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General Questions
General Functionality
Installation FAQ
Administration FAQ
Trouble Shooting
FAQ
General Questions
Q: What is DGNconform?
A: DGNconform
is aimed at organisations that require drafting standards to be
maintained dynamically over a network. DGNconform is aimed at organisations
that require specific CAD standards for their MicroStation design
files. It helps the organisation administer these standards through
four distinct methods:
The Drafting Menu: Provision of a drafting tool to interactively
place features automatically to specification.
The Report Generator: Generation of report tables detailing which
elements fail to match the required standards
Conform Draft: A Feature Conforming tool to correct invalid features
to the required standards
The Watermark Tools: A certification process to flag design files
which have been approved and warn the user when a certified drawing
has been modified.
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Q: What is DGNconform's compatibility?
A: DGNconform
is written as an MDL application to run in MicroStation. DGNconform
operates on MicroStation SE, J and V8, currently running on Microsoft
Windows 95, 98, NT and 2000. For DGNconform Server component, the
server machine can run any Operating System, as long as it is visible
to all client machines for purposes of locating the database through
ODBC. This means that the server machine could be running Linux,
as long as the database file can be seen by mapping a network drive,
or entering a UNC (Uniform Naming Convention) path.
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Q: Can I use a database to store my Drafting
Standards?
A: Yes, this
is where DGNconform's power come to the fore, DGNconform employs
an ODBC database architecture to distribute CAD standards over a
corporate Intranet, ensuring that these standards can be maintained
from one overall data source (Oracle, SQL Server etc. can be utilised).
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Q: Can I use my existing Bar Menu or
Settings Manager Standards?
A: Yes, DGNconform
can import import MicroStation cell libraries, design files, Settings
Manager (*.STG) files, Barmenu (*.MDF) files, SiteMenu text files,
as well as its own native dictionary (*.DICT) format. So your existing
investment is maintained. You can also import and export drafting
standards to and from Excel Spreadsheets, databases, text files
and other standard document formats
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Q: How do I know when a DGN file has
been edited?
A: Initially
if a design file passes certification, then DGNconform will attempt
to place a Watermark cell in the design file. At a later stage any
user of DGNconform can use the Read Watermark function to check
to see whether a DGN file has been edited post DGNconform checking.
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Q: Who develops DGNconform?
A: DGNconform is owned and developed
by Corporate Montage Pty Ltd. Corporate
Montage is an Australian based software research and development
company with offices in Perth, Sydney, Melbourne, Houston (USA)
and Frankfurt (Germany).
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Q: Who distributes DGNconform?
A: DGNconform is sold and supported
through each of the Corporate Montage offices and through a number
of resellers around the world (see our Contacts
page)
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Q: How long has DGNconform been available?
A: DGNconform has been commercially
available since the mid 1990's. In 2000, it was extended to a server
based solution to meet the increasing demand for a more controlled
environment to manage data standards. With the industry trend of
outsourcing becoming increasingly popular, it became important for
consultants to be able to draw and check to their clients data standards.
Consequently, Corporate Montage developed DGNconform CE to meet
our clients' and the industry's needs.
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Q: How do I get Technical Support for
DGNconform?
A: Email: support@corporatemontage.com.au,
contact any one of Corporate Montage's five offices or contact you
local reseller.
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Q: Can I purchase a maintenance &
support contract for DGNconform?
A: Yes, DGNconform is mainly
sold with an annual maintenance and support agreement. This contract
entitles you to phone, fax and email technical support, plus Version
upgrades and point releases that can be downloaded from the www.cadconform.com
web page.
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Q: Are training courses available for DGNconform?
A: Yes, DGNconform training
courses are available. Visit the CM Training Page to find out more
information about our basic DGNconform course. For more information
or enquiries contact one of Corporate Montage's offices or your
local DGNconform Reseller.
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Q: What are the prerequisites for using
DGNconform?
A: MicroStation V8, J and SE,
under Windows 95 ,98, 2000 and NT.
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General Functionality
Q: We use one of several standard border
sheets for all of our design files. Is there any way I can get DGNconform
to warn me if I open a design file that does not have one of these
standard borders attached?
A: Yes. Simply
define the border sheets in the administrator's configuration file
under the variable: "_DGNCONFORM_BORDERSHEETS", with each
one separated by a semi-colon. The full path or the relative path
(from "MS_RFDIR") can be entered. This will cause DGNconform
to check for one of these files whenever a design file is opened.
If a standard border sheet is not attached, then DGNconform will
open up the Drawing Scale dialog, allowing the user to enter a scale
manually.
The border sheet list is closely related to the Drawing Scale,
since DGNconform can calculate the current scale from the border
attachment scale. If any other DGNconform tool is opened and the
scale has not been set, then a warning message will appear as below:
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Installation FAQ
Q: I have some users running MicroStation
J and some using MicroStation v8. Do I have to install both versions
of the DGNconform Server software on the server machine? Can I share
the same database between the two?
A: Because MicroStation J and
v8 do not support each others’ MDL applications, both the J
and v8 versions of MicroStation must be installed on the server
machine. They should also be kept in separate directories, though
they can be configured to share configuration files and menus. It
is strongly recommended that both versions have separate databases.
This is due to the fact that MicroStation v8 has user key-ins (such
as those used for BYLEVEL and text styles) that are not supported
by MicroStation J.
DGNconform Server for MicroStation J and for MicroStation v8 can
be installed on the same server machine.
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Q: I have migrated users from MicroStation
J to v8. Can I upgrade the DGNconform database to v8 standards automatically?
A: Yes. DGNconform Server will
automatically re-map level numbers to level names using the level
tables active at the time that a feature table is open. Level numbers
from a MicroStation J feature table (1-63) will be remapped to level
codes in v8, and the corresponding level names associated with these
codes will be substituted. All key-ins supported by MicroStation
J should be supported by v8, assuming macros and 3rd
party MDL applications are also available.
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Q: I installed DGNconform Server &
Client on one machine that works okay, but on another machine it
can’t connect to the database. What have I done wrong?
A: The most likely cause of
this problem is that the server path was set incorrectly during
the installation process. When DGNconform Server is first installed,
it writes the full path of the server (specified by the user) to
the File DSN. This path must be a full UNC path to be visible to
other machines on the network; it should not be a local drive or
a mapped drive. Some examples of the server path are below:
Example 1:
C:\Program Files\Corporate Montage\DGNconform Server for MSv8\
This is the section of the installer which prompts for the server
path on the network. The default path is the default drive share,
eg: "\\MyServer\C$\...".
This is an example of a bad path. This would work on the machine
it was installed on, but not any other networked machine; since
DGNconform Server was installed on the local drive of the server
only.
Example 2:
M:\Corporate Montage\DGNconform Server for MSv8\
This is another example of a bad path. This would work on any machine
that had the “M:” drive mapped the same as the server
machine, but not any other networked machine.
Example 3:
\\CADServer1\Shared Folders\DGNconform for MSv8\
This is an example of a good path. It should work for any machine
that can see the shared folder “CADServer1\Shared Folders”.
If the server path was entered incorrectly during the installation
phase, you have two choices of how to fix it:
- Uninstall the software and then reinstall it.
- Using Windows "Notepad" or
a similar text editor, correct the path to the database file in
the File DSN directory on the server.
By default, this file is located at:
C:\Program Files\Corporate Montage\DGNconform Server for MSv8\
File DSN\DGNconform Tutorial.dsn
The required change to this file is the line beginning with
“DBQ=”, followed by the database path. The contents of
an example File DSN is displayed below:
[ODBC]
DRIVER=Microsoft Access Driver (*.mdb)
UID=admin
UserCommitSync=Yes
Threads=3
SafeTransactions=0
PageTimeout=5
MaxScanRows=8
MaxBufferSize=2048
FIL=MS Access
DriverId=25
DefaultDir=\\PIERS\DGNconform Server for MSv8\Database
DBQ=\\PIERS\DGNconform Server for MSv8
\Database\DGNconform Tutorial.mdb
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Administration FAQ
Q: How much network bandwidth does
DCS use in day-to-day operation?
A: Very little. Configuration
files (such as the administrators configuration file and the menu
file) are read by DCS at start-up from the network, but both of
these files are around 2KB. The largest files in DCS are the executable
“DGNCONFORM.MA” and the database, which is usually around
a couple of Megabytes, depending on the database application and
the amount of data stored. Both of these are cached locally, and
will only be downloaded from the network when they have been updated
on the server. Note that the actual size on disk of the database
is much greater than the individual data transmitted when a Feature
Table is downloaded.
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Q: Is it necessary to make backups of
the database?
A: Yes. Since the database is
read from (and possibly written to) by all users, it is essential
that the data in the database remains intact. It is preferable that
some form of automatic backup or archiving of the server machine
is in place, but this is often not the case. At the very least,
it is important to make occasional backups of the database file
(or files, depending on the DB application) in the event that something
becomes corrupt. DB Applications often have repair tools, but these
should not be relied upon to fix every problem with database corruption.
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Q: What is the easiest way to make a
backup of a Feature Table?
A: The easiest way to backup
a Feature Table is to export it to a dictionary (“*.DICT”)
file. This allows the administrator to reimport the data to a new
database; or over the top of an existing Feature Table if a mistake
is made.
The easiest way to back up a feature table.
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Q: I have made a mistake in my Feature
Table and exported it back to the database. Is there any way to
undo this?
A: Currently there is no “Undo”
operation for exported Feature Tables. However, there is always
a copy of the Feature Table stored as a dictionary file available
in the local cache directory on each client machine (pointed to
by the Client Configuration variable “DGNCONFORM_CACHE_DIR”).
This file can be reimported using the Feature Table Editor’s
“Import” command.
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Q: How do I allow different menus to
be used by different users?
A: All configuration is done
through the two main configuration files – the Client Configuration
and the Administrators Configuration files. To make changes specific
to certain users, you need to change the Client configuration file
on each machine. The Client configuration variable “DGNCONFORM_MENU_FILE”
sets the full path to the user’s menu file.
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Q: Is it possible to automate the batch
reporting process of DGNconform?
A: Yes, there is a command-line
API that can be used by any external program or through MicroStation's
MSBATCH command. Details of how to use the external API are covered
in the "DGNconform Server API" HTML file located in the
"Docs" directory of the DGNconform Server installation
path.
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Troubleshooting FAQ
This chapter lists a series of common problems and how to avoid
them. It is broken down into the following sections:
Database Errors
Performance Issues
Conform Problems
Generating
Reports
Draft Problems
It is also worth consulting the DGNconform Server Installation
Manual for problems with installing and running the software, or
configuring the database. See the DGNconform Server User Manual
for “How To” style FAQs.
DGNconform Server generates detailed error messages from both the
MicroStation database server and the ODBC database server. Generally,
if something goes wrong with the database, a helpful message will
appear explaining how to resolve it. The questions below represent
cases where a detailed error message does not appear.
Q: When I create a new database using
the ODBC Control Panel, I cannot open it in my database application.
Why?
A: Care must be taken when creating
new databases using the ODBC Control Panel. If the ODBC drivers
for the database application are newer than the database application
itself, then the application may not recognize the format of the
database file. For example, Microsoft Access 97 users will not be
able to open a database (*.MDB) file created by the Microsoft Access
driver greater than version 4. To get around this, create the new
database from within the database application itself.
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Q: When I try to log on to DGNconform
Server, I get a message “Unsuccessful CONNECT statement”.
What am I doing wrong?
A: This message will appear
if:
- The ODBC data source has been misspelled or has not been configured.
Double check the data source name in the ODBC Control Panel.
- The ODBC drivers are not supported by MicroStation. See the
DGNconform Server Installation Guide for driver compatibility.
- The MicroStation Database Components have not been installed.
This can be verified by clicking the MicroStation menu “Settings
> Database > Connect”. If the connect dialog appears,
then the necessary components have been installed, otherwise a
warning will appear.
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Q: I keep getting an error “Couldn’t
update the information table” or something similar. Why?
A: This error can appear when
the user selects a table in the Feature Table Manager that does
not have a corresponding information table. This usually happens
because the user has accidentally deleted the table, or imported
the table from another package. This table can be created manually
by creating a new Feature Table and copying the “iTable_TableName”
file using your database application, and renaming it to match the
Feature Table that causes the problem.
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Q: Every time I open MicroStation, or
go back to MicroStation Manager, I get an error in the MicroStation
Text window: “SERVER is already loaded”. Why?
A: This message may appear every
time MicroStation is started, or only when MicroStation Manager
is reopened by doing a 'File > Close, File > Open' combination.
The warning message appears because sometimes the database configuration
file "odbc.cfg" automatically adds the SERVER application
to $(MS_DGNAPPS) even if it's already set to load automatically.
To avoid this spurious error message, add a new workspace configuration
variable and set it as follows:
_USTN_DONTSETSERVER = 1
You may also need to remove “SERVER” from the “Design
Applications” category under “Workspace > Configuration”.
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Q: I have upgraded my Microsoft Access
driver to version 4, and now my Feature Tables take longer to import.
What has happened ?
A: According to information
on Microsoft’s Knowledge Base, some users have reported a 400%
decrease in performance between version 3.5 and version 4.0 of Microsoft’s
Access driver. Check the Microsoft website (www.microsoft.com)
for information on how to revert to the older driver if this is
an issue.
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Q: Importing and exporting Feature Tables
to the database takes too long. Can I do anything to improve the
speed?
A: There are a couple of ways
to speed up creation of Feature Tables. Firstly, if the Feature
Table export is slow because the network is very busy, you can copy
the database file locally and work from there. This should only
be done by the administrator, and only if no one else is likely
to edit the Feature Tables. Once the editing is complete, the database
file can be recopied to the network server.
Secondly, if the Feature Tables are quite large (over 3000 entries),
you may consider breaking them up into smaller tables. This can
be done by saving and inserting DICT files through the File menu.
It is also possible that if the Feature Tables were created automatically,
they contain many redundant entries. Try matching on as many possible
element types for each feature and only specifying symbology match
criteria (colour, weight, etc) where necessary. The “Delete
Duplicates” tool in the Feature Table Editor can help reduce
duplicate entries once these changes are made.
Large feature tables are often a result of importing cell libraries.
If this is the case, you may wish to consider using the
“_DGNCONFORM_ALLOW_UNKNOWN_CONFORMING_CELLS”
option instead of defining each cell individually. With this option
on, you will only need to define cells that are allowed that contain
components that do not conform. Cell components should usually conform,
so this should require a minimum number of entries, if any.
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Q: Why doesn’t the “Flash”
display option work on my machine?
A: Some graphics card drivers
have problems with MicroStation J’s OpenGL functionality. When
this occurs, MicroStation cannot generate a proper timing interrupt;
and the flashing may appear intermittent or not at all. Check the
DGNconform Server Installation Guide on ways to get around this
problem.
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Q: I have the Zoom toggle on, but I
can’t see the unknown feature in the view window. Why not?
A: There are three reasons why
this can occur:
- The view level for the feature is turned off.
- The element has a corrupt element range. Try using “FIXRANGE”
or EdG.
- The element range is too small to zoom in to, e.g. the element
is a line of zero length or a text element has a size of zero.
In this case, the error status field in MicroStation should contain
a message: “Element is too small to zoom in to.”
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Q: When Conform finds an unknown feature,
I don’t get any suggestions in the “Change To” list
box. Why not?
A: The suggestions in the “Change
To” list box will only display features of the same type as
the unknown element, either: cell, linear, shape or text. If there
are no suggestions in the list box, then there are no features of
this type in the Feature Table.
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Q: Why does Conform find an error with
an element that appears to have correct symbology?
A: Conform will not match an
element if the element type is not supported by the feature, regardless
of the symbology. For example, if a feature called “Concrete
Object Line” does not have the “Arc” toggle turned
on in its Feature Type options, then an Arc element will be flagged
as an error, even if the symbology of the arc exactly matches the
symbology of a Concrete Object line. If this is indeed the reason
why the element did not conform, then changing the element to a
Concrete Object Line will not solve the problem, because Conform
changes element symbology, not element type (it can not convert
an Arc to a Line). If the user attempts to change an element to
a feature type that doesn’t support the element type, then
a warning to this effect will be displayed in a pop-up dialog box.
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Q: Why does Conform find an error with
a cell that is not visible?
A: If the “_DGNCONFORM_CHECK_SHAREDCELLDEF”
option is enabled, then Conform will check shared cell definitions
(type 34). These elements are not normally displayed by MicroStation,
but they do control the symbology of shared cell instances (type
35). During this process, Conform will temporarily display the invisible
shared cell definition at origin (0,0,0) in the current highlight
colour. Once the element is conformed or ignored, the cell will
once again disappear. If you do not wish to check shared cell definitions,
then this option should be turned OFF.
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Q: The Report Generation is very slow.
Is there any way to speed it up?
A: The Report Generator can
become very slow when there are many invalid features in the design
file. You may wish to try doing only a minimum report with no Report
Types toggled ON, to see how many errors there are. You can then
fix some of these errors in Conform before trying the report again.
Additionally, you may wish to do reports on only a few levels at
a time, or only one feature type at a time. The largest report is
always the “Individual Error Report”, so turning off this
report type should give the best speed increase.
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Q: I ran the Report Generator but nothing
happened. What’s going on?
A: You may have forgotten to
use the “Add” button when defining which design files
to report on. Go back into the Report Generator and check if there
are any files in the Design File List. If there are files in the
list, then it is possible that you have opened the wrong database
file. Check the “ODBC Data Source” on the Report Generator
dialog box to see where the report went. Then go the ODBC Control
Panel to see which database file the data source is pointing to.
Additionally, it is possible that:
- Not all the levels of each design file were reported on.
- The report was restricted by either a fence or border shape.
- Certain element types were disabled in the “Scan Type”
options.
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Q: I often get database error dialog
boxes popping up when viewing reports. Why?
A: You will get “Table
not found” type errors when you click on a report type if the
corresponding report was not created. For example, to view a Feature
Summary report, you must ensure the report was created with “Feature
Summary” toggled ON.
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Q: When I click on a feature, it does
not start the Drafting command. Why not?
A: There are two main reasons
why this would occur:
- An element selection set exists prior to starting the command
- The Conform dialog box is open.
In the first case, this can easily be solved by clearing the selection
set with a data-point before restarting the draft command. When
a selection set exists, Draft automatically goes into Conform by
Feature mode.
In the second case, you will need to close the Conform window before
you can start drafting. When Conform is open, Draft automatically
goes into Conform Change to Feature mode.
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Q: My Draft tool-bar, menu-bar or tools
menu has disappeared. How do I get it back?
A: Various components of the
Draft interface can be disabled via the tool-bar and menu-bar, or
by resizing or docking the Draft window. In order to get these components
back, try any of these options:
- Undocking and resizing the Draft window larger
- Right-clicking on the list-box to get the pop-up menu
- Using the “Tools > Settings > Interface” options
- Using the tool-bar interface settings icons
The List box and tool bar can be shown by resizing the window larger.
Simply drag the edge of the Draft dialog to achieve this.
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