i have a standalone app that will launch a instance of microstation and pass in the -WK parameter for the workspace name, the -WW parameter for the workset name and the -WA parameter for the startup app.
it works great..most of the time. here is what i have found out
i have my workspace over in the Custom config side (using the ConfigurationSetup.cfg file and the _USTN_CUSTOMCONFIGURATION variable)
I have found out that it will only work if the last used workspace/workset is over on the custom config side of things.
so for example if i launch a bentley delivered workspace to go through some training and then i close out of microstation and then i run my stand alone up, when it launches the background instance it cant find the startup app because it couldnt find the workspace/workset.
its like its only looking for workspaces within the last used configuration branch. see image below for what i mean when i say configuration branch.
So the question is how can i reliably launch my background instance to use the correct configuration?
I set up a lot of configurations for different clients. The _USTN_CUSTOMCONFIGURATION variable setting for these different configurations changes for each client. As a result I'm changing this value all of the time.
The way I do this is to create a startup shortcut for each client configuration that uses the -wc switch to specify a starting configuration file. In that starting configuration file I define the correct _USTN_CUSTOMCONFIGURATION for the client. I also do a %lock of the variable so it doesn't get changed later on when the ConfigurationSetup.cfg file is loaded.
When you use the -wc switch to use a starting configuration file, it does not read the mslocal.cfg file, so your starting configuration file has to include it or replace the definitions and other includes.
Rod WingSenior Systems Analyst
Try the -wr switch, this example opens a WorkSet in the installed configuration when the last used configuration was custom, note "" around the path to handle the spaces
"C:\Program Files\Bentley\MicroStation CONNECT Edition\MicroStation\microstation.exe" "-wrC:\ProgramData\Bentley\MicroStation CONNECT Edition\Configuration\" -wkExample -wwGS_VBA
Interestingly adding -ws_USTN_USER_CONFIGURATION_LABEL=From_Configured_Shortcut on the end changes the label from User Configuration to From_Configured_Shortcut
Marc
Answer Verified By: John Drsek
thanks Marc,
this does pose another challenge. starting the instance from a standalone app means i dont have the configuration. i would have to read the ConfigurationSetup.cfg file and get the custom config location ...
also this does not match up with the below wiki page on the command line switches. the wiki page says the -wr is for the USTN_WORKSPACE_ROOT variable.
but your using it for the configuration root instead.. and it does seem to be working. if i try to use the workspace root location with the -wr switch, it does not work.
seems like this wiki page needs updated
(+) MicroStation Command Line Options And Switches - MicroStation Wiki - MicroStation - Bentley Communities