Snowman Design DDM Office Add-In - Excel

Introduction

There is often a requirement to display DesignDataManager (DDM) Attributes directly in Microsoft Excel Spreadsheets. That is why this Add-In was created as part of a larger suite of tools, designed to bridge the gap between DDM and Microsoft Office, easily allowing you the ability to add DDM attributes directly into a spreadsheet. Furthermore it allows you to update the document when the information change. All features are contained from a single tab that is added to the Ribbon Bar located at the top of the Microsoft Office Excel interface.

Within Microsoft Excel you are able to to insert attributes into cells as well as header and footer sections of the document.

The Add-In is supported in Microsoft Office 2016, 2019, 2021 and Microsoft Office 365 (Desktop). Currently the web based versions of Office are not supported.

Core Concepts

Before using the Add-In for the first time, it is helpful to understand three key concepts.

DDM Properties File

When you add an excel spreadsheet to DDM, DDM creates a small file alongside each controlled document. This file contains the document's metadata as named fields — for example DOC_NO, ISSUE, STATUS, and SUBJECT. The Add-In reads this file to discover the available attributes and their current values.

Attributes

An attribute is a single metadata field from the DDM properties file. Each attribute has a technical name (as it appears in the DDM properties file, for example DOC_NO) and a human-friendly display name shown in the add-in's interface (for example Document Number). The current value of each attribute is the text that will be inserted into your document

Tracking

When you insert an attribute into a spreadsheet, the add-in records exactly where it was placed — which cell, or header/footer. This record is stored invisibly inside the document itself, so it travels with the file when you save it, share it, or move it to a different folder. The next time you click Update All, the add-in reads the latest DDM properties file and refreshes every tracked location automatically.

Typical Workflow

A standard working session with the DDM Attribute Manager follows four steps:

  1. Open you Excel Spreadsheet from DDM Office as you usually would
  2. Select the cell at the location where you want to insert an attribute, then click Insert Attribute. Choose from the list of available fields.
  3. Repeat step 2 for each attribute you need in the document. All insertions are tracked automatically
  4. Whenever the DDM Properties file is updated (for example after a new issue is raised), click Update All to refresh every tracked attribute in a single operation.

The Ribbon Bar

When the DDM Attribute Manager add-in is installed and activated, a dedicated tab labelled DDM Attributes is added to the Microsoft Office ribbon. This tab provides everything you need to manage document attributes without leaving your Office application.

Example layout of the Snowman Design (DDM) Excel Ribbon Tab

Ribbon Layout

The Snowman Design (DDM) Tab is divided into four logical groups.

The Attributes Group

The Attributes group sits on the left side of the DDM Attributes tab and contains the four buttons you will use most frequently. The buttons are arranged in the order you would typically use them: first insert an attribute, then update them as the DDM properties change, then show or hide the property names and finally review what is currently tracked.

The Settings & Licensing Group

The Help/About group is located on the right side of the Snowman Design (DDM) Tab and contains two buttons.

The Software Updates Group

The Software Updates group displays information relating to the Add-In and any updates that are available for the software as well as allowing you the ability to download and install these updates. As default the software automatically checks for updates when it is started however there is also the option to manually check.

The Help/About Group

The Help/About group is located on the right side of the Snowman Design (DDM) Tab and contains three buttons. These buttons allow you to view the system help files and details about the Add-In.

License Checking

Every button on the DDM ribbon performs a licence check before carrying out any action. If the add-in is not activated for the current application, a prompt will appear directing you to your administrator to obtain a valid licence key. Licence keys can be either per application or via a suite of tools.

Ribbon Bar Buttons

The following table describes every button available on the DDM Attributes ribbon tab, the group it belongs to, and what it does.

Light Theme Image Dark Theme Image Button Text Description
insert-attribute insert-attribute-dark Insert Attribute Opens the Attribute Selector window, allowing you to insert a DDM attribute into a cell, header, or footer of your spreadsheet. Click here more information.
update-attributes update-attributes-dark Update Attribute Manually updates all DDM attributes in your spreadsheet with the latest values from the DDM Properties File. Click here for more information.
view-attributes view-attributes-dark Show Attribute Names Replaces all DDM attribute values in your spreadsheet with their attribute names, for example {DOC_NO} or {STATUS}, making it easy to identify where attributes have been inserted. Click here for more information.
view-attributes view-attributes-dark Hide Attribute Names Returns all DDM attribute names back to their assigned values. This button is only visible after clicking Show Attribute Names. Click here for more information.
list-attributes list-attributes-dark List Attribute Locations Opens a window displaying a full list of all DDM attributes inserted into your spreadsheet, including their location, sheet, and the date and time they were last updated. Click here for more information.
settings settings-dark Settings Opens the Settings window, where you can configure the appearance and behaviour of the add-in across the System Settings and Update Settings tabs. Click here for more information.
view-modify-license view-modify-license-dark View/Modify License Opens the View License Information window, allowing you to load and validate your license file. This is also used when updating to a modified license. Click here for more information.
activate-license activate-license-dark Activate License Activates the software on your machine using your validated license. Click here for more information.
deactivate-license deactivate-license-dark Deactivate license Deactivates the software on your machine, freeing up an activation slot for use on another machine. Click here for more information.
refresh-server refresh-server-dark Refresh Info from Server Manually triggers a check-in with our licensing server, resetting the 30 day check-in counter without needing to restart Excel. 
check-updates check-updates-dark Check for Updates Checks our server for any available updates to the add-in that have not been previously skipped. Click here for more information.
download-updates download-updates-dark Download Update Opens the update window where you can review the available update and choose how to download and install it. This button is only visible when an update is available. Click here for more information.
help help-dark Help Opens the Snowman Design wiki help pages in your web browser, providing access to the full documentation for the add-in.
about about-dark About Displays basic information about the add-in, including the current version and other relevant details.
event-log event-log-dark View Logs Opens the add-in logs viewer, which can be useful for reviewing activity or diagnosing issues with the add-in. Click here for more information.

Last updated: 8 March 2026