To Link Database Records to Objects Automatically

If information in your drawing, such as object data, text, or block attribute data, matches information in a database table, you can automatically create links from each selected object to a matching record in the database table.

To link records to objects using object data automatically

  1. At the Command prompt, enter mapod2ase.
  2. In the Convert Object Data To Database Links dialog box, under Source Object Data Table, select an object data table.
  3. Select Remove Data From Objects Processed to delete the object data after creating the link.
  4. Under Target Link Template, select Link Object Data To Database.
  5. Click Define to specify the link template.
  6. In the Select Existing Link Template dialog box, under Link Template, select an available link template.
  7. For each key field in the link template, select a field in the object data table.
  8. Select a Database Validation option:
    • None — Creates links without checking to see if a matching record exists in the table
    • Link Must Exist — Creates a link only if the value in the drawing matches the key field value of an existing record. If no record has a matching value, a link is not created for that object.
    • Create If New — Creates a new record in the table if no existing record has a matching value.
  9. Click OK.
  10. In the Convert Object Data To Database Links dialog box, specify how to select objects with attached object data.

    You can select objects automatically or manually, and you can use a filter to restrict selection to specified layers.

  11. Click Proceed.

To link records to objects using text or block attribute data automatically

  1. Click Map Setup tabAttribute Data panel FindGenerate Links. Find
  2. In the Generate Data Links dialog box, select a linkage type.
  3. Under Data Links, select Create Database Links.
  4. Select a link template.

    If you are creating links to enclosed text, select a link template that has only one key field.

  5. If you are creating links to blocks or enclosed blocks, select the name of the block.

    For each key field in the link template, select a tag from the block attribute. You can assign a tag to only one key field.

  6. Select a Database Validation option.
  7. Optionally, select Use Insertion Point As Label Point.
  8. Click OK.
  9. Enter a to use all blocks or text objects, or enter s to select block or text objects.

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