dwg file in sql

hi ,
i want to know how to store the dwg file in sql database..
and getback.

please help me in this regard

kishore

 

hi hishore,


by default database-server are only built to store/search values of type text/number/boolean.
so you need a database-server/-software that can store geometry.

before we can discuss the (many) different ways we need to know what sql-server-product?

- alfred -

 

You certainly can do it. Such data saved in database is called BLOB (Binary
Large OBject). Many (most?) database developers are against saving file in
database as binary data, especially when the file size is fairly big, such
as AutoCAD drawing. They recommend to save file path/name in databae
instead.

Simply search MS Knowledge Base for "BLOB", you will get everything yu want
to know on how to save/retrieve BLOB from SQL Server database/Jet database.

 

norman,

that's why i asked a few additional questions. just to save dwgs as blobs
into a database is the really last choice i would use, because there is
no advantage against saving dwg in standard filesystem. so you could not
search for any coordiantes/blockrefs/attributes/text/layernames/...

let's wait for the answer from kishore

- alfred -

 

You need to create an "Image" data field in a sql table (at least
that's what MS-SQL Server calls it) and stick the filebytes of the file
in there.

 

hi all,
thanks for ur replies . but i did not got the solution

let me brief about my requirement .

i want to control the versions of every dwg file . copying in a different folders is not solving this problem
and it is giving me headace to find the which version is the correct one . and more as data in folder is not more safest than the data in sql server.

so i hope u got my problem.

please help me to store the dwg file in sql. i got the code for image storing in sql but that is not working out for dwg file.

thanks and regards
kishore chinna

 

hi,

as already mentioned i think just to move a dwg file into a blob-field of a database
is not (my) preferred way.

my suggestion (one of maybe hundreds of possibilities):
i would hold information of filenames and correspondig
file- & version-information in the database,
so the user gets search-funktions to find the drawing-record.
in the drawingrecord you have the filename and your app
can control the opening of the specific file.

if you want to restrict access to old revisions of a dwg, then you
can add a rename function of files and replace for example the
file extension against the version-number (for example "filename.dwg.ver001")


the advantages:
the user has access to xref's (not if they are not in filesystem)
the user can open dwg's faster (no copy from database-blob to filesystem)



if you want to stay on your solution, then you are in the wrong newsgroup
because that question is not autocad-specific, search at microsoft or
google on how to read/write blobs.

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;317016

- alfred -

 

Sounds like you're trying to replicate Autodesk Vault or any number of
off-the-shelf PDM products. It would most likely be a far more efficient
use of your time to purchase a ready-made solution.

However, if you simply must go this route you should know that a DWG
file can be stored only as a BLOB and not any form of indexable,
seachable data. After all, it is simply a single binary object.

Instead, your database should contain the location of the file and
record data describing the DWG such as document properties.