Hosted ProjectWise Automation Service

Note: This information is provided only for reference to modify existing projects that are currently using the ProjectWise Automation Service. This method of syncing data into an iTwin should not be used for new iTwins. Please see the other topics on how to sync your models into an iTwin:

iTwin Synchronizer Portal

iTwin Synchronizer Client

 

The Hosted ProjectWise Automation Service has three functions:
 
1. Transform design data from any modeling application into the aligned iModel semantic structure.
2. Detect incremental changes in the authored data and transform them to ChangeSets in the iModel’s timeline.
3. Aggregate changes from digital engineering models from many sources into a single, consistent iModel.
 
Bentley provides format-specific “iModel Bridges” for ProjectWise that incrementally align engineering data from all relevant sources, including non-Bentley formats, into iModels. Once the changes are aligned and added to the iModel’s timeline, they can be fully leveraged by iModel applications and services. Getting started with iModelHub is as simple as using ProjectWise and turning on the iModel Bridge Service. 
The iModel Bridge Service is part of Bentley Automation Service, which is installed, configured and maintained by Bentley Cloud Services.
To get started with Digital Twin Cloud Services for Infrastructure Engineering  - file a request form at https://www.bentley.com/en/products/product-line/digital-twins/itwin and our Cloud Engineers will contact you. 
 
A bridge-job is the combination of connection and mapping and may be run on a pre-determined schedule.
Prerequisites:
  • ProjectWise Data source (IMS enabled preferably).
    • Datasource can be either managed by Bentley Cloud services or by customer. 
  • Web Services Gateway.
    • Datasource can be either managed by Bentley Cloud services or by customer
  • Managed Services server with deployed Bentley Automation Service (BAS) and bridges.
    • Managed by Bentley Cloud services or by customer
Associating to CONNECT project:
 
Go to https://connect.bentley.com and create a new project. Be sure to use a data center location that allows iTwin Design Review (currently UK South, Southeast Asia, East US).

In ProjectWise create a new Work Area or Associate an existing Work Area to the CONNECT project. When you create a new Work Area you can associate the connect project using the Choose button  

For an existing work area, open the work area folder properties, hit the ProjectWise Project tab and select Associate. 

All done. 

 

You’ll need to expose that Work Area through the ProjectWise Web Connections. Hit the ProjectWise Web Connections tile from the connect project home page. 

  

We need to add a new connection to our Web Service Gateway server. 

 

The server you enter in the Server Url field is the Web Service Gateway server. The field will automatically add /ws/ on the end of your value, so make sure your Web Service Gateway virtual directory in IIS is ws. The server must be accessible from the Bentley servers. Bentley Internal network is fine but if your server is on the internet then you’ll need to let in port 443 through to Web Services Gateway and make sure your Url resolves. 

Hit the Get Datasource button. 

 

You will see a list of datasources exposed by the Web Services Gateway. 

 

Pick the Work Area you want exposed, this is typically the same one you connected to the project. Any exposed work areas are removed from the list. 

 

Once done hit Connect. 

 

You should see your connection created. 

 

Go back to ProjectWise Web Connections, select your newly connected work area and you will be able to navigate all of the folders/files in the work area. 

 

iModel Containers 

iModels are containers that wait for changes to be pushed into them from the bridges. 

Click the iModel Manager tile on the connect portal page 

Create and iModel 
 

Enter a name and description and ignore the Maximum Extent for now 
 

Empty iModel waiting for changes from a bridge 
 

 

Mapping the file(s) to the iModel 

Head on back to ProjectWise Web Connections 
 

Locate the file(s) you want to map to the iModel. Note that you can not undo this mapping via the portal so choose wisely. Right-click on the file and select the Map to iModel option. 

 

Select your iModel from the drop-down 
 

and map the Spatial root to the same file. 

when you are happy with your selections click on Map. Remember this cannot be undone via the portal, choose carefully. 

 
 

There are 3 types of files that need to be identified and mapped to an iModel:  

  1. Spatial Root Model (required) – The spatial root model file includes the geospatial location for the project and is applied to the iModel. There can only be one spatial root model. This file and its references are processed first by the iModel Bridge job. If the job fails when processing this file, the entire job will fail.   

 

  1. Master Model (optional) – These are master files not in the reference tree of the spatial root and there can be one or more master models mapped. All references to the master files are processed. If a spatial root model is the master of all the project data needed to be published to an iModel, mapping a master model is not required.  

 

  1. Sheet Model (optional) – If specific 2D sheet models are explicitly mapped, then only those are synchronized. The iModel Bridge job will not look for other sheet models in the spatial root/master model + reference files. If sheet models are a part of the spatial root or master model tree and you prefer to include them, don’t map specific sheet models.   

 

References of any of the spatial root and master models do not need to be mapped as a Bridge job will traverse down the references of each mapped master model and include them in the publishing of changesets to the iModel. 

Mapped files have little widgets to indicate their mapping to iModels. Unfortunately, you cannot search for mapped files.  
 

Once it’s done, BAS will start he job on a scheduled basis to process the changes to the iModel. 

Creating a Named version 

When the job is complete and the changes pushed into the iModel, you now need to release the changes for viewing. Go back to the iModel in the iModel Manager and create a named version by selecting View all changes. 
 

See the iModel Manager guide for more information. 

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