Reporting for CAD Administrators: Easily Create Reports on Sheet Indexing

As a CAD Administrator you are probably already aware that the MicroStation CONNECT Edition can automate the creation of a Sheet Index. However, the Sheet Index is designed to report on sheets that have already been added to the Index correctly. What about the sheets that were created but not added to the sheet index? Or those added correctly and then removed from the Index? It is possible a designer may have created the sheet, but simply forgot to add it to the index or did but inadvertently removed it. These are the sheets that, as CAD Administrator, you want to know about. The others are already in the index and can be edited or corrected as needed using the Sheet Index tools.

This blog will discuss creating a report of all sheets in a WorkSet, not just those contained in the Sheet Index. The Sheet Index report is intrinsic to MicroStation and is always there. What you need is a simple report showing the File and location, the Sheet Name, Sheet Index, Sheet Number, Sheet Size and its Sequence Number. The Sequence Number will help us determine if this was a sheet, added to the Sheet Index and later removed or one never added to the Sheet Index.

The best place to create this report is not in the active file but rather a configured .dgnlib within your WorkSet, WorkSpace or Organizational standards. This allows everyone with that configured .dgnlib to have access to this report definition and other helpful CAD Management reports. That is not to say that it must be placed at one of these configuration levels, it can be placed anywhere within your configuration from the Personal.dgnlib to standards.cfg and anywhere in between.

We will start in a .Dgnlib, that has been placed into …\Configuration\Organization\Dgnlib. By placing the file in this location, MicroStation will make any reports it contains available for use by anyone using this WorkSpace/WorkSet. The file can also be “locked” using file permissions to be read-only for all but certain users. A copy of the .Dgnlib with this report and others has been provided for your use.

To create the report:

  • From the Drawing Workflow, pick the Analyze Ribbon Tab and Reports.
  • Next, create a New Category (or add to an existing category), calling it whatever you desire. In this example I will stick with CAD Mgt Reports.
  • Create a New report definition called Sheet Models NOT in Sheet Index.
  • Then, pick the Sheet Models NOT in Sheet Index, and set Properties>Search Location>Location Type to Path.
  • Substitute your Location or desired Variable to locate your desired directory. Here I will use $(_USTN_WORKSETROOT).

Note: There are several Location Types that can be used. A simple Location Type of File or Model will run the report on the active file and model. This by itself doesn’t gain much as we can tell from the Status Bar what the active WorkSpace and WorkSet are set to.

Setting this to Path expands our possibilities, here are just a few.

$(_DGNDIR) will allow you to check only the files in the active directory. In a scenario where you have a /DGN directory with several disciplines underneath, for examples /DGN/Roadway and /DGN/Signals, this would allow you to run the report only on the Signals by opening a design from that specific directory.

$(_USTN_WORKSPACEROOT) will allow you to check all files within a particular WorkSpace. This will run the report on all Projects or WorkSets within the WorkSpace Root directory.

$(_USTN_WORKSETROOT) will allow you to check all the files within a particular WorkSet. It will run the report on the particular WorkSet you have selected.       

  • From Included Items, pick Item Types, there will be a drop down that appears.
  • Then from Include these Item Types, pick Select an Item Type>Dgn Models, followed by Sheet Model selecting OK when complete.
  • From the right side of the dialog, pick Add these related item, Model resides in a Design File>Files. Click OK.
  • Then pick Columns under Sheet Models NOT in Sheet Index and pick Add columns.
  • Expand Files>General> File Name. Check File Name and pick OK or continue adding columns.
  • Then pick Columns under Sheet Models NOT in Sheet Index and pick Add columns.
  • Expand Sheet Model>General>Name. Check Name.
  • Expand Sheet Model>Sheet>Sheet Index. Check Sheet Index.
  • Expand Sheet Model>Sheet>Sheet Number. Check Sheet Number.
  • Expand Sheet Model>Sheet>Sheet Size. Check Sheet Size.
  • Expand Sheet Model>Sheet>Sequence Number. Check Sequence Number and pick OK.
  • Select Sheet Models NOT in Sheet Index then, Filtered By , then the ellipses (…). From the Condition Editor, Pick property… followed by Sheet Model>General>Type, equals (=) Sheet.
  • Add a new criterion, AND, Pick propertySheet Model>Sheet>Sheet Index, equals (=)Not in Sheet Index”. Click OK when complete.
  • Next, you can preview your new Sheet Models NOT in Sheet Index. From Reports, pick Preview results

Note: Don’t worry about the exact order of the columns, you can reorder the report columns via the Move Up and Move Down icons.

Note: The report definition, created in the .dgnlib is configured at the Organizational level. Alternatively, you can import the report from the .dgnlib into the active file if desired. This is found under Utilities on the Reports dialog.

Filtering Reports

You will take note that the report is based on all files as defined by the _USTN_WORKSETROOT variable. This includes .dgn files as well as, .dgnlib files. To limit the results you can apply a filter to only view the design files (.dgn) and their Sheet Models.

Select the Filter icon on the File Name column. Then, setting Show rows with value that to Ends with, type dgn into the field. Pick Filter and note the report is filtering only .dgn files.

From here we can see those sheets that have been created but not added to the index. A lack of a Sequence number and Sheet Number indicate that the sheet was created but never added to the Sheet Index. An existing Sequence Number but not in the index indicates the sheet was created, at one time added to the Sheet Index, but removed for whatever reason.

Once created, the report can be exported to an Excel Workbook or .CSV file. Select Export results from the Reports dialog.

Everyone learns a bit differently, so the text of this blog may help some, the images, others and there is also a matching video as well. I have also included the .dgnlib for your use.

I hope you found this Blog informative. This is the second in a series on CAD Administration Reporting. If you have suggestions for needed reports from a CAD Administration basis, please comment on the Blog. You may just see your suggestion featured in the series!

 

CADMgrReports.dgnlib