Graphics Programs Reference
In-Depth Information
Chapter 18
Getting and Exchanging Data
from Drawings
AutoCAD drawings contain a wealth of data—graphic information such as distances and angles
between objects as well as precise areas and the properties of objects. However, as you become
more experienced with AutoCAD, you'll also need data of a different nature. For example, as
you begin to work in groups, the various settings in a drawing become important. You'll need
statistics on the amount of time you spend on a drawing when you're billing computer time. As
your projects become more complex, file maintenance requires a greater degree of attention. To
take full advantage of AutoCAD, you'll want to exchange information about your drawing with
other people and other programs.
In this chapter, you'll explore the ways in which all types of data can be extracted from
AutoCAD and made available to you, your coworkers, and other programs. First you'll learn
how to obtain specific data about your drawings. Then you'll look at ways to exchange data with
other programs—such as word processors, desktop-publishing software, and even other CAD
programs.
In this chapter, you'll learn to do the following:
Find the area of closed boundaries
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Get general information
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Use the DXF file format to exchange CAD data with other programs
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Use AutoCAD drawings in page-layout programs
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Finding the Area of Closed Boundaries
One of the most frequently sought pieces of data you can extract from an AutoCAD drawing is
the area of a closed boundary. In architecture, you want to find the area of a room or the foot-
print of a building. In civil engineering, you want to determine the area covered by the bound-
ary of a property line or the area of cut for a roadway. In the following sections, you'll learn how
to use AutoCAD to obtain exact area information from your drawings.
