CE Update 10: MS_REALDWG_VERSION

Hi Rod,

Rod Wing said:

In MicroStation CE Update 10 the MS_REALDWG_VERSION variable is not working as expected.

I think that your expectation, as described below, is not correct and your description is not the function of the variable, only a side effect when the variable is set specifically to 2009 value.

Rod Wing said:

This variable setting seems to have no effect. 

Because the variable is not mentioned in documentation, I assume the variable is not used in MicroStation CONNECT Edition. Probably there is no reason to use it anymore.

Rod Wing said:

In MicroStation V8i SS releases you could set MS_REALDWG_VERSION = 2009, and MicroStation would not open any .dwg file past the 2009 version.

It's not correct. The variable defines what RealDWG libraries verion, when several different versions are installed side by side, should be used by MicroStation V8i. It allows to modify default rule, when the newest RealDWG version has been used by default, which is not always the best solution, usually when older version of Object Enablers are used in DWG file and they cannot be upgraded to newer version.

Be aware there is no simple 1:1 relation between RealDWG version and DWG format version. With some simplification (but I am not DWG development expert) DWG format is changes after several versions, RealDWG versions are released closely to AutoCAD versions.

When MS_REALDWG_VERSION was set to 2009 in V8i and this RealDWG version was installed, as the side effect, because RealDWG 2009 does not support newer versions, it was not possible to open them.

MicroStation CONNECT Edition has came from RealDWG 2016 in first versions through RealDWG 2017 to the current RealDWG 2018. It means even when the variable would be supported, the value 2009 makes no sense because this RealDWG version have never been delivered and supported by MicroStation CE itself.

With regards,

  Jan

Hi Rod,

Rod Wing said:

In MicroStation CE Update 10 the MS_REALDWG_VERSION variable is not working as expected.

I think that your expectation, as described below, is not correct and your description is not the function of the variable, only a side effect when the variable is set specifically to 2009 value.

Rod Wing said:

This variable setting seems to have no effect. 

Because the variable is not mentioned in documentation, I assume the variable is not used in MicroStation CONNECT Edition. Probably there is no reason to use it anymore.

Rod Wing said:

In MicroStation V8i SS releases you could set MS_REALDWG_VERSION = 2009, and MicroStation would not open any .dwg file past the 2009 version.

It's not correct. The variable defines what RealDWG libraries verion, when several different versions are installed side by side, should be used by MicroStation V8i. It allows to modify default rule, when the newest RealDWG version has been used by default, which is not always the best solution, usually when older version of Object Enablers are used in DWG file and they cannot be upgraded to newer version.

Be aware there is no simple 1:1 relation between RealDWG version and DWG format version. With some simplification (but I am not DWG development expert) DWG format is changes after several versions, RealDWG versions are released closely to AutoCAD versions.

When MS_REALDWG_VERSION was set to 2009 in V8i and this RealDWG version was installed, as the side effect, because RealDWG 2009 does not support newer versions, it was not possible to open them.

MicroStation CONNECT Edition has came from RealDWG 2016 in first versions through RealDWG 2017 to the current RealDWG 2018. It means even when the variable would be supported, the value 2009 makes no sense because this RealDWG version have never been delivered and supported by MicroStation CE itself.

With regards,

  Jan

Hi Jan,

You are correct in the function of the variable, I was going by how I used it.

In the MicroStation V8i SS releases it would default to the most recent version of DWG supported. Opening earlier versions of DWG files upgraded the file to the REAL DWG version MicroStation was using. Hence, you would need to set the variable to downgrade the version of REAL DWG being used to save it in the earlier release.

After a little more testing in MicroStation CE I have to agree that I don't think the variable is valid any longer. When opening different versions of DWG files in MicroStation CE the title bar displays the version of the DWG. After editing and saving the file it remains in this version.

Hi Rod,

Rod Wing said:

After editing and saving the file it remains in this version.

I think it's correct for DWG format, but not for Object Enabler, because they are upgraded to newer version when the file is saved (the version qual to RealDWG version). At least I saw this message for some DWG files:

File xyz.dwg was last saved with an earlier version of an AEC product. 
Saving this DWG file will update AEC objects to a newer version, which 
is incompatible with the version of the software that have originally 
created them.

BTW RealDWG implementation in CONNECT Edition, specifically in relation to Object Enablers versions, have been discussed several times, e.g. here and here.

With regards,

  Jan

Rod Wing said:

After a little more testing in MicroStation CE I have to agree that I don't think the variable is valid any longer

Correct. With the CONNECT Edition the RealDWG component is built into the application and cannot be updated/changes.

https://communities.bentley.com/products/microstation/b/microstation_blog/posts/like-v8i-you-ll-love-connect-stay-current-with-dwg-files