Creating devices from a worksheet
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Command |
Workspace: Path |
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Create Devices from Worksheet |
Design Suite: Entertainment > ConnectCAD Update Spotlight: Spotlight > ConnectCAD Update ConnectCAD: ConnectCAD > Update |
This command creates devices from a worksheet (typically, an imported device list); it goes through the worksheet line by line, and checks to see if the devices already exist. If the devices don't exist in the quantity specified, new devices are created. This is a convenient way of creating devices in bulk.
To create devices from a worksheet:
Create the worksheet. See Creating worksheets for information.
The worksheet must have:
Columns with recognizable parameter names in headers, including Make, Model, and optionally, Quantity (or Qty).
If there is no Quantity column, one device is created.
Cell contents with proper formatting, such as numbers formatted as a General number, while make and model are formatted as Text
An optional Name column for naming devices (an incrementing numeric suffix is added to multiple instances). Otherwise, the device name comes from the Category and Device Type information in the device database.
Advanced users can use the worksheet to create and update record fields in an automatically created record format named Imported Device Data. Add field values to worksheet columns with a header named for each record field to create, or named 1, 2, 3, etc. if the value is to remain blank. The record fields and data values are attached to each device created. If you select the command again with a different worksheet, the existing record gets updated with any new fields or field values. See Creating record formats for more information.
Select the command.
The Select Worksheet dialog box opens. If the worksheet is currently open, it is already selected; otherwise, select the worksheet.
The Worksheet Columns Assignment dialog box opens.
Click to show/hide the parameters.Click to show/hide the parameters.
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Parameter |
Description |
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Header Row |
Select the worksheet row that contains the header information |
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Worksheet Column |
Lists the names of worksheet columns. If the worksheet contains empty columns, Field is displayed with an incrementing numeric suffix (for example, Field1). |
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Assign To |
Assigns the worksheet columns to the device parameters |
If the header column name (such as Make or Model) matches a device field, mapping occurs automatically, though it can be changed. Otherwise, select the data field to match the column to from the Assign To list for each column that needs mapping. Select to exclude the column from mapping.
Depending on the specified quantity, one or more devices with sockets are created for each row in the worksheet. If there is no quantity value, one device is created. The device make and model names should match make and model names in the ConnectCAD device database, or make and model names of devices created from symbols in the active document; current Device Builder tool preferences apply. When more than one of the same device is placed, an incrementing numeric suffix is added, such as AUDIO MIXER 1.
If the make and/or model are not in the database or the active document, or are not recognized due to a typographical error, the Device Mapping dialog box opens. The devices from the worksheet are listed on the left, with a suggested match on the right. Click the list to make a different selection, or choose <use as is> to use the entered data with a basic device.
If there is no make or model data, the row is ignored.
The devices are created from the ConnectCAD device database or symbol definitions in the active document, and placed around the outer drawing area of the active layer.
If a worksheet row was not processed due to an error, an informative error column is added to the worksheet and the row is highlighted. A message explains the type of error that was encountered.
Before making connections, verify that devices were created as expected.
You can assign each device to a layout room (see Creating a layout room) and/or an equipment rack (see Creating layouts) by specifying the device Location parameters (Room, Rack, and Rack U) on the Object Info palette (see Device parameters). When you create equipment items from the devices (see Creating equipment items automatically), the items are placed in the designated locations. If the worksheet already contains location data, when the equipment items are created, they are placed in the designated locations.
