Export and Import Catalogues and Libraries

You can export and import libraries and catalogues. The process is similar to that for exporting and importing grids in the Engineer module. The key difference that Element type is the only mode in which you can export and import libraries and catalogues.

Mandatory Elements

If the Excel file to be imported lacks a mandatory attribute, the file must be edited and imported again. If a file must be re-imported in these circumstances, additional attributes become mandatory.

The CLANAM attribute is always mandatory.

Which other attributes are mandatory depend on whether a project is conceptual or non-conceptual, on the import mode, and on whether the tags are being imported are new or amended. Depending on these conditions, you may be prompted for the CLANAM, NAME, or TYPE attributes, which must be added to the Excel file before it is re-imported.

Export Catalogue

1. On the Libraries tab, click Catalogue in the View group.

2. Click the catalogue to export.

3. Select Export>Select from Database.

4. Optionally, if the details of a previous export have been saved in a configuration file, select the configuration.

5. Click Next.

6. From the Element type list, select the type of element to export.
   Add a row to enable the list:
   

7. Optionally, select the option to include UDETs (user-defined element types)

8. Click Next.

9. From the Attribute list, select the element attribute to export.
   Add rows to add further attributes, or click the Add all attributes icon.
   

10. Optionally, select the Use reporter text for Excel column option.
    This exports column headings in a user-friendly format.

11. Click Next.

12. Optionally, remove leading slashes from one or more of the mandatory attributes: Name, Owner, Reference.

13. Click Next.

14. Optionally, save the configuration.
    Configurations are saved in User, Project, or Product locations. User configurations are stored locally and can only be used locally. Saved Project and Product configurations can be accessed by other users.

15. Click Finish.

16. Browse to the location in which to save the export.

17. Dismiss the Exporting to Excel File dialog.
    

Import Catalogue

18. On the Libraries tab, click Catalogue in the View group.

19. Select Import>List.

20. Browse to and open the Excel file to import.

21. Optionally, if the details of a previous export have been saved in a configuration file, select the configuration.

22. Click Next.

23. From the Element type list, select the appropriate element type to import for each worksheet.

24. Optionally, select the option to include UDETs (user-defined element types) in the import.

25. Click Next.

26. Click Next.

    You might receive this error:

    

    To resolve this error, check whether CLANAM is listed in the Excel Column list. If it is listed, then select CLANAM from the Attribute column and click Next.

    If CLANAM is not listed in the Excel Column list, this suggests that the CLANAM attribute was not included in the export. In this case, you must cancel the import. Then, open the Excel file and add a CLANAM column. Check that the Excel file also includes a NAME column and a TYPE column. If it does not, add them and re-import the file.

27. Optionally, choose to remove carriage returns from all text elements.
    This ensures that element names, for example, display on one line.

28. Click Next.

29. Optionally, save the configuration for use with future imports.
    Configurations are saved in User, Project, or Product locations. User configurations are stored locally and can only be used locally. Saved Project and Product configurations can be accessed by other users.

30. Click Finish.

31. Dismiss the Importing Excel File dialog.
    You might receive this error:

    

    This indicates that the TYPE attribute is missing from the Excel file.
    

Export Library and Import Library

The procedure to export and import libraries is the same as for catalogues.