Microvellum contains a comprehensive list of reports for client usage, either as they are imported or as a template for creating your own custom reports created using the Report Designer tool. While the variety of reports that come in with the most recent master report database file allows for you to have multiple options for your manufacturing needs, it may be the case that you wish to manage or alter the reports in your database, adding new ones, deleting unused ones, renaming or recategorizing reports as you see fit. All these options are available using Microvellum’s native report suite.
Importing and Exporting Reports
Prior to altering or removing reports, it is recommended to create a backup file, to ensure that unaltered copies or original file names can be preserved and reimported if necessary. As is the case with most items in Toolbox's database, reports can be imported and exported using the Database Management utility. Open the utility under "Options>Utilities". All reports in your database are listed in this interface.
To export a backup package of reports:
Open the utility, click the “Reports” Libraries tab on the lefthand side of the interface, then scroll through the list of reports in your database. The specific reports being backed up could only files intended to be removed, or all reports in the database.
Set the target destination of the backup file.
Click the “Transfer” button.
It is recommended to check the file once the export is complete, to ensure there are no problems with the backup reports.
Exporting reports does not remove them from the database but copies them into a singular .sdf file that can be shared or reimported at any time.
Managing Reports
Within Toolbox, reports are organized in multiple categories based on the report's content and the information it records. Reports can be renamed, deleted, or moved to another category through the report suite interface, but in order to make these changes, the report must be opened in the report suite. The vast majority of reports fall under one of the 3 major categories (which are the only categories displayed by default): Manufacturing, Product Labels, and Placed Part Labels. If the report you are seeking is not able to be found in one of these 3 categories, then you can enable all report categories to show using a Toolbox feature.
The feature that sets all report categories to show can be found within the General tab of the Options interface. A checkbox labeled “Show All Report Categories” will be visible under the Report Categories heading. This checkbox, when enabled, displays every category of report currently used by the database when one opens the report suite.
You should now be able to locate the specific report you are seeking. Click on the report category the report is filed under (see the table below for the categories of reports as they are imported with the latest master report file). The reporting interface should show as blank. Select the “Open Report” option from the menu bar on the bottom of the interface. Do not use the "Open" button on the top ribbon, as this button is intended for opening external report files.
The Report Selection menu will be opened, displaying the list of all reports that are sorted into the current category. From this list, you are capable of editing and deleting reports. Select a specific report and right-click on it. The small pop-up menu will display the option to either delete or set up the selected report.
If you intend to delete a report from your database, you will be given a dialog prompt asking you to confirm your decision. Reports deleted from this interface are then permanently removed from your database, only able to be retrieved from an external source (such as the .sdf file backup that was recommended in the prior section.)
If you instead intend to rename or recategorize the report, click on the “Setup Selected Report” option, which will open the Report Setup menu. From this interface, reports can be renamed in the top bar, and have their category changed under the Category drop-down menu. To save your changes, you must select one of the report's database types. Most reports are Microvellum Work Order reports