This topic is contained in the PDXpert help file: select Contents from the application's Help menu.

Using the External Data Importer

You can bulk-import lists of parts, documents and files - and update your existing item records - using the External Data Importer utility.

Most attributes on the item's General, Attributes, and Notes tabs can be imported in the Item Master import file. Lists of related objects - structure items, approved sources, and item & revision files - are imported using separate relationship import files.

General import procedure

Before using this tool, back up your database. It makes significant changes to your database, and may overwrite data that appears on previously-released items. You cannot undo the changes it makes; you can only restore your backup database.

You should be the only user logged into the system when using this tool.

Procedures for importing legacy data into PDXpert are descibed in the help topic Initializing your PLM database

If you want to import a single bill of materials into an assembly's structure, refer to the How to work with parts > Importing a Structure Markup from an external file topic.

1. Create your import file(s) after reading the help topic Preparing the import files.

2. Click on the Tools menu and select the External Data Importer... command, which opens the External Data Importer window.

   The External Data Importer... menu command is visible only to users with a Role that has been marked with the Manage as administrator permission.

3. Select the type of data that you want to import: Item Master, Structure, Source, Item File or Revision File.

4. When importing Item Master data, you can specify whether new collection members should be created during import. If you want collection members created "on the fly", mark the appropriate Create missing collection member(s) checkboxes.

   The checkbox setting may apply to more than one column of the import file. For example, the Person checkbox controls member creation from data in the Trustee, Person1 and Person2 columns.

5. Click the Import button, which displays the Open File dialog.

6. Navigate to the file containing your correctly-formatted data, and click the Open button. The file is immediately processed.

   To stop the file processing, click the Cancel button.

   You can copy the status log messages to the Windows clipboard by clicking the Copy Status button.

7. To close the Item Master Import window after your data has been processed, click the Close button.

After import, each new item will be available within the PDXpert client for further editing and may ultimately be released on a change form, exactly as though you'd created the record manually.

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Help topics describe the most current PDXpert PLM software release, and may differ from earlier releases.