Export Information

Click Export Information to display the Export Information window which contains information about the export process.

You can either type the full path name of the output file, or click Browse to display a File Browser. The interface checks that the file exists and if it does, you are asked whether to overwrite it. If the file does exist and you want to overwrite it, the file mode beside Browse changes from WRITE to OVERWRITE. The output file is rechecked for write/overwrite status during the actual Export process because you can perform Exports repeatedly without changing the output file name.

Note:
If you do not input the full path name and just a plain file name, the output file is created in the folder which started the application. You can also include system environment variables in the path name as long as they are in the correct format, for example, %ENVVAR% being the representation of the ENVVAR environment variable.

The SDNF file may have several sections: a header, Packet 00; a set of Linear Members, Packet 10; a set of Plates, Packet 20 and their holes (Packet 22); a set of Connection Details, Packet 40, and a set of Arc Members (Packet 60). The header is compulsory: any other Packets are optional.

Selecting the information to be contained in Packet 00 is performed by navigating to, or below, the relevant SITE, ZONE or STRU element which contains the required header information. Open the Members list window on the main Export window. When at, or below, the correct element, click Use CE on this window, the source text indicates from where the interface gets the information. If there is not enough space on the window the element's reference number is output rather than its name.

To view the information contained by the chosen header element, click Inspect to display the Export File Header Details window.

At first the entry fields are greyed out but you can read the contents. To modify the contents of the fields click Edit on the Export File Header Details window and the fields become active and allow you to input any revised data. Click Apply and the data is transferred back to the chosen header object, overwriting the original data. Click Cancel to leave all the data unchanged.

The Previous Revision and Transfer information, if changed, is transferred not to the header object but to the Configuration Site for the specific current MDB/user combination. During Export or Import AVEVA SDNF inspects all the available Configuration Sites in order to elucidate the most recent Transfer letter and Revision number. The information is then stored in the site for the current user and allows for multi-user access to the databases.

Using the toggles on the Export Information window, you can select whether to export Packet 10 (Straight), Packet 60 (Curved) or Packet 20 (Plates) with the option of their holes, Packet 22 (Holes). You cannot output Packet 40 (End Connections) without outputting either Packet 10 (Straight) or Packet 60 (Curved). If you want neither Packet 10 nor Packet 60, the sub-options, Members only and Members + End Connections are inactivated and greyed out. Similarly, one cannot output Packet 22 (Holes) without outputting Packet 20 (Plates). You are able to export Plates without their holes.

The interface checks that you are attempting to Export something and outputs a message accordingly.

Once all the correct data has been input on the Export Information window, click OK and the interface variables are updated. Click Cancel to close the window, leaving the original interface variables unchanged.

Error and Log File Messages