SetUp sheet - active reports - msword

[Newbeeee™]

I haven't got around to downloading the beta 7, and just wondered if active reports saved in MS Word format yet.

So I just looked on data dynamics website, and there was a link from active reports to data dynamic reports.

http://www.datadynam...T/Overview.aspx

As it says here, data dynamic allows better export options for business users (I guess that means us lot ), and it says MS Word is supported as an export.

 

So not really understanding (and therefore hence the question), can we run this (dynamic reports) instead of active reports for our set-up sheets?

Thanks

[Newbeeee™]

Bumpety Bump?

Can someone from CNC please elaborate?

Thanks

[crazy^millman]

I would suggest you either call them direct send, an email to support(@)mastercam(dot)com or get a hold of your dealer to get a good answer.

[Newbeeee™]

Just sent it in Ron - I'll post back the reply.

[kenfromlodi]

well? what was the outcome?

[Newbeeee™]

Still waiting - I'll chase it.

I have tried creating the set sheet in active reports as a pdf, and exporting from adobe into msword which is a crock of sh1t.

I have tried a couple of free (get what you pay for ) pdf to word converters which loose the formatting as well - so no good.

I'll have a try with Nitro converter in a minute - a couple here says it's good so....

[kenfromlodi]

That sucks,

I was hoping for some better news.

 

 

I am having simalr issues and can get the RDF to come out perfectly, just the way i want it.

as soon as I save to word or excel. bye bye formatting.

 

I cant use a set up doc that i cant edit and up rev.

i have some contact going with Component One and hopefully they are going to help us here get it all working the way it should.

At least they know about the software so I think they should be able to help.

 

I followed your earlier link to their site. thanks.

 

I will post when i get a response.

[Newbeeee™]

I have just tried nitro and it works perfect. Amazing because I would have thought adobe would have worked as well, seeing as though it is their format (well pdf anyhow).

So I'll buy nitro for now....the only thing is when I click and load the set sheet into word, the default word text font is different and bigger so looks crap. I'm sure there's a way of changing the defaults...I'll have a look.

 

I chased my reseller and they were waiting for *someone* from cnc to get back to them from the Active Reports department. So when I know I'll post here.

 

A few here have put in enhancement requests to ask AR to save in word format, but it's not cnc's fault - it's data dynamics I guess. It that hasn't got the capability then it can't do it.

 

It's a right royal PITA though and my biggest pet hate about mcam. Set sheets should be easy peasy as the info is all in the mcx file. We should be able to click and print and there it all is.

But not editing it easily or having to go through another package to do it is pi55 poor really.

Anyway, hopefully the other data dynamics package does what we want.

[kenfromlodi]

I will have to check out Nitro.

I know the AR can be fixed to

When we save the RDF as a word doc. It matters how word opens and formats from some instructions in a file ( a .dll?) and I think the

word template can be altered to open it in a better format. However that just sounds to easy. wish i knew how or what to do.

I will post when i figure it out! Thanks for posting back what you found.

[Newbeeee™]

Ken - I'll wait before buying Nitro if AR can be fixed to suit us all.

Please report back.

 

 

BTW - Sving as RTF and opening into word looses all the outlines (text boxes) that should have shown, where nitro displays them all ok.

[kenfromlodi]

I will definitely post back,

If I do not hear from them this A.M. I will call them back.

The guy I talked to didnt seem to know too much and was going to pass onto someone else.

These guys at Component One are the ones who know all about the AR Designer and the files to control the output and how it looks.

We are are willing to pay them here to make it happen. We need to streamline our set up docs badly.

Too much wasted time between to many programmers spent screwing with set up sheets. So frustrating. We will get there tho.

[kenfromlodi]

Here's what I got back so far.

 

Hi Ken,

 

I am the ActiveReport expert. As of now we don’t have editable RDF file that is of your needing. However, I can talk with development team to see if we can do a work around for now and get a build out in the near future. Give me a little to ask around and see what we can do. I think most of the team is out until May 2^nd, but I will see if anyone knows of a work around that we can offer for an immediate fix.

 

Thanks,

Ryan

[Newbeeee™]

Well if the *expert* can't do what we want then we're all boned!

Hopefully he can sort it...but I'm still amazed that no-one has asked them for a word interface before???

 

My reseller got back to me today - *someone* from cnc is apparantly on the case.

[rocheey1]

Well if the *expert* can't do what we want then we're all boned!

Hopefully he can sort it...but I'm still amazed that no-one has asked them for a word interface before???

 

My reseller got back to me today - *someone* from cnc is apparantly on the case.

 

I didnt bother asking. I wrote my own using a .Nethook .dll called from the post (.set file). If someone corporate is looking at this now, save yourself a LOT of time and export to html, then import to MsWord.. It runs like 20x faster, No joke.

[Newbeeee™]

Well I've just had a reply from my re-seller.

CNC said 'We do not have the ability to save the report as a Word DOCX file, so I logged enhancement request B-16250 to see about getting that option in there. Thank you!'

I knew that there wasn't the ability at the moment and I've already submitted an enhancement request when AR was initially launcHed (X4). I was hoping for a little more than this...

[Newbeeee™]

I didnt bother asking. I wrote my own using a .Nethook .dll called from the post (.set file). If someone corporate is looking at this now, save yourself a LOT of time and export to html, then import to MsWord.. It runs like 20x faster, No joke.

Please explain how you're doing this. You're outputting a html and then using another piece of software to convert the html into word?

Thanks

[kenfromlodi]

IMHO Component One is missing out on a lot of revenue here.

they have the closest thing to user friendly set up sheet software that I have come across.

Its about 95% there.

 

I was using Word to open the HTML that was created by the X+setup sheet.

I was able to get it to work pretty well but still a lot more time than the AR.

 

Interested in how you are doing it Rocheey1

[rocheey1]

Please explain how you're doing this. You're outputting a html and then using another piece of software to convert the html into word?

Thanks

 

correct. Since v5, you can have your post call a .dll or an EXE. I have the post output formatted html to a file, then the post calls a NetHook I made to start up MsWord, and import the html into Word. I originally had the vb.net dll actually creating the Word Doc on the fly, which was easier to code, but it took like 20-30 seconds to get MsWord to do it that way. By writing directly to html, and importing the html into word, it only takes 2-3 seconds now.

 

The trick to getting the formatting to always come out right is to create the format in MsWord, export it as html, then re-import it into an empty Word Doc, then make your corrections.("Round Trip" it) And since Office has their 'special' blocks in html, you can create bookmarks, file properties, you name it, in the html before you import it.

[Tyler Robertson]

Please explain how you're doing this. You're outputting a html and then using another piece of software to convert the html into word?

Thanks

 

word 2010 should open the HTML really well

[Newbeeee™]

word 2010 should open the HTML really well

If I use Gunther's X+, its html loads straight into word 2010 really nicely. But I have to then add all the header for customer, part number etc etc which isn't set up.

If I use AR and save as html and load into word, all formatting is gone and its just one lonnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnng line.

 

So at the moment, it looks like nitro is my best option as it loads flawlessly. I'll have a think about this as I like the idea of it being automatic from the post 'a la rocheey.

 

I realy can't understand just how difficult this is for something that should be so simple.

[kenfromlodi]

The HTML into MSword is very time consuming for me.

I dont have the document skills to make it do what Rocheey does thats for sure.

 

I did just discover a whole new world or edit options in Adobe PDF.

 

I think this is a good option for us at this point.

 

Im still going to get the update to AR from Component One if they will do it.

But for now, PDF master, become I must!

[Newbeeee™]

Ken,

I had no luck with editing in adobe. Adding text etc is painful.

Have you looked at nitro becuase it exactly converted for me?

 

BTW - please keep me informed ref the AR converter. If it works I'll buy it.

[kenfromlodi]

you know I was having a bad time with Adobe but a quick overview from a co-worker that works in quality gave me a huge boost!

Its as easy as inserting in word. I only have adobe 8 on my CPU and have seen the things done in the new version.

I think this is very usable. The page format is really stable. The page stays exactly the same as the AR makes it which is perfect for us. I am actually ery happy with the way PDF is working now.

 

I havent checked Nitro yet mainly because im swamped and was waiting to hear back about the AR.

I will let you know when I hear back. They dont seem to be very helpful.

[Newbeeee™]

I have just downloaded nitro's 14 day trial.

It is very easy and so far converts 100%. I'm not at work but I'll grab some set sheets and have a play tomorrow night.

I'll contact my reseller in the morning to discuss the automatic post to exe idea.

[kenfromlodi]

Cool, Im looking at it right now.

So it recreates it in word EXACTLY?