TABLE OF CONTENTS This chapter explores the tables in AutoCAD. AutoCAD tables include layers, linetypes, blocks, dictionaries, views, view ports, dimension styles, text styles, groups, registered applications, layouts, and plot configurations. Tables are stored as collections of specific objects and follow most of the standard methods of collections with some notable exceptions. In this chapter we will discuss how to manipulate tables in general, then we'll focus on some of the specific table details. We finish the chapter with an in-depth study of the blocks table and an explanation of how to manipulate blocks in VBA.
AutoCAD drawing tables consist of information referenced by multiple objects. They exist primarily to conserve space in the entity objects by providing a common area where information may be accessed. Consider layers as an example. Every entity object in AutoCAD has a layer, and it would greatly inflate the database to have the layer information (such as color and linetype selections) attached to each and every entity. Although you can assign specific linetype and color selections to individual entity objects, most production-oriented CAD operators are advised to use layers.
Tables also allow you to directly manipulate multiple objects as a common group. Changing the color property of a layer will cause entity objects on that layer to change to that color (unless they have specific entity color overrides in effect). This is why operators are advised to use the tables. A single change in a table can result in many entity objects being updated.
