Hey guys, I lay a lot of gas lines down, and they are rarely ever a straight shot from point a to point b, so we use polylines and do segmented zig zags across our maps. This works fine, except I have been tasked with taking an inventory of each line in our system. I have to go through all of our maps and manually pull all info off of each line and record it into excel. I can not do this with the way our system is currently. I would like to set this up so that in the future, recording inventory will take a fraction of the time. I want to make it so that when I draw my polyline, it asks me to define attributes like you would do a block. Then I can put in all of my vital information and when the time comes I can run data extraction, and have all of the information sent to an excel spreadsheet in a couple of minutes. I was going to make a block or a dynamic block to do this, but the polylines are so different that it just doesn't seem feasible to do it this way. some are only 30 feet long, others are 21,000. I can't make and save a block for every line I draw, so is there a way to simply add attributes to a Pline I've just drawn? I've also considered entering my parameters in the properties, but I would like it to prompt me for the information much like it does the attributes when you insert a block. Any help is appreciated.

I would use a dynamic block (with attributes) of a line one unit long then after inserting it I would stretch it the length I need.  What attributes would you be assigning to these lines?Would the attributes be visible or invisible?

[QUOTE=John Connor]I would use a dynamic block (with attributes) of a line one unit long then after inserting it I would stretch it the length I need.  I've tried this a few ways now. The problem with using a single line like this is that the line snakes and zig zags. This is why I have the interest in the polyline. The closest thing I've come to is using about 6 broken segments under one dynamic block, inserting it, and orienting the segments into one crooked line, complete with the attributes I need. The problem with this is knowing how many segments I am going to need. some could have up to 50 segments, some may have 1.What attributes would you be assigning to these lines?I work for the gas company. and these are all gas lines. I will need to incorporate the year of installation, material, coating, nominal size, job # and pressure.Would the attributes be visible or invisible? Invisible[/QUOTE]

One dynamic block for every segment.Never mind.  Bad idea.
John Connor2015-02-04 17:34:42

Right, then I would end up entering the attributes over and over again. To put this into the simplest terms, I currently use a polyline, this can follow the path of the pipeline just fine, and it's fast. Faster than if I used a bunch of broken lines. So I'd like to continue using polylines.  I need attributes, or some form of text values, that I can directly associate with the drawn polyline. Then when inventory time comes next year I can run data extraction and be done very quickly. A standard block will not work as it is frozen and this "block"/polyline will differ each time it is used. A dynamic block may be possible but it has yet to make a solution apparent.  I find it hard to believe that this isn't something that is done fairly commonly. Someone has to have done this before. Even if there is a lisp routine to run a polyline and convert it to a block or something. I've just exhausted everything I can think of. It's driving me crazy.

It is done just not with plain AutoCAD.

Hello:I am an accountant who spent years as a computer programmer and have a possible solution.I would keep all my data in an Excel spread sheet.Then enter the data in the AutoCAD drawings as a SCHEDULE.  Draftsmen and Architects use schedules all the time as OLE objects with outside references.You keep all your data, locations, lengths, maintenance in Excel and access it from AutoCAD.

Anything involving AutoCAD and an Excel spreadsheet is going to be an old school solution at best.  It time the company looks at a GIS mapping system for building intelligence into their mapping.  The payoff over the long term will make the investment well worth the initial cost of new software and training.

One suggestion would be to create a multileader Style with a block containing attributes, then when you draw a line insert the leader for that segment. My suggestion would be to keep your attributes to a minimum. Information like Material, Coating and such could be better linked to an Excel table. The lengths of pipes can be done thru a Data Extraction.