Create or Update AutoCAD Drawings
- Last UpdatedOct 14, 2025
- 2 minute read
Use this procedure to create or update selected drawings and trigger DataLinks in each CAD drawing to be updated with current project data from the AVEVA Instrumentation database.
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Select the drawing(s) in the Drawings List and click Update on the List Tools - Drawings tab.
Note: For more information on Datalinks, refer to Datalinks.
Each selected drawing is then opened in AutoCAD (refer to Issues when Opening AutoCAD Drawings). The Update Options window is displayed:
The dialog is used to specify whether or not the drawings are to exported when they are saved, whether or not changes in the drawing are to be highlighted with revision clouds, and whether or not the drawings are to be plotted when they are saved.
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Select the export option to export the drawings to a pre-defined folder or folders with file names in a pre-defined, user-defined format. The folder(s) and the file name format are specified using facilities accessed from the Setup menu on the Project tab. For further information, refer to Export Drawings to Pre-Defined Folders with File Names in a Pre-Defined Format.
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Project preferences for the generation of drawing are specified in the Options window.
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Click Update to proceed.
The following message is displayed while AutoCAD starts up:
The selected drawings are then processed one at a time. As each drawing is created/updated in AutoCAD, it is opened and closed automatically until the last drawing is processed. The last drawing will be left open by default, unless the Close all drawings on update checkbox on the General Tab of the Options window is checked.
In the case of Enhanced Termination Reports a preview of each of the report sheets is displayed in the Termination Report window (refer to the Wiring Manager User Guide for details of this window). As each sheet is displayed, you are given the choice of generating an AutoCAD drawing for that sheet:
For points to note regarding the generation of specific drawing types, and how Templates and Seed Files are utilized, continue at Create and Update Drawings - Notes.