Autodesk App Store review, part 2

 Autodesk App Store: Most Popular Apps for Title block autofill

It was 4 month since my first review. For the past 4 months, 149 new Apps (4% of total number) have been added to the store. The total number of Apps now reaches 3874.

Last night, I did a brief survey on most download PAID Apps.  Some interesting facts can be derived from survey result:

·         Among the Top 64 Paid-App List, 24 Apps (38%) are for Revit, 17 Apps (27%) for Fusion 360, 11 Apps (17%) for AutoCAD, 12 Apps for remaining application (Civil 3D, Plant3D, Navisworks, Maya....).  That means, Revit users are the most generous;

·         Average price of 24 Revit Apps is $84.4;  of 11 AutoCAD Apps is 53.7$; of 17 Fusion 360 Apps is 20.28$.  This fact further reinforces the assumption that Revit users are willing to pay;

·         37 Apps (58%) are under 20$.  Only 9 Apps (14%) are over 100$.  20$ or less maybe a good App price to start with;

About Automating Title block data

For decades, AutoCAD has introduced the Sheet Sets feature. With a well-prepared template, user can easily batch insert title blocks into sheet drawings.  However, to automatically fill the variable content with Sheet-set fields is quite complicated and not flexible enough.

That's why some Apps have developed another way to automate title block data with the help of Microsoft Excel Autofill.

 This short article will introduce some AutoCAD Apps useful for Title block autofill

1. Batch export/import block info to/from worksheet

Author: NTCL Soft

Link download: https://apps.autodesk.com/ACD/en/Detail/Index?id=4533908942326418160&appLang=en&os=Win64

Platform: Windows 64 bit; AutoCAD 2015 to 2024

Price:  Free

Feature brief description:  Batch export/ import Block refs. position, attributes, dynamic properties to/from Microsoft® Excel® worksheet

Pros: Free, can export/import attributes and custom (dynamic) properties directly to MS Excel. Can be used to batch extract data and edit not only title block, but also any blocks;

Cons: Free version cannot batch process multi drawings; complicated dynamic blocks may not fully supported. Do not support 32 bit AutoCAD.

2. BlockMatrix

Author: TR33 Tools

Link download: https://apps.autodesk.com/ACD/en/Detail/Index?id=1006091283091733213&appLang=en&os=Win32_64

Platform: Windows 32 and 64 bit; AutoCAD 2013 to 2020

Price:  39.99$/Year, Free 30-day trial

Feature brief description:  View and modify attribute values and visibility states of blocks across multiple drawing files.

Pros: Can export/import attributes, change visibility states of multi drawings

Cons: App has been dropped since 2019

3. TL Title Block

Author: Todor Latev

Link download: https://apps.autodesk.com/ACD/en/Detail/Index?id=5915957657107280020&appLang=en&os=Win64

Platform: Windows 32 and 64 bit; AutoCAD 2013 to 2020

Price:  20$/Year

Feature brief description:  Automatically update Autodesk® AutoCAD® title block attributes from a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet.

Pros: Can export/import attributes of multi drawings

Cons: Cannot export/import custom (dynamic) properties of block, do not support drawing of two different title blocks;

4. AutoAttribute 64 bit

Author: Cadig

Link download: https://apps.autodesk.com/ACD/en/Detail/Index?id=3541101438877387946&appLang=en&os=Win64

Platform: Windows 64 bit; AutoCAD 2013 to 2022

Price: 99$ permanent (buy on publisher site: https://www.cadig.com/buy/)

Feature brief description:  Export block attributes to Excel. Import block attributes from Excel. Insert blocks from Excel.

Pros: Can export/import attributes of multi drawings, can create block with attributes content from Excel data;

Cons: Cannot export/import custom (dynamic) properties of block

5. JTB BatchAttEdit

Author: JTB World Inc.

Link download: https://apps.autodesk.com/ADSTPR/en/Detail/Index?id=8445680719668463810&appLang=en&os=Win32_64

Platform: Windows 32 and 64 bit; AutoCAD 2017 to 2024

Price: 125$ permanent

Feature brief description:  Powerful spreadsheet app to batch edit attributes of blocks across multiple drawings.

Pros: Can export/import attributes of multi drawings; do not require Microsoft Excel (use publisher's own sheet editor)

Cons: Cannot make use of Excel Autofill, the most expensive App in series.

6. Cadgen Data & Attribute Import Export Utility

Author: Cadgen Software LLC

Link download: https://apps.autodesk.com/ACD/en/Detail/Index?id=6173958939402391249&appLang=en&os=Win32_64

Platform: Windows 32 and 64 bit; AutoCAD 2015 to 2019

Price:  4.99$ permanent, Free 30-day trial

Feature brief description:  A convenient utility to import/export attributes on a drawing to Excel or CSV format and export data created with Cadgen Quick Label, including unit length report between blocks added to group.

Pros: Can export/import attributes of a single drawing, reasonable price

Cons: Do not support multi drawings, custom (dynamic) properties . App was dropped since 2018.

7. Title Block Exchange Application

Author: JWH Coding Solutions

Link download: https://apps.autodesk.com/ACD/en/Detail/Index?id=7192782095511932753&appLang=en&os=Win32_64

Platform: Windows 32 and 64 bit; AutoCAD 2015 to 2024

Price:  29.99$/Year, Free 30-day trial

Feature brief description:  Title Block Exchange Application is a feature-rich, easy-to-use tool to help users maintaining delivery information, updating whole project drawings' title blocks with Excel register by a few click.

Pros: Can export/import attributes of a single/ multi drawings

Cons: Limit 100 drawings per each process, do not support custom (dynamic) properties . User must manually install AccessDatabaseEngine to use App. App was dropped since 2021, publisher website cannot be reached.

8. Enhanced block info to/from worksheet

Author: NTCL Soft

Link download: https://apps.autodesk.com/ACD/en/Detail/Index?id=5849748544647837014&appLang=en&os=Win64

Platform: Windows 64 bit; AutoCAD 2015 to 2024

Price:  40$ permanent, Free 30-day trial

Feature brief description:  Block instances attributes, custom props., positions ↔ Excel worksheet. Multi files, complicated block with Visibility states, Block Properties Table, Lookup tables are supported.

Pros: Can export/import attributes and custom (dynamic) properties. Can be used to batch edit not only title block, but also any blocks; Multi drawings and complicated dynamic block with Block Properties Table, Lookup tables are supported;

Cons: Do not support 32 bit version of AutoCAD;