Identify and Select Existing Links (Concept)

You can select linked records in the data source to automatically select the linked objects in the drawing, and you can select objects to select the linked records in the data source

After you have created links to program graphical objects, you may want to view the data that is associated with them. For example, suppose you have linked employee database records to an office layout and you want to locate a particular employee's office in the drawing. You can select the employee's record in the Data View window to select any corresponding linked graphical objects in your drawing. Conversely, you can select objects to select any linked database records in the Data View window.

Automatic Selection of Linked Objects

You can set up the program to automatically select linked graphical objects in your drawing as additional records are selected in the Data View window. Conversely, you can set up the program to select linked database records as additional graphical objects are selected in your drawing. Only one of these automatic viewing modes can be active at a time.

Other Display Options

You can use the Data View and Query Options dialog box to set a number of viewing options that affect how linked records and linked graphical objects are displayed whenever a corresponding linked item is selected.

The Automatically Pan Drawing option automatically pans the drawing to display objects that are associated with the current selection set of records in the Data View window. If you have multiple records selected in the Data View window, AutoPan may not be able to fit all of them in the drawing window with your drawing's current zoom factor. To control for this, you can set a zoom factor for the AutoPan mode that ensures that all linked objects associated with the current record set are displayed.

The Automatically Zoom Drawing option automatically zooms the drawing so that all objects associated with the current record set are displayed. You must specify a zoom factor that sets the size of the extents of the indicated object set to a defined percentage of the drawing area. The available range is 20 percent to 90 percent, and the default value is 50 percent. A value of 50 percent means that either the height of the extents is 50 percent of the height of the drawing area, or the width of the extents is 50 percent of the drawing area, whichever is less.

You can also specify the following link viewing settings:

Record Indication Settings. Specify whether all records or only the subset associated with the current selection set of graphical objects are displayed in the Data View window. If the Show All Records, Select Indicated Records option is selected, you can specify a marking color to apply to the linked records.
Accumulate Options. Specify whether the program accumulates selection sets of linked graphical objects or Data View records, or creates new selection sets as additional objects or records are selected.

For a description of all the options available, see Data View and Query Options Dialog Box under DBCONNECT in the Command Reference.