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How to Use Tables in BricsCAD

Quick answer: A table is a rows-and-columns entity, much like an Excel spreadsheet, created empty, imported from a CSV file, or pasted from Excel directly. Its appearance is controlled by a table style, saved within the DWG file.

Table Structure and Direction

A default table has a Title cell, a row of Header cells, and one or more rows of Data cells. It can run in one of two directions: Down (title row at the top) or Up (title row at the bottom).

Creating an Empty Table

  1. Click Table on the Draw toolbar or Home/Annotations ribbon panel, choose Table… from the Draw menu, or run TABLE. The Insert Table dialog opens.
  2. Choose a Table Style.
  3. Optionally set the cell style for the first, second, and other rows (defaulting to Title, Header, and Data respectively).
  4. Under Table Options, choose Start from Empty Table.
  5. Under Insertion Behavior, either choose Specify Insertion Point and set the number of columns, column width, number of data rows, and row height, or choose Specify Window and specify any two of: number of columns, number of data rows, column width, or row height.
  6. Click OK; you’re prompted for an insertion point or a window, depending on your choice above. The table is created, and the Text Formatting toolbar appears.
  7. Start adding text, or click outside the table to close the toolbar.

Creating a Table from CSV Data

Before importing, make sure your system’s list separator character matches the one used in the CSV file (see the section below on setting it).

  1. Click Table, choose Insert Table… from the Draw menu, or run TABLE. The Insert Table dialog opens.
  2. Under Table Options, choose From Data.
  3. Click Browse.
  4. Choose your CSV file in the Open dialog and click Open.
  5. Click OK.
  6. Click a point in the drawing to place the table; the Text Formatting toolbar appears.
  7. Start editing the text, or click outside to close the toolbar.
  8. Optionally select the table and drag its grips to adjust its dimensions.

Worth knowing: formulas in the source CSV file aren’t imported, only their calculated values display.

Creating a Table from an Excel Spreadsheet

  1. Open the spreadsheet in Microsoft Excel.
  2. Select the cells you want.
  3. Copy them (Ctrl+C, or right-click and choose Copy).
  4. In BricsCAD, choose Paste special… from the Edit menu, or run PASTESPEC.
  5. In the Paste Special dialog, choose XML Spreadsheet under As.
  6. Click in the drawing to insert the table.

Unlike CSV import, formulas from the source Excel file are imported and remain functional.

Editing a Table with Grips

Selecting a table shows five grip types: one to move the whole table, one to modify width uniformly, one for height uniformly, one for both at once, and one to modify a single column’s width.

Editing a Table with the Table Toolbar

  1. Click a cell to edit, or click and drag a rectangle to select multiple cells; this opens the Table toolbar.
  2. Column letters and row numbers display, the selected columns and rows highlight, and a four-handled rectangle surrounds the selection.
  3. Optionally drag the selection’s grips to resize it.
  4. Optionally click a tool from the toolbar (see the table below).
  5. Optionally right-click for a context menu: Delete Cell Content (clears text from selected cells), Clear Cell Overrides (resets selected cells to the Table Style’s defaults), or Clear Table Overrides (resets every cell in the table the same way).
  6. Repeat steps 3 and 4 as needed.
  7. Optionally double-click a cell to edit its text directly.
  8. Click another cell, or drag to select a different range.
  9. Click outside the table to close the toolbar.

Table tools:

Tool What it does
Insert Row Above / Below Inserts an empty row above or below the selection
Delete Row Deletes the selected row(s)
Insert Column Left / Right Inserts an empty column to the left or right of the selection
Delete Column Deletes the selected column(s)
Merge Cells Merges the selected cells
Unmerge Cells Splits previously merged cells apart
Set Border Style Sets the border style of the selection
Set Cell Alignment Sets the text alignment of the selection
Toggle Lock / Unlock Cell Locks or unlocks the selection
Set Cell Format Sets the cell format of the selection
Insert block reference Inserts a block into a table cell
Manage cell content Manages the content of selected cells
Cell Style Sets selected cells to Inherit, Title, Header, or Data
Cell Background Color Sets the background colour of the selection

Editing a Table in the Properties Panel

  1. Click one of the table’s grid lines; its properties appear in the Properties panel.
  2. Optionally apply a different Table Style.
  3. Optionally change the table’s direction.
  4. Optionally modify its width and/or height.
  5. Optionally modify its vertical and/or horizontal cell margins.
  6. Press Esc to stop.

Editing a Cell in the Properties Panel

  1. Click the cell; its properties appear in the Properties panel.
  2. Optionally modify its width and/or height (this changes the whole column or row it belongs to).
  3. Optionally set text rotation: 0, 90, 180, or 270 degrees.
  4. Optionally edit its content.
  5. Optionally change its text alignment.
  6. Press Esc to stop.

Evaluating Formulas

Formula support is currently partial, some more complex formulas aren’t supported yet, though most formulas from an imported Excel sheet remain functional. Creating or editing formulas through the Field dialog isn’t supported yet either, but in-place editing works: type something like =SUM(A2:A4) directly into a cell, and it’s interpreted as a formula, calculating the sum of cells A2 through A4.

Editing Table Content

  1. Double-click the cell you want to edit, or run TABLEDIT and click the cell when prompted. The Text Formatting toolbar appears above the selected cell.
  2. Edit the cell; press Alt+Enter to add a second line within the same cell.
  3. Move to another cell using Tab (next cell, same row), Shift+Tab (previous cell, same row), Enter (next cell, same column), Shift+Enter (previous cell, same column), or an arrow key.
  4. Click outside the table to stop editing.

Exporting a Table

Exporting uses your system’s list separator character in the resulting CSV file.

  1. Launch TABLEEXPORT. You’re prompted to select a table.
  2. Click the table; the Export Data dialog opens.
  3. Choose a folder to save to.
  4. Type a filename.
  5. Click Save.

Setting the List Separator Character

  1. Open Windows Settings.
  2. Open Region settings.
  3. Click Additional date, time, and regional settings.
  4. Click Change date, time, or number formats.
  5. Click Additional settings.
  6. Set the List separator character.
  7. Click OK.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do formulas survive a table import from CSV? No, only their calculated values come through. Pasting from Excel via Paste Special preserves working formulas instead.

Can I create a formula directly in a table cell? Yes, type it in-place, for example =SUM(A2:A4), and BricsCAD interprets it as a formula, even though creating formulas through the Field dialog isn’t supported yet.

How do I move between cells while editing table content? Use Tab/Shift+Tab to move along a row, Enter/Shift+Enter to move along a column, or the arrow keys.

Why doesn’t my CSV import match the columns correctly? Check that your system’s list separator character matches the one used in the CSV file, adjustable in Windows’ regional settings.

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