Importing EDS Projects
Note: If the EDS project you wish to import already has an Instrument Manager or Cable Scheduler database, consider using the Import existing project database function from the File menu instead. Import existing project database can import all database-resident data (not just components), and includes conflict resolution and templating capabilities.
Procedure
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Ensure that the conductor reports of the project that is to be imported are updated.
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Select "Import Data" from the Instrument Manager file menu.
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Select the tag table into which the components should be imported. In a project database created from the default database template there will be only a single tag table.
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Select "Elecdes Project" from the list of "Types of Files to Import".
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Click the [Next] button.
Select the import mapping file to use. This defaults to the "EDS Project Import Map" file. An alternative file can be selected here if desired.
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Click the [Next] button.
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Click the [Add File] button. Select the project files to import and click the [Open] button. This adds the files to the file list. Any number of files can be added here. Files can be removed from the list by selecting them and clicking the [Remove File] button.
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Click the [Finish] button to perform the importing.
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If the imported project contains component names that already exist in your project database, then you will be asked if the existing component data should be overwritten. Existing components will not be completely overwritten. Only the data that is mapped from the imported files will be overwritten.
Drag and Drop
You can now drag and drop one (or many) suitable files, to be imported, on to the "Select Files" dialog rather than browsing for those files.
Imported Data and Mapping
Import of an EDS Project will import the data directly from the entities in the drawings in the project, and from the conductor reports. The import map file, "EDS Project Import Map.dbf", uses the TABLE filter on each map section to specify mappings for each Elecdes component type and for each of the three conductor reports that are imported.
The Elecdes component types are identified by their corresponding image file names in the import function. The valid TABLE filters are: *$DEVIC, *$TERM, *$INSTR, *$WIRE and *$CABLE. Other Elecdes component types are not imported.
Three conductor reports are imported: <data project>Corsch.dbf, <data project>Cabsch.dbf and <data project>FromToWire.dbf. The TABLE filters in the default map file for these files are *Corsch*, *Cabsch* and *FromToWire*.
The import map file, "EDS Project Import Map.dbf", also maps the catalog columns (MFG and CATNO), which makes sure the catalog data, like the ratings, number of terminals or cores etc, is set for the imported components. If you are using an alternative import file, make sure to include the catalog columns mappings to correctly set the catalog data items for the imported components.