Managing Tables in Layout

marko · 28 Nov 2009, 00:42

Hi,
I'm a long time SU user but new to Layout. I'm considering changing all my construction drafting from AutoCAD to LO but would like some advice on managing schedules & lists in LO drawings.

For example I currently import an excel table into acad modelspace and create viewports in whichever paperspace page I need to see the table. This works well because I only have to update one master table for the whole dwg. It also allows me to just view the relevant part of the table in paperspace by adjusting the viewport. I can update the table by double-clicking which opens excel again.

Can I do all this in LO? I would prefer not to use excel but do it all in LO. I understand I can create a table of information, but how would I create a master table and view different parts of it on multiple pages?

I also read a post saying only the Mac version does tables. I run SU on both PC & Mac so would I be better off using the mac?

Thanks,
Mark

bjanzen · 28 Nov 2009, 22:36

No direct way to do this with Excel, or to use viewports like you can with SketchUp models. You can insert tables in 2.1 in either PC or Mac, but being an old timer who's used RTF (rich text format) since before it was invented, your results always vary. You could try saving your spreadsheet to RTF (or in Google Docs, export to HTML), then File->Insert that RTF. You can then have the file update like other references in File->Document Setup->References.

I'm hoping others that use LayOut will add their suggestions...

b

ps - Oh, as for Mac or PC, I will bow out of that call as I'm a fairly-biased former Apple Employee.

Gaieus · 28 Nov 2009, 22:54

Hi Barry (and all)

Maybe a bit OT but a very good practice is to use rtf files externally embedded into LO as in this case, it will be kept as such in the *.layout file and in case anything goes wrong (ah yeah, I know it shouldn't), you will still have the reference in there - unlike with "simple" text entered in ,lo itself.

tim · 29 Nov 2009, 02:24

@marko said:

I also read a post saying only the Mac version does tables. I run SU on both PC & Mac so would I be better off using the mac?

Yes, in the sense that LO on OSX makes use of the standard text widgety-thing that has its own support for tables and list (as well as the typically expected fonts and stuff). They're not, to be honest, particularly good tables or lists and some of the effects you get when editing are decidedly non-intuitive.

Probably better for anything beyond very basic would be to import a PDF previously produced by Pages or Numbers or even (shudder) Word/Excel. Obviously, producing a PDF is trivial on OSX since you can always just print to pdf.

I have no idea whether you can import PDFs on windows.

marko · 1 Dec 2009, 13:24

Thanks guys. Above posts mention importing rtf or even pdf?

I can't seem to get my excel to export rtf. How do I create an rtf from excel?
I can't see how LO imports a pdf?

mark

bjanzen · 1 Dec 2009, 14:52

What happens when you copy from Excel / paste to LayOut?

b

bjanzen · 1 Dec 2009, 17:47

I answered (1) - cut & paste. (2) PDF embedding "just works" on Mac, not available without ghostscript on PC.

b