Original Article Date: March 25, 2004
While rooting around the other day, I found this old document that I wrote a few years back. It's simply a primer for workspaces and explains the role that they play in the configuration of MicroStation. Nothing fancy, but may be a good read for the newer CAD administrator.
A workspace is simply a custom MicroStation environment or configuration. By selecting a workspace, you customize MicroStation for a specific job, discipline, project, or task. There is always a workspace operating when you run MicroStation. The role of the workspace is to: Tell MicroStation where things are:
Define the user interface:
Tell MicroStation about your preferences:
Define functionality:
A workspace is therefore made up of: What you see - The user interface, and the environment - what MicroStation defines at startup. Workspaces allow you to:
Workspaces are complex!
The components of a workspace: MicroStation sets up the workspace by it’s definition of the following components:
MicroStation sets up the workspace by your definition of the following components as selected from the MicroStation Manager:
Three basic parts to Workspaces:
Preferences - the infamous UPF file that stores user settings such as what toolboxes are docked, the window background colour, and so forth.
The Active Workspace: User Configuration File: The name of the User Configuration File is used as the name of the workspace. The file has a suffix of UCF and is found in the .../Workspace/Users/ folder. There is one UCF file for each available workspace name as listed in the MicroStation Manager. This file has two basic functions:
It can specify the three active workspace components.Selecting a workspace from the MicroStation Manager reconfigures MicroStation to use that workspace’s components. The information stored in the User Configuration File may also contain a user’s overrides of settings in other configuration files (Project, System, Application and Site). Project Configuration File: A project is one component that can be associated with any workspace. It is used to set the location and names of data files associated with a specific design project. Examples would be the names and locations of cell libraries, font resources files, and line style resource files. Settings within the PCF file can be over-ridden by those found in the User Configuration File. Data files for sample projects are provided with MicroStation and are located as modules or subdirectories under ...Workspace/Projects/Examples/ directory. The sample files are a great place to learn from so it's recommended that you do not delete them. When customizing your own project, copy, rename and edit the delivered .../Workspace/Projects/Untitled.pcf file. This file provides an excellent starting point for creating your own projects and meeting the needs of your organization. User Interface: The Interface option menu allows you to select a specific look and feel of MicroStation's tools and general on-screen appearence. When a specific user interface is being used, MicroStation will read the information contained within the modification resource file(s) stored in the .../Workspace/Interface/ directory. User Preference Files: The UPF file has two primary functions:
AskInga Article #194