Hi

how does spirit handle sheets in excel?

can I xref multiple excel sheets into an s12? or does it only ref the first sheet in an excel file?

do I need to have a seperate xls file for each ref required?

any help will be gratefully accepted

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Kindest Regards
Nigel Lamb
Architectura Ashburton NZ
Mob: 021 176 0925 Ph: 03 307 8338 Fax: 03 307 8339 Skype: nigels_architectura
Email: nigel.lamb@architectura.co.nz

Hi Nigel,
I just watched the Spirit Video (Spirit 12) on Excel files in STI's Training section and created two Excel files. Imported each file by right clicking and selecting Insert Reference File from the context menu. Edited each by double clicking the reference file in Spirit and saving changes in Excel.

Don't know how it handles if you have more than one sheet created.
rgds,
Paul

Hi Nigel

The simple answer is that Spirit does not support multiple sheet display of a referenced Exel file. It would be neat if you could simply copy the inserted reference several times, right clicking on each and selecting a different sheet to display as a goto view. One for the wishlist!

__________________
Gary Segal
Technical Director
STI International, Inc.
www.softtech.com

Nigel,
Spirit only references the first sheet .... it doesn't matter what the sheet name is called.

If you change the sheet name in Excel after inserting it into Spirit ...the connection (in a sense) with Spirit breaks...Spirit will open the Excel reference file but no automatic update if you change things in Excel.

ps. My point ....is that on Gary's new Wishlist item..... that the Sheet Name be "positionally" referenced. Should someone else in one's office change a referenced Excel file's Sheet Name, Spirit would maintain the automatic update.

pss. I stand corrected. Spirit does not automatically update if you change the Sheet Name in the first position of Excel...but if you exit Spirit and Open the file again in Spirit it does update. This means that Opening and Closing Spirit is currently required to update a change in the Sheet Name. This should be corrected so that Sheet Name changes automatically update cell values in Spirit without opening/closing Spirit.

I am off the track here but the object inspector shows how useful it is to consult the internal database to make changes. An example is where you can select different already introduced X'refs or different views within them by simple selecting from a scroll box.

This is not limited to X'refs.

The sooner we can access external databases perhaps via this mechanism the better. This for a simple example would be a way of introducing infill to titleblocks and once you can do that you could upload data from the same blocks to the external database. This bears on good record keeping and archiving. It could also be used for referencing and selecting parts of drawings, components and details and a wide variety of information from a wide variety of sources so that input and recording becomes an internal search and select task.

Filters would be necessary as well as the ability to correlate disparate data. This should enable matrix creation able to read and write to various industry standards not otherwise supported gbXML and the like. It would also be the place to manage price list input to the cost analysis tool.

A step closer to the application being seen as an industry command tool. The model as focus of key industry transaction thoughout project and building life..

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This may be a bug. Any new excel file I reference in Spirit and change doesn't automatically update in Spirit. Attached is a simple file. Has anyone else had this problem?
rgds,
Paul

Attached Files

Book1.zip (1.6 KB, 13 views)

Hi Paul

Please do the following:
Insert the Excel reference in Spirit.
Modify the Excel file and save changes.
Refresh or Reload the reference in Spirit. You should only need to use the Refresh option as no layers are being added to the Excel reference. For multiple reference files use the Refresh All option.

__________________
Gary Segal
Technical Director
STI International, Inc.
www.softtech.com

thanks for the answers everyone

there is some strange behaviour from Spirit displaying Excel sheets, type too many words in a cell and with word wrap in Excel ticked spirit spills text out of the cell, it displays great in Excel. Just tried to make an example .XLS file and I can't make it happen!!

is there a list of limitations for xreffing XLS sheets?

__________________
Kindest Regards
Nigel Lamb
Architectura Ashburton NZ
Mob: 021 176 0925 Ph: 03 307 8338 Fax: 03 307 8339 Skype: nigels_architectura
Email: nigel.lamb@architectura.co.nz

Gary, Thanks. After watching the Spirit 12 video I was expecting an automatic update...hense my confusion.

Nigel-
We're having same problem with Excel sheets displaying in Spirit, did you ever find a solution?

__________________
Christopher Dickson
Camille-Alberice Architects
Asheville, NC USA

No I didn't, however I haven't found it a problem recently so either I'm doing something different or Spirit 2009 solved a 16 problem

__________________
Kindest Regards
Nigel Lamb
Architectura Ashburton NZ
Mob: 021 176 0925 Ph: 03 307 8338 Fax: 03 307 8339 Skype: nigels_architectura
Email: nigel.lamb@architectura.co.nz

It must be something in the formatting within the Excel file, because it's happening to us with our door and finish schedules, and we're using v.2009.

Entries within columns and rows come out all wonky.

Attached Files

	Door Schedule- Excel.pdf (10.0 KB, 17 views)
	Door Schedule- Spirit.pdf (183.9 KB, 16 views)

__________________
Christopher Dickson
Camille-Alberice Architects
Asheville, NC USA

Chris it doesn't seem to handle cell formatting like wrap and angled text, maybe this is what I discovered so I dumb down my spreadsheets and the habit formed and I then forgot why, sounds like so much of the construction industry!

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Kindest Regards
Nigel Lamb
Architectura Ashburton NZ
Mob: 021 176 0925 Ph: 03 307 8338 Fax: 03 307 8339 Skype: nigels_architectura
Email: nigel.lamb@architectura.co.nz

Wrap carries through in 2009 for me, Nigel.

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SKYPE: CALLTO://jaid01

I'm using Excel 97 maybe 12 year old software!

__________________
Kindest Regards
Nigel Lamb
Architectura Ashburton NZ
Mob: 021 176 0925 Ph: 03 307 8338 Fax: 03 307 8339 Skype: nigels_architectura
Email: nigel.lamb@architectura.co.nz

:-)

With Excel 2007 I need to save back to 2003 file type so you are halfway there. Maybe it is 97-2003 and you are there.

Ian

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