Viewing AutoCAD Extended Entity Data

Editions

Certain AutoCAD (DXF-format and DWG-format) files contain Extended Entity Data, also called EED or Xdata. EED is data from a different program--such as Excel--that is attached to an AutoCAD entity. This data can be sent to and interpreted by the registered program.

The Spicer Hotspot program has some built-in EED support. You can use it to view EED attached to any displayed entity in an AutoCAD file. The EED is displayed in ASCII DXF form.

To view EED in AutoCAD files:

1. Choose Preference $image\arrow_shg.gif$ Options.

2. Click the $image\plus_shg.gif$ beside Format.

3. Click AutoCAD.

4. In the Xdata Program List text box, type the names of the programs that you want to support, each separated by spaces, or type * to support every program registered with the drawing.

5. Click Save. Click OK.

6. In Windows, run the Spicer Hotspot program with Imagenation, or set it up to start automatically when Imagenation does. For details, click Starting programs automatically.

When you open an AutoCAD file that contains EED in one of the supported entities, the EED is displayed as a hotspot. When you activate the hotspot, the EED is displayed.

Note that EED is lost when an AutoCAD file is exported under any format (even DXF).