Bentley Custom Reports – e.g. BOM for custom electrical equipment

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The documentation in Bentley AutoPLANT is in the Program Files (x86)\Bentley\Plant v8i\Help directory and teases us enough to know Bentley is VERY configurable.

This is NOT a discussion of the Datamanager reports – I have not figured out how these fit in.

Here is how to deconstruct what the manuals START to tell us but do not finish

Report (.rpt) files

  • these are crystal report templates. They are NOT version 11 and prompt you to upgrade

How to add reports of your own.

  • the help button under the screen that opens when you access Raceways->Reports->Generate Reports (there are other ways to get there) inidcates that things are quite flexible
  • There are 2 files under the Reports or Config directory that these ‘new reports’ are writing to
    • RptTypes.ini which define your groups and which tables those groups are pulling froml
      • The first pulldown in the Equipment->Reports->Equipment List uses this file (re-open AutoPLANT/AutoCAD to see the changes)
    • Report.ini which lists all the reports and their details and which Crystal Reports template is being used (your .rpt files)
      • you do NOT need to re-open AutoPLANT/CAD to see changes
    • BOTH ARE REQUIRED. Currently on the system we have someone forgot to put the RptTypes.ini file in place so you CANNOT place your custom reports in your own custom folder as the RptTypes file resides on everyone’s local computer. Report.ini can be on the server common to everyone … %Network_Root%\Config directory
    • See below for an example of how they are connected

RptTypes.ini and Reports.ini examples

The RptTypes.ini file are the groups – the groups in the List in the Autoplant tool do NOT use this file – but this file sets up the groups and what tables are used to make the report

[dos]
[ELECDEPT1]
Description  = Electrical Cable Tray Report Type
TableType    = Piping
DBType       = ModelDB
[/dos]

The Reports.ini file lists all the reports, associates to an entry in RptTypes. If you place this at %NETWORK%\Config along with the RptTypes.ini file – it seems to work. However if you look at the lcoations on the local installed diretories on your computer, there are config files in metric,imperial and mmetric as well. On you local computer these files are at: %Program Files%\Bentley\Plant V8i\Reports and %Program Files%\Bentley\Plant V8i\Config\{imperial or mmetric or metric} respectively

[dos]
[Elec Equip BOM2]
TYPE            =ELECTRICAL
SCHEMA          =C:\Program Files (x86)\Bentley\Plant V8i\Reports\EqupListElecB1.rpt
DESCRIPTION     =Custom BOM for Electrical Department1
DRAWINGOUTPUT   =No

[Cable Tray MTO2]
Type             =ELECTRICAL
Schema           = C:\Program Files (x86)\Bentley\Plant V8i\Reports\Cable Tray MTO2.rpt
Description      = View, print or export to a file for a Cable Tray Specific MTO for ELB Electrical
DrawingOutput    = No
User_Methods     = CABLE_LENGTH_METHOD

[/dos]