will are detected also, new DWG files with "_Length_Text" suffix will be saved.

AutoCAD users:
1. Adjust settings for Microsoft VBA for AutoCAD
http://free-excel-vba.blogspot.com/2016/07/settings-vba-excel-nanocad-autocad.html
2. Download “Place_Line_Length_Text_DWG_AutoCAD.xlsm” Excel file with Macro.
3. Copy all DWG files to the same folder with Excel file. In these DWG files AutoCAD will find all lines and polylines are not in the blocks with “Polyline Color (Red, Green, Blue)”according to Data Table of “Place_Line_Length_Text_DWG_AutoCAD.xlsm” Excel file.
4. Press “ALT+F8” to run “Place_Line_Length_Text_DWG_AutoCAD” macro.
5. Macro will open AutoCAD application and place lines/polylines lengths near center points of them to the right side. Coordinates for all lines/polylines will are detected also, new DWG files with "_Length_Text" suffix will be saved.

Known features and limitations:
a. Maximum DWG files – 1000.
b. Maximum lines/polylines segments quantity could be found - 10000.
c. Press “Select” button if you need to change color for the lines/polylines. Color codes – Red, Green, Blue, could be defined from your CAD application also.
d. “Number of decimal places” will adjust decimal places for lines/polylines length and coordinates. Must be more or equal to zero.
e. “Text Height” value must be more than zero. Please use “Number” format “Text Height” cell with decimal separator according to Excel/System settings.
https://support.office.com/en-us/article/Change-the-character-used-to-separate-thousands-or-decimals-c093b545-71cb-4903-b205-aebb9837bd1e

How to adjust settings for Microsoft Visual Basic for Application to run Excel files with Macros for NanoCAD Free/AutoCAD

For NanoCAD Free/AutoCAD automation and Excel files with Macro running please adjust settings for Microsoft Visual Basic for Application please do these steps:

NanoCAD Free users:

1. Open Excel file, press “ALT+F11” to open Microsoft Visual Basic for Application, then “Tools - References”, add:
“nanoCAD Type Library (NCAuto.dll)”
“OdaX Type Library (OdaX_csd.dll)”,
then press OK.


2. Close Microsoft Visual Basic for Application editor.
3. Enable Macros in Excel
https://support.office.com/en-us/article/Enable-or-disable-macros-in-Office-documents-7b4fdd2e-174f-47e2-9611-9efe4f860b12

If you need to download and install NanoCAD Free, please follow these steps:
1. Download NanoCAD Free
http://nanocad.com/page/DownloadNanoCAD
2. Read official NanoCAD installation guide
http://nanocad.com/page/InstallationGuide
In PDF format
http://nanocad.com/images/InstallGuide/InstallGuide.pdf
Use video guide
http://nanocad.com/page/InstallationVideo
3. Don’t forget to register and activate NanoCAD Free.

AutoCAD users:
1. Open Excel file, press “ALT+F11” to open Microsoft Visual Basic for Application, then “Tools - References”, add:
“AutoCAD YYYY Type Library” file” (acaxXXenu.tlb),
where YYYY – YEAR of your AutoCAD Version, XX – 21, 20, 19,…(version number);
“AutoCAD Focus Control for VBA Type Library” (AcFocusCtrlXX.dll);
“AXDBLib” (axdbXXenu.tlb),
then press OK.




2. Close Microsoft Visual Basic for Application editor.
3. Enable Macros in Excel
https://support.office.com/en-us/article/Enable-or-disable-macros-in-Office-documents-7b4fdd2e-174f-47e2-9611-9efe4f860b12

How to replace text in multiple blocks of DWG files with Excel VBA Macro using NanoCAD Free/AutoCAD.

If your DWG files use blocks for the similar information such as Dates, titles, etc. and these text are placed in multiple places in your drawings, you can automate replacing their text content from the template DWG file to edition DWG file state. If your project DWG files contents 50-100, etc. blocks, manual text replace will take some time. Simply create one template DWG file once and next time change data you need to replace fast in our Excel file with Macro.
For quick text replacement in multiple blocks of DWG files use free version of NanoCAD or AutoCAD commercial software.




Use NanoCAD Free:
1. Download NanoCAD Free
http://nanocad.com/page/DownloadNanoCAD
2. Read official NanoCAD installation guide
http://nanocad.com/page/InstallationGuide
In PDF format
http://nanocad.com/images/InstallGuide/InstallGuide.pdf
Use video guide
http://nanocad.com/page/InstallationVideo
3. Don’t forget to register and activate NanoCAD Free.
4. Download “Replace_Text_In_Blocks_Excel_NanoCAD.xlsm” Excel file with Macro.
5. Open Excel file, press “ALT+F11” to open Microsoft Visual Basic for Application, then “Tools - References”, add:
“nanoCAD Type Library (NCAuto.dll)”
“OdaX Type Library (OdaX_csd.dll)”,
then press OK.




6. Close Microsoft Visual Basic for Application editor.
7. Enable Macros in Excel
https://support.office.com/en-us/article/Enable-or-disable-macros-in-Office-documents-7b4fdd2e-174f-47e2-9611-9efe4f860b12
8. Copy all DWG files to the same folder with Excel file. In these DWG files NanoCAD will replace Text according to Data Table of “Replace_Text_In_Blocks_Excel_NanoCAD.xlsm” Excel file.
9. Press “ALT+F8” to run “Replace_Text_In_Blocks_Excel_NanoCAD” macro.
10. Macro will open NanoCAD application and replace all text in DWG blocks and close DWG files

Use AutoCAD commercial version:
1. Download “Replace_Text_In_Blocks_Excel_AutoCAD.xlsm” Excel file with Macro.
2. Open Excel file, press “ALT+F11” to open Microsoft Visual Basic for Application, then “Tools - References”, add:
“AutoCAD YYYY Type Library” file” (acaxXXenu.tlb),
where YYYY – YEAR of your AutoCAD Version, XX – 21, 20, 19,…(version number);
“AutoCAD Focus Control for VBA Type Library” (AcFocusCtrlXX.dll);
“AXDBLib” (axdbXXenu.tlb),
then press OK.


3. Close Microsoft Visual Basic for Application editor.
4. Enable Macros in Excel
https://support.office.com/en-us/article/Enable-or-disable-macros-in-Office-documents-7b4fdd2e-174f-47e2-9611-9efe4f860b12
5 Copy all DWG files to the same folder with Excel file. In these DWG files AutoCAD will replace Text according to Data Table of “Replace_Text_In_Blocks_Excel_AutoCAD.xlsm” Excel file.
6. Press “ALT+F8” to run “Replace_Text_In_Blocks_Excel_AutoCAD” macro.
7. Macro will open AutoCAD application and replace all text in DWG blocks and close DWG files

Known features and limitations:
a. Maximum DWG files – 1000.
b. Maximum different blocks quantity to change/insert text - 65530.
c. “Block Name” cell must contain DWG block name (for example, DATASHEET_TITLE, DATE, DESCRIPTION for “Stepping Motor SH4009l1206 Blocks.dwg” file in ZIP archive). “Block Name” could be A$C26677C24, etc.
d. “Data Type” cell could be: “FullText” or “InternalText”.
For «FullText» Type macro will replace text in blocks which consists of Text/MText DWG objects.
For “InternalText” Type macro will replace text between “Text Before Insert” and “Text After Insert” words in blocks with Text. If you clear “Block Name” cell for “InternalText” Type row macro will insert text in all Text/MText objects that are not in blocks.
e. “Value To Replace/Insert” cell must contains text to replace/insert in blocks or Text/MText DWG objects.
f. “Font Height” cell data will change Text Height where macro replaces the text. Cell format for Font height is a Number with decimal separator according to Excel/System settings.
https://support.office.com/en-us/article/Change-the-character-used-to-separate-thousands-or-decimals-c093b545-71cb-4903-b205-aebb9837bd1e

How to extract tables of lines, polylines and Text, MText from DWG files to Excel with NanoCAD Free/AutoCAD

For all tables and datasheets which were made as tables of lines, polylines and Text, MText in DWG files you need to manually copy from Text, MText blocks and paste their content to Excel to use data from them. This long process could be automated with Excel file with Macro to create tables of lines, polylines and Text, MText from DWG files to Excel sheets.

There are two options to extract tables of lines, polylines and Text, MText: use free version of NanoCAD or AutoCAD commercial software.

Use NanoCAD Free:
1. Download NanoCAD Free
2. Read official NanoCAD installation guide
http://nanocad.com/page/InstallationGuide
In PDF format
Use video guide
3. Don’t forget to register and activate NanoCAD Free.
4. Download “Extract_Line_Tables_from_DWG_to_Excel_NanoCAD.xlsm” Excel file with Macro.
5. Open Excel file, press “ALT+F11” to open Microsoft Visual Basic for Application, then “Tools - References”, add:
“nanoCAD Type Library (NCAuto.dll)”
“OdaX Type Library (OdaX_csd.dll)”,
then press OK.


6. Close Microsoft Visual Basic for Application editor.
7. Enable Macros in Excel
https://support.office.com/en-us/article/Enable-or-disable-macros-in-Office-documents-7b4fdd2e-174f-47e2-9611-9efe4f860b12
8. Copy all DWG files to the same folder with Excel file. From these DWG file all tables of lines, polylines and Text, MText will are created on Excel sheets.
9. Press “ALT+F8” to run “Extract_Line_Tables_from_DWG_To_Excel_NanoCAD” macro.
10. Macro will open NanoCAD application and scan all tables of lines, polylines and Text, MText in DWG files. Each created table from DWG file will be placed on a new Excel sheet.

Use AutoCAD commercial version:
1. Download “Extract_Line_Tables_from_DWG_to_Excel_AutoCAD.xlsm” Excel file with Macro.
2. Open Excel file, press “ALT+F11” to open Microsoft Visual Basic for Application, then “Tools - References”, add:
“AutoCAD YYYY Type Library” file” (acaxXXenu.tlb),
where YYYY – YEAR of your AutoCAD Version, XX – 21, 20, 19,…(version number);
“AutoCAD Focus Control for VBA Type Library” (AcFocusCtrlXX.dll);
“AXDBLib” (axdbXXenu.tlb),
then press OK.

3. Close Microsoft Visual Basic for Application editor.
4. Enable Macros in Excel
https://support.office.com/en-us/article/Enable-or-disable-macros-in-Office-documents-7b4fdd2e-174f-47e2-9611-9efe4f860b12
5 Copy all DWG files to the same folder with Excel file. From these DWG file all tables of lines, polylines and Text, MText will are created on Excel sheets.
6. Press “ALT+F8” to run “Extract_Line_Tables_from_DWG_To_Excel_AutoCAD” macro.
7. Macro will open AutoCAD application and and scan all tables of lines, polylines and Text, MText in DWG files. Each created table from DWG file will be placed on a new Excel sheet

Known features and limitations:
a. Maximum DWG files – 1000.
b. There are no limitations for table’s quantity for each DWG file or each layout.
c. Each table contour (outline) must be closed.
d. Each cell must be rectangular, not use “stairs” like cells.
e. All text found in the DWG table cell will are placed in Excel cell by vertical order from top to bottom.
f. Tables in DWG files must be draw with lines, old type polylines (2D polylines), Text and MText basic primitives.
e. If your DWG tables are made of blocks with lines, polylines, please explode them all before running the Macro.
f. If your DWG text are made of blocks with Text, MText, please explode them all before running the Macro also.
g. “Extract_Line_Tables_from_DWG_To_Excel” Macro supports creating merged cells found in DWG files.
h. Macro will extract data even there are no some additional SHX fonts installed for DWG file and the text in NanoCAD Free/AutoCAD is shown as “?????????”.
i. All text from DWG files will be copied as “Text” with “Format Cells”
j. All Fonts formatting – Bold, Italic, etc. will be unformatted according to these specifications:
https://knowledge.autodesk.com/support/autocad/getting-started/caas/CloudHelp/cloudhelp/2016/ENU/AutoCAD-Core/files/GUID-7D8BB40F-5C4E-4AE5-BD75-9ED7112E5967-htm.html