Where and how is the variable _USTN_WORKSETDGNWS defined?

I am trying to configure ORD CE for ProjectWise.

Our folder structure does not support worksets under workspaces but there a videos on how to configure that. I have been successful in making out projects work as worksets and associating them with a workspace. However, my efforts to enable the sheet index (and whatever else a DGNWS file provides)have failed. I have defined a common location for the Workset CFG files and location where the DGNWS file should be created using _USTN_WORKSETSDGNWSROOT. 

But I cannot figure out how to define  _USTN_WORKSETDGNWS in PW. According to its description, it should be the full path file name of the DGNWS file. But in my PW Managed Workspace, it is being defined to the Workset name only and according to the Configuration Dialog box, it is being set at a System Level, While most of my workset variables at reported to be correctly set to Workset Level.

I discovered that if I list the Configuration Variables using the Show Configuration Variables command of the dialog box and compare its list to the Summary of Variables from an MSDEBUG.TXT file, there are a number of assignments that are missing. Particularly glaring is the _USTN_WORKSETDGNWS assignment. In fact, I have searched every CFG I could find and do not see it listed anywhere.

If it is automatically generated, are there rules and conditions that can effect its assignment? I need to figure out why I cannot get the variable and its operational purpose to function in Project Wise.

  • This is a problem outside of ProjectWise too. I can't seem to find it now, but there was a Ticket/Defect filed about this a few years ago. You cannot change the DGNWS variables to have the dgnws files automatically created in a folder other than the default location. Once created you can copy the dgnws file to another folder and  define the _USTN_WORKSETDGNWS variable to pick it up in the new location.

    Rod Wing
    Senior Systems Analyst

  • They really should get that fixed...

    Can you "predefine" _USTN_WORKSETDGNWS in the workset cfg so that when you move the DGNWS, it will be automatically located?

    MaryB

    Power GeoPak 08.11.09.918
    Power InRoads 08.11.09.918
    OpenRoads Designer 2021 R2

        

  • Yes, that works.

    Rod Wing
    Senior Systems Analyst

  • Good to know - thank you!

    MaryB

    Power GeoPak 08.11.09.918
    Power InRoads 08.11.09.918
    OpenRoads Designer 2021 R2

        

  • Well, this is sort of embarrassing! But it's not 100% my fault!

    First and foremost, it turns out that my inability to get the DGNWS file to work was due to a permissions setting in my target folder location. Once I realized that, I was finally able to get the DGNWS file to get created once a file was opened in the Workset. However, do you think an error message, like "Unable to create DGNWS file. You do not have sufficient permissions to complete that task." might have helped.

    With that out of the way, allow me to rant a little:

    There are a lot of variables in CONNECT that are potentially stupid! I know that sounds harsh, but hear me out.

    There is a variable named _USTN_WORKSETDGNS which is defined as the "Search Path for design files". I don't know how others work, but in a large organization like a DOT, or on large projects, DGN files are spread all over the place in a project folder structure. Usually, by discipline but even within one discipline, many departments keep sheet files separated from drawing or model files. If there is a purpose for this "search path" that would justify defining it to all the possible DGN file locations, it would be nice to know what this actually does. 

    Another variable is _USTN_WORKSETSTANDARDSDIRNAME which is defined as the "Base directory name for Standards of WorkSet. At the time of creating new WorkSet, this name is appended to the WorkSet root directory path". By default, it is defined as "Standards". Additionally, there is a variable _USTN_WORKSETSTANDARDS which appears to be the combination of the previous variable and the WorkSet root directory path, as the previous variable's definition explain. Well, on our project folder setup, I needed to redefine the _USTN_WORKSETSTANDARDSDIRNAME to match our folder names. After making that changes, I thought that _USTN_WORKSETSTANDARDS would naturally adjust to match this new definition. But no, it had no effect. I had to redefine _USTN_WORKSETSTANDARDS to use the WorkSet root directory path plus my definition of _USTN_WORKSETSTANDARDSDIRNAME to get it to work.

    One last observation - this is a ProjectWise observation, but it might apply to a non-PW workspace: When you review a path variable in the configuration dialog box, if the Value displays back-slashes as the path separators, that is an indication that the path defined actually exists. If you see the Value is still using forward-slashes, it means that the folder specified is non-existent. For example, the previously mentioned _USTN_WORKSETDGNS variable displays using forward slashes since my DGN folder names is seldom DGN nor is it located right below the top level folder of the WorkSet.

    I still have no idea how or where the default location for the DGNWS is defined, but in ProjectWise, I finally undefined it in my Predefined CSB's to get the full path definition to stick. However, even though its definition claims it to be a full path variable, it may work when defined as a name only value if the variable _USTN_WORKSETSDGNWSROOT is correctly defined to its folder path. 


    Charles (Chuck) Rheault
    CADD Manager

    MDOT State Highway Administration

    • MicroStation user since IGDS, InRoads user since TDP.
    • AutoCAD, Land Desktop and Civil 3D, off and on since 1996