PLBCONVERTER

Convert a PLB to different document formats

SOFiSTiK | 2020
 PLBCONVERTER
Convert a PLB to different document formats

PLBCONVERTER Manual, Service Pack 2020-8 Build 347

Copyright © 2021 by SOFiSTiK AG, Oberschleissheim, Germany.

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any means, without written permission from SOFiSTiK AG. SOFiSTiK reserves the right to modify or to release
new editions of this manual.

The manual and the program have been thoroughly checked for errors. However, SOFiSTiK does not claim that
either one is completely error free. Errors and omissions are corrected as soon as they are detected.

The user of the program is solely responsible for the applications. We strongly encourage the user to test the
correctness of all calculations at least by random sampling.

Front Cover
Project: Queensferry Crossing | Photo: Bastian Kratzke
 Contents | PLBCONVERTER

Contents

Contents i

1 About PLB Converter 1-1

1.1 Example of inputs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-1

2 Input Description 2-1

2.1 Input Language . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-1
2.2 Input Records . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-1
2.3 OPT – Set global options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-2
2.4 DOCX – Convert PLB to DOCX . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-3
2.5 IMG – Export images from PLB . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-4

SOFiSTiK 2020 i
PLBCONVERTER | Contents

ii SOFiSTiK 2020
 About PLB Converter | PLBCONVERTER

1 About PLB Converter

The CADiNP module PLBConverter is a post-processing tool allowing to extract information

from an existing Report Browser output and graphic representation document (*.plb file). Es-
pecially the program allows to generate Microsoft Word *.docx outputs based on the *.plb
outputs.

More information about the Report Browser and its functionalities can be found in the manual
Basics see SOFISTIK: OUTPUT.

1.1 Example of inputs

The following input generates a *.docx file based on content of the designated *.plb file:

+PROG PLBCONVERTER
// Save content of 'MyReport.plb' as a Microsoft Word file 'Report.docx'
HEAD
OPT OVRT RENA
// Sets global option, if the output document already exists,
// do not overwrite, instead append a numerical suffix to the document's name
DOCX IN 'MyReport.plb' OUT 'Report.docx'
END

The following input inserted in a Teddy CADiNP project will extract the information from the
project Report Browser file into a *.docx document. This output *.docx document will inherit
the name of the project:

+PROG PLBCONVERTER
// Save *.plb information of the current project as *.docx
HEAD
DOCX
END

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PLBCONVERTER | About PLB Converter

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 Input Description | PLBCONVERTER

2 Input Description

2.1 Input Language

The input is made in the CADINP language (see general manual SOFiSTiK: ’Basics’).

Three categories of units are distinguished:

mm Fixed unit. Input is always required in the specified unit.

[mm] Explicit unit. Input defaults to the specified unit. Alternatively, an explicit as-
signment of a related unit is possible (eg. 2.5[m] ).

[mm] 1011 Implicit unit. Implicit units are categorised semantically and denoted by a cor-
responding identity number (shown in green). Valid categories referring to the
unit ”length” are, for example, geodetic elevation, section length and thickness.
The default unit for each category is defined by the currently active (design code
specific) unit set. This input default can be overridden as described above. The
specified unit in square brackets corresponds to the default for unit set 5 (Eu-
rocodes, NORM UNIT 5).

2.2 Input Records

The following record names are defined:

Record Items
OPT OVRT TMPL IMG FMT FNR
DOCX IN OUT TMPL OVRT IMG FMT FNR
IMG IN FNR OVRT FMT

The records HEAD, END and PAGE are described in the general manual SOFiSTiK: ’Basics’.

A description of each record follows:

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PLBCONVERTER | Input Description

2.3 OPT – Set global options

OPT

Item Description Unit Default

OVRT Overwrite output file LT YES

YES an already existing target file will be over-
written
RENA if the target file already exists, add a nu-
meric suffix to the output name
APPE if the target file already exists, append to it
TMPL Path to DOCX template file −
IMG Image settings LT EMBD
EMBD Embed images into Document
LNK Link exported images into the Document
NO No images in Document
FMT Image formats LT PNG
PNG png image format
JPG jpg image format
FNR Image filename rule −
Default: images/img_%name%_%number%.%ext%

This record is used to set global program control options.

When no path is provided for the template file, the program will use the DOCX template sup-
plied with the SOFiSTiK Installation. Default:
C: <sofistik_installation> 2020 SOFiSTiK 2020 data DOCX Templates

"FNR" uses as default the following rule: images/img_%name%_%number%.%ext% The vari-

ables %name%, %number% and %ext% are used to place the following information in the file
name of images extracted from a plb: %name% (optinal) places the name of input file in the
image file name %number% (required) places a numeric suffix to the image file names %ext%
(required) places the extension of the image file

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 Input Description | PLBCONVERTER

2.4 DOCX – Convert PLB to DOCX

DOCX

Item Description Unit Default

IN Input file name of PLB − <proj>.plb

OUT Output file name of DOCX − <proj>.docx
TMPL Path to DOCX template file −
OVRT Overwrite output file LT YES
YES an already existing target file will be over-
written
RENA if the target file already exists, add a nu-
meric suffix to the output name
APPE if the target file already exists, append to it
IMG Image settings LT EMBD
EMBD Embed images into Document
LNK Link exported images into the Document
NO No images in Document
FMT Image format LT PNG
PNG png image format
JPG jpg image format
FNR Output filename rule −
Default: images/img_%name%_%number%.%ext%

Using the record DOCX, you can extract information from a Report Browser (*.plb ) document
into a Microsoft© Word© file (*.docx ).

If no value is provided for the items IN and/or OUT, the program will use the name of the current
project for the input and/or output file name.

If the input and/or output file is not placed in the current working directory, the user should
specify in IN and/or OUT the complete path of the file.

When no path is provided for the template file, the program will use the DOCX template sup-
plied with the SOFiSTiK Installation. Default:
C: <sofistik_installation> 2020 SOFiSTiK 2020 data DOCX Templates

"FNR" uses as default the following rule: images/img_%name%_%number%.%ext% The vari-

ables %name%, %number% and %ext% are used to place the following information in the file
name of images extracted from a plb: %name% (optinal) places the name of input file in the
image file name %number% (required) places a numeric suffix to the image file names %ext%
(required) places the extension of the image file

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PLBCONVERTER | Input Description

2.5 IMG – Export images from PLB

IMG

Item Description Unit Default

IN Input file name of PLB − <proj>.plb

FNR Output filename rule −
Default: images/img_%name%_%number%.%ext%
OVRT Overwrite output file LT YES
YES an already existing target file will be over-
written
RENA if the target file already exists, add a nu-
meric suffix to the output name
FMT Image formats LT PNG
PNG png image format
JPG jpg image format

This record exports the images from a PLB into an output directory.

The Option "RENA" in "OVRT" is used for changing the output filename to "<outfn> (x).<ext>",
if "<outfn>.<ext>" already exist. X start by 1 and is limited by 10000.

"FNR" uses as default the following rule: images/img_%name%_%number%.%ext% The vari-

ables %name%, %number% and %ext% are used to place the following information in the file
name of images extracted from a plb: %name% (optinal) places the name of input file in the
image file name %number% (required) places a numeric suffix to the image file names %ext%
(required) places the extension of the image file

2-4 SOFiSTiK 2020