CONNECT Edition Configuration Changes

• Terminology Changes: The overall usage of configuration files and configuration variables is now referred to a "Configuration" (previously "Workspaces").

  In CONNECT Edition, a "WorkSpace" is a container grouping WorkSets, standards files, and associated configuration files.

  The grouping of configuration files and configuration variables used across an entire organization is referred to as the "Organization" level (previously "Site" level). Grouping of files and associated data is now referred to as a "WorkSet" (previously "Project").

  Note: "Project" terminology can be problematic, because organizations use the term for a business purpose that is rarely precisely correlated to the data grouping in Bentley Applications. For example, the configuration variable level formerly known as "Project" is now the "WorkSet" level.

  In V8i, "Projects" are organized by "User". Selecting a different User changes the list of available Projects, and changes the user preference (.upf) and user configuration (.ucf) files in use. In CONNECT Edition, User has been removed from the user interface. Each CONNECT user has their own personal .upf and .ucf files, associated with their Windows login, so that configuration variables that they set and user preferences that they select are not affected by the WorkSpace or WorkSet they are working on.

• Folder Structure Differences: In V8i, the default delivery directory is to a root directory containing the Workspace, and Documentation subdirectories. In keeping with the terminology change discussed above, the Workspace directory is renamed to Configuration. The V8i WorkSpace directory includes Bentley-provided system data in the System subdirectory. That is a disadvantage because some of that data is version specific, so in CONNECT Edition, there is no Configuration\System directory. Its contents are now in a subdirectory within the Program directory typically under Program Files\Bentley\<ApplicationName>.
  Note: See the " Directory Structure " topic for more information.
• Configuration Levels: In V8i, there are 5 configuration levels, organized from lowest to highest priority. In CONNECT Edition, there are 7 configuration levels, also organized from lowest to highest priority.
  Note: Configuration Variables defined at higher levels override definitions at lower levels.

  V8i	CONNECT Edition
  0 - System 1 - Application 2 - Site 3 - Project 4 - User	0 - System 1 - Application 2 - Organization 3 - WorkSpace 4 - WorkSet 5 - Role 6 - User

  In a V8i configuration file, the level at which Configuration Variables are defined is set using the %level directive, specifying one of the numbers in the left column above (e.g. %level 1). An alternative was to put the level number at which Configuration Files were to be processed in the %include statement.

  In a CONNECT Edition configuration file, the level is still set using the %level directive, but now the argument is one of the text values in the right column instead of the number (e.g. %level Application). That improves readability of configuration files. You can still specify a number, but a warning is generated because it is an indication that you might be processing a CONNECT Edition configuration file, and the configuration level number might no longer be correct. Most of the time, the %level directives (or level settings in %include statements) are in Bentley-delivered configuration files that sequence inclusion of user-authored configuration files, rather than in user-authored configuration files. However, advanced users may have used %level directives, and thus might encounter the warning.

• Configuration Variable Changes: Framework Configuration Variables in OpenBuildings Designer CONNECT Edition that are either new or have been replaced configuration variables in OpenBuildings Designer V8i.
• CONNECT Edition WorkSpace and WorkSet Configuration Enhancements:
  • Ability to Select Custom Configuration Directory at Install Time
  • Change in Configuration Directory
  • Ability to Change the Location of DGN WorkSet (DGNWS) File

Configuration Variables Dialog

Configuration Variables

With the changes to CONNECT Edition relative to Workspaces, the introduction of "Organization", "WorkSets" and "Standards" and the corresponding directory changes, the CONNECT Edition introduces several new configuration variables, and either supersedes and deprecates others.