If you ship parts produced through Ardis nesting and you want every label, scan, and shipment record to carry the right detail, EXT fields are how you get there. They are the extension fields INNERGY Engineering Sync Desktop reads out of your Ardis output and pushes into shipment items, part records, and barcode tokens.
This article covers all 13 EXT fields, what each one carries, and how Engineering Sync Desktop decides which format to use.
How the format is determined
You don’t pick the format. Engineering Sync Desktop inspects the contents of the file you import and selects the right format automatically. The rule is simple:
What's in the file | Format used | EXT fields populated |
No EXT01 field | ARDIS (standard) | None |
EXT01 is present, no PartGroup field | ARDIS_EXT | EXT01–EXT08, EXT10, EXT13 |
EXT01 and PartGroup are both present | ARDIS_EXT_2 | EXT01, EXT02, EXT03, EXT05, EXT06, EXT10, EXT11, EXT12 |
If your file falls into the standard ARDIS bucket (no EXT fields at all), Engineering Sync Desktop will let you know with a heads-up message: width, height, and depth on every shipment item default to 0, and quantity defaults to 1. If that is not what you want, the fix lives in your Ardis post-processor, not in INNERGY — make sure it’s writing EXT fields to the output.
Every EXT field in the table below is also available as a barcode template token, so anything captured here can land directly on a printed label.
The 13 EXT fields
Field | What it carries | Notes |
EXT01 | Order number plus a dimension payload: OrderNumber Qty Width Qty Height Qty Depth (mm). In ARDIS_EXT_2, holds the company or vendor name. | Drives shipment item creation |
EXT02 | Order, product, or job number | Unique identifier in both extended formats |
EXT03 | Ship-to or destination location | Routes the part to the right delivery |
EXT04 | Primary description or internal comments (padded text) | ARDIS_EXT only |
EXT05 | Secondary description, comments, or material notes | Both extended formats |
EXT06 | Primary code filename plus dimensions. In ARDIS_EXT_2, holds foil color or finish spec. | Both extended formats |
EXT07 | Secondary or mirrored code filename | ARDIS_EXT only |
EXT08 | Part name in plain English (e.g. “Door Tall Left”) | ARDIS_EXT only |
EXT09 | Reserved for future use | Captured but not yet consumed |
EXT10 | Additional comments, special instructions, or material specs | Both extended formats |
EXT11 | Secondary code filename in v2 (the ARDIS_EXT_2 analog of EXT07) | ARDIS_EXT_2 only |
EXT12 | Tertiary code filename | ARDIS_EXT_2 only |
EXT13 | Miscellaneous tracking metadata | ARDIS_EXT only |
What this looks like in practice
A real ARDIS_EXT block from a school casework job:
EXT01 = 1.23 5 1219 5 2184 5 409 EXT02 = T02 EXT03 = Maplewood Heights Academy - Cedar Ave EXT04 = Cradle #PTAB221 3mm x 15_16 PVC EXT06 = 08PRX742 600 2080 EXT07 = mvMirrored08PRX842 EXT08 = Door Tall Left EXT10 = Bore For Lock EXT13 = 1 3M |
A real ARDIS_EXT_2 block from a different job:
EXT01 = Cabinet Land inc EXT02 = 3297315 EXT03 = CM 131 SAMPLE EXT05 = Comments EXT06 = CM 949 WHITE FOIL |
Where these fields show up
• Shipment items. EXT01, EXT02, and EXT03 set the quantity, identifier, and destination on each shipment item.
• Part records. EXT06, EXT07, EXT08, and EXT10 (plus EXT11 and EXT12 in v2) populate the part’s code-file references, name, and notes.
• Barcodes and labels. All 13 EXT fields are valid tokens in the barcode templating system, so any of them can be referenced directly in a label layout.
• Nesting downstream. EXT values flow into nested-part records so the same context carries through to production.
A quick rule of thumb
When you’re deciding what to map to which EXT field on the Ardis side, lead with what your shipping team needs to see on the box and what your shop floor needs to see on the label. EXT01 through EXT03 are your shipment backbone. EXT06 through EXT10 carry the part’s identity. Everything else is room to grow.