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Global Workspace
Manager
Manage every MicroStation workspace without
leaving your desk!
Version 2.1
Axiom
1805 Drew Street
Clearwater, Florida 33765
727-442-7774 voice
727-442-8344 fax
AxiomInt@AxiomInt.com
www.AxiomInt.com
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Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Chapter 1 Introduction--------------------------------------------------------------------- 5
Global Workspace Manager Overview------------------------------------------------------------5
Features and Benefits --------------------------------------------------------------------------------5
Chapter 3 Installation----------------------------------------------------------------------- 9
Before You Install ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------9
Typical Installation-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------9
Running Global Workspace Manager the first time ------------------------------------------- 11
Workspace Client Installation--------------------------------------------------------------------- 12
Workspace Client Information-------------------------------------------------------------------- 12
Executables installed with Global Workspace Manager -------------------------------------- 13
Congratulations------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 13
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Sorting ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 26
Filtering---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 26
The File Menu ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 27
Open msdebug.txt File for Selected Workspace ------------------------------------------ 27
Delete Selected Workspaces from Database ----------------------------------------------- 27
Export Current Grid to Excel ---------------------------------------------------------------- 27
The View Menu ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 28
Refresh Current Grid <F5> ------------------------------------------------------------------ 28
Refresh All Grids ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 28
Level Selection... ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 28
Show Tooltips---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 28
Show Tips for Each View -------------------------------------------------------------------- 28
The Settings Menu ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 29
Database ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 29
Load Layout------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 30
Save Layout --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 30
Select Text Editor ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- 30
Restore Grid Settings to Factory Defaults ------------------------------------------------- 30
Grid Appearance------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 31
The Options Menu------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 31
Category Manager----------------------------------------------------------------------------- 31
Expression Builder ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 32
The Workspaces Tab ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 34
The Variables Tab-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 34
The File Order Tab ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 35
The Category Tab-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 40
Chapter 1 Introduction
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Easily find out what MicroStation versions are being used on all your workstations.
Copy project configuration files and all project resources (font.rsc, etc.) to another
server or workstation.
Create complex filters to display variables using criteria such as begins with, ends
with, contains, does not contain, is equal to or is not equal to a user defined value.
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Overview
Its good to read this entire chapter before starting your installation so you understand the
entire process and can properly configure Global Workspace Manager and Workspace
Client to work together.
Network Folder
This is a server location of your choice that must be common to Global Workspace
Manager and every installation of Workspace Client. Users on each MicroStation
workstation need to have read and write access to this folder. Workspace Client silently
copies configuration data from each MicroStation workstation to this location as the
workspaces are used by MicroStation.
When Global Workspace Manager modifies workspaces, it places the modified
workspace configuration files in this folder. Each copy of Workspace Client watches this
network folder. When Workspace Client sees modified files for its workstation, it
automatically updates its local workspaces with those files.
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Database
To make Global Workspace Manager run as fast as possible, it doesnt work on
workspace configuration files directly. Instead, it loads them into a database and does a
lot of its work through the database.
The database is constantly updated with new workspace information from the network
folder the entire time Global Workspace Manager is running. If the database gets updated
while Global Workspace Manager is running, a notification message displays in the topright corner of Global Workspace Managers window. Double-click on this message to
update the current grid with the new workspace information.
Technical Note: The database Global Workspace Manager creates is a Microsoft JET (Joint Engine
Technology) database, which is the same type of database used by Microsoft Access. .
Workspace Levels
A MicroStation workspace is built in five levels: System, Application, Site, User and
Project.
The System configuration level is comprised of default settings defined by MicroStation.
Next, the Application configuration level is loaded and usually defines settings for
applications that run inside MicroStation, such as GEOPAK or Axiom tools. The Site
configuration level is loaded next. Site configuration files are used to define settings that
are consistent for everyone at a specific location. The User configuration level is loaded
next and defines settings that are specific for an individual user. The project configuration
level is loaded last and defines settings that are specific to a project. The system,
application and site level configuration files are not user selectable
The above is just a basic overview. See MicroStations help files for detailed information
on workspaces.
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But what about upgrading the instances of Workspace Client, which is the part that is
installed on each of your workstations? That part is automatic so it couldnt be easier.
Read on.
Chapter 3 Installation
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Typical Installation
1. Browse the CD and double-click on the file wrkspacesetup.zip and extract its
contents (two files) to your desktop. The password for the zip file is case. After
unzipping, double-click on the setup.exe file on your desktop to start the installation
process.
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Chapter 3 Installation
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1. Click <OK> and a folder selection box will appear. Choose the shared network folder
that will be used by Global Workspace Manager for sharing MicroStation workspace
data via Workspace Client.
Note: The MicroStation users of workstations running Workspace Client need to have
read, write and delete access to the network folder you choose.
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2. An information box will display a message about installing Workspace Client. Read
it and click on the <OK> button to dismiss it.
Tip: Global Workspace Manager comes with a database containing sample workspace
data to help you get familiar with using it to evaluate and manage MicroStation
workspaces. To clear this data, go to Settings | Database and push the <Start with the
new empty database> button.
If you chose the network folder x:\GWM_Shared\ when you first ran Global
Workspace Manager, thats the folder youll run the Workspace Client installer from on
each MicroStation workstation. Workspace Client installation has just one step:
1. Run ClientSetup.bat from the network folder defined in Global Workspace
Manager.
Tip: If you are not sure which folder this is or you want to change it, run Global
Workspace Manager and choose Settings | Database. In the box that appears, the
network folder is defined in a field named Network folder for sharing workspace files:.
Chapter 3 Installation
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Congratulations
You have successfully installed Global Workspace Manager!
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Click the <Yes> button to confirm that you want to remove Global Workspace Manager
from the computer.
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2. You will see a MicroStation box displayed in the area above the grid. This area is
called the group panel. Display of the group panel is controlled by Settings | Grid
appearance | Show Group Panel.
3. Hover your mouse pointer over the Project column heading, right-click the mouse
and choose Group By This Column.
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You will see that a project box is added to the group panel. In the grid, the groups can
be expanded or collapsed by clicking on the + or - sign on the group heading in
the grid. This grid allows you to view which versions of MicroStation are used by
each user that worked on a particular project.
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3. Click the Variables tab. A message at the top of the grid will display the number of
workspaces selected and the total number of variables displayed.
4. Hover your mouse over the Variable column header (the second column by
default). The column header will change color and a small Filter icon will display
on the column header.
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5. Click the Filter icon and a popup menu displays with a list of all the values found
in that column. Use the mouse wheel or the menu controls to scroll down the list to
locate the variable _USTN_PROJECTSROOT.
6. Click (or select) the _USTN_PROJECTROOT variable and it sets a filter which
causes only that variable to display in the column.
This shows us some very important information about the selected variable. It shows
each level that the variable was modified at and its value (also known as its
expansion) at each configuration level.
7. In the lower-left corner of the Global Workspace Manager window, select the radio
button labeled Show only the final value of each variable.
At this point we see only the final values of each variable. It is easy to see the
differences between workspaces on different workstations. You can widen the
Variable column, as needed for better readability.
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When the database creation is complete, the progress dialog will disappear and the
following Tip screen will display.
The Tip window explains terms and provides help for new Global Workspace
Manager users.
Each of Global Workspace Managers tabs has its own tip. Click the Dont show this
again check box to prevent the tip from displaying the next time that tab is opened.
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Grouping
Information in the grid can be grouped by columns. What this means is that
workspaces with identical values (such as MicroStation version or Location) in the
column being grouped by will be grouped together in the grid. This goes beyind merely
sorting by a column the data is presented differently.
To group by a column, right-click on its heading and choose Group By This Column.
Tip: You can also click and drag the column header and release it just above its original
position to create a group. This destination area is called the group panel.
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This shows the grouping when column headers Location and Computer
Name are dragged into the group panel.
Ungrouping
Ungrouping is done by dragging the column header from the group panel or rightclicking in the group panel and clicking on the Clear Grouping option. A third option is
to right-click on the column header in the group panel and click on UnGroup.
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Sorting
Global Workspace Manager allows you to sort any column by left-clicking on the
column header. Columns can be sorted in either ascending or descending order. A small
arrow pointing upwards on the column header shows that the column is sorted in
ascending order. When the arrow points down, the column is sorted in descending order.
Click the column header again to change the sort type from ascending to descending.
Hold the <Shift> key down and click on additional columns to use advanced sorting: A
small digit will display next to sort the arrow in each sorted column to designate primary,
secondary and subsequent sort priorities
Filtering
Click on the filter symbol (a small icon resembling a funnel) to enable filtering
by that column.
The filter symbol does not display until the mouse is over the column header. Click on
the filter icon to open the filter drop down list containing available filter values.
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Level Selection...
This is only available on the Variables and Category tabs. It allows the user to toggle
the display of MicroStation configuration levels on or off. The <Apply> button updates
the grid to the current settings. The <Hide> button closes the window. Hiding the
window leaves the levels as last set. Any levels that were turned of will remain turned off
until changed in this window or Global Workspace Manager is restarted.
Show Tooltips
This option is on by default. When on, tips will display hints on using Global Workspace
Manager. These tips will display in the bottom of the Global Workspace Manager
window.
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Load Layout
This lets you load named grid layouts that you have previously saved using the Save
Layout tool.
Save Layout
This lets you save the columns, filters, groups, levels and sorting from a currently
displayed grid You can load this layout in a later session.
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Grid Appearance
These menu items change the column header colors and toggle on and off display
features, such as display of the group pane. It is also to apply a theme or skin to Global
Workspace Manager from this submenu.
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Expression Builder
Global Workspace Managers Expression Builder helps you define conditional
workspace configurations. Clicking on any of the Directives or Variable Referencing
Functions buttons populates the text window with the correct syntax to execute that
command.
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4. The Expression Builder will then add the name of the configuration variable to the
expression. For example:
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The Workspaces tab lists all the workspaces that are available for Global
Workspace Manager to manage.
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Double-clicking on any row will open up the configuration file that contains that variable
for editing. If you are using the built-in editor, Global Workspace Manager will
automatically highlight the first line that contains the variable that you double-clicked on,
which is very convenient. Pressing the <F3> key will find the next occurrence of that
variable in that configuration file, if any. After making changes and saving the file, the
modified configuration file will be sent back to the workstation via the shared network
folder, which is constantly monitored by Workspace Client.
The Variables tab lists all the variables defined in the workspaces you
selected in the Workspaces tab.
The File Order tab shows all the configuration files that are used to define
the workspaces you selected in the Workspaces tab.
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One use for the File Order tab is to copy configuration files from one workstation to
several others or to a single arbitrary location. You can copy a project configuration file
with all project resources in one easy step. From the File Order tab, right-click on a
project configuration file (a file with a name ending in .pcf) and choose Copy
Then a window will display asking you to choose to copy your configuration file to a
server (really any arbitrary location) or to one or more workstation.
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If you push the <Server> button, youll then need to choose the destination folder. Click
on the <OK> button to copy the project configuration file to the selected location. You
will be asked if you would like to create a project folder. Choosing <Yes> will create a
project folder named the same as the project configuration file. You will then be asked if
you would like to copy project resources to the project folder. Such resources include cell
libraries, seed files and more.
A window will display the folders found and give you the option to choose which folders
to copy. Click on the check box to toggle which subfolders are included in the copy. The
copy process is not limited to project resources.
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It is possible to copy any configuration file to any or all workstations that exist in the
database. From the File Order tab select a .cfg file the right click and select copy
from the pop up menu. Select the <Workstation> button as the destination. Click on
<No> when asked to send back to the original location. A Select Workstations window
will display.
You can opt to copy the configuration file to any combination of workstations or all
workstations. Click <Next> once youve chosen your destination workstations.
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The Destinations window lists the selected locations, the computer names, computer user
and the suggested destination. Global Workspace Manager determines the configuration
level of the source file and matches the configuration level on the destination
workstation. Global Workspace Manager uses the most recent workspace used by the
destination computer as the suggested destination. If this is not correct, you can select all
or some workstations and browse to a different destination folder. The <Browse>
button will display existing paths that are in the database as choices to copy to. Select a
destination path and click on the <Select> button. Verify your selection in the destination
window and click the <Copy> button to start the copy.
Note on How Copy Works: Saving changes to a file or copying files using the
workstation as the destination will save a copy of the file to the network folder. Copies of
Workspace Client running on each workstation monitor this folder waiting to download
these files when they appear. If a given workstation is offline the files will be copied next
time that the workstation starts up.
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In the Category tab, you can see variables organized in the same categories
as they are organized in MicroStations Workspace | Configuration box.
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