Chapter 10: Attributes--Storing Data with Graphics

Overview

Attributes are unique to computer-aided design and drafting; nothing quite like them exists in traditional drafting.

Because of this, they are often poorly understood . Attributes enable you to store information as text that you can later extract to use in database managers, spreadsheet programs, and word processors. By using attributes, you can keep track of virtually any object in a drawing or maintain textual information within the drawing that can be queried.

Keeping track of objects is just one way to use attributes. You can also use them in place of text objects when you must enter the same text, with minor modifications, in many places in your drawing. For example, if you are drawing a schedule that contains several columns of information, you can use attributes to help simplify your data entry.

In this chapter you will use attributes for one of their more common functions: maintaining lists of parts. In this case, the parts are doors. This chapter also describes how to import these attributes into a database management program. As you go through these exercises, think about the ways attributes can help you in your particular application.