a list of title block information in an excel file

RE: a list of title block information in an excel file

Barry Lothian — Mon, 20 Jun 2022 12:17:05 GMT

[quote userid="2269" url="~/products/microstation/f/microstation-forum/231422/a-list-of-title-block-information-in-an-excel-file/717297"]With MicroStation CONNECT, Item Types provide an additional possibility.[/quote]

I'll take your word for it, but Item Types don't exist in my world so it's not a solution I would offer.

Is Title block data manipulation bi-directional with Item Types?

RE: a list of title block information in an excel file

Jon Summers — Sat, 18 Jun 2022 06:22:59 GMT

[quote userid="922632" url="~/products/microstation/f/microstation-forum/231422/a-list-of-title-block-information-in-an-excel-file"]We need is to be able to grab the title block information from our drawings and have that information listed in an Excel file or a Word document using MicroStation CONNECT Edition[/quote]

A Report of text elements might do what you want. The problem, as others have written, is filtering text to know what belongs to your title block.

Here's a step-by-step guide to writing a text report...

RE: a list of title block information in an excel file

Jon Summers — Fri, 17 Jun 2022 21:01:02 GMT

[quote userid="60593" url="~/products/microstation/f/microstation-forum/231422/a-list-of-title-block-information-in-an-excel-file/717286"]for harvesting title block data, you HAVE to use tags[/quote]

With MicroStation V8, you're correct. With MicroStation CONNECT, Item Types provide an additional possibility.

However, tags remain available in MicroStation CONNECT. It's indicative of their value that ProjectWise continues to use tags for annotating title blocks.

RE: a list of title block information in an excel file

Barry Lothian — Fri, 17 Jun 2022 19:22:03 GMT

Really, for harvesting title block data, you HAVE to use tags. Anything else and your in a world of pain; as you correctly question, how do you differentiate between annotation elements that are title block data, and others of the same type that are not?

Personally, I think the answer is: with great difficulty (it at all possible)

RE: a list of title block information in an excel file

MaryB — Fri, 17 Jun 2022 18:18:39 GMT

The other thing to keep in mind is how you would "know" what information to harvest. If it's all a text element on one specific level (not shared with anything else) that's pretty easy. If it's a combination of text and text nodes, that's something a little different. If the level has a bunch of other information on it, that's something else. Whatever you decide to do, you need to be able to visualize exactly how to locate the information.

Since you said "last century", I would assume that this isn't as neat as "all sheet models" or something as simple to run through as that, either.

RE: a list of title block information in an excel file

Barry Lothian — Fri, 17 Jun 2022 16:45:16 GMT

Hi Kelly

It is certainly possible, I can modify my title block tags directly from Excel. With CONNECT being 64-bit, you would need to have the 64-bit version of Excel if you were to consider writing your own Macro. Alternatively, you can write and use a macro within MicroStation to export and import the tag values to an intermediate storage file e.g. CSV file but I chose not to take that approach as its an additional step and I dislike seeing MicroStation open and close each DGN file.

RE: a list of title block information in an excel file

Kelly Ogle — Fri, 17 Jun 2022 15:57:05 GMT

MicroStation CONNECT Edition - Version 10.16.02.34, Using RealDWG 2022

Thanks

RE: a list of title block information in an excel file

Jon Summers — Fri, 17 Jun 2022 15:41:37 GMT

[quote userid="922632" url="~/products/microstation/f/microstation-forum/231422/a-list-of-title-block-information-in-an-excel-file"]I'm sure there is a better way now[/quote]

Tell us the version of MicroStation that you're using, otherwise we don't know what to recommend.

Use key-in VERSION to see the version no. in the MicroStation Message Center, or Help→About MicroStation in the backstage.

See this blog that shows you how to obtain MicroStation's version number.