At work we need to create a fairly simple drawing of some fire doors and then stretch this each time we get an order depending upon the exact size of opening they must fit. (Evereything is bespoke).

We have developed a spreadsheet and by entering the opening size this calculates the size of the galss, steel frame lengths etc but this info then has to be entered into the AutoCAD drawing to achieve a correctly scaled drawing.

Is it possible to link the spreadsheet to the drawing so that it re-sizes automatically in line with the spreadsheet?

I'm sure I have seen this done with Inventor but we are using AutoCAD LT 2008.

I probably won't be able to do this myself since my CAD skills are not great but I need to know if it's possible.

Many thanks,
John.

Should maybe be possable.
- Certainly in UniGraphics you can use a spreadsheet to drive the dimentions of parts.
- We use it at work to create part familys of things like nuts/bolts/brackets that are all geometrical simular, but diffrent sizes and proportions.

Never used autocad in ernest however, just solidedge/ug/nx


Daniel

have you looked at using the dyanamic blocks option, this allows you to draw a regular block for example a door frame and then will scale say the opening size without changing the overall profile of the outer frame.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xVcHdsOYZss&feature=related

http://www.cadclips.com/Acad2006-DynamicBlocks.htm

if not if you can work out every cordinate in excel for a line you need drawing then yes you can.

[Edited on 8/4/08 by Aboardman]

[Edited on 8/4/08 by Aboardman]

i dont know if its possible in autocad but you can do it easily in solidworks using a design table.

sorry for not helping

I don't think you will find that it can be done with Standard 2d Autocad like LT. You will need a 3d parametric solid modeller like Inventor/Soildworks to create table driven parts and assembleys. It can be done in Autodesk's Mechanical Desktop which is built on Autocad but MDT is also a Parametric modeller.