SELECTSeries 4 Questions

Question

I have a couple of questions regarding the new Civil release, especially with the Geopak version: 
 
 Can the SS4 version be installed on the same computer with the SS3 version? 
 If existing civil data is upgraded to the new version, will it be backward compatible with SS3 users?

Jason Walsh · Accepted Answer

The install of SS3 will need to be removed before installing SS4. Similar to the SS3 release an install of SS4 and an install SS2 can be installed on the same machine. 
 
The Civil Data schema has been updated in the SS4 release to incorporate ICM (Infrastructure Consensus Model) which allow the Civil Design Models and or Terrain Models to be saved to an i-model. This update is a forward only update and doesn't allow backward compatibility with the SS3 release. It is recommended that projects already started in SS3 are finished in SS3 and move to SS4 for new projects. 
 
Projects started in SS3 can be updated if opened in SS4, it is recommended to update all the dgn files for the project, this is done by simple opening them in SS4 and a message will appear. Keep a backup copy of the SS3 project before updating it. 
 
In related to the DGN file from SS4 opening in MicroStation V08.11.09.608, MicroStation is only displaying the CAD aspects of the civil design.

Mike Longstreet · Answer

Partial Quote From-> Jason Walsh "It is recommended that projects already started in SS3 are finished in SS3 and move to SS4 for new projects." 
 Not sure keeping projects started in the ss3 version in the ss3 version is a good idea, unless you keep everything in ss3. As you explain the ss3 and ss4 version cannot coexist on the same system so the situation you describe would require (2) separate workstation depending on what project is being worked on. Typically Civil projects can go on for years and we would typically work on multiple project, pushing each one from phase to phase each one typically being at a different phase. I would say if you are using ss3 move to ss4 for everything and everyone on your team. This seems the reasonable method to maintain a working environment that does not required different workstations and setups for each different project.