If you’re going to batch, you might as well check out the apps that can help with an array of things. In the first of this two-part series, we will showcase many of the AutoCAD batch apps available on the Autodesk App Store.
SonOfaBatch
Hands down, this one has to win on its name alone. Kidding aside, it has some unique capabilities that have received rave reviews.
According to the developer VDC Toolbox, SonOfABatch is “a multi-batch utility that allows users to change attribute values, plot multiple drawings with a revision check, and detach X-Refs. The attribute changing features have the ability to not only change attributes, but also to search and replace a text string within a specified attribute tag value.”
You can check it out here and, best of all, it’s free.
JTB Batch Change
If you want change (and lots of it), then this is the app for you.
“JTB Batch Change brings the Autodesk AutoCAD ActiveX Object Model to your command via Excel design spreadsheets,” says developer JTB World. “With Batch Rename Objects you can rename layers in hundreds of drawing by substituting text “Concrete” with “CONC,” or add a prefix of “AC ” to each layer’s name. With Batch Find and Replace you can find and replace text on multiple drawings.”
It doesn’t stop there because you can also import and update all blocks from a standard drawing to hundreds of other drawings; audit and purge; change text and block attributes; and much more.
The trial for JTB Batch Change is available here or can be purchased for $150 here.
Batch Publish
Want to simplify plotting sets of drawings to DWF and/or PDF? JTB World once again has you covered with Batch Publish.
“It runs as a command within AutoCAD—as opposed to a separate executable—and uses a separate executable to monitor AutoCAD health and restart it, as needed,” JTB World says. “The status of the batch publishing operation is stored to disk, allowing it to pick up from where it left off and also for any failed documents to be retried without starting from scratch. A setting is available to only publish drawings that have been modified since they were last published, making it easier to publish sets of documents on a regular basis.”
Batch Publish is available for a trial here or can be purchased for $10 here.
Stay tuned for the second-part of this article series for even more AutoCAD batch apps!
Check out the entire Autodesk App Store series for more indispensable AutoCAD apps available.
