Output to an Excel File

Output Configuration dialog box - Excel tab

In the Output Configuration dialog box (File | Printing | Report Window Print Setup), the Excel tab outputs the report to an Excel file.

PC-DMIS follows the mode of the Report window:

For more details, see "Reporting Toolbar".

To output a report in an Excel format, do the following:

  1. Click the Excel tab on the Output Configuration dialog box (File | Printing | Report Window Print Setup).

  2. Select the Excel output check box to enable the tab's options.

  3. Make your selections in the dialog box as needed and then click OK.

PC-DMIS saves the inspection report's information in the Excel file format that is selected in the Output Format area. The default is the same base file name as your measurement routine with a .xlsx file extension. The default location is in the same directory as your measurement routine. The available Excel file format options are:

Configuring the Excel Options

When the Excel output check box is selected, the following options become available:

Excel output - Displays the file name and the path where the report is saved. The file name defaults to the name of the measurement routine. You can enter a new file name and pathway, or click the "..." browse button to locate and select an existing file name and pathway.

You can also type a variable name in the Excel output box. As long as there's not a pathway already in the box, PC-DMIS interprets that variable's value for the filename.

Append - If the file name already exists in the targeted location, the current report information automatically appends to the end of the existing file.

Overwrite - If the file name already exists in the targeted location, the existing file is automatically overwritten with the current report content.

Prompt - If the file name already exists in the targeted location, you are prompted if you want to overwrite the existing file with the current report content or update the file name.

Auto Index - Used in conjunction with the Index box, this value updates the file name by appending an incremented numerical value by the index value. For example, if XLS is selected in the Output Format area, the initial file name is "FileName001.xls". The file names from then on are "FileName002.xls", "FileName003.xls", etc.

Index - A non-editable field that represents the increment value for the Auto option used when automatically naming the output file (see the Auto option above).

Show Report - The Excel report automatically opens for review once you generate it.

Output Format - Defines the output type. It contains these options:

XLS - Sends the output to the legacy Excel formatted file type.

XLSX - Sends the output to the latest Excel formatted file type.

CSV - Sends the output to a plain-text comma-separated value (CSV) file. You can choose a different delimiting character in the box next to CSV. This box is enabled when the CSV option is selected; it determines the separator, or delimiting character, to use when you export to a CSV file. The default is the comma character.

Header Information - Determines how the header data for the measurement routine is written to the output file.

Measurement Routine - Includes measurement routine names in the output file.

Short - The file name is a shortened format and shows only the file name (not the full path).

Full - The file name includes the full path.

Part name - Includes the part name in the output file.

Revision number - Includes the revision number in the output file.

Serial number - Includes the serial number in the output file.

Statistic count - Includes the number of transactions or runs in the output file.

Date and time - Specifies if the date and time appear in the output file and the format. It has these options:

None - Does not include the date and time in the output file.

System - Formats the date and time according to your computer's current format. This is the default.

24 Hour - Formats the date and time according to a 24-hour format.

Row & Column Start - Determines how the dimensional data appears in the output.

Header Row and Column - Define the starting location where you want the header information to appear. For example, values of 2 and 2 mean that it begins in the second row down and second column to the right.

Data Row and Column - Define the starting location where you want the dimensional data to appear. For example, values of 9 and 2 mean that it begins in the ninth row and second column.

Field Information - Determines how the information is formatted when you save it.

Units - Determines whether the measurement units used by each dimension are included in the export. For example, angle measurements show DEG for degrees, and size measurements show MM for millimeters or IN for inches.

Labels - Determines whether labels appear next to data fields in the output. If marked, the following options become enabled:

Once - Field labels appear only once after the heading information and before all the dimensions are listed.

Always - Field labels appear before each dimension.

Detailed - If you mark Always, this check box becomes available. Select this check box if you want all field labels to appear in the report.

The labels that appear if this check box is selected are: DIMENSION, DESCRIPTION, FEATURE, AXIS, SEGMENT, NOMINALS, MEAS, +TOL, -TOL, BONUS, DEV, OUTTOL, DEVANG, Datum Shift Effect, Unused Zone, Shift X, Shift Y, Shift Z, Rotation X, Rotation Y, and Rotation Z.

If the check box is not selected, only these labels appear: DIMENSION, DESCRIPTION, AXIS, NOMINALS, MEAS, +TOL, -TOL, DEV, and OUTTOL.

Delete Empty - Deletes any empty field from the report.

Data Storage By - Determines how the report is presented: either by row or by column.

Row - Dimensions are laid out horizontally.

Column - Dimensions are laid out vertically.

Data Filter - Determines how the data filters in the output report.

Report FCF dimensions - PC-DMIS passes the Feature Control Frame commands to the Excel file. See the "Using Geometric Tolerances" chapter.

Report dimensions between STATS/ON and STATS/OFF - If you select this check box, you must include dimension (or Feature Control Frame dimension) commands between the STATS/ON and STATS/OFF commands in your measurement routine; otherwise, the data does not export to the Excel file. If you clear this check box, all dimension commands export into the Excel file. See the "Tracking Statistical Data" chapter. The following option becomes enabled:

Report TRACEFIELD - PC-DMIS includes data from TRACEFIELD commands in your Excel report if the TRACEFIELD commands are within the STATS/ON and STATS/OFF commands. For more information, see the "Using Trace Fields" chapter.

Report COMMENT - Determines whether PC-DMIS includes comments in your Excel report. It has these options:

None - PC-DMIS does not send comments to the Excel report.

REPT - PC-DMIS only sends report comments (COMMENT/REPT commands) to the Excel report.

Display on report - PC-DMIS sends all report comments (COMMENT/REPT commands), as well as any comment that has its Display on report check box marked to the Excel report.

For information on comments, see "Inserting Programmer Comments" in the "Inserting Report Commands" chapter.

Follow dimension output - PC-DMIS filters the data so that the Excel report only includes dimensions that have their outputs set to match whatever you select from this list:

For example, if you choose REPORT, and you have a Location dimension set to OUTPUT=STATS, it is not included in the Excel report.

For more information on dimension outputs, see these topics:

Report skipped items - PC-DMIS processes items that the operator skips during execution and includes them in the report. If you clear this check box, PC-DMIS ignores the skipped items. Note that commands are skipped if the operator manually skips them or if an On Error command tells PC-DMIS to skip them. For more information on Skip, see "Using the Execution Dialog Box". For information about On Error branching, see "Branching on an Error".

Report Minimum/Maximum Value - Displays the maximum and minimum deviation values from the points that make up the dimension. While you can report the MaxMin for any dimension, it only makes sense for Line Profile and Surface Profile dimensions. For an example of this, see the "Parameter Settings: Dimension tab" topic in the "Setting Your Preferences" chapter.

Data Format - Determines how the output report shows the data:

Insert blank between dimensions - Inserts a blank row or column after each dimension.

Insert '0' instead of blank - Inserts a '0' (zero) for any blank data.

Defaults - Creates a "defaults" file (ExcelDefaults.p2xfile) that stores this dialog box's settings. When you click this button, PC-DMIS automatically updates the contents of the "defaults" file without showing a message.

PC-DMIS uses this defaults file in these cases:

PC-DMIS saves the ExcelDefaults.p2xfile here: C:\ProgramData\Hexagon\PC-DMIS\2020.2\. You can view this file in any text editor.