exporting

[hillton]

I am trying to export tag#, drawing#, loop# and instrument type description into an excel format but I do not understand how to accomplish this task. Any help on this would be greatly appreciated.

 

[PatrickMorton]

You may actually have to export into an MS Access file first and then export into a CSV file.

 

[hillton]

I talked to an instructor with Integraph and I couldn't believe how simple it was to do. Once you have selected your fields and you are in the "Browser View", you select "Print" at the bottom of the screen. Answer "Yes" to preview reports before printing. Then, click "Save As" at the bottom of the screen. A pop-up box will appear that will give you options on exactly what to save (such as original or data only). You are then able to chose your save location as well as format to save in. You will have some clean up to do once in Excel but it's just that simple!

 

[jsummerfield]

Save As permits saving as Excel. Then you need to convert to a recent era version of Excel. Then you have to name the columns that saved; and they are not all of the columns. Still, it works, sort of. INtools needs lots of work.

John

 

[FrancisL]

I have several times been in the position of obtaining an export from InTools (and other similar systems) for use in configuring the control system. Every time there have been big problems:

Each time you get a new version, the structure (whether Excel or Access) might be be different. For example data in quotes or not and columns in a different order to name a couple. Presumably you can save export formats in InTools, but if you can the operators have not bothered, hence it being different every time.

The data is highly unreliable, often missing or plain wrong.


Tag naming is inconsistent

Description text is often useless - there really is not point describing every FT for example as Flow Transmitter (or some as Flow Tx, some as Flow Trans and some as Flow Trasmitter)

It is still useful to get the exports, by the way, but no way can you input such data into a control system, it's just another unreliable data source.

 

[wijnandstrik]

Francis,

The way you describes exporting from INtools would scare anybody ;-)
Actually INtools exports very consistently all the data you ask for and that you entered into INtools itself.
If you receive inconsistent data in your export-file, probably the data has been entered into INtools inconsistently. Differences in layout can only happen if the person who makes the export changes the view he used while exporting.

We use exporting from INtools in a large revamp project without any problems. Especially for exports to the control system.

Also see:

http://intoolsforum.intellidata.nl

Regards,

Wijnand Strik

 

[FrancisL]

Wijnand

I am sure that you are correct, yes the data input is a large part of the problem. The understanding of the person putting the data in must be good. And the design standards - the way you use InTools - are very important.
But did you really have No problems? Did you never have to fix the InTools output before you could use it? Or even find errors in the InTools database as you tried to configure the Control System?
In fact I would say that it (using InTools export data) is a very good thing to do, for all the problems, because it picks up errors before they get to site. But it is far from seamless.
Also, there is no way that InTools can store all, or even a significant proportion of the data that a DCS/PLC requires. It just does not have the structure to do so. Yes, hopefully scales, ranges, some descriptions, maybe even IO addresses. But not the logic, or loop configurations, the many parameters such as alarm settings, set points etc.

Regards,

Francis