Spaces - Populating the pop-down lists for Location properties


 Product(s):OpenBuildings Designer
 Version(s):CONNECT Edition
 Area:Architectural Design
 Subarea:Spaces

You may notice in this example from Dataset NM that the only Space Location property that is populated is Floor, and also have noted that this list is not the same as the floor names in Floor Manager.

Unfortunately for legacy reasons the values in the Floor Manager are not linked to those in the Catalog so double entry is required.

This is actually fairly straightforward to achieve with a little editing of the Catalog XML (which in this case is quicker than editing via the Definition editor).

Two files are involved, the XSD that defines the properties and how they appear in the UI, and an XML lookup table that populates any drop-down lists.

Space.xsd

Out of the box Site, Building and Department properties are empty fields. To make these into drop down lists the XSD file needs three edits changing "xs:string" (blank field for free form text entry) to "bEnumLookupType" (drop-down list that also allows free form entry, so is quite flexible, note any free form entries are stored in each users MRU list).

e.g.:

<xs:attribute name="Site" type="xs:string" use="optional"/>

becomes

<xs:attribute name="Site" type="bEnumLookupType" use="optional"/>

If your dataset customisation strategy is to take ownership of and edit delivered content, then these edits can be made in "C:\ProgramData\Bentley\OpenBuildings CONNECT Edition\Configuration\Datasets\Dataset_<region>\DataGroupSystem\Space.xsd".

Otherwise, make a copy of this file and put it in the WorkSet. (Note that is essential to copy the delivered Space.xsd file and edit the relevant fields in the copy. If any of the unedited fields from the original are omitted they just don’t appear in the UI as the WorkSet copy of Space.xsd is read instead of the original.)

The complete edited section will look like this:

<xs:element name="Location">
<xs:complexType>
<xs:attribute name="Site" type="bEnumLookupType" use="optional"/>
<xs:attribute name="Building" type="bEnumLookupType" use="optional"/>
<xs:attribute name="Department" type="bEnumLookupType" use="optional"/>
<xs:attribute name="Floor" type="bEnumLookupType" use="optional"/>
</xs:complexType>
</xs:element>

EnumLookups_Project.xm

Unlike the XSD file, enum lookups XML files are additive, so a file can be created in the WorkSet containing project specific lists for any properties that are defined as drop down lists. Any lists defined earlier for a property will be overwritten so it is not possible to add entries to an existing list, the WorkSet must define the whole list.

Here is an example:

 communities.bentley.com/.../EnumLookups_5F00_Project.xml

The same pop-down lists also appear in the Schedules dialog: