Projects generally receive Drawings in batches containing large quantities of Drawings. This makes it very time consuming to enter each one individually. QAntrol has a Batch Update feature that drastically reduces this time down to a just a few clicks.

 

Principle Behind the Batch Update

 

The way the Batch Update works is by extracting the Drawing and Revision information from the Files' names.

For example given a File:

 

CIV-001_Drawing Number One_[A].pdf

 

Where:

•Drawing Number is        CIV-001

•Title is                Drawing Number One

•Revision is                B

 

The Batch update will extract this information from each file specified then proceed with the following process:

 

•Finds the Drawing that matches the given Drawing number

•If there is no drawing then it adds a new Drawing

•Adds a new Revision to the found or Added Drawing.

•Saves the Drawing Record with the new Revision added.

•Moves on to the next File and repeats the above steps...

 

The File Mask

 

To enable QAntrol to extract the information from the filenames you have to specify the File Mask being used by the company generating the Drawings. If possible the filenames generated can be decided upon with the Batch Update in mind so that this process works effortlessly.

 

An example of a file mask used by QAntrol is:

[FS:\[][VI:DWGNO][FS:\]_\[][VI:TITLE][FS:\]_\[][VI:REVNO][FS:\]]

 

This is basically incomprehensible to most people but can be generated by the File Mask Editor or by a QAntrol Team member if required.

 

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Execution of the Batch Update

 

Open the Drawing Register and click on the Batch Update button.

This opens the Batch Update window, which has three sections: Folder Selection, Main Details and Revision Details.

 

Folder Selection Entry

Before running the Batch Update create a folder on your computer for all AND ONLY the drawing files that are being added.

Copy the Drawing files being added into this folder.

 

 

File Mask Editor

The File Mask editor allows you to create a file mask for use with the Batch Update process.

 

 

There are two main types of items included in the Mask, they are Item which is some information to be extracted (eg. Drawing Number, Revision etc.) and Spacer which is information to be ignored. The different types of Items and spacers are defined as follows:

 

Fixed Item

This is an Information Item to be extracted. It has a fixed size, example 3 characters long.

 

Variable Item

This is an Information Item to be extracted. It has no fixed size, and therefore will continue on until the next spacer is found or the filename ends.

 

Fixed Spacer

This is an item that will be ignored. It has a fixed size and specifies the characters involved (eg. a hyphen).

 

Variable Spacer

This is an item that will be ignored. It has no fixed size, and therefore will continue on until the next spacer is found or the filename ends.

 

Given the following filename: CIV-001_Drawing Number One_[A].pdf

We can determine the following items in the filename:

1.Type - Fixed Item:        Drawing Number - ID/Spacer: DWGNO, Length: 6

2.Type - Fixed Spacer:        ID/Spacer: _

3.Type - Variable Item:        Drawing Title - ID/Spacer: TITLE

4.Type - Fixed Spacer:        ID/Spacer: _[

5.Type - Variable Item:        Drawing Revision - ID/Spacer: REVNO

6.Type - Fixed Spacer:        ID/Spacer: ]

 

To add the above list, for each numbered item:

•Select the Type

•If a Fixed Item then Enter the ID required and the length

•If a Variable Item then Enter the ID required

•If a Fixed Spacer then Enter the Spacer characters

•If a Variable Spacer then clear the Spacer characters.

•Click Add

 

You can remove Mask Items from the list by selecting the added items in the list and clicking Remove.

You can Clear the Mask to start again by clicking Clear.

 

Once you have completed the Mask click OK and the File Mask Field on the Batch Update editor will now show the new Mask.

This mask will be saved and retrieved for the next batch update so you don't have to create it again, as long the Filename format does not change.

 

 

Main Details Entry

These fields are only applied to any NEW files found.

If the files are revisions of existing Drawing records then the drawing records will not be modified, they will only have the new Revisions added.

 

 

Revision Details Entry

These fields are applied to all Revisions added.

 

 

Once you have completed the necessary field values click Next to see what Drawing / Revision records QAntrol has found using the specified Folder and File Mask.

 

If all has gone well you will see a list of Drawing Records with their Revision records shown underneath the Drawing rows. The rows that are shaded are the records that will be added.

 

Review this list, to make sure all information has been retrieved successfully and that you don't have any mix ups and invalid data. (eg. only half the Drawing Title is retrieved, or the Drawing Revision is the Drawing Number etc.).

 

If all the information is as required then Click Import to finally import the Drawing Revisions.