MicroStation CONNECT Edition Help

Report Definitions

A Report Definition is a way to extract and present data from a DGN file in tabular format. The result of evaluating a report definition is a Report, which is a list of data rows. For example, if you want to know how many pipes with a diameter greater than or equal to 5 exist in a model, you can create a report based on the Pipe item type, filtered by Diameter >= 5. When you evaluate the report definition, you get a report in which each row represents a pipe. Reports can also join related sets of properties into a single row. For example, design file properties and WorkSet properties, or item properties and properties of an element to which the item is attached can be listed together in a report. You can also define sorting and formatting options to customize the appearance of the report.

Reports can be placed as a table as well as exported to Excel workbook or .csv files.

To generate a report from item types, you need to create a report definition in the Reports dialog.

In case of sheet index, when you place an index sheet as a table, a report definition of the index sheet is automatically created in the Reports dialog.

When you perform Advanced search or Criteria search in Explorer, you can save the search result as a report definition.

Upgrading Tag Report Templates to Report Definitions

You can upgrade the old tag report templates as report definitions. Once upgraded, the columns in the tag report template are converted to columns in the report definition. The tag sets in the tag report template are upgraded as item types.

Sheet Index Report

When you place a sheet index as a table, a report of the sheet index is automatically created in the Reports dialog. The sheet index report can then customized and exported to Excel workbook or .csv formats.

Explorer Search Report

When you perform Advanced search or Criteria search in Explorer, the search result can be saved as a report definition. Consider a scenario where you want to search for rooms that have an area of more than 50 m2. You can search the same by creating an Advanced search query in the Explorer dialog File tab. Now, say you want to generate a list of these rooms. You can save the search result as a report and place a table from the report.

Report definition generated from Explorer search results contain the following:
  • Report name - Matching the name of the search node.
  • Item Types - Matching item types defined in the search.
  • Filter - Matching the criteria defined in the search.
  • Location - If the search is performed in the File or Items tab of the Explorer dialog, the location is the Active model, including all references. If the search is performed in the Resources tab of the Explorer dialog, the location for the search is defined by the $(_DGNFILE),$(MS_DGNLIBLIST),and $(MS_DGNLIBLIST_DRAWCOMP) configuration variables.
  • Columns - Corresponding to the properties explicitly selected in the Advanced Search dialog.
  • Sorting rules - Corresponding to the sorting specified in the Advanced Search dialog.
Note: Search results performed in the File tab of Explorer dialog may not exactly match the corresponding report results because the File search includes active model and the dictionary model; so items like shared cells and styles are also searched.