Creating object data definitions

- In this lesson, you will learn how to create object data tables that are used to store your own custom properties. Every feature in your DWG can have object data attached, and this starts with the creation of a place to put that data: the empty object data table. Let's create one. First, you must set your current workspace. Click the workspace button at the bottom of the screen, and make sure that "Planning and Analysis Workspace" is setup. That way, the buttons will be where we expect them to be. First, click "Map Setup." Click "Define Object Data." In the "Define Object Data" dialogue box, click "New Table." For the table name, we'll call it "Streets." Next we'll have to add field definitions.

In this case, we'll call it "Feat ID", or "Feature ID." These will be unique numbers assigned to each "Street" segment. We'll make sure the type is integer, meaning whole numbers, one, two, three, four, rather than using something like character, which are any type of character. Point, which is "x,y,z," or real, which has decimal points. For description, we will enter "Unique ID for Streets." The default will be zero, so each time you add a new "Street" segment in the object data table, and fail to enter a new number, it will automatically put the number zero.

Let's click "Add" to add this column. Now we have "Object Data Field" feature ID, called "Feat ID", "Unique ID for "Streets," and the default is zero. Let's add another one. So in the field name, I will type "Street." This will be the street name itself. The description will be "Street Name." Be sure to change the type to "Character" so that we could type decimals, we could type question marks, or any other symbol, or letter or character for the name of the street. For the default, clear that, we don't need a default street name.

Click "Add" to finish that field definition. Now we have streets with two object data fields, "Feat ID" and "Street." Click "OK" to complete. You will see the "Defined Object Data" dialogue box has the table called "Streets" with two fields in it. "Feat ID", zero, and "Street" with no default. Click "Close" to complete. You have learned to create an empty object data table that will eventually contain all your attribute data that will attach to AutoCAD features in the future.