Variable to open specific version of OpenRoads per project?

Not in a configuration block. You can create application definitions that specify a specific version, then assign that application definition to a file. The trick is to use the version specific Program Class Name in the open action.

Here's the definition i use for OpenRoads 10.11

When that application is assigned to a file and the user double-clicks the file, ORD 10.11 will be opened automatically. If they right-click and select Open With..., or the default application is not installed, Any installed application that has a matching Open action will be listed in the Open With... dialog and they can pick one of those apps. (The Open With... dialog will also show an option for whatever application is assigned to the file extension this file has. For dgn that'll probably be whatever the last Bentley application that was installed)

By default you can only set one application to be assigned to files with a specific file extension per datasource and it's annoying to manually assign the application for all files i a project, but if the files are created from a seed file inside the microstation products it will retain the application of the seed file, so you can assign those properly it will help for a project. Additionally users can set which application is assigned to a particular extension when the file is created by going to Tools > Associations > File Extensions... Note this doesn't affect what application is used when the file is opened, just what application is assigned to a new file created in PW.

Basically we create a generic "Microstation" application that has all the versions listed for all products and we make that the default for .dgn. Then we create version specific application definitions. When we setup a workspace we make sure the seed files are properly assigne to the correct application for that workspace, then if user's ask we show them how to change their association for the .dgn extension to what they want.

Here are all the version specific Program Class Names I have:

Kevin van Haaren 

Thanks for the information. I have not had time to fully digest this information but I will go over this with our PW Administrator and discuss this option. I have one question. I believe I have found the location to set this up. In PW Admin I go to <Datasources <Datasource <Applications. In the pane I see OpenRoads Designer. When I select that, right click, select Properties. Now I see the dialog like the screenshot you posted.

This is where I add the various version specific Class Names? 

I finally had a chance to work on this. Your method works. I wish there was a way to apply it to an entire project rather per file.

What about editing your Work Area Resources to change the Application list to the new version specific ones?

That lets you change what applications are available in the application drop down for files in the project, but doesn’t let you change what an extension maps to in that project.

I don’t remember what happens when you drag a dgn file into a project that does not have the application with the dgn extension in its resources. I want to say it assigns the default anyway, but it may assign the no application instead.