The Levels of ProjectWise application Integration serve as a common definition for application integration throughout the suite of Bentley Software. The levels are logical divisions for an engineering application to identify and achieve. Quality is inherit in each level, so level 3 is not “better” than level 1, it merely has a different set of capabilities that may meet an application’s common workflows.
For each level, there is a definition and benefit list that help identify the expected level of ProjectWise Integration. The definition and benefits list for each level is below:
Level 0 is the most basic level of integration. Files can be stored in ProjectWise, and using ProjectWise Explorer, the file can be checked out, opened, edited, and checked back in. File dependencies, such as reference or linked files are not maintained or managed.
Level 1 extends the interaction with ProjectWise to the application session. When a user performs an action that interacts with the applications File Open Framework, ProjectWise can intercept the call and present the user with the corresponding ProjectWise dialog. This allows the user to work in the application, and efficiently interact with files that are stored in ProjectWise. ProjectWise has a user setting “Use Captive Environment” which controls whether or not the use has access to the standard application File Open Dialogs, allowing for files to be accessed from the local drives. If this is not set, dismissing the ProjectWise dialogs will present the user with the equivalent application dialog. The dialogs ProjectWise provides are the following:
Additional workflows are supported by these dialogs, for example, inserting documents can use the Open dialog to access the correct file for insertion.
Level 1 also affords the user the ability to synchronize ProjectWise properties (document, folder, project, or custom-defined environment properties) with content in the file. In MicroStation-based sessions, properties are synchronized with items or tags in the DGN file, in AutoCAD-based sessions, blocks with attributes are used to synchronize with ProjectWise metadata, and with Microsoft Office documents, the document properties are synchronized with ProjectWise metadata.
Level 1 focuses on working within the application, and being able to access ProjectWise content efficiently and easily. This can also be accomplished with the delivery of a ProjectWise-specific menu and\or toolbar within the application. Additionally, since the integration is product specific, solutions that interact with the application-specific content stored in the files in ProjectWise
Level 2 integration focuses on the typical workflows of CAD design, and this level’s primary focus is the management of dependant document sets, particularly CAD references. In Level 2 applications commonly use compound document workflows. ProjectWise records and tracks the parent-child relationships, ensuring that when a user opens a parent (or master) document, the correct versions of the related child documents are also brought into the user session. ProjectWise “manages” such file relationships by assigning each document a globally unique identification (GUID), and internally, tracking document relationships using the GUIDs. This relationship is also used as the foundation of the following delivered functionalities:
Level 2 would also extend to the management of “linked” documents with no parent-child structure.
Level 3 is the highest level of ProjectWise integration, both in terms of capability and effort to achieve. In Level 3, all data related to application workflows is stored in and accessed from ProjectWise. This includes documents that are opened for editing within the application session, such as resource data as well as environmental controls, such as workspaces or profiles. Any output (reports, design\drawing files, visualization, analysis, etc.) generated by the application is captured in the correct project folders in ProjectWise.