### Importing a CSV File into Planner

Note: The information from a CSV file can be imported only into the plan.

To import information from a CSV file into Planner, navigate to File | Import | CSV from the menu option.

File | Import | CSV menu option

Each row in the CSV file represents a feature and a feature command will be created for each row of data. If tolerance values are specified, a location dimension command is also added to the plan.

The first row of the CSV file contains the format designators. This designator row indicates the data for each column. There are predefined column headers. Columns that do not include a format designator or that have an unrecognized column header are ignored. Columns can be in any order. If the “Type” column is missing or if there is no feature type specified for a row of data, this row of information will be treated as a “Point” feature.

If a row has only an asterisk in column 1 of the first column with no other information in the row, this is a signal that the next row will again be a format designator row. This allows the user to switch formats inside a single CSV file.

File Format

A CSV file is a Comma Separated Values file that can be created by many software packages, including Microsoft Excel. Here is an example of an Excel table used to create a CSV file:

TYPE: | Point | Line | Plane | Circle | Ellipse | Slot-R | Slot-S | Slot-N | Polygon | Cylinder | Cone | Sphere
NAME: | PNT1 | LIN1 | PLN1 | CIR1 | ELL1 | SLTR1 | SLTS1 | SLTN1 | POL1 | CYL1 | CON1 | SPH1
X: | 67.98 | 51.75 | 100.25 | 124 | 179.9 | 191.05 | 69.7 | 76.5 | 26.35 | 124 | 69 | 188.5
Y: | 89.88 | 0 | 0 | 50 | 10 | 72.998 | 23.35 | 6 | 49.5 | 50 | 90 | 45.65
Z: | 13.99 | -13.1 | -25.6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 15 | 0 | 14 | 0
X1: | - | 62.25 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | -
X2: | - | 0 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | -
X3: | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | -
D: | - | 13.1 | - | - | - | 7.02 | 11.041 | 6 | 22 | 60.5 | - | 12.75
A: | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 30 | -
L: | - | - | - | - | 14.125 | 33.045 | 12.018 | 12 | - | - | 14 | -
W: | - | - | - | - | 7.23 | 12.8 | 4.2 | 3.5 | - | - | - | -
i: | 0 | 1 | 0.707 | 0 | 0.707 | 0.707 | 0.707 | 0.707 | 0.707 | 0.707 | 0.707 | 0
j: | 0 | 0 | 0.707 | 0.707 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0
k: | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0.707 | 0.707 | 0.707 | 0.707 | 0.707 | 0.707 | 0.707 | 0.707 | 1
I2: | - | - | - | - | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | - | - | -
J2: | - | - | - | - | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | - | -
K2: | - | - | - | - | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | - | -
+TOL: | 0.05 | 0.05 | 0.05 | 0.05 | 0.05 | 0.05 | 0.05 | 0.05 | 0.05 | 0.05 | 0.05 | 0.05
-TOL: | 0.05 | 0.05 | 0.05 | 0.05 | 0.05 | 0.05 | 0.05 | 0.05 | 0.05 | 0.05 | 0.05 | 0.05

Spreadsheet table example 1 used to create a CSV file

Another example of a spreadsheet table used to create a CSV file is shown below:

Spreadsheet table example 2 used to create a CSV file

Note that in the second example, row two is a point feature and that both +TOL and –TOL are specified. Both a point feature command and a location dimension command will be added to the plan based on this row of information.

Also note that row three column 1 (TYPE) is blank, which means that this information will be used to create a point feature. Since +TOL is specified, a location dimension command will be added to the plan.

Neither +TOL nor –TOL are specified in the point feature in row four. Only a feature command will be added to the plan. A location dimension command will not be added to the plan.

Row nine includes no data except for an asterisk in column 1. This indicates that the next row, row ten, will include a new format designator row.

Format Designators

The following is a list describing the valid entries allowed when creating a CSV file that will be imported into Planner.

TYPE – this is the feature type. The legal entries for this column are: Point, Line, Plane, Circle, Ellipse, Slot-R, Slot-S, Slot-N, Polygon, Cylinder, Cone and Sphere.

NAME – Feature name

X – Feature’s nominal X-value

Y – Feature’s nominal Y-value

Z – Feature’s nominal Z-value

X2 – Feature’s second nominal X-value

Y2 – Feature’s second nominal Y-value

Z2 – Feature’s second nominal Z-value

D – Feature’s nominal Diameter

A – Feature’s nominal Angle in degrees

L – Feature’s nominal Length

W – Feature’s nominal Width

i – Feature’s nominal i-vector

j – Feature’s nominal j-vector

k – Feature’s nominal k-vector

i2 – Feature’s second nominal i-vector

j2 – Feature’s second nominal j-vector

k2 – Feature’s second nominal k-vector

+TOL – Feature’s plus TOLerance

-TOL – Feature’s minus TOLerance

File Import to Planner

The following describes the sequence of events that occur when a CSV file is being imported into Planner:

1. Each row of data is read into Planner from the CSV file.

2. The information is matched with the previously defined column headers to determine the meaning to each item of information.

3. Based on the feature type the information is used to create a feature command in the plan.

4. If one or both tolerance values are specified, a location dimension command is also added to the plan.