Navigator V8i

Wondering is there a documented way to integrate Navigator with Bentley Architecture workspace... So that can use same UCF and same PCF files...

So that Navigator points to a folder in my project folders' structure.

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  • Chris:

    To use the same UCFs you would need to change the variable _USTN_USER to point to the same location as your Bentley Architecture UCFs.  

    To use the same PCFs you would need to change the variable _USTN_PROJECT to point to the same location as your Bentley Architecture PCFs.

    In addition to those changes, I would also recommend redirecting _USTN_SITE to your .../workspace/standards/ directory in your Bentley Architecture workspace.  This change will pick up your DGNLIBs, cell libraries, plot configs, etc that you use with Bentley Architecture.  

    There are different techniques for where you make these configuration changes, but these are the most common:

    • Create a copy of Navigator's mslocal.cfg out on your network that redirects the variables above.  
    • Create a copy of the Navigator shortcut and add -wc"{path to network mslocal.cfg}" to the command line in the shortcut's properties and have your users access Navigator through that shortcut.
    • Modify the local copy of mslocal.cfg (Navigator's version, not MicroStation's) on each users machine to redirect the variables.

    I hope this helps,

    Travis



  • Travis

    Thanks for that, it's an issue I've had for some time,  not that I've been really using Navigator V8, .... played around with it a bit and it seemed potentially very useful/impressive. That was one of the things that dented my enthusiasm, ...... I wasn't sure how I could get it to use the settings/ucfs//pcfs and so on of our existing projects. Must admit I'm not sure why you wouldn't want it to not use your existing project folders. I suppose you might have people/situations where people just want to look at imodels.

    Would be good if there was an option when you install Navigator, to select 'use existing project folders and locations' (or words to that effect)

    I had assumed (maybe wrongly) that one would be looking to use Navigator 'on top of' the projects you're working on, so that this can be used to review/check/examine those said projects.

    Regards

    Danny Cooley

    Freelance AEC CAD/BIM Technician Architecture, MEP & Structural  ..... (& ex Low Carbon Consultant, ..... because they weren't that bothered!)

    OBD Update 10, Windows 10 Pro, HP Z4-G4, 64Gb, Xeon 3.6GHz, Quadro M4000

  • Danny,

    I am glad I could help.  It is not necessarily that Bentley is trying to prevent Navigator from using the same UCFs/PCFs from MicroStation and other layered application, it is simply that with any "power product" (Navigator being one) Bentley has to deliver a stand alone workspace (projects and users) that is completely independent of MicroStation.  Beta 3 of Building Designer is this way (as will be the commercial release).  The value that "power products" offer is that they are not reliant on a particular build of MS and they can be upgraded independently from other layered applications.  My tips below for configuring Navigator to share common resources with MicroStation could be applied just as successfully to Building Designer, i-Model Composer, and any other power product that you may be using.  

    -Travis



  • Thanks Travis, I am also wondering if there is specific data to be copied from the Navigator Wkspace to my Microstation/Architecture workspace once I have modified the ucf and pcf...

  • Chris:

    You may want to copy the delivered Markup Templates DGN Library to create company specific templates with borders, logos, titleblock, etc.  The default location for this is:

    • ...{NAVIGATOR}/Workspace/system/seed/MarkupTemplates.dgnlib

    To redirect this resource use the config variable MS_MARKUPSHEETSEED.  I would typically put it in the ...{SharedCentralDrive}/Workspace/standards/seed/ directory (as opposed to DGNLIB directory where its contents would automatically get loaded, which is not desirable).  If you change the names of the models in your company-specific version of this DGNLIB, use the config variable MS_MARKUPSHEETSEEDNAME to the name of the model that you wish to use as the default markup template.  

    When SELECTseries 4 Navigator is released, you will also be able to use the configuration variable MS_MARKUPSETTINGS to repath the MarkupConfig.xml, which stores the list values for Markup properties (Status, Priority, and up to 4 user-definable data properties).  The default location is:

    ...{NAVIGATOR}/Workspace/system/data/MarkupConfig.xml

    Relocating this to a central shared location allows you to customize these properties for your office or project to reflect your workflow and nomenclature.  I would typically redirect this resource file to ...{SharedCentralDrive}/Workspace/standards/data/

    HTH,

    Travis



Reply
  • Chris:

    You may want to copy the delivered Markup Templates DGN Library to create company specific templates with borders, logos, titleblock, etc.  The default location for this is:

    • ...{NAVIGATOR}/Workspace/system/seed/MarkupTemplates.dgnlib

    To redirect this resource use the config variable MS_MARKUPSHEETSEED.  I would typically put it in the ...{SharedCentralDrive}/Workspace/standards/seed/ directory (as opposed to DGNLIB directory where its contents would automatically get loaded, which is not desirable).  If you change the names of the models in your company-specific version of this DGNLIB, use the config variable MS_MARKUPSHEETSEEDNAME to the name of the model that you wish to use as the default markup template.  

    When SELECTseries 4 Navigator is released, you will also be able to use the configuration variable MS_MARKUPSETTINGS to repath the MarkupConfig.xml, which stores the list values for Markup properties (Status, Priority, and up to 4 user-definable data properties).  The default location is:

    ...{NAVIGATOR}/Workspace/system/data/MarkupConfig.xml

    Relocating this to a central shared location allows you to customize these properties for your office or project to reflect your workflow and nomenclature.  I would typically redirect this resource file to ...{SharedCentralDrive}/Workspace/standards/data/

    HTH,

    Travis



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