Configurations, DGNLIBs, and Workspaces

“Putting It All Together”

Arizona Bentley BASH Sept 13th 2013 Presenter: Sam Hendrick (sam.hendrick@bentley.com)

Putting It All Together

The BEST thing about

Workspaces is…. They are so flexible

Putting It All Together

The WORST thing about

Workspaces is…. They are so flexible

Putting It All Together

There is no one single way to define a Workspace…

Hence, the Best and Worst thing

Putting It All Together What are Workspaces?

Simply put…

Variables Workspace

Data Workspace

Putting It All Together Workspaces are:

Variables (Configuration files) Workspace Data (Seed Files, Cell Libraries etc…)

Users Variables defined in Configuration

files

Seed Files

Cell Libraries

DGNLIB Files

Color Tables

Resource Files

Custom Programs

Function Keys Menus

Button Menu

DWG Files

AccuDraw Shortcuts

Putting It All Together • What can they do for you? A few examples

○ Seed files (MS_DESIGNSEED) Default Seed File for creating design files. (MS_SEEDFILES) Search path(s) for all Seed Files

○ DGNLIB files MS_DGNLIBLIST.dgnlib Used as resource for your current session. MS_GUIDGNLIBLIST: Files with custom tools, tasks, menus for current session. ClashDetection.dgnlib (NEW in SS2)– Contains the display styles for the display of clashes and other

clash detection-related settings. LinkSetSeed.dgnlib – Contains the default link sets.

○ Operation (MS_OPENV7) Controls the behavior when opening V7 format files.

○ Capabilities – Search for a file called capability.list (A few favorites) CAPABILITY_LEVELS_ALLOW_CREATE CAPABILITY_LEVELS_ALLOW_DELETE CAPABILITY_ELEMENT_TRANSPARENCY CAPABILITY_TEXTSTYLE_NOSTYLE (NEW in SS3)

And the list goes on forever! Google Search = "V8i" + variables

Variables Excel file

capability. List file

Variable list on web

Putting It All Together Workspace Data… what’s that?

Seed Files ○ 2D or 3D, Metric or English

DWG Files ○ Translation file, Blocks, Line Style, Alias file, Fonts etc…

Cell Libraries ○ Different disciplines

DGNLIB Files ○ Too much to list…

Resource Files ○ Line Styles, Fonts…

Color Tables Custom Programs

○ Macros, VBAs or MDLs User’s Data

○ AccuDraw Shortcuts, Button menus, Function Key

Putting It All Together Why should you use Workspaces? They can be used to centralize Workspace Data

Everything on the Server. One location, one source

They can be used to deploy Standards Only one Cell Library, resource file, DGN Library file…

They can be used to enforce Standards Built into the User’s Menus and icons

They can be used to check standards DGN Library files work with Standards Checker Utility

They can be used to give Users what they need/want You can control it all from your desk!

They can be used to make your life easier… and isn’t that what we all want

Putting It All Together Where should Workspace Data be located?

• Is there only one place it should be? • Ideally if it can be • But not always…

• Could be on the Local PC… • If it needs to be

• Could be on a Server… • Could be on multiple (mirrored) Servers

Pro and Cons of both…

Offline Users? Offsite Users?

Putting It All Together Deploying Standards

User

Workspace Data on Server

Putting It All Together DGNLIB files used with Standards Checker

Once you are using DGNLIB files, they can be used with the Standards Checker Utility to check:

Levels Dimension and Text Styles Line Styles Element Templates

Putting It All Together So, what’s in a DGNLIB these days? (What’s not!)

Level Definitions and Level Filters Text Styles Dimension Styles Detailing Symbol Styles (new variables for this in V8i) Multi‐Line Styles Display Styles Saved Views (did you know this?) Cell definitions (did you know this?) User Interface customizations such as tools, menus, etc. Project Explorer link sets Color Books Custom Line Styles (did you know this too?) Standards Checker information Named Expressions Element Templates Render Setups Drawing Seeds Materials for Rendering and Rendering Settings I heard they found Jimmy Hoffa in a DGNLIB file

Putting It All Together Some Variables that control DGNLIBs

Variable Name Short Description MS_LEVEL_ALLOW_LIBRARY_LEVEL_EDIT Edit Unused Library Levels MS_LEVEL_LOAD_ATTACHMENT_FILTERS Load Attachment Level Filters MS_LEVEL_EDIT_ATTRIBUTE_LIST Control Level Attributes Edit MS_LEVEL_SYNC_ATTRIBUTE_LIST Control Level Attributes Sync MS_LEVEL_AUTO_SYNC_ATTRIBUTE_LIST Level Attribute Auto Synch. MS_UPDATE_KEEP_UNUSED_LIBRARY_LEVELS Keep Unused Library Levels MS_LEVEL_LIB_DIR Level Library Path

Putting It All Together Customizing MicroStation

Company wide customization User’s personal customization

Context Menu

(Press and hold Reset)

Non Customized

Customized

Putting It All Together Customizing MicroStation

Some Variables for controlling customization ○ MS_GUIDGNLIBLIST Points to files that contain tools, toolboxes, task, menu, and icon

customizations. ○ _USTN_SYSTEM_GUIDGNLIBLIST Don’t mess with this one! It’s Read Only to us mortals anyway

○ _USTN_SYSTEMGUIDGNLIBLIST (NEW in SS3) (I know.. It looks like the one above)

There is a new DGNLIB file named GUI.DGNLIB and is located in the following folder:

C:\ProgramData\Bentley\MicroStation V8i (SELECTseries)\WorkSpace\System\GUI We moved the Interface items that you might want to edit to this file…

like - Tasks - Context Menu

Putting It All Together Great news!! If you open the

GUI.DGNLIB supplied by Bentley, you edit the following interface items

You can now edit these items, move, delete etc

Putting It All Together Have you heard about Named Expressions?

Introduced in V8 XM User definable in V8i

Putting It All Together Named Expressions examples: You don’t have to be a programmer to do great things! Just

copy and paste from the examples. With a little obvious editing, you can do a lot!

Putting It All Together Integrating Configuration files into the

startup process What is the startup process of MicroStation? What is a redirect file? Where is the best place to redirect

MicroStation to look to the Server?

Putting It All Together The order that Variables are processed

System Level

Application Level

Site Level

Project Level

User Level

System Stuff

InRoads, Descartes…

Everybody gets it

Specific to a project

Just for that User

Putting It All Together Startup order and Variable priority

System Level

Application Level

Site Level

Project Level

User Level

Sta

rtup

Pro

cess

5

4

3

2

1

Priority

Putting It All Together

All the CFG files used to configure

MicroStation for your company

Local Drive

Server

Built-in Macros

Local CFG Files

Application CFG Files

Standards folder

DFLTUSER.cfg File

This is one possible location to redirect MicroStation to look to the Server for additional Configuration files to process

Putting It All Together Main fork in the road… File Open Dialog

Putting It All Together Possible Uses for User: User could be: User = Login name <Windows Login var $(USERNAME) > User = Discipline

Architect.UCF Designer.UCF Mapping.UCF

User = Project related: DOT related project County related project ACOE related project

User = Could be used to control where to look for PCF files (folk in the road idea)

Putting It All Together Possible Uses for Project: Project could be: Project = Client related

Single PCF file concept (One PCF for the client) Multiple PCF file concept (One PCF for each Client project)

Project = Project related Multiple PCF file concept

○ One PCF file for each Project number ○ Creating templates for each client could be helpful

Project = Type of User Architect Designer Mapper V7 or V8

Putting It All Together Let’s breakdown a “possible” Workspace

structure (The Consultant example)

Common_Variables.cfg

Group_Variables.cfg

User_Data_Variables.cfg

Sets Variables that are common to all

Users

Defines Variables that determines types of

Users

Sets Variables that control where Users

data is stored

• Workspace Data • Corporate MDLs • Corporate Interface • Printers

• Design Drafter • Estimator • Mapping

Location of User Data • Function Key • AccuDraw • Button Menu • Personal Cell Library • Home Preferences

Add more configuration files if

needed

Server located files Workstation

Redirect File on

PC

Putting It All Together

Demo Time!