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Advanced MicroStation Administration – Session 2

Take your MicroStation administration skills to the next level. This session will discuss advance topics and best

practice for administrators of MicroStation environments.

Shawn Fostersfoster@hntb.com

Agenda

• Disclaimer• General thoughts• Workspace review• Site level, Projects, and User• What to do with a UCF• Syntax • Workmode additions• License, license, who’s got the license?• Other neat admin stuff

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Disclaimer

• Some of you may know many of these points already

• Some of this may seem basic or obvious• Some of this may up in the stratosphere

• You’d be surprised at how many people don’t know what some would consider “obvious”

• Parts of this presentation have been presented here before, but the jokes are possibly all old as well.

Workspace Review

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Config Files,

Variables, and Syntax

These help us guide users to the proper place for resources for our project.

Cell Libraries

Reference Files

Fonts

A big bucket full of variables

MS_SYMBRSC MS_RFDIR_DGNDIR

MS_CELL

What are configuration

files

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Variables

Pointers to:• Directories• Resource files • switches (on/off)

How does MicroStation work?

How does MicroStation work when it

kicks off?

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How does MicroStation work?

How does MicroStation work when it

kicks off?

Mslocal.cfg: The first file MicroStation looks for when launching

Msconfig.cfg: the second file

How does MicroStation work?

How does MicroStation work when it

kicks off?

Learn it. Know it. Live it.

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Config SyntaxSetting

Variables

• # Comment line Text is ignored• Variable = Value Set• Variable > Value Add to end of list• Variable < Value Add to start of list• Variable : Value Set if not already defined• $(Variable) Expand another variable• //server/folder/ Multi-system syntax

Use a trailing /

How does MicroStation work?

How does MicroStation work when it

kicks off?

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How does MicroStation work?

My best practice

• I recommend to leave the configuration files in these areas alone (for the most part)

• You never know what is going to happen to these files as MicroStation advances

• You may rip the files apart…be aware that you may have to do that every time MicroStation gets updated

Config Syntax

Pre-processor

Commands

• %include Process another .cfg

• %if exists (file) Process only if the file exists

• %if defined (var) Process only if the variable is defined

• %if (var) == value Process only if the variable equals the specific value

• %elif Else do something else

• %endif End optional section

• %lock Lock a variable

• %level 4 Set variable at another configuration level

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Site Level

• Site level are things you want to happen to everyone at your office / installation / location

Site Level

• We point one file on the desktop, and point the whole workspace to the server

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Company standards at the Site

• We place our company shared resources at the Site level

User Level

• User specific information

• Must be writeable by the end user

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User level

• We point the user to a Users folder. Every user has his/her own folder, and we use the Windows login UserName as the determinant

User level

• Some may use a UCF for a discipline, which points to a set of projects

• _USTN_PROJECT is written at the UCF level, and defined at the Site Level.

• Some may use a UCF for a discipline, which points to a set of projects, and then %include $(USERNAME).cfg for the end users specific information

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Project level

• All of our work is client driven, so we set EVERYTHING POSSIBLE at the Project Level

Project level

• We set a variable to point a folder for PCFs

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Project level

• We do many different projects for the same clients, so there’s no reason to duplicate resources

• “Agency” is our “Client” level resources

Project level

• We %include the Agency configuration file at the PCF level

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Network or no network

• We test for the network, and if you are a disconnected user, we point the workspace local

• We copy the needed resources locally for those who need it

Best practice in

a multi-office

• Have a “master” workspace in a protected area• Replicate the SITE level information

– We use Robocopy• Help the offices set up their agencies• Train them to set up their own PCF’s based on your

guidance

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Workmodeinformation

A workmode is a way for you to:• - Enable/Disable certain capabilities within

MicroStation– Describe this environment

• Commonly used variables include– MS_OPENV7– _USTN_CAPABILITY– MS_DWG***** More of a pointer than a mode

MS_OPENV7

The V7 workmode is a configurable environment.

One can automatically set the V7 Workmode and how MicroStation V8 deals with V7 files by using the configuration variable MS_OPENV7

V8 V7

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Syntax

• If not set or set to 0, the file opens with an alert dialog that provides an option to upgrade the file to V8 DGN format.

• If set to 1, the file is upgraded to V8 DGN format and opened automatically

• If set to 2, the file is opened in read-only mode.

• If set to 3, the file is opened in V7 workmode.

Best practice for a “fully V8

environment”?

• If not set or set to 0, the file opens with an alert dialog that provides an option to upgrade the file to V8 DGN format.

• If set to 1, the file is upgraded to V8 DGN format and opened automatically

• If set to 2, the file is opened in read-only mode.

• If set to 3, the file is opened in V7 workmode.

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Best practice

for V7 mode and

Apps?

We don’t recommend it to our users

V8 applications were designed to work with the V8 file format, not V7.

Use the V8 version and batch convert your deliverables

Capability Masks

A Capability Mask is configuration variable called _USTN_CAPABIILITY and its value.

All Capability Masks are found within the WORKMODE.CFG file, located by default in:

Bentley\Program\MicroStation\Config\System

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A Capability Mask has the ability to ENABLE or DISABLE certain MicroStation functionality.

This is how the V7 and DWG workmodes work “under the hood”

Masks –What do they do

WARNING: DO NOT EDIT THIS FILE DIRECTLY!

Masks –workmode.

cfg

This is the file that MicroStation uses to enable or disable tools when using DWG or V7 files.

Copy the information out and implement the individual variables at the appropriate configuration level for your environment.

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Capability Mask

Syntax

When adding these capabilities to your workflow, use the following syntax:

_USTN_CAPABILITY > [PLUS/MINUS]{NAME OF CAPABILITY}

+ to turn ON a capability- to turn OFF a capability

NOTE: Do NOT use an equal sign when implementing this feature

Capability Mask

Syntax

For example: if you were wanting to remove the ability to delete or create levels, you would add the following line to your UCF or PCF file:

_USTN_CAPABILITY > -CAPABILITY_LEVELS_CREATE

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Variable variables

_USTN_CAPABILITY capabilities apply in all workmodes

_USTN_CAPABILITY_DGNcapabilities apply only when in V8 workmode

_USTN_CAPABILITY_DWGcapabilities apply only when in DWG

workmode

_USTN_CAPABILITY_V7 capabilities apply only when in V7 workmode

These variables allow you to build a new logic into your configurations

IF I’m in a V8 file, then “THIS”

Else “THAT”

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Best Practice example

“I want my people to be able to use True Type fonts when in a V8 file, but not to use them when in a V7 file”

In your workspace:

MS_OPENV7 = 3

_USTN_CAPABILITY_V7 > -CAPABILITY_TEXT_FONTS_TRUETYPE

SELECT Server

Check Out Best

Practice

• Checkout.inf controls the check out process• FEATURE = Program• TERM = How long• USAGES = Total usages available• CLIENT_FINGERPRINT = End Computer Name

• Use this technique to ensure those road warriors always get a license for as long as you need

• 99 days is the longest you can check out a file

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Home use?

• If it’s truly home use, we get them a home use license

• If it’s work at home use, we use a Secure Tunnel appliance called CAYMAS to establish a connection between any browser and any desktop.

Standards Checker

thoughts

• Add the ScanRef MVBA from the \system\vba\examples

• Use Batch Process to batch process your files• Great way to get a Reference Report

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Standards Checker

thoughts

• Output report to XML file.

• Expand on the arrow to show missing references

WinBatch.com

• Awesome tool to automate batch processes AND add a GUI to your setup

• Programming, smo-gramming

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Config update / License Update

General thoughts on

MicroStation Administration

• Server based (backups are recoveries are nice)• Don’t mess with System and Application• Don’t get too messy if you don’t have to• Replicate, replicate, replicate• Keep a test workspace• Automate what you can…in and out of USTN• Educate everyone you can, but be realistic with ‘the

renegades• Become your CIO’s / CFO’s best friend• Learn Microsoft Project / P3 / SureTrak• Hire smart people• Don’t do what you are not good at• Get a Life…be a freak, but get a life!

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Any questions?

• Earn Stars: Add This Session to YourBentley Institute Transcript

• Complete and return the BE Conference Learning Unit Card

Stars!

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Thanks

Shawn Foster Engineering / CADD Applications Managersfoster@hntb.com