How to Automatically Export Closed Polyline Centroids & Areas from AutoCAD to CSV

 If you work with site plans, asset management, or GIS mapping in AutoCAD, you already know the pain of extracting geometric data.

Manually clicking on dozens of closed polylines, looking up their properties, and typing their areas and coordinates into an Excel spreadsheet is an absolute productivity killer. Worse, it’s a recipe for human error.

What if you could extract the Unique Handle ID, Centroid Coordinates (X,Y), and Total Area of every closed polyline in your drawing with a single command?

In this guide, I will share a custom AutoLISP script that does exactly that—automatically exporting your polyline geometry straight to a clean CSV file.

Why Use AutoLISP Instead of Standard Data Extraction?

While AutoCAD’s built-in DATAEXTRACTION wizard is powerful, it is often overkill for a quick geometric dump. It requires clicking through an 8-step wizard every single time, saving template files, and navigating complex configurations.

This custom LISP tool (PL2CSV) simplifies the task into three quick steps:

1. Type the command.
2. Select your objects.
3. Save your file.

Step-by-Step Tutorial: How to Run the Script

If you have never loaded a LISP file before, don't worry! It takes less than a minute.

Step 1: Save the File

1. Open Notepad (or any plain text editor).
2. Paste the code block above into the blank document.
3. Click File > Save As. Set the file name to PolyCentroidToCSV.lsp. Ensure you change the file type dropdown from .txt to All Files (.) so it saves with a true .lsp extension.

Step 2: Load it into AutoCAD

1. Open your targeted drawing in AutoCAD.
2. Type APPLOAD in the command line and hit Enter.
3. Browse to find your newly created PolyCentroidToCSV.lsp file.
4. Click Load, then close out of the dialog box.

Step 3: Run the Command

1. Type PL2CSV in the command prompt and hit Enter.
2. Select Objects: Drag a selection window over the specific polylines you want to audit. Alternatively, just press Enter to automatically scan the entire drawing at once.
3. Save Your CSV: A Windows file dialogue box will pop up. Choose your target folder, name your spreadsheet, and hit Save.

Understanding Your Output File

When you open the generated .csv file in Microsoft Excel or Google Sheets, you will see four cleanly separated columns:

Handle	Centroid_X	Centroid_Y	Area
2D4F	1450.2341	823.9482	450.1250
2D5A	1612.8814	911.0043	1250.7700

• Handle: This is AutoCAD’s internal permanent unique identifier for that specific object. If you ever need to track down a problematic row back in your drawing, you can use the (handent "HandleID") command to instantly locate it.
• Centroid X & Y: The absolute mathematical center coordinates based on your active User Coordinate System (UCS).
• Area: The precise square units of the boundary.

Streamline Your Drafting Workflow Today

This script is a game-changer for estimators calculating square footages, surveyors mapping parcel boundaries, and project managers trying to bridge CAD data into an external database.

Drop a comment below if this script saved you some manual data-entry time, or let me know if you need to modify it to track layers or add numbering tags to your layout!

download this lisp