Creating customised E3.series reports in 8 easy steps

The new E3.ReportGenerator is a free tool for creating customised reports from E3.series projects. It can be installed license-free and started directly from E3.series. The E3.ReportGenerator features the Creator for creating the reports and the Designer for editing and graphically customizing the reports based on several parameters. There are many different output formats available. In this blog, I will explain how to create and output customised E3.series reports in just a few simple steps.

Step 1: Starting the tool and loading the sheet formats

First, we have to launch the E3.ReportGenerator Designer directly from E3.series and load the available sheet formats from the E3.series database.

Step 2: Setting the baseline information

In the next step, we set the report type, name, and description. Further specific E3.series information is displayed in the overview: sheet format, E3 sheet prefix, E3 document type, and output path. By checking the box “enabled” in the first column, the report will be available in the Designer and Creator.

Step 3: Saving the report template

Afterward, we save the new entry and restart the Designer to customize the empty template graphically. With a click on the magnifying glass, the created template can be edited straightaway.

Step 4: Defining the page size

We now define the actual size, the page size, of the report – the sheet size from step 1 referred only to the sheet in E3.series. I’d like to point out that the page margins must enclose the sheet frame of the E3 sheet so that the report fits into the drawing area.

Step 5: customising the report layout

Now that we entered the basic settings we can move on to the graphic layout of the report. We can add various bands and detail reports to the report layout within the Designer. The device properties from the field list can afterward be inserted into these bands (headers, footers, etc.) via drag and drop. This provides the foundation for a report.

Step 6: sorting & grouping

If needed, we can group the report by assignment and location.

Step 7: adding formatting

The E3.ReportGenerator offers the option to add formatting for text and table rows under properties. At this point, we need to save the report template and close the Designer application window before exporting the report in the last step using the Creator.

Step 8: Output of the finished report

In the final step, we need to open the report in the Creator. A significant advantage here is that the report can be output only for certain structure nodes. We can select the output formats in the preview mode. Optionally, watermarks (e.g. “confidential”) and scaling can also be applied.
Finally, we select the output format and generate the report.

For a complete tour of all the key features of E3.ReportGenerator, watch our on-demand webinar.

On-Demand Webinar