Data Export and Import > CSV export and import

ema is equipped with an interface for exporting and importing data in CSV format. This interface is used to integrate/link the Editor for Manual Work Activities into/to existing system landscapes. In the present version, data exchange is realised via 3 separate CSV files which are responsible for the following 3 data fields:

▪objects relevant to simulation (products and resources)

▪tasks

▪task parameters

The commands Import from csv files …, Import from csv files (generation mode) and Export to csv files … can be accessed via the menu File. These commands trigger the respective actions. During export and import, 3 file dialogs are displayed consecutively.. Within these dialogs, the memory locations of the files to be loaded (import) and the files to be recorded (export) must be indicated. After having denominated the last file, the respective data exchange starts automatically. In the event of errors during data exchange, they are displayed by corresponding error messages. The output of the errors is realised in an error message dialog and in the process area. In case of success, corresponding messages are only displayed in the process area.

During CSV import, distinction is made between two basic modes – the “Normal mode” and the “Generation mode”.. The “Normal mode” supposes that a layout has already been loaded and that the entries of the objects file exactly refer to this layout. During import, only changes of the transformation matrices, objects names and the classification as collision or floor object are adopted. The type and number of existing objects is not changed. In contrast to that, the existing layout is completely replaced by the contents of the object file if the “Generation mode” is used. In doing so, the human models defined in the object file are recreated and all other objects are created in the form of cuboids (bounding box is evaluated for size information).

In both modes, the task data (tasks and parameters) is taken from the indicated files and, if applicable, existing tasks are replaced.

iDuring import, it is also to be noted that as a consequence of successful loading of the CSV files, all existing task data is overwritten. For error cases, a copy of the current data stock is made internally before the actual import. This copy is used after an error has occurred in order to recover the last state.

iThe text parameters of the tasks must not contain line breaks (see chapter Parameter types / User-defined parameters / Standard parameters).

The following sections describe the structure and the format of the incoming and outgoing data in more detail.