ProjectWise Excel Export-Import Gary Cochrane Technical Director – Geospatial Sales NAOU

BIA – Configuration Option #1 2 |

BIA – Configuration Option #2 3 |

BIA – Configuration for PW Online 4 |

Excel Export-Import Workflows Two primary workflows: –Initial Import/Bulk-load from legacy system or scanning project Characterized as drawings + metadata to be preserved Excel used as “interchange” format between legacy system and ProjectWise –External Contractor/Consultant Characterized as someone working off-line Will receive a package of drawings, modify them, and then send back, e.g. “round-tripping” Excel spreadsheet used to provide list of drawings and metadata 5 |

Menu Items 6 |

ProjectWise Document Metadata Highlights –Mandatory Standard fields: Document Name, Document Owner –Optional Standard fields: Document Description, Document File Name, Department, Workflow State –End-user organization fields: As required by the organization; Text fields, date fields, required fields, triggered fields, formatted fields, etc. Defined using the PW Administrator application 7 |

Document Properties – General tab 8 | MandatoryOptional

Document Properties – Attributes tab 9 | This tab defined by user organization

Document Properties – More Attributes 10 | This tab also defined by user organization

Abstract (or Virtual) Documents Defined as a document for which there is no electronic file – In other words, ProjectWise can also be used to index paper drawings prior to scanning –Document File Name is an optional field 11 |

Reference File Architecture MicroStation References (and AutoCAD xRefs) –CAD file contains pointers to other CAD files Pointer includes file name and path 12 | A.DGN Pointer to B Pointer to C Parent fileChild file B.DGN C.DGN

Renaming Reference Files Without ProjectWise –Linkage is broken File name in pointer is invalid 13 | A.DGN Pointer to B Pointer to C Parent fileChild file B1.DGN C.DGN

Renaming Reference Files Without ProjectWise –Linkage is broken File name in pointer is invalid 14 | A.DGN Pointer to B Pointer to C Parent fileChild file B1.DGN C.DGN Parent file must be modified, changing the pointer from B.DGN to B1.DGN

With ProjectWise Each document assigned a unique ID upon import –All future references are to the ID, not the name So AFTER files are imported, references may be renamed 15 |

ProjectWise Reference Architecture MicroStation References and AutoCAD xRefs –CAD file contains pointers to other CAD files In ProjectWise, pointer includes Document ID, not file name/path Name no longer critical 16 | A.DGN (ID=1) Pointer to ID2 Pointer to ID3 Parent fileChild file B.DGN (ID=2) C.DGN (ID=3)

Reference file options Option #1 –Rename Document Name, but NOT File Name No Reference file linkage issues Could be confusing though Option #2 –Rename documents after importing Both Document Name and File Name Ultimate solution, but lengthy to complete… 17 |

Reference Rename Procedure Multi-step process –Import files with new Document Name, but old File Name Then run ScanRef to create linkages dependent on ID’s –Export the files using Excel Export Then modify resulting spreadsheet to change File Name to match the new Document Name –Re-Import files from modified spreadsheet Pointer within the CAD file will be updated the first time the file is opened in MicroStation (or AutoCAD) 18 |

Summary The Excel Export-Import tool is quite flexible –Designed to address typical data import workflows (80% of all cases) –Remaining 20% are handled by developing custom bulkloading applications –Supports one-way imports, or round-tripping for export/re-import workflows –Supports renaming, but reference files must be properly dealt with