Working with our consultants, we have seen a number of issues where our workspace is not correctly configured and a launch of MicroStation dies at a particular line in the process. We have always concentrated on getting the assignments that we supply corrected, which fixes the problem. But today, an internal user was experiencing the same problem. In this case, a number of file in ProjectWise were configured to load a particular workspace profile. This, is not a ProjectWise issue however. At its core, it is an obsolete default assignment in msconfig.cfg. This particular profile tried to use a startup.cfg file. However, the location the file used to reside at does not exist anymore. So, when a startup.cfg is specified in error, MicroStation loads msconfig and processes whatever the default settings are. This is where the problem occurs.
Lines 68 and 69, define _USTN_BENTLEYROOT and _USTN_WORKSPACEROOT. However, _USTN_WORKSPACEROOT is defined as a Workspace subfolder under _USTN_BENTLEYROOT. At some point, the default workspace was moved from the Program Files (x86) folder structure to the ALLUSERSPROFILE location.
By not setting this path correctly, MicroStation cannot start if it is mising its startup.cfg file, be that mslocal.cfg or a special startup.cfg called by a command line switch.
This error can be traced back to the fact that when msconfig.cfg is loaded without msdir.cfg, the variable _USTN_WORKSPACEROOT does not get assigned so the assignemt in msconfig.cfg get used.
A simple fix would be to add a test for its definition and then to attempt assign it using the path in ALLUSERSPROFILE to build a likely location. Even this could be tested before any assignment is made. And if it is unable to locate a local workspace, it should be able to generate an error message.
During the install process there are certain things that get set so MicroStation knows where it is installed. If you choose to move these after the fact then MicroStation can no longer find them. You would encounter the same issue if at some point the program was moved from its originally installed location.
Timothy Hickman
CADD Manager | CADD Department
timothy.hickman@colliersengineering.com
Main: 877 627 3772|
1000 Waterview Drive Suite 201 | Hamilton, New Jersey 08691
Nothing of MicroStation was moved. A custom startup.cfg file was originally saved in a shared folder location that has since been removed. When you create a shortcut that attempts to use a startup.cfg file, but that command line switch contains an error, MicroStation still launches and still processes msconfig.cfg and that loads whatever it usually does, but without the benefit of any paths in msdir.cfg.
The net result of this behavior is any attempt to read a workspace file is now pointed at a folder where there is no workspace which eventually fails. It took a trained eye to recognize that the path to the entire workspace was incorrect. IMHO, Bentley should deliver a product that when it has some type of default behavior, still runs, or opens a dialog box explaining why it failed to run. How hard would it be to make a msconfig.cfg that assumes the current default workspace folder location as a fail-safe assignment in the event that msdir.cfg is bypassed?
Charles (Chuck) Rheault CADD Manager
MDOT State Highway Administration
I just created a command line switch that pointed to a config file that does not exist. MicroStation still launched and was able to find the delivered workspace.
My msdebug shows the msdir is not read and only the msconfig and the files it loads run. And that looks for the workspace on Program File (x86). BTW, this is actually Power InRoads, but I've been told its the MicroStation CADD engine, not powerdraft
actually it is a power platform engine that both MicroStation and Power Inroads are built on sooo MicroStation is not involved really.
What is the exact syntax you are using with the command line argument ?