How to Import X, Y, Z Coordinates from Excel to AutoCAD (in Just 10 Steps)

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Do you have data points in an Excel file that you want to import to AutoCAD? This wikiHow will teach you how to import X, Y, Z coordinates from Excel to AutoCAD using a script file. First, you'll need an Excel spreadsheet file .

Steps

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    You can open the program from the Start menu in Windows or in the Applications in Finder on Mac; then click File > Open . You can also open your file from your file manager by right-clicking it and selecting Open with > Excel .
    • You're going to create the script file from the Excel data.
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    Simply click to select the first cell with data and drag and drop your cursor to the last cell that contains data. To copy, press Ctrl + C (Windows) or Cmd + C (Mac).
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    You'll find Notepad in the Start menu of Windows and TextEdit in the Applications folder in Finder for Mac.
    • To paste, press Ctrl + V (Windows) or Cmd + V (Mac). The data will appear in your text file along with spaces to look like the original source.
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    Select (drag and drop) a space, then go to Edit > Replace then you should see the space in the "Find what" text field (Mac users may need to select "Use selection for Find"). Enter a comma in the "Replace with" field and click Replace All .
    • When you replace all the characters, you'll see your data set without the spaces, but instead with commas.
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    AutoCAD recognizes the underscore mark as a command and spaces as enters, so it will run the "MULTIPLE" and "POINT" commands separately.
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    Go to File > Save As then change the "Save as type" drop-down and select "All Files." For Mac, hold the Option key as you click File to get "Save As."
    • Name the file then add ".scr" to the end and click Save .
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    You can launch this app from your Start menu in Windows or the Applications folder in Finder on Mac.
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    You'll see the SCRIPT command appear above the command bar at the bottom of your screen as you type and your file manager will open when you press the Enter/Return key.
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    When you double-click to select it, AutoCAD will read the commands on the first line of the document and automatically import the X, Y, Z coordinates.
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    Pressing Esc closes the last command (which was the POINT command) and double-clicking will zoom out so you can see all the coordinates you imported.
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      About This Article

      Article Summary X

      1. Open your project in Excel.
      2. Select and copy your data.
      3. Paste the copied data to a Notepad or TextEdit file.
      4. Use the "Find and Replace" tool to get rid of the spaces.
      5. Add "_MULTIPLE _POINT" to the top of the list.
      6. Save the file as an SCR file.
      7. Open AutoCAD.
      8. Type "SCR" and press Enter/Return .
      9. Navigate to and double-click your SCR file.
      10. Press Esc and double-click your mouse in the drawing area.

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