Problem Description

Is it possible to create and share a FlexTable that a user on another computer can also use?

Steps to Resolve

First, open the FlexTables manager. Create a custom FlexTable under the "Tables - Shared" by right-clicking on "Tables - Shared" and selecting the New button. This will open a new dialog box.

Set the Table Type to the element you want to use. Note that shared FlexTables are just like the predefined FlexTables in that the properties of one element cannot be displayed in the shared FlexTable of another. For instance, you cannot see node elevation in the pipe shared FlexTable.

The available columns for your new FlexTable will be in the list on the left. Highlight an attribute and click the Add button to include a property into the shared FlexTable. When you are done, click OK. The table will open and you will see a new FlexTable listed in the FlexTables manager.

Now, close the program and reopen it. Open any project or start a new one and the custom shared FlexTable should still be there. This is because this FlexTable is shared among all hydraulic model files that will be used on this workstation.

NOTE: You can also create a custom FlexTable under "Tables - Project". A hydraulic model level FlexTable will only be available for a single hydraulic model file.  In other words, if you opened a second hydraulic model file, the FlexTables associated with the original hydraulic model file will not be listed.

The shared FlexTable is available for any hydraulic model on the current workstation, but it will not be available for another user automatically. If you want to share the custom FlexTable with a user who is on a different computer, use the following steps:

1) Open Windows Explorer and browse to C:\Users\(user name)\AppData\Local\Bentley\(product name)\10. The last folder name will be 8 if you have the V8i installation of the product. 

2) Find the file called "FlexTables.xml"

3) Copy the FlexTable.xml file to the same location on the other computers. You can copy them onto a flash drive or save to a network location available for other workstations.

When you have copied the file, the same shared FlexTables will be available on that computer. Note: You can store the XML file on a network drive for other users to access, but the file must be saved to the local machine in order to use it at this time.

Subsurface Utilities in V8i Civil products, OpenRoads and OpenRail

Subsurface Utilities has two sets of FlexTables - one set for all utility types (gas, electric, water etc.) and one for 'hydraulic' elements only (i.e. storm and sanitary). These are shown on two tabs in the FlexTables dialog - called 'Subsurface Utilities', and 'Hydraulic Analysis.'

If you are using Subsurface Utilities in a V8i Civil product - e.g. PowerCivil, the location is: C:\Users\user.name\AppData\Local\Bentley\SUE\8 for the FlexTables on the 'Subsurface Utilities' tab, and C:\Users\user.name\AppData\Local\Bentley\SUDA\8 for the FlexTables on the 'Hydraulic Analysis' tab.

If you are using Subsurface Utilities in OpenRoads or OpenRail, the location is: C:\Users\user.name\AppData\Local\Bentley\SUE\10 for the FlexTables on the 'Subsurface Utilities' tab, and C:\Users\user.name\AppData\Local\Bentley\SUDA\10 for the FlexTables on the 'Hydraulic Analysis' tab.

Alternative workflow for Subsurface Utilities

An alternative method of sharing FlexTables for Subsurface Utilities is to set them up in the 'Tables - Hydraulic Model' section, in a DGN Library, instead of the 'Tables - Shared' section described above. Your workspace should already include a library that sets up Subsurface Utilities content (feature definitions, prototypes etc) and you can add FlexTables to this. When you create a utility model in your working DGN, content from the DGN Library is copied across from the DGN Library, including any FlexTables in the 'Tables - Hydraulic Model' section.

Note that for the FlexTables on the 'Subsurface Utilities' tab, you need to define the SUE_SEED_MODEL and SUE_SEED_FILE config variables, to point to the DGN Library and the model within it. These two variables work in the same way as the SUDA_SEED_MODEL and SUDA_SEED_FILE config variables that should already be defined in your config file.