About Using the Data Extraction Wizard

You use the Data Extraction wizard to choose the data source (drawings) to extract property data from selected objects. You can output the data to a table or external file.

The Data Extraction wizard guides you through the process of

• Selecting the data source, which can be a drawing, set of drawings, or folders.
• Filtering objects (non-blocks and blocks) are extracted and selecting properties from which data is extracted.
• Organizing and refining the extracted data.
• Merging information from an Excel spreadsheet with the extracted data.
• Choosing an output format for the data (a table and/or an external file).
• Formatting the extracted data in a table by specifying a table style or selecting an existing pre-formatted table.

The first time you extract data, you are prompted to save the data extraction settings in a data extraction (DXEX) file. Later, if you need to edit the data extraction, you select the DXEX file, which contains all the settings (data source, selected objects and their properties, output format and table style) that you used to create the extraction. For example, if you wanted to remove some property data from the extraction, you would select the DXEX file that was used to create the extraction and made the desired changes.

A data extraction file can also be used as a template to perform the same type of extraction in a different drawing. The DXEX file stores drawing and folder selections, object and property selections, and formatting choices. If you need to extract the same type of information repeatedly, using a DXEX file is time-saving and convenient.

You can also edit a DXEX file. You can add or remove drawings, add or remove objects, or select different properties from which to extract data. Tables that reference the same DXEX file, even if those tables are in other drawings, display the changes when those tables are updated.

Note: You can use an attribute extraction (BLK) file as a template for extracting data from blocks and attributes or a data extraction (DXE) file for extracting data from blocks and geometry. When using a BLK or DXE file for extracting data or editing an existing extraction, you are prompted to save the data extraction to a DXEX file in order to proceed with the extraction.