Custom configuration variable creation

RE: Custom configuration variable creation

Mark Plum — Thu, 13 Sep 2018 22:03:36 GMT

Thank you so much, John. Requests have been made and email confirmations have been received! Have a great rest of your week!

RE: Custom configuration variable creation

John Frampton — Thu, 13 Sep 2018 11:46:53 GMT

Open CONNECTION Client and click on the CONNECTION Center, in the browser on the Bentley Cloud Services page at the bottom click on the "New Service Request". Should be self explanatory from there.

RE: Custom configuration variable creation

Mark Plum — Wed, 12 Sep 2018 18:17:52 GMT

I have never performed such a request, John. Could you lead me in direction?

RE: Custom configuration variable creation

John Frampton — Wed, 12 Sep 2018 12:16:57 GMT

Mark, I'd suggest you file an enhancement request on these items. It will require a request for each item individually.

RE: Custom configuration variable creation

Mark Plum — Tue, 11 Sep 2018 18:57:57 GMT

And yes, John, you have expressed my point quite succinctly.

RE: Custom configuration variable creation

Mark Plum — Tue, 11 Sep 2018 17:51:56 GMT

I suppose that my end result would be to create two variables (like MS_REF_DEFAULTATTACHDIRECTORY) for Point clouds and reality meshes. If users find use in them, so be it. If users do not decide to use them, so be it. We would like to have them here. Heck, throw one in for images as well and we would be completely satisfied. From a workflow perspective, the ribbon clearly states Attach Tools > References, Raster Manager, Point Clouds, and Reality Mesh. Why not make all variables consistent across that range?Again, admins are under no obligation to use such variables, but it would be nice to have them.

RE: Custom configuration variable creation

John Frampton — Tue, 11 Sep 2018 14:42:50 GMT

Is there a starting point variable for all the windows open dialogs? I would think that would be a start to allow the admin control. These two dialogs don't seem to have them. If the 90% use case is always attach from this location then a variable to start them in that location would be helpful. Also things like these would 90% of the time be in a folder or two within a project and the user wouldn't navigate far from the base folder but something like a reference could be all over the project in different discipline folders etc. Maybe its not an all approach as you suggest, but I do like consistency as then the user knows what to expect every time.

RE: Custom configuration variable creation

Tim Hickman — Tue, 11 Sep 2018 14:18:03 GMT

agreed - and this is the dilemma. Currently we remember where you were last and all dialogs work this way.

We are going to get both sides of this. Some want it where it is reset each time as mentioned in this thread and others will not want it to work this way. They want it to remain like it is currently.

If a change is made, then every dialog with a save as, export, import, attach, open, close, etc... will need this control, not just the two mentioned above.

RE: Custom configuration variable creation

John Frampton — Tue, 11 Sep 2018 13:34:33 GMT

Agreed Tim. I know one of the thoughts was the Admin can tell the users this is where to start but if the user browses to any other location then he returns to that location the next time he does that operation in the WorkSpace/WorkSet. The only way I know to return to the defaults is to delete the user settings. I would think as a user that if I was returned to a starting point and I had to navigate away from it 90% of the times I was attaching something this would be annoying.

RE: Custom configuration variable creation

Mark Plum — Mon, 10 Sep 2018 19:38:21 GMT

Tim: Yeah, no doubt. Nonetheless, the issue still exists... I actually like the new structure within CONNECT although it has taken a bit willpower to embrace it.

RE: Custom configuration variable creation

Tim Hickman — Mon, 10 Sep 2018 19:26:00 GMT

the intent of those directories was not an attempt to fix this issue.

RE: Custom configuration variable creation

Mark Plum — Mon, 10 Sep 2018 18:44:30 GMT

And yes, John, you understand the situation well.

RE: Custom configuration variable creation

Mark Plum — Mon, 10 Sep 2018 18:43:40 GMT

Tim, PRECISELY! Practically every single user (ADMIN) I have spoken with through many different companies would like to have a structure by which the current options are available to the end users and also "fixed" directories where information may always be found. Bentley has attempted to fix this situation through a "Standards directory" (V8i) and now an "Organization" directory (CONNECT), it seems, but such does not exactly "remedy" this long standing situation.

RE: Custom configuration variable creation

Tim Hickman — Mon, 10 Sep 2018 18:25:33 GMT

I think there is a misconception as to what these variables control or how they function. Yes a default is provided, but most assume that this is what holds and it as to how it will always open to. I believe there are several situations here, each to do with these various dialogs.

I don't think it is a question of where it starts, but more along the lines of where it can be pointed permanently. In other words, they don't care where they browsed last, they want it to always open at one location, no matter what.

and this is not how it currently functions.

RE: Custom configuration variable creation

John Frampton — Mon, 10 Sep 2018 17:40:08 GMT

Tim, Isn't the question where does the file>open or File>attach dialogs start? yes they default to the last used location but in the case where they have not been used then what variable controls where they start. MS_def does this for design files.

Point Clouds and Reality mesh attach dialog both seem to use _DGNdir as the base directory to start. Since this is just the active files directory it doesn't seem to be able to be controlled like the OP desires.

RE: Custom configuration variable creation

Tim Hickman — Wed, 29 Aug 2018 19:01:50 GMT

agreed. I am saying that is the exception. None of the other dialogs work that way. That variable was added for that specific issue.

Cells, color tables, linestyles, etc... do not work that way. It remembers the last place used.

RE: Custom configuration variable creation

Mark Plum — Wed, 29 Aug 2018 18:49:29 GMT

Tim, the whole purpose of defining these variable is to insure that all of the needed references are in one location (at least that is how we are structured here). Nonetheless, yes, of course THAT file will will be in a non-specific location (and glad that it does not lose intelligence as such). When executing the attach reference function, however, the attach reference dialog goes right back to the location as defined in the MS_ reference variables as per the workset.

RE: Custom configuration variable creation

Tim Hickman — Wed, 29 Aug 2018 18:35:43 GMT

now stay in that workset and browse to another location and attach something. Close MicroStation, reopen that file in that workset and see where it defaults to.

RE: Custom configuration variable creation

Mark Plum — Wed, 29 Aug 2018 18:33:30 GMT

Add in the variables to a sample workset.cfg (Connect) file or your Project.pcf file (V8, and change directories to another location and attach the file. Then, open up the attach function again. It will invariably go to the workset (project) location, overriding the last known location.

RE: Custom configuration variable creation

Tim Hickman — Wed, 29 Aug 2018 18:28:51 GMT

in most cases the file>open , file>attach functions on last used. I only see references having this control. If you browse to open a file, attach a cell library, etc,,, it remembers the last choice.

RE: Custom configuration variable creation

Mark Plum — Wed, 29 Aug 2018 18:15:57 GMT

Ah, sorry... MS_REF_DEFAULTATTACHDIRECTORY

RE: Custom configuration variable creation

Tim Hickman — Wed, 29 Aug 2018 18:13:54 GMT

MS_RFDIR controls where MicroStation looks to resolve the already attached references. If you go to the attach dialog, browse to some folder not part of your project and attach a reference file, the next time you open that dialog, it puts you at that last attachment location.

RE: Custom configuration variable creation

Mark Plum — Wed, 29 Aug 2018 17:58:12 GMT

Tim:

Sure there are; perhaps you misunderstand my issue. My Workset(s) have these variables defined to automatically go to our dgn directories on a Project (Workset) basis by using the MS_DEF variable to point to a particular directory per project (Workset). Within that workset and inside MicroStation, I use the variable MS_RFDIR in the attachment of reference files to automatically find the directory for which that Projects references may be found, and I use the variable MS_RASTER_DEF_DIR to automatically find location where images may be found per project. Changing worksets (projects) automatically changes the locations where this information is to be found.

RE: Custom configuration variable creation

Tim Hickman — Wed, 29 Aug 2018 17:46:19 GMT

there is not a variable that does this, not even for dgn's references, etc...

RE: Custom configuration variable creation

Mark Plum — Wed, 29 Aug 2018 17:40:53 GMT

Tim, well the "search" variable could be used to "Select Configuration Variable" on the Open dialog when Attach>Point Cloud or Attach>Reality Mesh is executed. That is actually more cumbersome for the end user than just searching through directories until the file was found. I am looking for a variable (Like MS_DEF) that controls what folder the attach dialog opens up to (as you have stated). I suppose that my primary point is to state to Bentley "you have such built in configuration variables for opening up dgn's, attaching reference files, and attaching images. Why do not the same variables exist for attaching Point Clouds and Reality Meshes from a defined folder location?"