AECOsim 590
Please excuse naive Q in this elevated MS Admin forum.
As single user, am still struggling 1yr in to master AECOsim 3D as fluently and simply as i use Acad 2D. Constantly baffled by things that won't work and behaviours that arise from who knows where, and still can't understand most advice, incl on this forum, which assumes I know things already. I need stupidly basic instructions, where to find the button I need to click, and why - what's happening 'under the hood'. If I can just get it to work, then I will learn fast. There is a terrible absence of advice and guidance on the brilliant Keith Little http://adagebooks.com level.
So I want to start with a completely empty Workspace, if such can exist.
Following http://adagebooks.com/eBooks/samples/Complete-UserInterface-Sample.pdf (which covers up to MS J), in File Open (MS Manager in the book) KL says to first create a my own Interface>New>enter 'tom', close MS, in \Workspaces\Interfaces\AECOsim I find \tom\ has appeared along with \default\. KL "highly recommends" to delete file \tom\ustn.r01 (what was it?) because "starting with a clean slate is the way to go". To KL in MS J, that would leave \tom\ empty but in AECOsim there also remains file \tom\tom.dgnlib (why was both \ustn.r01 and \tom.dgnlib there - what do each do? And why is \default\ empty - no r01 and no dgnlib?).
What is this dgnlib for exactly - what "style information for levels, text, dimensions, multi-lines (and much more)" is already infesting my brand new 'tom' Interface? How can I tell what's in this dgnlib? Double clicking it opens it (as a dgn apparently) into AECOsim, but none the wiser. Is it possible to have a new Interface that is completely free of such pre-set "style info ... (and much more)"?
KL moves on to create my own User>New>enter 'tom' and in Components select No Project. I have more Qs about that, but will gratefully await comprehensible answers to my various Qs above, before asking more.
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 With V8i they are obsolete, superseded by DGNLIBs.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!
Regards, Jon Summers LA Solutions
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.
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.
Unknown said:When opened with MicroStation as a DGN file, a DGNLIB may indeed appear to be empty.
Unknown said:unless you succeed in persuading Phil C to start a Naïve Administrators Forum
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?
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\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?
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?
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
Marc
Unknown said:There will be a dataset discussion in London on 14th November
Please tell us more about that ...
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.