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import CAD into Excel 4

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rittz

Structural
Dec 30, 2007
200
Does anyone know a way to import cad drawings into excel
 
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Export them as images, paste them in.
Updates are not automatic, of course.



Mike Halloran
Pembroke Pines, FL, USA
 
nothing happened. what am i doing wrong?
 
From AutoCad, select all of the entities that you want exported. Then from the File menu, export a wmf file.

From Excel, Insert Picture.
 
set your background to white in ACAD, and then do your copy/paste image in Excel if you don't like the black background in the Excel image.
 
Well, for one thing, you're not giving us many clues with which to help you.

What cad package are you exporting from?

What kind of file are you exporting to?



Mike Halloran
Pembroke Pines, FL, USA
 
I did this a few months ago..

From AutoCAD, select what you want to copy. Make sure you are zoomed in, as when you copy, it somehow is reflected in the copy..

I simply pressed CTRL+C, opened "paint" and pressed CTRL+V. If you have a black background in AutoCAD, paint allows you to invert colors. Once you get it zoomed to the size you want, save it as a bmp., then simply import it into Excel from the "Insert-From File" option within Excel (or something like that)

 
Thanks Steve .... It works like a charm

J
 
We use print screen to import ANY graphic into Excel. It's control alt prnscrn. A duplicate screen comes up on the montitor and we just select the part of the screen we want and then click in Excel and then ctr V. Works like a charm and you can then do any additional formatting.

If you are using ACAD, then make sure your background color is white.

You can also paste into Word, InDesign, and Photoshop.
 
Thanks OLDRUNNER

When I Choose control Alt PrtScn no duplicate comes up. And when I go to Excel (or Word) and press Ctrl +V. Everthing that was on the monitor is pasted.

The same thing happens if I start with PrtScrn ( ie with no Alt.)
I use Cad 2004 ...would that be the difference?

Sincerly
J
PS I'm an olrunner too lol, would that be my problem? lol
 
The Snipping Tool (included in Windows since at least Vista, not sure about XP) has a couple of advantages over the Prnt Scrn method:

- You select the area you want to copy, so you can paste straight into the destination package.

- You can save the clip as a jpg, gif, png, or mht (single file HTML), rather than a very bulky bmp.

Doug Jenkins
Interactive Design Services
 
If your version of windows doesn't include a "Snipper" tool you can get a free one at the link posted. It's a handy little tool. After you take a snapshot of the area you want to import to Excel, open "Paint", Ctrl V, and save as what you wish. Not sure which version of cad you're using but you could also print to a pdf. Use the "Window" option in the cad print dialog and choose the area you want to print. Then import to Excel.
 
 http://www.wisdom-soft.com/downloads/downloadfiles.htm
The available native tools in XP and forebears are Ctl-PrtScr and Alt-PrtScr. One captures the entire desktop. One captures the top window ... with the borders, title bar and all that crap.

So I paste it into Paint, and copy just the part I want.

... which if faint memory serves, comes in with an undesirable insertion point that causes odd behaviors in Excel, so I go to the trouble of clearing Paint's field, shrinking the field, and pasting the clipboard so the insertion point is at the u/l corner of the image. I usually save that image as a .bmp file for fun, copy once more, and _then_ paste. The .bmp file allows me to open and edit the image later.



Mike Halloran
Pembroke Pines, FL, USA
 
On a multi-display configuration, <CTRL><ALT>PrntScrn will copy the window that has the focus. I use IrfanView for any post-snapshot editing.

TTFN

FAQ731-376
 
I do mine in a somewhat lengthy way. I print them to PDF. From Adobe Acrobat, I export the PDF file to a jpeg or tiff file. In Exel, I insert the image from file. Hope this works for you.
 
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