An empty Workspace?

Unknown said:

...which covers up to MS/J

In 2013 MicroStation V8i is twelve years further on from MicroStation/J.  Quite a few things have changed.

Unknown said:

... delete file \tom\ustn.r01 (what was it?)

That being one of the things that changed.  The xxx.r01 resource files were used with MicroStation/J to store custom user interface modifications.  With V8i they are obsolete, superseded by DGNLIBs.

The DGNLIB concept has surpassed its initial idea (a decade ago) as a level library.  It's come to be an almost-anything-that-isn't-an-actual-design library.  When opened with MicroStation as a DGN file, a DGNLIB may indeed appear to be empty.

Unknown said:

Please excuse naive Q in this elevated MS Admin forum

Well, it's the only Admin Forum we have (unless you succeed in persuading Phil C to start a Naïve Administrators  Forum), so all questions are welcome!

Unknown said:

The xxx.r01 resource files were used with MicroStation/J to store custom user interface modifications.  With V8i they are obsolete, superseded by DGNLIBs.

Is very illuminating, to know that. So why does the r01 still appear when a new Interface is created?

Unknown said:

The DGNLIB concept has surpassed its initial idea (a decade ago) as a level library.  It's come to be an almost-anything-that-isn't-an-actual-design library.

Is also great - bits of context/history like that greatly aid understanding of purpose and intent.

Unknown said:

When opened with MicroStation as a DGN file, a DGNLIB may indeed appear to be empty.

There's the rub - no drawn elements, sure, but is a dgnlib created under the circumstances described in fact 'empty', or full of someone's idea of "style information for levels, text, dimensions, multi-lines (and much more)"? For example, in this dgnlib I drew a multiline and it showed a chain-dot CL and 2 solid parallel lines. I measured it and it was in inches. Has someone specified that in my new-created \tom\dgnlib, or are these just rock-bottom defaults in absence of any specification in the dgnlib?

Unknown said:

unless you succeed in persuading Phil C to start a Naïve Administrators  Forum

How about it Phil?! A forum for beginners, where old hands kindly visit to share their wisdom, and it's understood that all answers must be stupidly step-by-step clear?

Moving on, but would still appreciate answers to the outstanding Qs in pink below.

Thanks Jon - understanding enabled such a breakthrough - to create a completely empty dgn file! Albeit in the form of a dgnlib - \tom\tom.dgnlib.

Then with \tom\tom.dgnlib open, to modify Preferences, Settings, 'use two screens', toolboxes docked there and around the main screen, Display Attributes just one window and no grid, only Default Level exists - Ctrl+F - close - and miraculously \tom\tom.dgnlib re-opens with all those changes intact - I get it!

So what is the difference between a dgnlib and a seed file?

But. On creating and opening a new file test.dgn, with User>tom, Project>No Project, Interface>tom - \tom\tom.dgnlib is not fully applied. I see 4 windows, with grid - so does a dgnlib not control View Attributes?

I also see hundreds of Levels - where have they come from?

Does Dataset US get installed by default?

Is it possible to open a dgn (without any drawn elements) in AECOsim without any Dataset?

Can I create my own empty Dataset and start to fill it?

Hi Tom,

Unknown said:

So what is the difference between a dgnlib and a seed file?

dgnlibs are libraries that store things that you only want to create once and reuse or share. The list of things that dgnlibs store has become longer, search help using the string "Building DGN Libraries" (with the quotes) for a fairly complete list and more.

The seed files are the template for your models, they store any saved design file settings that are then appear as the defaults when you create a new dgn file from that seed file. The best base for your seed files are those delivered in the dataset.

Seed files can contain levels and all the other styles, but they are then isolated sets in each DGN file created from that seed. Resources stored in dgnlibs are available for use to all DGN files and can be updated from the dgnlib. Once used each individual level, style, etc., is stored in the active file.

Unknown said:

so does a dgnlib not control View Attributes?

No, these are design file settings that cannot be transmitted from a dgnlib, open your seed files (copied from the dataset) and set up the views the way you want them along with any other settings in the Design File Settings Dialog. More info here: http://communities.bentley.com/other/old_site_member_blogs/bentley_employees/b/mark_penns_blog/archive/2009/10/12/save-settings-and-user-preferences.aspx

Unknown said:

I also see hundreds of Levels - where have they come from?

ABD copies levels from the dgnlib files in the active dataset to support the creation of Dynamic Views as dicussed here: http://communities.bentley.com/products/building/building_analysis___design/f/5917/p/14693/28625.aspx. Use level filters to control the level lists.

Unknown said:

...\tom\tom.dgnlib

tom.dgnlib was created when you selected new > interface. The purpose of this file is to store any customisations that you make to the user interface, don't use this as a seed file, it should be completely empty. Use Project Explorer > File tab to see the file contents:

Also use PE to lok at the contents of other files and dgnlibs, it is quite informative.

Unknown said:

Does Dataset US get installed by default?

Yes, the other datasets are separate downloads and installs.

Unknown said:

Is it possible to open a dgn (without any drawn elements) in AECOsim without any Dataset?

An empty DGN yes, your seed files should not contain any graphics but you can't do without the dataset. In ABD otherwise empty files will contain the levels and linestyles required for DV creation as above. 

Unknown said:

Can I create my own empty Dataset and start to fill it?

A better approach is to set up a company dataset alongside the GB dataset and use filtering and the recently used lists that ABD generates for some tools, there isn't a one line answer to this one! It's a topic I intend to explore further. There will be a dataset discussion in London (sorry other end of the country!) on 14th November.

Unknown said:

So why does the r01 still appear when a new Interface is created?

This is created by the interface > New command, it has no function in V8i and beyond, it used to store customisations, you can delete it.

Unknown said:

Has someone specified that in my new-created \tom\dgnlib, or are these just rock-bottom defaults in absence of any specification in the dgnlib?

level, linestyles for DV creation as above

 

Hi Tom,

Unknown said:

So what is the difference between a dgnlib and a seed file?

dgnlibs are libraries that store things that you only want to create once and reuse or share. The list of things that dgnlibs store has become longer, search help using the string "Building DGN Libraries" (with the quotes) for a fairly complete list and more.

The seed files are the template for your models, they store any saved design file settings that are then appear as the defaults when you create a new dgn file from that seed file. The best base for your seed files are those delivered in the dataset.

Seed files can contain levels and all the other styles, but they are then isolated sets in each DGN file created from that seed. Resources stored in dgnlibs are available for use to all DGN files and can be updated from the dgnlib. Once used each individual level, style, etc., is stored in the active file.

Unknown said:

so does a dgnlib not control View Attributes?

No, these are design file settings that cannot be transmitted from a dgnlib, open your seed files (copied from the dataset) and set up the views the way you want them along with any other settings in the Design File Settings Dialog. More info here: http://communities.bentley.com/other/old_site_member_blogs/bentley_employees/b/mark_penns_blog/archive/2009/10/12/save-settings-and-user-preferences.aspx

Unknown said:

I also see hundreds of Levels - where have they come from?

ABD copies levels from the dgnlib files in the active dataset to support the creation of Dynamic Views as dicussed here: http://communities.bentley.com/products/building/building_analysis___design/f/5917/p/14693/28625.aspx. Use level filters to control the level lists.

Unknown said:

...\tom\tom.dgnlib

tom.dgnlib was created when you selected new > interface. The purpose of this file is to store any customisations that you make to the user interface, don't use this as a seed file, it should be completely empty. Use Project Explorer > File tab to see the file contents:

Also use PE to lok at the contents of other files and dgnlibs, it is quite informative.

Unknown said:

Does Dataset US get installed by default?

Yes, the other datasets are separate downloads and installs.

Unknown said:

Is it possible to open a dgn (without any drawn elements) in AECOsim without any Dataset?

An empty DGN yes, your seed files should not contain any graphics but you can't do without the dataset. In ABD otherwise empty files will contain the levels and linestyles required for DV creation as above. 

Unknown said:

Can I create my own empty Dataset and start to fill it?

A better approach is to set up a company dataset alongside the GB dataset and use filtering and the recently used lists that ABD generates for some tools, there isn't a one line answer to this one! It's a topic I intend to explore further. There will be a dataset discussion in London (sorry other end of the country!) on 14th November.

Unknown said:

So why does the r01 still appear when a new Interface is created?

This is created by the interface > New command, it has no function in V8i and beyond, it used to store customisations, you can delete it.

Unknown said:

Has someone specified that in my new-created \tom\dgnlib, or are these just rock-bottom defaults in absence of any specification in the dgnlib?

level, linestyles for DV creation as above

 

Unknown said:

There will be a dataset discussion in London on 14th November

Please tell us more about that ...

Thanks Marc for brilliant clear answering.

My lovely clean \tom\tom.dgnlib contains 1 level, 1 model, 0 elements. When I Save As'd it as new file \test.dgn it opened with 324 levels, 1 model, 28 elements - so I see

Unknown said:

ABD copies levels from the dgnlib files in the active dataset to support the creation of Dynamic Views as dicussed here: http://communities.bentley.com/products/building/building_analysis___design/f/5917/p/14693/28625.aspx

So BD (but not MS) can't function without a dataset?  That's weird, because datasets have only existed a short while - how did BD manage before?

And Dataset US is the default 'active dataset' because most of the provided seed files don't specify a dataset?

When I Save As'd \tom\tom.dgnlib as new file \test.dgn, I wasn't offered choice of seed file - where do I see what seed file this \test.dgn has, and how can I change it?

And/or how do I set a different dataset to be the default dataset?

I thought seed files don't lock anything, just set initial defaults - but can you change the seed file-mandated dataset of a dgn, on the fly?

Unknown said:

There will be a dataset discussion in London (sorry other end of the country!) on 14th November

Great - I was booked on last Thursday's meet but regrettably had to cancel - 2hr20 ea way on the train, £51.40, no prob.

Hi Tom,

Sorry not to see you on Thursday, look forward to next time.

There has always been a dataset, Bentley Architecture had choices between Uniclass and CiSfb for the UK. The Datagroup is the more recent addition but that has also been around for a long time now.

Once you download and install the GB dataset it will appear as a choice in the Project pop-down when you open ABD.

Each dataset contains it's own seedfiles. e.g. C:\ProgramData\Bentley\AECOsimBuildingDesigner V8i Ss4\WorkSpace\BuildingDatasets\Dataset_GB\seed\designseed.dgn.

When you create a new file, click the Browse button at the lower right of the file new dialog to see the available seed files, use the folder history icon at the top right to see the configured location(s) for seed files. designseed.dgn is the one to use. If you need a 2D design model seed create a new file using designseed.dgn, export it to 2D (File menu > Export > 2D) then compress it before closing to remove any unwanted levels etc. (BTW don't use C:\ProgramData\Bentley\AECOsimBuildingDesigner V8i Ss4\WorkSpace\System\seed\seed2d.dgn, it has some slightly different settings and it's good to have consistent settinsg across your seed files).

Once a file is created there is no link back to the seed that I am aware of.

Seed files just provide initial defaults, they do not control the datset in any way. The dataset is controlled by your project selection.

I hope to provide some guides for "Naïve Administrators" soon but can't promise any dates yet....

Hi Jon,

Unknown said:

Please tell us more about that ...

Future event dates will be posted on the BCUKI LinkedIn group so keep an eye out there. Invitations are also being mailed out by Bentley.

Still looking to set out with minimum formatting, to start with, add stuff in as and when I understand why. Therefore Project>No Project, along with User>tom and Interface>tom, as below.

I now understand that with No Project, Dataset_US installs by default, because with AECOsim there always has to be a Dataset. I obviously need to at least be metric,

So I could resort to User>Building Designer, Project>BuildingTemplate_GB, NM-F, NM-L or USM,

Or, if still looking for minimum formatting I could stick with User>tom and Project>No Project - if it's possible to set one of the metric Datasets as the default?

Am I doing right, to hold out for this 'minimum formatting' line, for initial education?

Is it possible to switch an extg dgn file to a different Dataset 'on the fly?' Or indeed to a different User and/or Project?