FlexiTable™

Introduction

FlexiTable™ is a table generator for MicroStation. At its simplest, it creates a schedule table: it takes source data from, say, an Excel™ spreadsheet or a CSV text file and converts it to MicroStation graphics.

MicroStation users, including architects and engineers, frequently ask for features that we have implemented in FlexiTable. These include …

Exchange data between MicroStation^® and Excel™
Import data from CSV and other file formats into a schedule table
Create data from MicroStation elements
Edit a table in-place
Export data in a variety of file formats
Create Pie, Bar, and Line charts in MicroStation Graphics

FlexiTable lets you do all the above and more. It gives you fine control over table line symbology and text styles. It provides numeric, currency, and date formatting similar to Excel and other Microsoft office tools.

Click the image to see a full-size screen-shot

You can use FlexiTable™ to transfer data from one data source to another. It acts like a data switchboard. For example, you can tell FlexiTable to read data from a MicroStation Tag Set, and export those data to an Excel workbook.

If you can't wait to use FlexiTable to make your data look good, visit the getting started section. Of course, you may need to install FlexiTable™ first.

Data Sources

A data source means the origin of data that FlexiTable displays in its data editor dialog, and from which it creates the graphic schedule table. FlexiTable can obtain data from an external file or spreadsheet, or from MicroStation itself.

You can read more about data sources.

File Data Sources

FlexiTable can import data from a file. File data sources include CSV, XML, and HTML. You can also import data from Excel™. There is more information about file data sources available here.

FlexiTable can import data from a relational database such as Microsoft SQL Server™, Oracle^® and Microsoft Access™. There is more information about file relational sources available here.

MicroStation Data Sources

FlexiTable can import data from your MicroStation DGN model. You can ask FlexiTable to scan your model and, optionally, any referenced models, for cell elements, text elements, or tagged elements. You can also acquire data about reference attachments and DGN models (e.g. cells in a cell library). In other words, FlexiTable provides a way to audit certain types of MicroStation element and other objects. Here's an example of the kind of report FlexiTable can create …

Compact Cell Report: Total 17 Cells
Cell Name	Description	Cell Library	No. Cells
3ROUND	3 ROUND STEEL TUBING	L:\ItemPlanner\V8\cell\arch.cel	4
4PLEX	QUADRUPLEX RECEPTACLE	L:\ItemPlanner\V8\cell\arch.cel	2
BEDDBL	BED DOUBLE SIZE	L:\ItemPlanner\V8\cell\arch.cel	4
WASHER	CLOTHES WASHER	L:\ItemPlanner\V8\cell\arch.cel	1
XLIGHT	EMERGENCY EXIT LIGHT	L:\ItemPlanner\V8\cell\arch.cel	6

There is more information about MicroStation data sources available here.

Pie, Bar, and Line charts

FlexiTable interprets your data as a rectangular table of values, like a spreadsheet, or as a graph or chart. You can create a pie chart, a bar chart, or a line graph. You can read more about charts & graphs.

Reports

By report, we mean a viewable facsimile of the data managed by FlexiTable. There are several types of report that you can create with FlexiTable …

A plot or print using MicroStation's normal printing facilities
A CSV file, which is a comma-separated-variable list of values
An XML file, which is a rich data set including not only values but other information
An HTML file, which provides a visually rich presentation

Plotting & Printing

FlexiTable™ creates MicroStation graphics. As a result, your tables plot using whatever Windows and Bentley plot drivers are available to your computer. Here's an example PDF plot.

If you use FlexiTable, then you avoid problems resulting from, for example, Windows Object Linking and Embedding (OLE), which can result in empty white rectangles in your plot where a spreadsheet is supposed to appear.

Report Files

FlexiTable can write not only data, but also header and footer content along with formatting information to an XML file. A CSV file is a sparse data set, with no information about data types or formatting, and nothing at all about header and footer content. An HTML file is rich in presentation and may contain header and footer content data in addition to formatting.

XML file is FlexiTable's natural report format. XML conveys not only data, but meta-data about formatting and value qualification. The CSV and HTML files are derived from XML. They are derived through a process named transformation, and you can read more about it in the formatted reports section.

You can transform XML into just about any other text format, so if you have requirements that are not met by CSV or HTML then there is probably a way to meet them.

Table Editing

FlexiTable™ provides table editing in MicroStation. You can select a table and edit one or more cells before updating the table graphics to persist the changes.

Before edit: about to change the text Second Row

During edit: changed dialog text to Row 2

After edit: changed DGN text to Row 2

One of FlexiTable's features is the ability to import data into MicroStation. It is also to act as a switchboard to exchange data between a data source and a data sink. That is, it can copy data from one format for use within MicroStation, and in addition it can convert those data to another format.

For example, a frequent question on the Bentley Discussion Groups is, "How do I exchange data between a MicroStation tag set and an Excel spreadsheet?" FlexiTable provides the answer to that question. FlexiTable can scan your models for tag data, convert them to Excel format, then copy them into a worksheet.

Appearance

FlexiTable uses MicroStation level symbology to define lines in a table or chart, and text styles to define fonts for captions and numeric data.

You can modify the appearance of the table at will by modifying the settings file, level symbology, or text styles and telling the table to update itself. The settings file stores rendering information including named levels and text styles that FlexiTable™ uses when creating table grid lines and text.

Configuration

FlexiTable™ is designed to be configurable. In a networked office, it's convenient to be able to use a server computer to store command data and settings files.

FlexiTable™ uses several configuration variables to discover its settings files and data files. You can read more about FlexiTable™'s configuration variables.