What data can be extracted?
| Source | Data |
|---|---|
| 2D DWG | Block counts and attributes, polyline lengths, areas, layer contents, text |
| 3D models | Mass, volume, surface area, centre of gravity, bounding box |
| Assemblies | Component counts, structure, bought-out items |
| Properties | Part numbers, materials, suppliers, revisions, authors |
| Features | Hole counts and sizes, bends, welds, threads |
| BIM (Revit) | Element quantities, parameters, room data, schedules |
| Electrical | Wire lists, terminal plans, cable lengths, component lists |
Engineering reports you can automate
- Weight and centre-of-gravity reports for lifting and transport.
- Material take-off for estimation and purchasing.
- Surface area reports for painting and coating.
- Welding length reports for costing and planning.
- Equipment and instrument lists from P&ID or layout drawings.
- Drawing registers with number, title, revision and status.
- Project progress dashboards from PDM data.
Example: extracting block attributes in AutoCAD (.NET)
foreach (ObjectId id in modelSpace)
{
if (tr.GetObject(id, OpenMode.ForRead) is BlockReference br)
{
foreach (ObjectId attId in br.AttributeCollection)
{
var att = (AttributeReference)tr.GetObject(attId, OpenMode.ForRead);
rows.Add(new[] { br.Name, att.Tag, att.TextString });
}
}
}
// rows are then written to Excel with a reporting libraryOutput formats
- Excel with company formatting, formulas and charts.
- PDF reports with logos and signatures for customers.
- CSV / JSON for ERP, BI tools or databases.
- Web dashboards for managers and project teams.
Extraction at scale
For projects with thousands of drawings, extraction runs as a batch job, and results are stored in a database so reports can be refreshed at any time without reopening CAD files.
If someone is copying numbers from CAD into Excel, that process should be automated.
Automate your engineering reports
ENGIMANDI builds data extraction and reporting for AutoCAD, Revit, AutoCAD Electrical, SolidWorks and more, including web dashboards.