%if exists expressions in .pcf files

You are attempting to define this based off of a project that is not currently picked/defined, which is why it works if it is hard coded.
I need a bit more information on why you are attempting to set this variable in this manner.

A few years ago, we had a visit from a Bentley "expert" who suggested that we set up a template .pcf file containing following expressions to define the project description as well as the location of the project folder:

_USTN_PROJECTDESCR = $(_USTN_PROJECTNAME)

_USTN_PROJECTDATA = P:/3210/$(_USTN_PROJECTNAME)/000/13-rit/

This way, whenever someone needs to create a new project, they simply copy the template .pcf file and then rename it with exactly the same name as the project folder ie. if the project folder is to be called Project1 then the template file is copied and renamed Project1.pcf.

Up to now, this has worked quite well. Every project leader now simply has to rename the template file and the project appears in AECOsim ready for use.

What I was wanting to do was to adjust the that file so that it would use the project folder on the project server whenever it was connected to it. If it wasn't available then it would use a mirrored copy of the project folder which was stored locally on the C: drive. Everything else would remain unchanged.

There are probably far better ways to do this, but I was hoping for a quick and easy way of achieving it...

A few years ago, we had a visit from a Bentley "expert" who suggested that we set up a template .pcf file containing following expressions to define the project description as well as the location of the project folder:

_USTN_PROJECTDESCR = $(_USTN_PROJECTNAME)

_USTN_PROJECTDATA = P:/3210/$(_USTN_PROJECTNAME)/000/13-rit/

This way, whenever someone needs to create a new project, they simply copy the template .pcf file and then rename it with exactly the same name as the project folder ie. if the project folder is to be called Project1 then the template file is copied and renamed Project1.pcf.

Up to now, this has worked quite well. Every project leader now simply has to rename the template file and the project appears in AECOsim ready for use.

What I was wanting to do was to adjust the that file so that it would use the project folder on the project server whenever it was connected to it. If it wasn't available then it would use a mirrored copy of the project folder which was stored locally on the C: drive. Everything else would remain unchanged.

There are probably far better ways to do this, but I was hoping for a quick and easy way of achieving it...

so the folder does exist, you just want to test for a network connection and if not then go local ?

Yes. At least in principle the project folder should exist identically in both places. If the network is not found, AECOsim would default to C:.

are all your machines mapped to a "P" drive for this ? if so, test for "P" OR P:/3210/. you just need to make sure they are connected or if they are not (when using the laptop in the field for example)

Yeah, that seems to work. Thanks for your help!

I should have thought of it myself really, but I was so intrigued as to why a variable should not function in one line then work perfectly in the next, that I missed the obvious...

Roll on Easter, I could do with a break!

James, in cfg files we usually use / over \. So your lines would be:

%if exists (P:/3210/_CAD/ProjectXXX/13-rit/)

_USTN_PROJECTDATA = P:/3210/_CAD/$(_USTN_PROJECTNAME)/13-rit/

%else

_USTN_PROJECTDATA = C:/3210/_CAD/$(_USTN_PROJECTNAME)/13-rit/

%endif

Wondering if this would fix the issue?