How much longer will RSC files be around?

I think it's a less a question of when Bentley plan's on phasing them out and when we users plan on stop using them. RSC files can contain 2 resources, fonts and custom line styles. V8i added support for True Type fonts along with rsc fonts and Connect adds that custom line styles can be stored in dgnlibs instead of rsc files.

I know OpenRoads Designer (and OpenRail and I think OpenBridge) ship a set of custom true type fonts, not sure they can replace all the custom rsc fonts out there but I'd at least look at what they can do. (true type font editors are fairly widely available but I'm not sure how easy/hard they are to use or how much they cost)

Custom line styles from an RSC file can be imported into a dgnlib. I didn't try but based on the help it appears you can now edit custom line styles stored in dgnlibs. I saw a couple of web pages that said that wasn't possible.

Line Style Editor Dialog (bentley.com)

MicroStation Tip: Import Linestyles into a DGN Library – EnvisionCAD

SteveMeyer said:

it is difficult at best to get in and edit and create ne linestyles

I suspect this has more to do with the interface for editing linestyles rather than the file format they're stored in. The opening part is improved by using a DGNLib as you just open the dgnlib directly in MicroStation, but as far as I can tell it's the same interface otherwise.

Most of the OpenRoads workspaces I've been setting up (and I setup all our US DOT workspaces) seem to be moving away from rsc files to true type and dgnlib but they still ship the old resources as they probably have finished the transistion yet.

Kevin van Haaren said:

when we users plan on stop using them

There are still DOT's that are utilizing .rsc fonts.

SteveMeyer said:

reason the Bentley is keeping them around

Yes, many of us have legacy projects that are using .rsc fonts. These font resources will remain for a long time so that when older projects are opened the fonts can still be found.

Kevin van Haaren said:

Custom line styles from an RSC file can be imported into a dgnlib.

True, but editing is still done in the .rsc file. Line styles are still created in the .rsc file, then exported to the dgnlib. When changes to existing styles are necessary you need to make the changes in the .rsc file and export the changes to the dgnlib. Then you need to open all files using the dgnlib styles and update the files. More hassle than what it is worth in my opinion.

Best option is to keep all in LIN files, much easier to edit than RSC. RSC are needed for 3D linestyles but these are not supported officially anyway.

Oto said:

Best option is to keep all in LIN files

What benefit would that give? If you are still having to use the awful Line Style Editor that then I see no benefit. Does that then leave doing Line style creation/editing by Text Editor or some other software? If the former it doesn't sound very appealing. I loathe the rare occasions when I have to bring up that dialog but at least it has some form of GUI (albeit rage-inducing).

You are correct MWLong. In my field, projects can be in development/design for years. There is never budget to update them to new CAD standards, and nobody wants that headache anyway. They will stay in the software they were created in, so those resources need to continue to function.

Barry Lothian said:

by Text Editor or some other software

Yes you then have options what to use for edit and at the same time all linestyles ar DWG compatible. Win-win

MaryB said:

never budget to update them to new CAD standards

Bentley doesn't seem to have budget either to update administrative part. It is catch-22 situation we all are in. Logging SR doesn't help(tried) as it rarely used functionality and it is rarely used because it causes headaches. Only thing what was improved in linestyle the dialog now is little bit larger(still too small) but it could have been previously possible to hack it  manually anyway.

DWG linestyles are a lot more limited than what RSC files allow. I know my DOT has a number of linestyles that can never be represented properly in AutoCAD. While LIN files certainly do simplify some things, they are poor "solution" compared to what is allowed in an RSC linetype.

The Linestyle editor is rarely used functionality because it is such a pain to work with nobody does it unless we have to. Definitely a Catch-22...

DWG linestyles are a lot more limited than what RSC files allow. I know my DOT has a number of linestyles that can never be represented properly in AutoCAD. While LIN files certainly do simplify some things, they are poor "solution" compared to what is allowed in an RSC linetype.

The Linestyle editor is rarely used functionality because it is such a pain to work with nobody does it unless we have to. Definitely a Catch-22...