Typical Workflows

End-to-end guides for the common DVDAddin use cases on a real construction project. Each workflow chains several ribbon commands and UDFs into one complete sequence of steps.

Every command mentioned on these pages has its own page in the Full command reference — click a command name to see the exact dialog, the exact input fields and the exact output the command produces.

Workflows by role

👷 Site engineer

• Construction diary — Expand the task list into a day-by-day diary, attach site photos, print/export to PDF and send it to the employer.

📋 Acceptance engineer

• Batch acceptance — 100+ acceptance records from a single Excel table → Word files → PDF → emailed to the supervision consultant / employer.

💰 QS / Cost estimator

• Construction cost estimating — Consolidate quantities → look up unit rates → multi-level roll-up → check → export the dossier, interim payments and variations.

📊 PM / Project Manager

• Schedule management — Build the WBS → run CPM → draw the Gantt → update status → weekly report.

The common pattern

Every workflow applies the same pattern:

1. Set up the template — open the sample file that ships with the add-in, Save As for the project.
2. Input data — type it in, paste it from an older file, or extract it from a PDF/image.
3. Process — use DVDAddin commands to generate sheets / calculate / mail-merge documents.
4. Output — print, export to PDF, generate Word files, send email.
5. Track — store, archive, follow up.

General tips

Start from a bundled sample file

The installer places the sample files in C:\DVDAddin\Template\; open them with a ribbon command instead of hunting for the path:

Sample file	Command that opens it	Used for
GanttChart.xlsx	Gantt Tpl	Construction schedule (Gantt, CPM, EVM)
FormNKCT.xlsx	Diary Template	Construction diary
FormNTCV.xlsx	Work Record Tpl	Work acceptance records
FormNTVL.xlsx	Material Record Tpl	Material acceptance records
SendEmail.xlsx	Email Template	Data table for bulk email
RebarCutOptimizer.xlsx	Cutting Tpl	Rebar cutting optimization

Always Save As before you edit

These commands open the original file inside the installation folder. Save As into the project folder the moment the file opens, otherwise the shared master template gets overwritten.

For each new project, copy the file you already set up on the previous project and swap the figures — faster than rebuilding from the original template.

Naming convention

Name output files with a pattern that is easy to search:

{DA}_{Loai}_{Date}_{Version}.{ext}

Examples:

• MHC_BBNT_2026-05-15_v1.pdf
• MHC_DuToan_2026-05-15_v3.xlsx
• MHC_TienDo_Week20_v1.pdf

Backup & version control

Many add-in commands write straight into the sheet and cannot be undone with Ctrl+Z (drawing the Gantt, numbering, building the payment table, generating report sheets…). So:

• Save the file before every run of a data-generating command on a large table.
• At the end of the week: zip the whole project folder → upload to the cloud (Google Drive / OneDrive).
• Name the ZIP MHC_Backup_2026-05-15.zip and keep the last 4-8 weeks so you can roll back.

Teamwork

Several people on one file → use Connect (Kết nối Server): one machine runs as the LAN Host and the others join by IP; or the whole team joins the same room code through the MQTT broker when they are not on the same LAN. Data and formatting sync in real time for the duration of the session.

This is a direct sync session between machines, not cloud file storage — no master copy is saved on a server. Someone still has to hold the official copy and save the file after each session.

Without Connect, you need at least the lock file (built into Excel) plus a version convention in the filename.

Finding a command when you cannot remember where it is

The ribbon holds 186 commands across 2 tabs. Press Ctrl+Shift+Q (Find Cmd) and type a few letters of the command name to run it directly, without hunting through the menus.

Related

• Full command reference — 186 commands in their exact ribbon order.
• UDF functions — the add-in's 47 worksheet functions.
• Cheatsheet — quick reference for keyboard shortcuts and commands.
• Glossary — construction terminology.
• FAQ — frequently asked questions.