Networking the workspace

We have just recently finished a very thorough and long Service Request, whose consequence was that our whole network setup for Microstation was changed. Especially I would like to thank Gundula Wolpers who did not stop digging in that issue.

Until now our configuration was done in that way.

  • configuration files including msconfig.cfg are on a network drive. This includes modified versions of vertical application configuration files.
  • Microstation sessions and vertical applications are started with modified icons, with links to the modified configuration files

As a backdraw it is not recommended to start Microstation directly from Start - Programs - Microstation, or by doubleclicking on dgn or dwg files, as this would not start our company setup.

Problems started, when the standalone Datagroup  Editor would not want to start up anymore after switching to V8i. A similar issue also happened when trying to start it from the place wall function.

After a discussion with Bentley which went on over several months, I think we now have a perfect setup, which we can recommend. The beauty of the solution is its simpleness.

  • the workspaceroot is copied on a networkdrive as before, necessary adjustments are made
  • on each PC we are defining the Windows environment variable _USTN_WORKSPACEROOT to the networkdrive (in our case it is _USTN_WORKSPACEROOT=M:\Microstation\Workspace\)
  • company standards are enforced by defining all necessary settings in a configuration file (node_sitestandard.cfg), which is placed in the Workspace\Standards folder on the net