Import Information

Click Import Information to display the Import Information window which contains information about the import process.

Either type the full folder path name of the input file, or click Browse to display a File Browser. The interface checks that the file exists and if it does not you are warned. As well as testing for the existence of the file, it is also tested for being a valid SDNF file by inspection of its header details.

Note:
If you do not input the full path name, the input file is assumed to be in the folder from which started the application. You can also include system environment variables in the path name as long as they are in the proper format, for example, %ENVVAR% being the representation of the ENVVAR environment variable.

In addition to the basic check for the input file being in SDNF format, the initial comments are scanned for the presence of a data table, which may list the Packets to follow and the number of items to be transferred in each one. If this table is present, it is analyzed and the check boxes determining which Packets may be Imported are selected or deselected accordingly. Refer to Technical Information for further information.

On inputting the name of the file, if it is from a recognized SDNF Source Package and if Auto mode is set on the Source Information window, the Profile and Material mapping files are selected automatically and indicated in the Source Information window, if it currently displays, along with the updated Source Package drop-down list.

To view the SDNF Header (Packet 00) of the chosen input file, click Inspect to display the Input File Header Details window with which you can determine whether the file is the correct one to Import.

Using the check boxes on the Import Information window, if they are active, you can select whether to import Packet 10 (Linear Members), Packet 60 (Curved Members) and/or Packet 20 (Plates) or Packet 22 (Holes).

Note:
You cannot import Packet 40 (Connection Details) with this version of the interface. The interface checks that you are attempting to Import something if both options are unchecked.

Once all the correct data has been input on the Import 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

Auto-detection of SDNF Formats

The system can automatically detect which version of the file you are inputting.

You can set up the default SDNF format version in the SDNFUserData.pmlfnc file, the default version of which can be found in the SDNF\dflts\user\SDNFPML\functions folder in the user data folder. The !!SDNFSDNFVersion variable must be precisely one of the two suggested text strings.

-- Default SDNF file format

-- currently |2.0| or |3.0|

!!SDNFSDNFVersion = |3.0|

You can inspect the file header as before and an added line indicates which SDNF version it has found.

If you change the version setting, the system does not work because it is expecting a file of a radically different format. However, the interface fails in a controlled manner producing a "catch-all" error message.

If you manually select the wrong SDNF version, you may also get an error message in the log file about syntax errors in the incoming file, indicating that the Packet 0 records are different.