Is there a way to link a database (MS-Access) to dwg entities in an IntelliCad drawing using vba? For example in using the 'handle' of the entities as unique key, that can be stored in the database to access the entities in the drawing.

Thank you in advance.

georges,

Well it depends on what you call linking.

Do you mean link as:

1/ when the entity is altered the database is automatically updated? (live link)

2/ You extract the data you want when the user selects a button to do so? (user link)

VBA has the ability to do both 1 and 2 above however, 1 is the hardest because it requires an automated use of event handlers to update Access when an entity has been modified.

All the entities in a drawing are already in a database (the drawing) and the data can be easily extracted into Access, Excel or even Word if you like.


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Regards
John Finlay

Well, I think it must be the first way. What I would like to do is to execute queries on the extracted data to change the apearance of the entities in the drawing (for example select and highlight, or change the properties)

Regards

georges,

What you want to do sounds like the second option.

First Option:
The live option is very advanced, with it you can alter a drawing entity and your database will update automatically or by altering the database the changes will be automatically reflected in the drawing.

Second Option:
In the second option you extract the drawing entity data into your database then alter your database (however you like) and have your program or user select an update. This will alter any drawing entities to reflect the changes in your database.

I should warn you that VBA in Access is not that well developed and you would be better served using the VBA in IntelliCAD to drive your database.
You know that you don't have to have Access loaded on your user's machine to use databases.


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Regards
John Finlay

You 're right,

the second option is what I mean. I would prefer this way since it alows me to use the datas already stored in an Access database. So what I'm looking for is the way how to extract entity-data from blocks on defined layers (handle, layer name, colours, Block name, insertion point, scale factor- a bit what 'list' returns) and to store them in a table inside an existing .mdb file. I want to alter this datas using my existing datas and use them to update the drawing entities (mainly the appearence (colouring and scale of blocks).

If possible it would be nice to return text from the database as well to the drawing, without using attributes.

thanks

georges,

No problem transfering text into the drawing from an external database.

This is easier to do than block attributes.

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Regards
John Finlay