ASCII Reports

[civil3d.wishlist1941]

Summary: More control over report format and output.

Description: Write reports to ascii text format instead of XML. Also need better options to choose what output should be displayed in the reports (customizable reports/output).

How Used: We could manipulate the output as needed. Better Reports!!

Feature Affinity: Reports

Submitted By: Donna Gerlinsky on November 6, 2008

[jpaulsen]

I like the idea of more control over the format and output of reports. Maybe an XML report wizard to help us non-programmers to create xsl and dll (.net) report files for later use. There is a wide range of report formats based on company, client and governmental requirements. We can't expect Autodesk to create all of the report formats that we may need. With this tool we can create them ourselves and share them with others.

[ittybittyd]

To further clarify my request for output in ascii format, my intention here is that the output data in an ascii format file can be manipulated by the user in many ways, ie. imported to an excel spreadsheet for further manuipulation and analysis, edited as needed with any text editor, easily imported to other software and used as input, re-formatted for a revised report, etc. Manipulation of output information in the current XML format is very limited (if not impossible).

[sinc]

I'm a little puzzled by the request...

You do know about the Reports in the Toolbox, right? They do not create XML. Depending on the report, they create either HTML or CSV. There is the LandXML Export option, but that's not the same thing as the Reports.

[jpaulsen]

I was referring to the reports in the Toolbox and I assumed the OP was too.

I have not used all of the reports and have not run across any that output to a CSV. Which ones reports output to CSV?

All the reports I've used all output to an HTML file in one of two ways: using .NET to retrieve the information directly from the drawing or using an XSL style sheet to retrieve the information from a LandXML export that starts automatically.

I interpreted this request for a method to have more control over the format of the reports. For example, how would I create a Points_List report with a raw description column? I think I would have to make a new style sheet and I have no clue how to do that.

On another note I the Points_List shows the description under the Northing column. This is most likely a bug in the style sheet but If I had control over the format I could create a table with the desired table headings and values.

[ittybittyd]

Thanks for your comments and yes, my mistake, the current output format is 'HTML', not XML! I see there are also some options for CSV output (is this new?) although the information reported is limited. I would still like to have more control over what is included in the report, for example I would like to add Station and Offset (relative to a selected alignment) to a points list. So I would still like to see some kind of a 'Reports Wizard' developed where you can pick the information reported relevant to the user/client needs and output to a file structure less limited than HTML.

[ittybittyd]

Well, look at that! 'Station Offset to Points' now exists. However, the dialogue box where you choose which points you want to report on does not allow a sort by column. It only allows for individual point selection. With 17000 points we need to be able to sort by column (most likely Raw Description) and use shift/click to select a range of points or be able to select them using typical Acad selection methods in the drawing.

[jpaulsen]

Please tell me where you see the CSV option. I can't find it in any of the reports I've looked at.

[sinc]

Please tell me where you see the CSV option. I can't find it in any of the reports I've looked at.

There are only a few, and they have names like "Points_in_CSV", "Profiles_in_CSV", etc.

[sinc]

Well, look at that! 'Station Offset to Points' now exists. However, the dialogue box where you choose which points you want to report on does not allow a sort by column. It only allows for individual point selection. With 17000 points we need to be able to sort by column (most likely Raw Description) and use shift/click to select a range of points or be able to select them using typical Acad selection methods in the drawing.

If this is something that you would like to do now, you can do it with the Sincpac-C3D. It's a third-party program, though, and is not free. But this command is infinitely superior to C3D's built-in reports:

http://www.quuxsoft.com/SincpacC3D_H...playPoints.htm

It lets you drag the columns around into different orders, click on individual columns to sort forward or reverse, double-click on a point to edit, and more. If you output to a CSV, the CSV output is in the same order as the display. You can also copy-and-paste to Excel.