How to Export Materials using Database Management

How to Export Materials using Database Management

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 Materials using the Database Management Utility.

All records associated with the selected Material(s) are transferred by default. These records include Sheet Sizes and Categories. If hardware materials are transferred, any associated drawing files are collected and transferred.

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


Fig. 01 – Database Management Utilities – Export Materials

Additional Options

When exporting Materials, the following Additional Options are available:


Fig. 02 – Additional Options when Exporting Materials

  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. 

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.


Fig. 03 – Resolve Duplicate Names

There are three options to resolve duplicate names:

  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. 

    4. Fig. 04 – New Name

Export Folder Structure

A MicrovellumFactory.sdf database file is created containing the materials exported.


Fig. 05 – Folder Structure

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