Operational Enhancements

MicroStation V8 has operational enhancements including the ability to open files from previous editions of MicroStation and save as either a MicroStation/J (v7)- or V8-format DGN file. The working units setup procedure for seed DGN files is enhanced. Additionally, the Undo buffer is unlimited in size.

Migrating v7 design files

MicroStation V8 opens design files from all previous editions of MicroStation. When you open a v7 design file, you have the option of either upgrading the file to MicroStation V8 DGN file format or opening it read-only. If you want to work with v7 design files in MicroStation V8 but need to maintain backward compatibility, you have two choices:

• Upgrade newly opened v7 design files to the new format, but save them when done making changes as v7 files in which the graphic representation is maintained.

• Configure MicroStation V8 to operate in V7 workmode, in which MicroStation V8 permits the opening of v7 design files for write access but disables functionality that is not backward-compatible.

Options for saving V8 DGN files as v7 design files

You can use the Save As V7 Options dialog box to map MicroStation V8 DGN file format data constructs, such as levels above 63, fonts that are new to MicroStation V8, cells that are too large or have names that are too long, etc., to v7 analogues, and to select other options that influence backward compatibility.

To save the open DGN file as a v7-format design file

1. Choose File > Save As.
   The Save As dialog box opens.


2. From the Select Format To Save option menu, choose MicroStation V7 DGN Files (*.dgn).


3. (Optional) To select save options, click Options and use the controls in the Save As V7 Options dialog box. When done, click OK to return to the Save As dialog box.


4. Specify the name and location of the new v7-format file using the standard dialog box controls.


5. Click OK.

Setting up and using V7 workmode

The following capabilities are disabled in V7 workmode:

• view group creation

• level creation

• model creation

• 3D references in 2D design files

• reference associations

• references to models created in V8 DGN files

• references to models created in DWG files

To enable V7 workmode

1. From the Workspace menu, choose Configuration.
   The Configuration dialog box opens.


2. In the View/Modify All Configuration Variables list box, select MS_OPENV7.


3. Click Edit.
   The Edit Configuration File dialog box opens.


4. In the New Value field, type 3.


5. Click OK to return to the Configuration dialog box.


6. From the File menu of the Configuration dialog box, choose Save.


7. To close the Configuration dialog box, click OK.


8. Exit and restart MicroStation.

To reenable the default workmode, DGN Capacity, set MS_OPENV7 to 0. Follow the above steps, except in step 4, type 0 instead of 3.

To ensure that the project data conforms with the project requirements, the system administrator or project manager should specify the workmode at the project level.

Batch migration

In addition to the Batch Conversion utility, MicroStation V8 provides a second utility for upgrading a set of v7 design files and/or cell libraries to V8 DGN format. To use this utility to upgrade design files, choose File > Upgrade Files to V8 in the MicroStation Manager dialog box (File > Close). To use this utility to upgrade cell libraries, choose File > Upgrade Files to V8 in the Cell Library dialog box (Element > Cells).

Upgrade Files to V8 Format dialog box

To explicitly specify the working unit setup for upgraded files, you must specify the desired working units in a text file. During the upgrade, if the unit labels in a file being processed are identical to those in a custom unit definition, MicroStation V8 creates the V8 DGN file with the specified units.

For the syntax and examples of custom unit definitions, see the sample unit definition file, "units.def", which is installed in the "Workspace\System\data" directory.

The configuration variable MS_CUSTOMUNITDEF defines the location of the unit definition file. In MicroStation V8 as delivered, MS_CUSTOMUNITDEF is set to the installed sample file, "units.def". All of the unit definitions in that file are on lines that begin with the # character — that is, “commented out” — so even if you do not modify the file or redefine MS_CUSTOMUNITDEF, none of the sample unit definitions are applied by default.

The Batch Conversion utility has more options for controlling the upgrading of V7 files than the MicroStation Manager-based utility and is therefore likely to yield better results.

Setting up working units

With the implementation of the MicroStation V8 DGN file format, MicroStation V8 now uses IEEE 64-bit floating point storage. This allows for a high degree of accuracy and a working area roughly 2 million times larger in each axis than v7. As a result, there are different factors to consider when setting up working units and their significance is greatly decreased.

The Working Units category of the DGN File Settings dialog box (Settings > Design File) contains controls for adjusting working unit settings. These settings are typically stored in seed DGN files and not adjusted in DGN files derived from seed files.

Working Units category controls

• MicroStation V8 references a standard table of unit ratios — for example, 1 foot:12 inches. This table enables you to choose master units and sub-units by name. Therefore, you can change working units (master/sub) without affecting the size of existing geometry.

• The Advanced Unit Settings dialog box is used to change the storage resolution. This does affect the size of existing elements. You should consult with your site administrator before changing the storage resolution settings.

  In this dialog box, the Resolution is the worst case accuracy, which occurs only at the very edge of a (very large) working area. Actual accuracy is many millions of times better when drawing near the origin of the design plane, which is the usual situation. In almost all cases, this setting need not be changed.

• The Custom Units button is enabled if either Custom MU or Custom SU is chosen as a Master Unit or Sub Unit, respectively. Select Custom Units to define the custom unit ratio for each custom unit. Note that the ratios are defined in units that MicroStation V8 ”understands” (known units).

You can explicitly specify working unit settings when batch-migrating v7 design files to MicroStation V8 DGN file format — see Batch migration.

Design History

The Design History feature of MicroStation V8 enables you to restore revisions of a DGN file. A revision is a milestone in the development of a design. When you create a revision, Design History captures the state of the DGN file at that moment. To document the revision, Design History records your user ID and the current time and date, and it allows you to enter a comment.

Design History dialog box

Design History is an optional feature of MicroStation V8. When enabled, Design History stores historical information inside the DGN file. When you initialize a DGN file's Design History, the file grows to record a snapshot of the design. As you add revisions, the file continues to grow to hold the deltas.

See also:
   Recording and Browsing Design History
   Restoring Recorded Changes
   Using Design History in Projects

Unlimited Undo

MicroStation V8 supports unlimited undo.

Because the Undo buffer is unlimited in size, the Undo Buffer setting is removed from the Preferences dialog box (Workspace > Preferences).

Batch Process utility

You can run key-in scripts against individual DGN files, or entire directories of files using the Batch Process dialog box (Utilities > Batch Process). This provides the means to automate global file modifications that may become necessary on occasion as a result of changing project requirements or company standards.

See also:
   Batch Process utility