I was looking at 'Text Fields' and hoping that I could use a customized Field to display the current session's Project (PCF File). The objective here is to display on the CADD file (with an automatically updating Field) the current workspace, within the border model/file. My desire it to have it "displace" in real-time rather than just as a dialog popup when the file is opened.
We have several customized and heavily used workspaces. Users are not necessarily checking to see if they loaded the correct workspace, when they open a CADD file. (I have fallen victim to this myself from time-to-time.) This is not a full proof solution... But it is closer. At least with this kind of mechanism, they can look and see (on the design plane / within the border) their "current" Project PCF (workspace). To be honest, I don't even want users to edit a Tag or Text, when they create a new border. This will static in natural and will not display the active session, in later CADD file edits.
Is this even possible? If not is there another way I can set this up?
I don't have a solution for the text field, but could you enforce the users to use a customized icon that sets the correct project via the -wp switch to load the specified project? or the -wu switch that loads the specified user? Or both.
Even with the icons, once in the file there is no real way to tell what workspace is loaded and I think this is what Rich is looking for.
Timothy Hickman
CADD Manager | CADD Department
timothy.hickman@colliersengineering.com
Main: 877 627 3772|
1000 Waterview Drive Suite 201 | Hamilton, New Jersey 08691
Only thing I can think of would be to create a "menu" item with the project name/number and this would display at the top with the rest of the pulldown menus, showing which project you are in.....I was initially thinking, based off of the design file location, but you could open a file from another project while having another PCF loaded, so this would not work.
In a pinch, you could put this on a function key: expand echo $(_USTN_PROJECTNAME);dialog -401
But you'd then have to look at the message details, and then close the Message Center. Not exactly ideal.
Then again, you can also put DIALOG ABOUTWORKSPACE on a function key.
You could create a custom variable in each .pcf file, then display that with vba along the top caption of MicroStation. Use this
ActiveWorkspace.ConfigurationVariableValue("YOUR_PCF_VARIABLE")
with the vba Application.Caption property.
Another thought. I don't know if you can somehow use a Named Expression with Fields. You could create a Named Expression using the variable and possibly display that somewhere. I couldn't figure a way to do that with Fields though. If it can't be done, Bentley should add the capability of using Named Expressions with Text Fields.
I have a VBA that I use at startup. It shows Project, User Interface and File name in the main application titlebar where you normally see filename. MicroStation V8i ()
It is a pretty simple hack of Jon Sommers MicroStationCaptionEventHandler vba.
Unknown said:It is a pretty simple hack of LA Solutions MicroStationCaptionEventHandler vba
Which you will find here. It's been updated to show the project workspace name and some other stuff.
Regards, Jon Summers LA Solutions
Thanks to everyone who has commented above! I am still working this issue... on the side, though it is not a critical (work stop issue). Right now I am trying to work the VBA route (from DavidG), though I am just a VBA beginner. If I get results in the near future, I will post them. Thanks everyone...
Workspaces are the "black magic" of Microstation. For the small shops it is far too complex while for large nationwide or worldwide companies it is not near enough. Consider the large companies with 50 or even 100 or more clients. They may have corporate configurations, individual site configurations, then the clients. The clients then may have multiple configurations especially if they are in the transportation field. Then comes projects and user configurations. That's a lot to set up and track. Workspaces have been essentially left untouched since their inception. A workspace manger is what you guys should be asking for. There is absolutely no reason that when a file is opened in it's project directory that Microstation couldn't reconfigure itself for that particular client, client group, and project. There is no reason for Microstation to have to be closed and the user select a new workspace configuration.
Unknown said:I am trying to work the VBA route...
Post questions to the MicroStation Programming Forum. You'll find lots of enthusiastic helpers there.