Data tables provide the structure for associating information with drawing objects. They can be attached automatically during import or manually created by adding fields of various data types..

Define data tables in a drawing

The command ‘SPMDATATABLEDEFINE’ of Spatial Manager™ for AutoCAD lets you create new data tables in a drawing as well as modify them. Also, use this command if you need to rename and delete data tables, or import Object Data tables from AutoCAD Map drawings. You will find this command in the “Spatial Manager” ribbon, toolbar, or drop-down menu.

Click on the “New Table” button to create a new (empty) data table. Select a data table in the drop-down list to rename it (“Rename Table” button), delete it (“Delete Table” button), or modify it:

• Add Field. To add a new field in the selected data table.
  • Name. The field name, unique in the selected data table.
  • Type. You can select the field type in the drop-down list: Text, Integer, Date, etc. The field type cannot be changed if you want to modify the field later.
  • Length. For Text-type fields, you can set the maximum field length. The maximum field length cannot be changed if you want to modify the field later.
  • Default value. The default value for this field when the corresponding data table is attached to one or more objects.
• Modify Field. To edit the selected field of the selected data table (see “Add Field” above).
• Delete Fields. To delete the selected fields of the selected data table.

Note: In brackets, the length of the field (and the number of decimal places, when applicable).

The following is the behavior of the application when you modify a data table that is already attached to one or more objects in the drawing:

• Adding a field: the new field is added to all the attached objects. If a “Default value” has been defined for the field, this will be the value assigned to the field for these objects.
• Modifying a field: only the name of the field (if modified) will be changed for all the attached objects.
• Deleting a field: the field will be erased for all the attached objects.

As you can see in the tables selection dropdown, there is a “scan new tables…” option to retrieve data table structures from the drawing objects. This is useful when copying/cutting and pasting objects from one drawing to another, when saving drawings using WBLOCK, when inserting a drawing into another, etc.

If your drawing includes AutoCAD Map Object Data tables, you can convert them to ‘Spatial Manager’ data tables by clicking on the “Object Data” button. Optionally, you can also delete the existing Object Data tables (all or converted) from the drawing. Since you can attach several tables to any object (see below), if there are objects linked to several AutoCAD Map Object Data tables, the required tables and attachments will be generated for each object.

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Attach a data table to one or more objects

When you want to attach an existing data table to one or more objects in the drawing, you can execute the command ‘SPMDATATABLEATTACH’ of Spatial Manager™ for AutoCAD. You will find this command in the “Spatial Manager” AutoCAD ribbon.

First, choose a data table in the list of defined data tables in the command window. Then, the attach operation can be applied to the selected objects (if any) or to a new objects selection. Note that it is possible to attach several tables to any object, which allows you to have data organized according to different topics attached to the same object. For example, you can attach to objects representing parcels a table containing the parcels data and another one containing the parcel owners data.

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Detach the data from the objects

Detach any data from one or more objects by executing the command ‘SPMDATATABLEDETACH’ of Spatial Manager™ for AutoCAD. You will find this command in the “Spatial Manager” AutoCAD ribbon.

The detach operation can be applied to the selected objects (if any) or to a new objects selection.

WARNING: All the current data attached to the objects (if any) WILL BE LOST.