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TxRaistlin
 
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Default Automatic Data Import

Morning everyone,

I am dealing with a range of files ouput by a structural analysis program
(extension used is .out) which are formatted as standard text files with
information arranged in columns after some initial header information. For
each new analysis that I perform, possibly a hundred different iterations, a
new folder with 20 or so new output files will be created. For info the
files are typically as follows:

DISP_LS1, DISP_LS2, DISP_LS3, DISP_LS4, DISP_LS5.OUT
EQUIV1, EQUIV2, EQUIV3, EQUIV4, EQUIV5.OUT
LONGIT1, LONGIT2, LONGIT3, LONGIT4, LONGIT5.OUT
REACT_1, REACT_2, REACT_3, REACT_4, REACT_5.OUT

The above output files are determined based on how many loadsteps I have
defined in the analysis, there may 5 load steps as above, or 20 or more, etc.

I would like to be able to read the separate text files into a standard
excel file that is placed in each directory where the information is located.
This is easily done with the import data feature, but it is time consuming
and must be done for each input file separately. Preferably, I would like an
automatic import of all files within the same directory, with a particular
extension (i.e. *.out) pulled into their own independent worksheets within
the file. I will then use additonal worksheets to combine the information
and analyze it as necessary. Obviously a standard column width for each file
type would need to be defined within the setup.

Finally, if possible, I would like to control where the input from the files
begins. In the import data wizard, you can specify which row to start the
input from. the different types of input files, i.e. DISP or REACT, may
start result information on row 10 or row 15 respectively. This isn't a must
have, as I can clean up the data manually, but it would be a nice feature.

The idea here is to create a standard template file that I can copy and
place into each subdirectory once the outputs are complete and then import
and coalate all the data into stanadard excel files for analysis and
reporting. Preferred means of beginning the import would be by simply
running a macro.

Any ideas?

Thanks,

Jason Falls