The articles in this section of the Knowledge Base involve importing and exporting from the Database Management window. For general information regarding the Database Management tool, or how to access it, see Database Management Utilities (Overview).

This simplified article provides a brief tutorial for exporting Projects using the Database Management Utility.

When exporting Projects, all records associated with the selected Project(s) are transferred by default. These records include Rooms, Locations, Drawings, Products, Subassemblies, Specification Groups, Project Level Materials, Primary Processing Stations, and Primary Tool files.

Select the Projects tab > select the Project(s) to be exported > accept the file to be exported to or browse for a different location.

Additional Options

1. Zip Exported Items – Check this box to create a compressed zip file named the same as the folder selected for the export files. The zip file contains the same files as the subfolders created in the folder designated for the export files and is located at the same level as the folder selected.
   
2. Transfer All Hardware Drawings – Check or uncheck this box to control the automatic transfer of all hardware drawings associated with a library or Project. If the materials are not transferred, errors may be generated after the items have been imported, when working with the data on another system.
   
3. Delete Projects After Export – Check this box to delete all selected project records and their dependent children after export. This selection also deletes the folder structure on disc.
   

Once everything has been selected for export, and any desired additional options included select Transfer.

With the Database Management utility, multiple items from multiple categories can be exported at once.

Resolving Duplicates

When the file being exported to is empty, or lacking a MicrovellumFactory.sdf database, a database is automatically created with the exported data inside. When the file being exported to already has a MicrovellumFactory.sdf database, and this database features duplicate information, the Resolve Duplicate Names window appears. When there is no duplicate information, the data being exported is appended to the database.

There are three options to resolve duplicates:

1. Skip – Does not change the existing item, and an additional item is not added. The item is ignored. 
   
2. Replace – Replaces the item in the target location that has the duplicate name. 
   
3. Keep Both – Appends to the target location. A new name must be given to the item. 
   


Fig. 04 – New Name

Export Folder Structure

A MicrovellumFactory.sdf database file is created containing the projects exported and various other tables of data. A folder is also created for each Project being exported within the folder selected containing the AutoCAD drawing files. Along with those two things, a Graphics subfolder is created containing all of the hardware graphics files used in the source projects.