Scan through multiple drawings to rename and change properties

Getting Started | Usage | Install/Uninstall | License | Contact | Version History

How it works | Example 1: How to change Attribute Tags in Title Blocks | Example 2: How to create a Table of Properties | Objects Reference

Getting Started

JTB Batch Change brings the AutoCAD ActiveX Object Model to your command via Excel design spreadsheets. Some examples of feature commands are:

• You can rename layers in hundreds of drawing by substituting text "Concrete" with "CONC", or add a prefix of "AC " to each layer's name.
• You can import and update all blocks from a standard drawing to hundreds of other drawings.
• You can replace all inserted blocks "DOOR-BD3" in layer "Archs" with block "DOOR-AC1", and move them to layer "ARCH-FURN"
• You can change all texts whose styles are not prefixed with "ELEC" to "ELEC Standard" style, then change all block's attributes whose tag is "DATE" to current date.
• You can convert all your inserted blocks from dynamic to static, or to anonymous blocks.
• You can flatten all your drawing objects by setting all Z coordinates to 0.
• Additionally, you can perform Batch Audit and Purge.

And much more.

Open JTB Batch Change (version).xlsm Microsoft Excel Macro Enabled workbook in the application install folder (at %appdata%\Autodesk\ApplicationPlugins\JTB Batch Change.bundle\Contents), you will find 7 spreadsheets:

• The first one is The Drawing List: your selected drawings will be listed here
• The last one is the Help worksheet: this is where you find your license key and help page links.

The others are 6 working spreadsheets:

1. Rename spreadsheet: help you work with named object. You can rename, purge and audit Drawings; rename, delete, replace, merge Blocks, Layers, TextStyle etc. in selected drawings.

2. Find and Replace spreadsheet: find texts in AutoCAD Texts, MTexts, Dimensions, Attributes and Table, then replace it with other texts.

3. DwgProps spreadsheet:
   • Change drawing properties
   • Add or remove custom drawing properties

4. Import spreadsheet: import Blocks, Layers, TextStyles, Linetypes, DimStyles and/or PageSetups from standard drawing to your selected destination drawings. Current definitions in destination drawing will be overridden/redefined. Layer properties like On/Off or Freeze/Thaw will also be imported from the standard drawing.
   • For example: you redefine some of your door blocks in a Master Plan.dwg and want to update those new block definitions to other drawings.
   • Go to Import sheet, choose a row and then select one of the Block commands.
   • Click "Select source drawing" and set the cell on the same row to Master Plan.dwg path
   • Go to Find column and set it to Door*. If Find column is empty, it assumes all blocks.
   • Click Run
   • The app will run WBLOCK exports all Door* blocks from Master Plan to a temp folder. Then, it opens each drawing in your selected drawing list and import overwrite new block drawings to them
5. Change spreadsheet: This spreadsheet will drill deeper in to object properties to find value and make change.
6. Change CrossTab spreadsheet:

   (Available since version 2.0)

   Similar to the "Change" spreadsheet, but this sheet will show objects properties in a crosstab table, easier to use.

   Also, especially on this sheet, the command button of "Populate Objects Properties To Current Sheet" is available in the Run >>> Select commands and drawings window. With that command, similar to "Run", but insteading of find objects and change them, the app populate found objects properties to itself, so you can have a closer detail look to the objects, and determine to create more specific change commands.

While working with JTB Batch Change, you can copy the workbook to other locations. Within the workbook, you can copy, delete or rename worksheets.

Usage

This application works best with latest Microsoft Excel version.

To ensure Macros will run, you should give them permission first: Go to Excel Options > Trust Center > Macro Settings > Choose "Disable all macros except digitally signed macros" or "Enable all macros ..."

Installation: to automatically add the app to Excel Add-Ins, got to enable "Trust access to VBA project object model".

Otherwise, you have to manually add the JTB Batch Change.xlam add-in file to your Add-In list. Go to Excel Options > Add-Ins> Manage > Go ... and the Excel's Add-In window brings up. Browse for the JTB Batch Change.xlam in app folder: %programdata%\Autodesk\ApplicationPlugins\JTB Batch Change.bundle\Contents\Windows

The working flow is:

1. Start with "JTB Batch Change.xlam" or "JTB Batch Change Example.xlam". The example xlam workbook will be very useful because it contains many examples commands and instructions.
2. Go to to Drawing List worksheet. Click "Add Drawings" to selected drawing files. You can collect drawings at various places. They will be listed uniquely in column A and B.
3. Open a working spreadsheet (Rename, Import,Find and Replace, DwgProps, Change and Change CrossTab), then create your own commands. Test your commands first before applying to the real work.
4. Select commands on one or selected rows. Then click "Run". A window will bring up for you to select drawings and edit commands selection.
5. Click Run button to start the Batch Change process
6. Finally, a Log worksheet will be activated for you to review all actions information.

   Your drawings are always backed up before any change is made. If any error happens, you can click to open BackUp Location to find and restore old your drawings.

For more information on how it works, how to use Find and Replace formulas, you can browse these pages:

• How it works
• Example 1: How to change Attribute Tags in Title Blocks
• Example 2: How to create a Table of Layer Properties
• Objects Reference

Screenshots