[PW Explorer] Force Default Program at Work Area Level

Unfortunately you can't force a particular application at the work area level.

Here's what I've been doing, it's not a great solution but it's a step forward. I create an Application for each version and set the default application to open when a document is assigned that application. Then when I setup a work area i take any dgns already in the workarea and assign them to the proper application. I make sure the project's seed files are also set to use the proper application.

That mostly makes files created using the seed file or copied from another file in the project work ok, but files dragged into projectwise will be assigned whatever application has set as the default for the dgn extension (user's can change which application is assigned to files they drag into projectwise in Tools > Associations > File Extensions...),  generally teaching users to assign the application works fairly well, but I also create a Global Saved Search in the Work Area to show all files assigned to each application in the Work Area. Users can use this to find dgn files assigned to the wrong application and used the Modify command to bulk change them.

To create applications that launch a specific version of MicroStation I use the version specific program class name. The Program Class Names for MicroStation v8i and connect are:

v8i:
Bentley.MicroStation.Application.{B1E9E1E2-213C-47e5-BDD0-6A528DAE0244}

Connect:
Bentley.MicroStation.Application.{39949BF5-7E21-4A7B-A640-6E7199B7D588}

Open Administrator and start creating a new Application (I created MicroStation V8i and MicroStation Connect):

Click the Create button, verify the Action is set to Open, enter a Program Description and click the ... button

Enter the Program Class Name for the appropriate version

Click OK on this dialog and the Create Association dialog

Now create the open action for MicroStation Connect (you want both listed so you can still open files assigned to the wrong application).

After creating that application, make sure the appropriate version (V8i in my example) is set as Default (has the black diamond next to the name)

Once you've created the V8i application you can copy/paste it in the Application list to duplicate it. Edit that copy, rename the application name and change the default to MicroStation Connect.

I didn't show it here but I set the MicroStation V8i icon to V8i's icon and Connect's icon to the MicroStation Connect icon. This lets users quickly tell at a glance which application the file is assigned to.

Unfortunately you can't force a particular application at the work area level.

Here's what I've been doing, it's not a great solution but it's a step forward. I create an Application for each version and set the default application to open when a document is assigned that application. Then when I setup a work area i take any dgns already in the workarea and assign them to the proper application. I make sure the project's seed files are also set to use the proper application.

That mostly makes files created using the seed file or copied from another file in the project work ok, but files dragged into projectwise will be assigned whatever application has set as the default for the dgn extension (user's can change which application is assigned to files they drag into projectwise in Tools > Associations > File Extensions...),  generally teaching users to assign the application works fairly well, but I also create a Global Saved Search in the Work Area to show all files assigned to each application in the Work Area. Users can use this to find dgn files assigned to the wrong application and used the Modify command to bulk change them.

To create applications that launch a specific version of MicroStation I use the version specific program class name. The Program Class Names for MicroStation v8i and connect are:

v8i:
Bentley.MicroStation.Application.{B1E9E1E2-213C-47e5-BDD0-6A528DAE0244}

Connect:
Bentley.MicroStation.Application.{39949BF5-7E21-4A7B-A640-6E7199B7D588}

Open Administrator and start creating a new Application (I created MicroStation V8i and MicroStation Connect):

Click the Create button, verify the Action is set to Open, enter a Program Description and click the ... button

Enter the Program Class Name for the appropriate version

Click OK on this dialog and the Create Association dialog

Now create the open action for MicroStation Connect (you want both listed so you can still open files assigned to the wrong application).

After creating that application, make sure the appropriate version (V8i in my example) is set as Default (has the black diamond next to the name)

Once you've created the V8i application you can copy/paste it in the Application list to duplicate it. Edit that copy, rename the application name and change the default to MicroStation Connect.

I didn't show it here but I set the MicroStation V8i icon to V8i's icon and Connect's icon to the MicroStation Connect icon. This lets users quickly tell at a glance which application the file is assigned to.

Hi Kevin,

This works!

I hit a bit of a blocker when I went to test it and things were still defaulting to MicroStation Connect albeit having MicroStation V8i selected, but then I checked my program associations in PW Explorer and my user associations were a mess. I had Connect as the default in the MicroStation V8i so deleted all the user associations and it works great.

Out of curiosity, do you set any program extensions for applications? we had some set for MicroStation, but being that extensions can only be associated with one application I'm assuming it's best to not set them when having to MicroStation applications?

Sorry, got swamped and couldn't get time to answer this.

Basically I still have a "MicroStation" application and I have all the products in there and make it the default for all the extensions. The product specific ones don't have anything listed for the file extensions.

I think show users how to go into Tools > Associations > File Extensions... and set their own default for dgn/cel/etc... files. That setting overrides the default setting in the Application definition.