This tutorial covers how to utilize some of GeoTools AutoCAD Map tools for working on Object data.

1. Open the drawing named lesson11.dwg which is located in your GeoTools Tutorials folder. This folder is located in the folder where you have installed GeoTools.

2. You should see a drawing (see Image 12-1) of a small layout of Conduit carrying electrical cables of different companies represented by 2D Polyline

Image 12-1

3. The drawing shows number of block attributes displaying the pole details like Pole number, Owner name, Tel.No. This blocks are also attached with object data table by name POLE. Which has object data fields such as PoleNum, Owner and TelNo. Now we will see how we can utilize GeoTools AutoCAD Map tools for working on Object data.

4. We shall begin with renaming the object data field Owner to Company.

Renaming the object data field Owner to Company

1. Click on menu GeoTools => AutoCAD Map Tools => Rename Object Data Fields or type GT_REN_OD_FLDS at the command prompt. This will pop-up the dialog box as shown below (image 12-2)

Image 12-2


2. Under Object Table to use select POLE. Under Field to rename select OWNER and in New field name box type Company and click on OK button to replace the object data field name.

So we have learnt how to rename the object data field. Now we will see how we can Export object table data to ASCII file.

Exporting Object Table data to ASCII file

1. Click on menu GeoTools => AutoCAD Map Tools => Export Object Data Table to ASCII file or type GT_OD_EXTRACT at the command prompt. This will pop-up the dialog box as shown below (image 12-3)

Image 12-3

3. Under Object Tables to export choose POLE. And in Export parameters check the boxes Export all records in each entity and Export field names as first record [header]

4. Type comma (,) in the Delimiter between fields box

5. Apart from extracting object table data we can extract the Object Type, Handle and Object Layer by checking the respective boxes under Additional extracts.

6. Click on the button Export text file to specify the file path for extracting the object table data. And then click on OK button this will pop-up the Standard selection dialog box as shown below in (image 12-4).

Image 12-4

7. Click on the button Scan entire drawing this will select all the objects in the drawing and lastly click on Apply button for extracting the object table data to the ASCII file.

8. Below (image 12-5) shows the object table data and additional extracts into a text (ASCII) file.

Image 12-5