How to speed up the process of file opening?

(posted on behalf of user)

Using MicroStation V8 2004 (08.05.02.35)

V8 DGN-files of large size (aprox. 32 MB) are stored in their central office. When accessing the files from their other office it takes around 5 minutes to open one file. There is 10Mbit/s link between the offices.
User would like to know how they could speed up the file opening process? How does MicroStation V8 2004 cach the file? Are there caching settings they could change and speed up this process?

 

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  • I woudl agree with others:

    First decide if this is one person and his drawings or something multiple people will work with.

    For any situation divide your model into smaller models, Interior, Exterior, Plumbing, Stairs, etc.

    This way individuals can work on things individually.

    If one person and you've good internet then use a uitlity like good sync - something that sync's based upon the last updated.  Make sure all computers that one person uses has the same time and date.  Then he just needs to be a little savvy to save his work and close out as he gones from one machine to another.

    If 2 or three this still may be the best way as something like Projectwise is too expensive and too labor intensive for a small firm.

    as that number grows then you run into situations where two people are working on the same file and changes get lost.  Confusion.

    Then you need something more robust like projectwise.

    I have heard rumours of PROJECT WISE CLOUD.  IF someone from bentley is listening - how about a sync for a project  - much like dropbox.

    VERY SIMPLE - just like another folder on the desktop

    CHECKS OUT FILES so no one works over a file

    SIMPLE therefore cheap enough that everyone would use it.  Even if you are so small it is just working at the office then at home.

    example:

    MyCloud - basically like dropbox.  Good for one person type operation - FREE on Select Services.

    MYCloud for Small Business - add checking in and out - so multiple persons and added safety $5.00 per month per seat.

    Ustn since 1988
    SS4 - i7-3.45Ghz-16 Gb-250/1Tb/1Tb-Win8.1-64b

    Eric D. Milberger
    Architect + Master Planner + BIM

    Senior  Master Planner NASA - Marshall Space Flight Center

    The Milberger Architectural Group, llc

  • in days of olde

    you would have a GET script to copy the file local with all its direct references.

    that script would create a .LOC file with your username and possible tel. no..

    Working off DGN files on remote servers is not a good or safe idea.  Especially if you have a poor/slow network.

    In caching terms, Microstation reads and writes to the opened dgn file.

    Not directly as for every element created it creates a scratch dgn file in the microstation temp folder.

    These files are called .tmp and disappear as soon as they are created normally.

    So it will be forever writing to the DGN over your slow network.

    If the cursor hangs and microstation is slow responding, its due to your network being slow and microstation having to wait to write to the file on the slow network.

    If your files were local then you would have local speed/response times.

    Either get someone to write a set of GET/PUT scripts, decide to use/buy projectwise or devise a set of shared local server folder which mirror files to the main server.

    If you have an over zealous IT and virus checking on demand that checks every file on reads and writes then this can slow down microstation and cause erroneous errors in my experience.

    I've never hear of a microstation virus and as dgn files aren't executable s it is nonsense to check the .tmp file in the microstation temp folder.

    try to get IT to exclude the microstation temp folder from on-demand scanning and to make it scan on read only for DGN, DWG and other Bentley data files used by applications like Rail track, Rebar etc.

    Your main problem is that you are working over a slow network.. Networks drives aren't cached. Local drives usually are in hardware and software.

  • Unknown said:
    What exactly is the path for the tmp files?

    MS_TMP and MS_SCR. They are documented in MicroStation help.

    You may want to reassign those to Windows variables TMP or TEMP to avoid clogging up the default location.

     
    Regards, Jon Summers
    LA Solutions

  • Thanks john but what do you mean by reassign to windows variables...

    Lorys

    Started msnt work 1990 - Retired  Nov 2022 ( oh boy am I old )

    But was long time user V8iss10 (8.11.09.919) dabbler CE  update 16 (10.16.00.80) 

    MicroStation user since 1990 Melbourne Australia.
    click link to PM me 

  • As a CAD Support guy, It took me 6 months to get a corporate IT to add just a few exceptions to the ondemand scanner.

    It was set to to full scan for everything both on read and write.

    So I managed to persuade them to add excludes for

    - The microstation MS_TMP folder

    - *.dgn, *.dwg and a few other extensions relating to Inrail, Rebar, CADS RC etc.

    Sort of made myself redundant by doing so as the number of Microstation corruptions, faults fell to next to nothing.

    This was back in 2008 with MS 2004.

    MacaFee scans Full by default I think.

    TrendMicro by default should be OK, but it can be set to FULL scan too.

    Both can have EXCEPTIONS or EXCLUDES added.

    I used the MS_DEBUG option set to full  and used extracts from microstation debug logs showing the problem nearly always related to FILE CACHING.

    If you a just a CAD USER complain to your CAD Support and ask them to enable ful debug on your machine for a day or two.

    Bentley support should be able to help.

    Mind you unless your CAD or IT people are willing to try things out , you won't get far.

    That's the problem with 'Core Centralised  IT'

    IT Support has become Face Less and less responsive.

  • Unknown said:

    Thanks john but what do you mean by reassign to windows variables...

    PMFJI, but the MS_TMP MicroStation configuration variable is (by default) assigned to $(_USTN_LocalUserTempPath). Windows (by default) has two environment variables (TMP and TEMP), which can be defined to point to separate locations, but on current OSes, are usually the same place (again, by default). Since you can reference Windows system environment variables in MicroStation configuration variables, if TMP or TEMP are defined on your local computer, you can "point" MS_TMP to one of those by setting MS_TMP=$(TMP) or MS_TMP=$(TEMP).

      

  • If your problem is that your raster images are slow displaying try looking at the attached document and see if it helps.  This will create a raster cache file, which will cause your raster images to display faster when you open the dgn file.  You will not see the raster image performance until the cache file (.CTIFF) has been created.

     

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  • If your problem is that your raster images are slow displaying try looking at the attached document and see if it helps.  This will create a raster cache file, which will cause your raster images to display faster when you open the dgn file.  You will not see the raster image performance until the cache file (.CTIFF) has been created.

     

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