[CONNECT] Workspace without WorkSets

Question

Hi, I'm new to CE and try to migrate our V8i workspaces to CE. It's clear that old site level now is organization. And from my point of view our old project level now should be "Workspace" level, because it contains client resources. It seems that Bentley agrees here. 
 The issue for me is: We have many small jobs (resp. sets of DGN) for each client (resp. Workspace). Each job needs the same client resources and nothing extra. Though the Workspace/client resources are needed to edit or view the DGN files, none of these DGN files belongs to the Workspace. The design files are stored anywhere on the file system, but never inside microstation's WorkSpace. And that's why the WorkSets seem to be useless in our work flow. Unfortunatly I can't see a way to open a design file with specified Workspace but without a WorkSet . When I use a configured dummy WorkSet, it often stands in the way: The opened files are marked with WorkSet name, causing confirmations about WorkSet mismatch... 
 Hope, someone could tell me, how to get rid of WorkSets or at least the nasty side effects (I cant imagine that our work flow is that uniqe). 
 Thanks, Robert.

Jan Šlegr · Accepted Answer

Hi Robert, 
 Robert Schwenn said: It's clear that old site level now is organization 
 It's even defined by Bentley, described in workspace terminology changes table . 
 Robert Schwenn said: And from my point of view our old project level now should be "Workspace" level 
 From Bentley perspective, V8 project is treated to be worset now (see the table in MicroStation documentation). But in my opinion, both ways (project is workspace OR project is workset) are valid, depending on customer or project specifics. 
 Robert Schwenn said: none of these DGN files belongs to the Workspace. 
 Every DGN has to belong to some workspace/workset. It's how MicroStation works today. I think this feature cannot be switched off (so when MicroStation opens a file, it adds the information about used workspace/workset, when it is not stored in the file already), but I think it's area still under some development. 
 Robert Schwenn said: Unfortunatly I can't see a way to open a design file with specified Workspace but without a WorkSet . 
 It's not possible, because MicroStation itself requires the twin workspace + workset. 
 I am not aware of such configuration option: You can use No workspace / no workset configuration (with all possible obstacles and issues, discussed in this and MicroStation forum), or you can use one "default" (or "standard" or whatever else name) workset in your workspace. 
 Robert Schwenn said: The design files are stored anywhere on the file system, but never inside microstation's WorkSpace. 
 It should be no problem. There is no requirement DGN files have to be inside worskpace / workset folders structure. 
 Robert Schwenn said: Hope, someone could tell me, how to get rid of WorkSets or at least the nasty side effects 
 At first, I recommend to search this and MicroStation forum for similar topics, because how to migrate to the workspace structure have been discussed many times already. These discussion can be used as a knowledgebase ... and also as a proof that even when the concept looks fine in documentation, to use it in real projects is often complicated. 
 At second, read MicroStation documentation. The whole concept, structure and related variables are documented very well and in detail in the documentation in my opinion (especially when compared with V8i documentation). 
 Also, be aware that even when it's not possible (I think) to switch off the assigning files to workspace/workset, it's possible to tell MicroStation to do not check the assignment when files are opened. This is also described in MicroStation help (see for MS_WORKSETMISMATCH_ALERT_EXCLUDE_VARS_ALLLEVELS and MS_WORKSETMISMATCH_ALERT_EXCLUDE_VARS_WORKSPACELEVEL variables), even when my experience is mixed (sometimes they do not work as I expected ;-). But this feature is still under development and as was mentioned in this discussion , Update 15 will bring some changes to "workspace mismatch" notification. 
 With regards, 
 Jan

Tim Hickman · Answer

And from my point of view our old project level now should be "Workspace" level, because it contains client resources. It seems that Bentley agrees here. 
 This is not a correct statement. The project in V8i would be your workset in CONNECT not the workspace. 
 The CONNECT products as Jan mentions needs a Workspace/Workset - there is not really a way around it. 
 What I have done with my configuration is since all projects for a specific client will not change (they are always the same set of configurations) is set the workspace up as merely a figurehead. There is no real configurations for this, other than to point to the workset. In the workset is where I put all the configurations. I have a workspace with the client name and then a workset with the client name.It seems like a waste setting the workspace and workset to the same name, but really only the workset contains the needed configurations. So instead of setting up the workspace with the clients resources (as you have done), set up the workset with them and just use the workspace to point to the workset.

[CONNECT] Workspace without WorkSets

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