Can a Excel Spreadsheet data be link to a Microstation v8i SS4 drawing?

Jeffrey Barrero said:

I am doing a particular assignment where it would be a lot easier to manage if I could update text fields in a drawing thru an Excel spreadsheet

One approach seldom mentioned here is MicroStation's database interface.

DGN elements can have a linkage to external data, such as a relational database (DB) or Excel.  Tools are available to enable two-way communication between MicroStation and the DB.  The connection is made using Microsoft OLE DB or ODBC.  You can make Excel an OLE-DB database by using an appropriate connection string.

This approach treats Excel as an external black box.  It's not a route to placing a table in MicroStation.

Jeffrey Barrero said:

I am doing a particular assignment where it would be a lot easier to manage if I could update text fields in a drawing thru an Excel spreadsheet

One approach seldom mentioned here is MicroStation's database interface.

DGN elements can have a linkage to external data, such as a relational database (DB) or Excel.  Tools are available to enable two-way communication between MicroStation and the DB.  The connection is made using Microsoft OLE DB or ODBC.  You can make Excel an OLE-DB database by using an appropriate connection string.

This approach treats Excel as an external black box.  It's not a route to placing a table in MicroStation.

With all these externals ie  placeholder, database etc.. I want to know  if I close microstation, and somebody else may edit the excel workbook without my  knowledge  … then if I open microstation will the new excel data AUTOMATICALLY update without me telling it to and display the new or altered state of information...I believe it wont in V8i and  probably not in CE .. I believe you always have to use the update external links function...

Lorys said:

If I open MicroStation will the new Excel data automatically update and display the new or altered state of information...I believe it won't in V8i and  probably not in CE

The OP is using MicroStation V8i. I defer to your knowledge and experience of using Excel with that version of MicroStation.

However, let's not speculate about CONNECT's possibilities: there is technology in CONNECT that doesn't exist in V8i.

Yea... really.

Previously, there was a lot of information that would be external to the dgn. Mapping applications would have the bulk of the table information in external databases and the dgn would be loaded and joined up with a subset of that information for editing etc.

Then there was the BIM craze where the 3d elements internally stored in the dgn (or .rvt) were parametrised and treated like a database where all those 'cells' could be linked together and propagate changes. Always synched up automaticaly - a Single Source of Truth that enabled so-called Model Based Documentation (MBD).

MBD is great for extracting info from the 3d model. If your table schedules quantities then it makes sense to extract that info directly from the 3d elements themselves to reduce errors etc. Mstn CE now provides a lot of tools to extract the info for annotation purposes (Property-Based Annotation) that also support other information sources like spreadsheets, databases etc.

What about the table looking up another table? What if the table is in another dgn? This would be no different to the way Ref attachments work.

Lorys said:

somebody else may edit the excel workbook without my  knowledge

I think that Fields need to be manually updated unless you set MS_AUTO_UPDATE_FIELDS. Similar, Tables also need to be manually refreshed Not sure if there is a config var for this as well.

The problem with this more connected and 'data-centric' way of working is that tables tend to attract a lot of automation and before you know it you are no longer drafting or 3d modeling but working in the database / data scientist world. Schemas and transaction management will be alien to most current Mstn drivers.

OTOH, the market has moved on and this kind of data-centric 'r*vit-style' working is expected these days, warts and all.

Jon Summers said:

The OP is using MicroStation V8i. I defer to your knowledge and experience of using Excel with that version of MicroStation.

However, let's not speculate about CONNECT's possibilities: there is technology in CONNECT that doesn't exist in V8i.

I don't follow what your getting at Jon, I answered the PO that it doesn't auto update in V8i( nor any  previous versions) , I believe its the MS OLE  fault ( which you have mentioned before)  and don't believe it to be any different with data bases or even for it to be improved in CE which if it did would be the usual response  "try using connect" but  there I defer to your knowledge of connect edition...