# Automated Counting in AutoCAD

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/automated-counting-in-autocad/772266>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [November 17, 2016, 4:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/automated-counting-in-autocad/772266 "2016-11-17T16:47:38Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Jinx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Jinx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jinx)\
**Post date:** [November 17, 2016, 4:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/automated-counting-in-autocad/772266/1 "2016-11-17T16:47:38Z")

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I have been Googling methods to auto-count objects in AutoCAD to populate a Bill of Material (BOM) and update accordingly as objects are added or deleted. I found some ways to accomplish this, such as [this one example](http://docs.autodesk.com/ACD/2010/ENU/AutoCAD%202010%20User%20Documentation/index.html?url=WS1a9193826455f5ff1c45dbe10e3adf05a7-7d26.htm,topicNumber=d0e2521) of a method. However, I am seeking a method where this is accomplished by objects being placed on the correct layer (assuming layers are pre-defined by the CAD operator).

Perhaps a SD CAD operator may know of such a method where layer placement is critical to auto-counting? I was under the impression placing objects on the correct layers is key to auto-counting objects vs. auto-counting object attributes (which I wager is the alternative?). In short, perhaps the question becomes is auto-inventorying by layer even a “thing” in recent versions of AutoCAD? What are the facts on this?

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**Author:** ![chappachula](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/d2c977/32.png) [@chappachula](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chappachula)\
**Post date:** [November 18, 2016, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/automated-counting-in-autocad/772266/2 "2016-11-18T17:36:23Z")

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You can talk to Autocad users at  
[http://forums.autodesk.com/t5/autocad-2013-2014-2015-2016-2017/bd-p/706](http://forums.autodesk.com/t5/autocad-2013-2014-2015-2016-2017/bd-p/706)

On the same website there are:

1. a useful forum called “drafting techniques” :  
[Sign in](http://forums.autodesk.com/t5/drafting-techniques/bd-p/23)

and  
2. Other forums for earlier versions of Autocad : [AutoCAD Forums - Autodesk Community](http://forums.autodesk.com/t5/autocad/ct-p/8)