Importing Project Information from Estimator and Other Applications

In this Topic

Interfacing with CES

To import project information from Estimator, SAPW, Project Entry Spreadsheet, or in aecXML format (for example, from Bentley GEOPAK Quantity Manager), select Import File from the Actions menu on the Menu Bar, or select Import from the Actions menu on the Project Overview component header.

If you are importing project information for a project that already exists in the system, you have these import options:

By default, fields that contain blank values in the project being imported are ignored and do not overwrite information that already exists in the project. If you want existing data to be replaced by blank values in the imported project, select the option labeled Update the existing items and blanks overwrite.
If you want the system to delete all existing items in the project before it imports the new project file, select the option labeled Delete all existing items before loading.
If you want the system to delete the entire project record before it imports the new project file, select the option labeled Delete the project before loading.
Caution: Because the information is deleted before loading, if you choose the option to Delete all existing items before loading or Delete the project before loading, the system deletes the items and project even if an error is subsequently detected in the incoming project data and the import process fails.

Interfacing with CES

When exchanging information with CES, all of the interface actions (that is, import, export, check in, and check out) take place within the CES application.

When working in Preconstruction, CES users should continue to restrict their data values to the field sizes and unique fields required by CES even though Preconstruction allows larger sizes and duplicate names. Please note these specific considerations:

Supplemental Description field - the web-based AASHTOWare Project metadata must be customized to limit this field to 80 characters (the limit in CES). This customization should be made after the Data Migration Utility has run so that the data migrates successfully from PES/LAS.
Job Pavement Depth field - When using client/server metadata with Preconstruction, values for this field at the CES job level must not exceed three digits, even though the CES default is four digits. This is due to client/server metadata restrictions.