Level libraries in csv or xls instead of dgnlib

You can use an Excel CSV file to contain your levels.

To create the CSV file,
1. Open any file that all ready contains the levels (or create a blank file and add the levels to the file).
2. In Level Manager, from the Level pull-down, select Export.
3. In the Export Levels dialog box, change the “Save as Type” to Excel CSV Files.
4. Select the folder and file name to export to.
5. Select the Save button.

To load the levels from the CSV file into a drawing
1. Open the drawing file
2. . In Level Manager, from the Level pull-don, select Library, then select Attach.
3.  In the Attach Level Library dialog box, change the “Files of Type” to Excel CSV Files.
4. Browse to the CSV file that you created and select the file.
5. Select the Open button

You can also import the levels from the CSV file if you prefer them in the drawing rather than as a library level.

Rick

I know that route - but I think it should be automated and streamlined - even be the default way of managing your levels.

CSV files have probably been around 40+ years. These are not CSV files.  Adding/Requiring %SECTION violates the whole of 1 line 1 record, 1 table per file concept.  It makes the process of using your "CSV's" much more inefficient or totally unusable.  Try attaching one of these "CSV's" as a table in Access once.

If these were true CSV files one could very easily manage all its level files with Access.  Adding %Section ruins any chance of effectively managing levels with outside tools.

Also Importing/Attaching via "CSV" is also very hit or miss depending on if it exists or where it exists.  You can not force it to update a levels of the file you are in.

Admin tools generally appear handled novercal everywhere (?)  

Besides Level it may be hard to save the definitions (thinking of the hundreds of settings possible for e.g. textstyles or element templates or the GUI) in a tabular fashion. Maybe rather XML could be the way to go(?) Still it seems to be a good idea to look into this. If this is not yet picked up I recommend to summarize the ideas and file a ServiceTicket.

For the time being I only can recommend to a. create separate dgnlibs for each area and b. document each definition throroughly. I place examples as  "Preview" directly into each lib.

Better dialog and manger