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.i.dgn files

Jared Mathes

Currently we are still using MicroStation V8.5 and PlantSpace Design Series v8.5 to create model files.  We are interested in leveraging the power available in the new ProjectWise Navigator V8i.

I have created a master dgn file of a project.  This dgn contains references to 95 other model files.  When I open the master dgn file in i-model composer and publish it to a package, it creates a separate i-model file for each reference in the same folder as the reference is located.

This creates quite a mess.  Since both i-models and the regular model files both end in "dgn", they are listed one after another.  All I want is the package, not all of the intermediate .i.dgn files for each reference.

It wouldn't be so bad if I could specifiy another folder for them to be created in, but it appears that the only folder designation is for the package itself.

So, to clean up this mess, I need to go into all of the reference files folder, ctrl-click on each .i.dgn file and either move it or delete it.

Is there something I'm missing here?  Is there a way to specify a separate folder for the reference file .i.dgn files or to not create them to begin with?

Or maybe is there a way to give them a different file extension?  Something like "imd".  At least that way you could sort the folder view by file type and have them grouped together.

  • Offline

    Hi all,

    The behavior you are seeing is by design. This is new to me too, so I don't have all the answers yet, but:

    • When you create an i-model from a dgn with references, you will get an i-model for the dgn, and also i-models for each referenced dgn. The pointers in the "master" i-model will be modified to point to the i-model references, not the original DGN references.
    • When you (optionally) create a package, the process is essentially the same, except at the end, all the individual i-models are "compiled" into a single i-model package file. And as you noted, the individual i-models are not deleted after compilation.
    • Each individual i-model understands its lineage, so keeping the individual i-models will yield significant performance gains should the package be regenerated in the future. In that case, only DGN's that have been modified will be processed into new i-models. Any i-models that are still in sync with their original DGN files will not be regenerated.

    Hope this helps some,

    Gary
     

  • in reply to Gary Cochrane

    I agree. I would like to specify the directory the i-models are placed in.

     

    Thanks,

    Jordan

  • Yes, that does help.

     However, it would really be nice if we could specify another folder for the created i-models.  Very messy as is.

  • Offline in reply to Jared Mathes

    At this point there is no way to separate out the i-models at publish time.  They operate similary to the concept of a sister file at this time.  One thing you can do to help you organize them if you want to purge them from your system is to turn on the Created Date column in your details view of Windows Explorer.  Then you can sort by the Created Date and your i-models should filter out to the top\bottom of your list.  A little faster than CTRL-CLICK on every second file.

    Regards,

    ~Paul

     


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