Linear Nest Report Builder Dialog

Use this dialog to create new fabrication item reports or to customize existing ones.

Modify | MEP Fabrication Ductwork tabOutput panelFabrication Reports drop-downSetup Linear Nest Reports

A variety of item property information can be included on Linear Nest Reports, and can also be exported using data export features. These properties are listed in the Available column on the left side of the Report Builder dialog. Expand the collections to see all of the properties available.

For example, expand the Item collection to display the Product Information Details properties.

The dialog is organized into four main areas. The top section is used to select the report currently being worked on, and also contains various options associated with the file. The leftmost section contains a list of all the Print Objects that it is possible to display on this type of report (the list will vary for the different kinds of reports). The middle column shows the actual layout of the report, and the right hand column shows the details of the particular Print Object highlighted in the middle column.

New: Creates a new report. This command prompts if you want to copy an existing report displayed in current view.

Save: Saves the report and renames the report <filename>.

Edit: Edits the header layout.

Resize: Automatically resizes the report columns to fit the page.

Font: Specifies report font options.

More: Provides additional report options, described below.

Preview: Previews the report in the current view.

Delete: Deletes the report currently selected in the view.

Auto resize: Attempts to fit all report print objects set to display in the column within the paper width without cropping any text.

Report Font: Specifies the font to be used in the selected report.

Report Options: Displays a dialog that provides a variety of other options.

• Use Custom Printer: Specifies different printers or printer settings per report. Each report can be assigned to a printer or to different printer settings.
• Separate Columns with Lines: Separates each table column with vertical lines (borders).
• Highlight Table Titles and Totals To improve readability, creates differently colored headers for the information fields. Click the color boxes to display a color pallet for color selection.
• Highlight Collected Titles: To improve readability, creates differently colored headers for collected titles. Click the color boxes to display a color pallet for color selection.
• Start Each Collected Table on a New Page: Places tables on separate pages.
• Paper Orientation: Specifies the report orientation to Portrait mode (the default) or Landscape mode.
• Include Omitted Items in the Report: Specifies whether omitted items are displayed in the report.
• Include Fixed Cost Items: Specifies whether fixed costs are displayed in the report.
• Include Skin: For Double Wall items, displays the item's skin details on the report, not just the item's body details.
• Expand Sub: Includes the sub assembly name if set to Never. Using the Never expand method totals (combines) all the properties and reports one value for the entire assembly. Individual items that comprise the sub assembly can be listed individually, with one row of data for each item. Set to Auto to allow the Item Properties option to specify whether this is used in reports.

Print Object Details

The section on the right displays details for the print object highlighted in the report contents display. This information is organized into the Contents, Column, Order, Calc, and Filter tabs.

Contents Tab: Specifies various options for each of the print objects selected. The options displayed on the Contents tab depends on the print object in use.

• Description: Specifies a title for the column.
• Units and Decimal Places: Specifies the desired units of measurement and the degree of accuracy to be displayed.
• Rounding: Specifies the method of rounding that is implemented, to the nearest whole number or decimal place. The available settings are Nearest, Round Down, and Round Up.
• Qty: For a quantity print object, specifies the quantity to be used. The available settings are per Connector / Stiffener, per Item Qty, and for Total Item, moving from the most local to the most global quantity.
• Multiple data: Specifies all relevant information to display using the List Data on Separate Lines option, or the information can be filtered by Index using Display data for index#. The indexing works on the relevant item. For example, when Connector Name set to Index# 1, it displays the name of the connector at duct end 1.
• Justify: Specifies text justification.

Column Tab: Configures the information for each column in accordance with the following options.

• Width: Specifies the column width as a percentage of the entire page width. Setting the value to 0 hides the column, which is useful if the column is only required for a calculation, or is being collected to form a sub-table.
• Show Zero Values: Includes values that would normally appear as zero in the report.
• Calculate Total: Displays a total at the bottom of the column.
• Summarize Totals for Collected Tables: Prints totals for any tables marked as Collected in the Order tab in a separate summary section at the bottom of the Collected Table.
• Use Rounded Values for Totals: Calculates totals generated at the bottom of each column from the rounded totals on the report. If this option is not enabled, the total at the bottom of the column is more accurate but may not be consistent to the sum of the figures in the column itself due to the displayed figures being rounded.
• Only Show Same Consecutive Data Once: Displays repeated consecutive data only once. This option allows the report to omit repeated data.
• Separate Change in Consecutive Data: Inserts a horizontal separator line between two consecutive rows when the value of the data changes.

Order Tab: Allows additional configuration of each column.

• Normal: Displays all separate data on a new line and sequentially if given a sort priority. For example, Item Connector Duct End #1 with Sort Priority 1 would display all of the duct sizes from smallest to largest.
• Merge Rows Together: Combines rows of data into a single row if the data for this column, and all other columns with this switch on, are consecutively the same. Data that is not the same is combined or totaled.
• Collect Rows Into Tables: Collates data into a separate table based on the column set to this form of order.
• Sort Priority: Specifies the order in which items are displayed on a report, with 1 being the highest priority. This setting can be used to sort by size, weight, and so on. The In Reverse Order option makes 1 the lowest priority.

Calc Tab: Calculates mathematical equations constructed in the top dialog. The calculations can be constructed from the categories that appear in the main window within the dialog. The options that appear in this window are determined by the print objects that appear before the print object or column being edited. For example, if the column being altered is first in the list, then no other options are displayed in the main window.

• The text field at the top of the dialog contains the calculation that is to be used.
• Reset: Clears the calculation field.
• X, /, + and - buttons: Provides the typical mathematical calculations for these characters.

Filter Tab: Prevents certain unwanted data from appearing on a printout. Click in the Filter field and click (select) options from the drop-down list.

Exclude all fields if not met: Excludes the whole row of data if the condition is not met.

Exclude all blank data: Excludes the whole row of data if this data is empty or zero.

Exclude this field’s data if not met: Specifies this field’s data to empty or zero if the condition is not met.

You can insert < NAME > rule that prompts for the value at the time of printing. This example shows that typing in a Facing name applied to the items filters out the other data that does not match the criteria.

Filters can also be specified with a unique filter using the inverted commas. "NAME" refers to the data that is required to have the name of the filter before being isolated.