Configuring Standard Settings for DWG Open and Save As DWG

Overview

With the standard installation of MicroStation, a user can set the DWG Open options or the Save As DWG options and they are saved on their PC in the DWGdata folder. There are times when a company would like to always use a standard set of settings for opening a DWG file or saving to a DWG file. They may also what to have some project specific setting that are different than the standard settings and may vary from project to project. This can be accomplished with the use of the configuration variable MS_DWGSYSTEMDATA. The variable also allows these company and project standard settings to be stored on a network.

Understanding how the standard installation works

MicroStation reads and writes the settings for opening a DWG file and saving to a DWG file in the DWGSettings.rsc file. This file and other DWG data files are located in the folder Prefs\dwgdata\. The variable MS_DWGDATA specifies the location of the folder that contains the DWG data files.

Configuring MicroStation to use standard DWG settings

The variable MS_DWGSYSTEMDATA is used to specify the location of your standard DWG data files that you don’t want to be changed. They can be for you company standard DWG data files (set the variable in the Standards.cfg) or for project specific DWG Data files (set the variable in the project configuration file).

Any DWG data files found in the folder pointed to by the variable MS_DWGSYSTEMDATA are read and used by MicroStation in place of the DWG data files found by the variable MS_DWGDATA. If a DWG data file is not found in the folder pointed to by MS_DWGSYSTEMDATA, then MicroStation will use the file in the folder pointed to by MS_DWGDATA.

The DWG data files found in the folder pointed to by MS_DWGSYSTEMDATA are only read by MicroStation. MicroStation does not write back to these files. That prevents users from changing the standards. When the user works with DWG files, MicroStation will read the settings from the folder pointed to by MS_DWGSYSTEMDATA. The user is still allowed to make any necessary changes but the changes are written back to the files in the folder pointed to by MS_DWGDATA. The next time the same user works with DWG files, MicroStation again reads from the files in the folder pointed to by the variable MS_DWGSYSTEMDATA. This way the standard DWG settings are always loaded but if there is a reason that a setting needs to be changed for a specific file, the user can temporarily make the setting change.

Configuring MicroStation to use company standard DWG settings

The company standard settings are generally stored on a network location that can be accessed by all users. The following steps can be used to setup and use the company’s DWG data standards.

• Create a folder on the network to contain your DWG data files. The folder can be anything but I suggest something that you can identify what is contained in it. Example: StandardDWGData
• In MicroStation, go through the DWG Open options and the DWG Save As options and set each setting to the value that you want to use for your company standards.
• Copy the DWGsettings.rsc file and any other DWG data files, which are to be used as company standards, from the folder that is pointed to by the variable MS_DWGDATA and place them in the folder that you created on your network (StandardDWGData folder).
• In your Standards.cfg file, add the variable MS_DWGSYSTEMDATA and set it equal to the path and folder containing the files on your network. Example: MS_DWGSYSTEMDATA = M:/cadstandards/ StandardDWGData/

MicroStation will now load the company standard DWG settings when a DWG file is worked on or when saving to the DWG file format.

Updating/Modifying the standard DWG settings

Updating or modifying the standard DWG settings is relatively easy since any changes to the DWG Open options and DWG Save As options are always written to the local DWG data files in the folder pointed to by the variable MS_DWGDATA.

• In MicroStation, make the required changes to the DWG Open options and/or DWG Save As options.
• Copy the DWGsettings.rsc file from the folder that is pointed to by the variable MS_DWGDATA and place it in the folder that you created on your network (StandardDWGData folder).

Your company standards have just been updated.

Configuring MicroStation to use project standard DWG settings

From time to time you may have projects that need to be worked on slightly different and require your DWG setting to be slightly different from the company standards that you normally use. This can be accomplished similar to setting up the company standard DWG settings only it will be project specific.

• Create a folder on the network to contain your project specific DWG data files. The folder can be named anything but I suggest something that you can identify what project it is used on. You can also have one folder for each project that requires a different set of DWG settings. Example: Project1234DWGData
• In MicroStation, go through the DWG Open options and the DWG Save As options and set each setting to the value that you want to use for that project’s standards.
• Copy the DWGsettings.rsc file and any other DWG data files, which are to be used as the project standards, from the folder that is pointed to by the variable MS_DWGDATA and place them in the folder that you created on your network (Project1234DWGData folder).
• In your project configuration file (.pcf file), add the variable MS_DWGSYSTEMDATA and set it equal to the path and folder containing the files on your network. Example: MS_DWGSYSTEMDATA = M:/cadstandards/ Project1234DWGData /

MicroStation will now load the project standard DWG settings when the project is selected in MicroStation manager and a DWG file is worked on or when saving to the DWG file format.

Summary

Setting up MicroStation to use company standard or project standard DWG settings is relatively easy using the methods described here. There are other methods and variables that can be used to accomplish similar results but this method is highly recommended. The variable MS_DWGSYSTEMDATA was created for the purpose of using standard DWG settings.