Poormans DMS

What is Poormans DMS?

The name refers to the idea: instead of buying and training the organization on an expensive document management platform, Poormans DMS builds on your existing software and a single Excel list – a register of the project's drawings and documents with columns for title, subject, keywords and other metadata. Two small add-ins read the list and automatically write the values as built-in document properties into the files themselves, in Word, Excel and AutoCAD drawings.

Because the properties are set on the file's real, built-in fields – not in a separate side file or database – any tool that already indexes them, such as Windows Search, can be used directly to search, filter and sort the documents. The register in the Excel file becomes the hub of a simple, "poor man's" alternative to an expensive document management system.

OfficeDocProps – for Word and Excel

A small VSTO add-in for Word and Excel. When a document is opened, the add-in looks for a file named Documents.xlsx in the same folder. If there's a row whose Filename column matches the open document's filename, the specified properties are set automatically – and saved.

• Automatically on open or manually via the "Update Properties" button in the ribbon.
• Updates Office's built-in properties (Title, Subject, Keywords, Category, Manager, Company and more) as well as existing custom properties in the document.
• In Word, all fields are also updated automatically – even in headers, footers and text boxes – so that properties inserted as fields in the document always show the correct value.
• Works with Word/Excel 2016 and later, as well as Microsoft 365.
• Installed as an MSI, requires no admin rights.

caDanPlugins – for AutoCAD and Civil 3D

A plugin package for AutoCAD 2025 and Civil 3D that, in addition to a broad library of commands for measurement, BIM workflows and CAD automation, includes one command that does the same job as OfficeDocProps – but for drawings and models.

• UPDATETITLEBLOCK – fills in the title block's attributes and DWG properties (Title, Subject, Keywords, Comments) from a central Excel file, with support for templates that combine static text and column references, plus automatic retrieval of the latest revision tag.
• Plus about twenty additional commands: pipe sweep along polylines, conversion between blocks and points, xref export/import, batch script runs across multiple drawings and more.
• Installed as an MSI and loaded automatically by AutoCAD/Civil 3D on next start.

What's included in the download?

The zip file contains an installer and a complete sample project so you can see how it all fits together before setting up your own Excel list:

• PoormansDMSSetup.exe – installs both OfficeDocProps and caDanPlugins.
• Sample documents – Documents.xlsx with accompanying Word and Excel sample files.
• Sample model – Models.xlsx with a Civil 3D model file (a road).
• Sample drawings – Drawings.xlsx, drawing definitions and finished PDF drawings from the MultiScript run.
• Sample script for batch-exporting drawings to PDF.

Ready to get started?

Unzip the file, run the installer and test it against the sample files – or set up your own Excel list right away.

Download Poormans DMS →

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