About Updating Extracted Data

Extracted data can be updated so that it is current with the data source. You can manually update the extracted data, whether it is output to a data extraction table or to an external file, or rely on a notification to display when triggered by commands such as SAVE or PLOT. You can then update the table from the Data Extraction - Outdated Table dialog box.

Note: Extracted data in external files is not checked to see if it is current with the data source, and notification does not occur.

Manually Update Extracted Data

If the drawings that were used for the data extraction have changed, you can manually update the data.

• Open the drawing that contains the table and use the Data Extraction wizard to edit the DXE file that contains the extraction settings.
• Right-click the data extraction table to access its shortcut menu. Click Data Extraction Update Data Extraction.

You can update extracted data that was output to an external file with the Data Extraction wizard and specifying the DXE file that was used for the extraction.

Note: The .dxe file is saved with the file name and location that was specified when a new data extraction was created.

Using the data extraction (DXE) file, you can also edit an existing data extraction to add or remove drawings, add or remove objects, or select different properties from which to extract data. Tables that reference the same DXE file, even if those tables are in other drawings, will display the changes when those tables are updated.

Automatically Update Extracted Data

When information in the data source has changed that affects extracted data in a table, you are notified the data is not current. (Notification does not occur with attribute extraction tables.) Depending on how the DXEVAL system variable is set, the Data Extraction - Outdated Table dialog box displays when certain commands are used, such as OPEN or SAVE. By default, DXEVAL is set to check if the extracted data is not current without automatically updating it when the PLOT or ETRANSMIT commands are used.

Attention: When DXEVAL = 8 (update on publish) and BACKGROUNDPLOT is set to 2 or 3, you will be prompted to update when publishing the files. However, the tables in the DWF file will not be updated. To include table updates in the published files, set BACKGROUNDPLOT to 0 or 1.

You can set auto-updating to occur with these commands: SAVE, PLOT, PUBLISH, or ETRANSMIT. When auto-updating is enabled, the extracted data is automatically checked to see if it is current with the data source. If not, the update process occurs without user intervention. With PLOT or ETRANSMIT, the data extraction is updated prior to the plotting or electronically transmitting the drawings, which are not saved.

When you open multiple drawings at the same time, and the DXEVAL setting in each drawing is 1 (to check for updates as the drawing is open), a dialog box displays for each drawing that contains a data extraction table that is not current. You can choose to update the drawing or to skip all updates.

You can run the update later from the shortcut menu for the data extraction table.

If the cells in a data extraction table are edited in a previous release of the program, and then opened in the current version, the table cells that were edited are unlocked. When the table is updated in the current release, a dialog box displays indicating some cells were overwritten. You can choose to overwrite the cells or skip the cells during the update.

Note: It is recommended you turn on notification before doing a final save, plot, publish, electronic transmittal, or archive.

Update Attribute Extraction Tables

You can update the contents of a table that was created using the Attribute Extraction wizard. Before an attribute extraction can be updated, the table must be converted to a data extraction table.

Note: Attribute extraction table column width and height are not retained after conversion to a data extraction table.