Find out how to add Meta information to your AutoCAD DWG Files with ‘Propulate’

August 2010 Paul Munford
8 Comments
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Did you ever realise that you can add additional information to your DWG files that can be referenced inside and outside of AutoCAD?

 

Inside AutoCAD.

The command is ‘DWGPROPS‘

DWG Props General TabDWG Props Custom TabDWG Props Summary Tab

 

 

 

 

 

You can add additional Meta information such as a Title, Subject, Author, Key words and comments. You can also add Custom properties such as the Drawing number, title and revision.

Outside AutoCAD.

DWG Props Windows Summary TabDWG Props Windows Custom Tab

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Even with AutoCAD closed you can right click on a drawing file in Windows explorer to see the information you’ve added. This could help you find the file you are looking for when searching for data with Windows explorer.

Back Inside AutoCAD Again…

DWG Props inside AutoCAD

You can refer to these properties inside AutoCAD using Fields, in  Text, Mtext or Block attributes.

Like the idea, but think it will be too much bother?

Here’s a great tutorial on using the AutoCAD express tool ‘PROPULATE’ to quickly add meta information and custom properties to multiple documents, from Jimmy Bergmark of the JTBworld Blog.

‘If you want to work with DWG properties inside and outside of AutoCAD learn how to use Propulate as it will automate the work to update these properties.’

8 Responses to “Find out how to add Meta information to your AutoCAD DWG Files with ‘Propulate’”

  • Brian
    8 years ago

    I think it’s great that one can add keywords, but now that I’m finding you can’t actually search by keywords (at least not in Windows 7 Professional – that I can figure out). I thought searching for one of the keywords would work, but no luck. Tried searching *.dwg keyword:”modern” which is a keyword I used turned up nothing. I have to manually find the file, right click, choose properties, go to the Summary tab and there it is. It’s debatable that this is easier than just opening the drawing. Do you have any tips for searching in Windows by keyword?

  • Bryan Le
    9 years ago

    This method above so helpful, so good, but in case I want to editing directly on my folder, not open autocad file, by right click, select properties, at tab summary, I can not modify anything, do you have some way can edit without open the file?

    • Paul Munford
      9 years ago

      Hi Bryan,

      I’m sorry but I don’t know of a way to edit information inside an AutoCAD file without opening it in AutoCAD – unless you are able to use a programming langugae such as Lisp or VB.net?

      Paul

  • CF Kellogg
    9 years ago

    I like the PROPULATE thing, but we have no fewer than 24 Custom Properties in our template file, used to populate our Title Block. I can only get ten Custom Properties to import.

    I saved a .prp file from our existing file, wishing to re-order the info.
    Only 10 properties were saved, so I went into the .prp in Notepad, and followed the nomenclature in the .prp file, manually adding the extra 14.

    Following the procedure to import the ,prp file, the new 14 properties did not come into a blank drawing file; only the first ten.

    Is ten the limit?

    I tried re-numbering them Custom01, 02, thru 09, but only #10 came in.
    Back to plain Custom1, 2, etc.

    If you can be of any help, please answer.

    Keep up the good work!

    Thanks,

    C. Frank Kellogg . . . if you need anything.

  • Aarun Poojary
    9 years ago

    Hi was looking for Autocad help , to automate my work process

    • Paul Munford
      9 years ago

      Good stuff Aarun, you’ve come to the right place.

      Do you have a specific question?

      Paul