CONNECT Edition - Custom Configuration - Part 3 : Standards CFG Files

Standards can be configured by files at all configuration levels.

Organization

The Standards.cfg is the primary configuration file for setting organization wide standards.

This is the organization baseline for: locations and names of shared resources; configurable default settings: etc.

The Organization standards resources are contained in the Organization folder's subfolders.

Note: to highlight that the file is different from Bentley's delivered version it can be renamed, e.g. \\hal\CONFIGURATIONS\MCE\Organization\01_Org_Standards.cfg, the application will read any .CFG files in this location. Sometimes multiple Organization configuration files can be useful, the filenames control the order in which they are parsed by the applications, this can be significant so keep this in mind.

Permissions:

This file and the Organization folders should be restricted to editing by the people responsible for maintaining the Organization standards.

Example variables:

Both of the following variables allow lists of locations and files to be constructed. Quite often default resources located in C:\Program Files\Bentley\MicroStation CONNECT Edition\MicroStation\Default are needed in addition to resources at one or more levels of the Custom Configuration, list variables enable this layered structure:

Cells:

This statement will add the …\Organization\Cell\ folder to the end of the list of folders searched for cells

MS_CELL        > $(_USTN_ORGANIZATION)Cell/

DGNLIBs:

This statement will add all files with the .dgnlib extension in the …\Organization\Dgnlib\ folder to the end of the list of DGNLIBs searched for content:

MS_DGNLIBLIST         > $(_USTN_ORGANIZATION)Dgnlib/*.dgnlib

Note the '>' append operator, this operator puts the location at the end of the list. If a resource in a Custom Configuration, perhaps in a WorkSet is the most often used the operator could be changed to '<' pre-pend, putting it at the start of the list (unless subsequent statements are also pre-pended, in which case the later statements will take priority).

WorkSpace

The ability of CONNECT Edition to create multiple WorkSpaces offers a level where standards can be set that need to apply to all WorkSets in a WorkSpace.

The WorkSpace configuration filename must match the WorkSpace name, e.g.: \\hal\CONFIGURATIONS\MCE\WorkSpaces\WorkSpace_01.cfg

There can only be one WorkSpace configuration file per WorkSpace (unlike the Organization level where multiple files are allowed and name only affects the order in which they are parsed).

The WorkSpace standards resources are contained in the WorkSpace Standards folder and subfolders.

Permissions:

This file and the WorkSpace folders should be restricted to editing by the people responsible for maintaining the WorkSpace standards.

Example variables:

Adding a Seed folder to a WorkSpace would require:

MS_SEEDFILES < $(_USTN_WORKSPACESTANDARDS)Seed/

to be added to the <WorkSpaceName>.cfg along with the appropriate seed file variable statements specifying which seed files should be used for what.

WorkSet

Project requirements often mean that variations need to be applied to individual projects at WorkSet level.

The WorkSet configuration filename must match the WorkSpace name, e.g.: \\hal\CONFIGURATIONS\MCE\WorkSpaces\WorkSpace_01\WorkSets\WorkSet_01.cfg

Permissions:

This file may editable by a project coordinator in addition to the people responsible for maintaining the Organization and WorkSpace standards.

The WorkSet standards resources are contained in the WorkSet Standards folder and subfolders. While the shared WorkSet resources will normally be editable by the project team to enable creation/editing of WorkSet specific resources without reference to CAD/BIM support processes; this separation allows write access to the WorkSet Standards folder to be restricted if required.

Role

In addition to these standard configuration levels we also have the optional Role level, if applied this can apply further Role (for instance, discipline) specific configuration after all other levels have been processed.

Standards Configuration Files Contents

See Part 4 for more on the content of these files.

Translated German Wiki article:
CONNECT Edition - Benutzerdefinierte Konfiguration - Teil 3 : Standards CFG-Dateien