[MS/ORD] User Preference Seeds - Can they be different?

We currently use our own custom WorkSpace.  It is used with MS CE 17.1 and ORD 2022 R1.  We have one folder of Preference Seeds to control our default, starting-point settings (toolbar layout, upf, function keys, etc.)  Is it possible to set up different preference seeds depending on which program is launched (MS vs. ORD)?  How do I go about setting this up?  Here is where my current Preference Seeds are stored:

I'm sure I have several unnecessary files in this folder since I copied my local prefs to the preference seed folder and renamed them appropriately, but I'm too concerned about that.

  • This is what my WorkSpace cfg file looks like.

    #====================================================================================
    # Preferences files
    #====================================================================================
    _USTN_USERNAME                          = $(_USTN_PRODUCT_SHORTNAME)_$(CIVIL_FILENAME)
    _USTN_PREFNAMEBASE                      = $(_USTN_HOMEPREFS)$(_USTN_PRODUCT_SHORTNAME)_$(CIVIL_FILENAME)
    MS_DOCKINGPREF                          = $(_USTN_PREFNAMEBASE).docking.xml
    MS_GROUPPANELPREF                       = $(_USTN_PREFNAMEBASE).GroupPanels.xml
    MS_SAVEMENU                             = $(_USTN_PREFNAMEBASE).Attached.men
    MS_RIBBONPREFS                          = $(_USTN_PREFNAMEBASE).RibbonState.xml
    MS_FKEYMNU                              = $(_USTN_PREFNAMEBASE).funckey.mnu
    MS_USERPREF                             = $(_USTN_PREFNAMEBASE).upf
    
    CIVIL_PREFS_CIVIL			= $(CIVIL_ORGANIZATION_ROOT)Preference Seeds/civil/
    
    #------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    

  • I took another look this afternoon and realized that the above lines point to the "active" preference files (those found in a user's local profile).  Is there a way to specify which preference seeds are used when creating a user's preferences the first time?  I've experienced that after deleting any local prefs, ORD/MS creates new prefs utilizing whatever is in the "Preference Seeds" folder.  Is this hard-coded, or can I specify which preference seeds are used when creating a user's preferences the first time, preferably based on which program I open?

  • Here is a link to the Product documentation listing of "seed" configuration variables, including MS...PREFSEED variables. You would use those variables to preset the seed files used to create preference files: https://docs.bentley.com/LiveContent/web/MicroStation%20Help-v20/en/GUID-83CD505E-5EF0-D799-ADF8-5DB17A5C56A0.html

    Hopefully that helps.

    MaryB

    Power GeoPak 08.11.09.918
    Power InRoads 08.11.09.918
    OpenRoads Designer 2021 R2

        

  • Thank you.  I should be able to get something to work using some of these configuration variables in conjunction with some testing for which product is being launched (like _ENGINENAME or _USTN_PRODUCT_SHORTNAME, for instance).  I'll play around with it in a few days when I have time.

  • _USERPREF_SEED_ROOT = path/to/seed/folder/
    %if exists($(_USERPREF_SEED_ROOT)$(_ENGINENAME)/)
        _USERPREF_SEED_PATH = $(_USERPREF_SEED_ROOT)$(_ENGINENAME)/
    %else
        _USERPREF_SEED_PATH = $(_USERPREF_SEED_ROOT)
    %endif
    
    MS_USERPREFSEED = $(_USERPREF_SEED_PATH)userpref.spf
    MS_FKEYMNUSEED  = $(_USERPREF_SEED_PATH)funckey.mnu
    # set the rest of the seed files too...
        

    This will check for the existence of a folder named for the _ENGINENAME and if it exists use that folder for the preferences. If it doesn't exist it uses the base folder as the default location to load preference seeds from.

    So set _USERPREF_SEED_ROOT to your Organization-Civil/Preference Seeds folder

    Then create the OpenRoadsDesigner, MicroStation, OpenRailDesigner, OpenBridgeModeler or whatever sub-folders you need, and copy the seed files into those folders.

     

    Answer Verified By: Josh M