Spatial Manager™ for AutoCAD - FAQs: Data Structure Management ("Standard" and "Professional" editions only)

Introduction

• Objective of this section
  • To learn how to define data tables and how to attach the data to the objects in an AutoCAD drawing

• Topics in this section
  • Data tables: create, edit or delete
  • Fields in data tables: create, edit or delete. Field types
  • Attach data to objects
  • Detach data from objects
  • Select in the drawing objects which are attached to a specific table

How can I 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. Use also this command if you need to delete unnecessary data tables. You will find this command in the "Spatial Manager" AutoCAD ribbon

'SPMDATATABLEDEFINE' command in the Spatial Manager™ for AutoCAD ribbon

Table definition window

Table definition window

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

• Add Field. To add a new field in the selected data table
  • Name. The field name, unique in the selected date 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
  • 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 (view "Add Field" above)
• Delete Field. To delete the selected field of the selected data table

Add / Modify field window

The following is the behavior of the application when you modify a data table which already is 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

How to 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

'SPMDATATABLEATTACH' command in the Spatial Manager™ for 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

WARNING: An object can be attached to one data table only, so if you attach it to a new data table the previously data attached to this object (if any) WILL BE LOST

How can I modify the objects data?

You can directly edit a data field value for one or more objects in Spatial Manager™ for AutoCAD by selecting the object(s) in the drawing and typing the new value for this field in the "Properties" area of the "SpatialManager" palette. You can also delete the field content to get a null value in this field. To validate any modification, you need to press Enter or click on a different field

Is there any way to detach the data from the objects?

Yes, you can detach any data from one or more objects by executing the commmand 'SPMDATATABLEDETTACH' of Spatial Manager™ for AutoCAD. You will find this command in the "Spatial Manager" AutoCAD ribbon

'SPMDATATABLEDETACH' command in the Spatial Manager™ for 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

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