Multiple replace

This command is designed to 'translate' drawings using a replacement list created with Collect Unique Text command. It will dramatically improve your translation speed and quality when dealing with Autocad drawings.

To start translating Autocad drawings, please refer to the overview of Collect Unique Text command. Otherwise, read on.

How it works?

This command searches drawing(s) for text objects. If it finds a field whose text matches an entry in the replacement list, it replaces the text of the field with its translation from the replacement list.

Features

• Process multiple layouts in the current drawing and/or multiple selections within the current drawing;
• Batch-process multiple drawings opened in AutoCAD;
• Support for TEXT, MTEXT, TABLE, DIMENSION, MULTILEADER and EXTERNAL REFERENCE objects;
• Text formatting is preserved;
• Option to process specific layers only (e.g. if the text you need to translate is in 'TXT_EN' layer).

Running the command

Multiple Replace is launched from Autocad's Macros dialogue. Click here for more information on how to do it.

Options:

1. Select one of the options depending on where the text is located:

   1. Option 1 - Current drawing file (default) - choose this option if you want to translate all text on specific layouts of the current drawing or process a single selection within a single drawing layout.

      

      Layouts - to translate text on one or several layouts, make sure that the 'Layouts' option button is selected and check (tick off) the appropriate layouts. Use All and None buttons to check or uncheck all layouts at once.

      Selection - to process a single selection in the current drawing, make sure that the 'Selection' option button is selected, then select the appropriate layout that contains the objects (to process text in a viewport, select 'Model'), and click Select button. When you do, the dialogue will temporarily disappear and you will be able to select the desired text.

      There are several ways to select objects:
      

      • Left-click at the top-left corner of the selection, a small distance away from the very top-left object that you want to include in the selection. Hold the left mouse button and drag the mouse until the selection fully covers all the text objects, and then release the left mouse button. You may use the mouse wheel while dragging the mouse in order to zoom in/out.
      • Left-click on individual objects to add them to the current selection set.
      • Rotate the mouse wheel up or down to zoom in/out. While you do this, try to move the mouse closer to the objects you want to center the view on.
      
      Press Escape if you have selected wrong objects and would like to start again (this will return you to the Options dialogue). Press Enter when you have fully selected all objects to process (this will return you to the Options dialogue).

   2. Option 2 - Multiple selections from current drawing file - choose this option if you would like to process multiple selections or layouts in the current drawing. This should be useful if your drawing has viewports and only portions of text need to be translated.

      

      Select the appropriate layout from the drop-down list and click Select Objects... to select specific objects on this layout (see Option 1 above for guidelines on selecting objects) or Select Layout to select everything on this layout. Each selection will be added to the list below, so you will be able to select as many layouts or selections as you want.

      To remove a specific selection you made, select the item from the list and click Remove. Click Clear to remove all items if you would like to start from scratch.

   3. Option 3 - Open drawing files - this option allows batch processing of several drawings opened in Autocad.

      

      In the list you will see layouts of every drawing currently opened in the same AutoCAD application window (i.e. all drawings you can see under AutoCAD Window menu).

      Check the appropriate layouts manually or click All / None buttons to check or uncheck all layouts at once.

2. Replacement table: The replacement list should be entered here. After you translate the two-column table generated by Collect Unique Text, copy it into the clipboard (only the first two columns, without the header) and click Paste or press Ctrl+V to paste the text from the clipboard.

3. Process specific layers only: Use this option if you need to translate text that is located in specific layer(s).

   

   When you select this option, you will see two lists.
   
   The left-hand list is the list of layers that need to be processed. If this list is empty, all layers will be processed.
   
   The right-hand list contains all layers within the current drawing.
   
   Click <-Add to add a specific layer to the list of layers you want to process (left-hand list). In batch-processing mode, you can also use Add custom button to add a layer that is not present in the current drawing. Click Remove-> to remove a layer from the list of processed layers.

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When the appropriate options have been selected, click Start. To exit, click Close.

Tips

• Use CAT software to further increase the speed of translating replacement lists