MicroStation CONNECT Edition Help

Extensions Configuration Variables

The following table lists the configuration variables that affect extensions. Each configuration variable expects a valid value. An invalid value will not override a setting. You do not need to close and restart in order for the configuration variable change to take effect.

Variable Description
EC_EXTENSION_ASSEMBLIES Used for internal implementation. Do not modify.
MS_ACIS Directory containing the ACIS subsystem.
MS_APP Search path(s) of applications started from “TSK” statements.
MS_BATCHPLT_SPECS Sets the location of the batchplt.spc file, which contains the print specifications used by Print Organizer.
MS_BUTTONMENU Defines the file name for the default mouse button menu. The default name is "default.btnmenu" located in the MS_DATA directory. When you create or modify a button menu, the default button menu acts as a seed for modification.
MS_CLRUICULTURE Used for internal implementation. Do not modify.
MS_CUSTOMIZE_REPORT_STYLESHEET Defines the file name and location for HTML reports on templates and customizations. The default style sheet is named “customizereport.xsl” and is stored in ..\Default\Data\ folder of MicroStation's program directory.
MS_DATA_PDFL Used for internal implementation only. Do not modify.
MS_DGNTEXTEDITORFAVORITESYMBOLS Defines the file path where the favorite symbol preferences are stored.
MS_DGNTEXTEDITORFAVORITESYMBOLSSEED Defines the file path that, if exists, and if MS_DGNTEXTEDITORFAVORITESYMBOLS does not, it will be copied once to seed the favorite symbol preferences.
MS_DGNTEXTEDITORPREF Defines the file path where the text editor preferences are stored.
MS_DGNTEXTEDITORPREFSEED Defines the file path that, if exists, and if MS_DGNTEXTEDITORPREF does not, it will be copied once to seed the text editor preferences.
MS_DOCKINGPREF Defines the location of the file that stores docking preferences such as which dialogs are docked, where they are docked, and the size of the docking areas.
MS_DRAGDROPTYPES Defines location and file name for the file extensions associations. This is accessed through File > Tools > File Associate. The default file name is dragdrop.txt, which will be created in the %LOCALAPPDATA%\Bentley\<product_name>\<product_version>\ folder.
MS_ECREPOSITORY_PROPERTYENABLER_SKIPPED_ECSCHEMAS Used to remove certain item types from appearing in the Explorer dialog Items tab and Advanced Search dialog. The list is delimited by semicolons and the ECSchema names must be fully qualified with their version number, for example, “MySchema.01.00;BentleyPlant.05.00”. There is rarely a need for users to change it.
MS_EXPLORERSETTINGSSEED XML file containing default user Explorer settings. This file is used to define Explorer settings if the file defined by MS_EXPLORER_SETTINGS is not found.
MS_EXPLORER_SETTINGS XML file containing user Explorer settings.
MS_GPSDEVICES Specifies the GPS devices supported by MicroStation. It should not be changed by users.
MS_GROUPPANELPREF Defines the location of the file that stores the saved state of group panels in various dialogs. These include dialogs such as View Attributes, and stores the open state of the groups, as well as any custom settings that the dialog can associate with the groups.
MS_GEOCOORDINATE_USEBASEATTACHMENTGCS If set to true, and the nested reference has no GCS attached, it will use its root reference GCS to do the re-projection for this nested reference.
MS_HANDLER_LOAD Used to control element handlers. This variable should not be changed by users.
MS_KEYPAIRLIST Digital signature KeyPair file list.
MS_LUXOLOGY Points to the directory where the DLLs related to Luxology are stored.
MS_MDLSTUB_LOAD List of MDL Applications that will be stub-loaded, which means their resources are loaded but the code portion of the application is not yet loaded.
MS_OPENCASCADE Used for internal implementation. Do not modify.
MS_POINTCLOUD_APPS Loads any specified MDL applications along with the PointCloud Handler whenever a point cloud is attached in a model. To load the MDL application every time you attach a point cloud, add the name of the MDL application to this variable.
MS_POINTOOLS Points to the directory where the DLLs related to Pointools are stored.
MS_POSITIONMAPPING_CONFIGURATION If set to 1, displays the Position Mapping category in the Preferences dialog.
MS_PROCESSEXCEPTIONLOG MicroStation exception.log and minidump.dmp management.
MS_PRODUCTCODEGUID Used for internal implementation. Do not modify.
MS_PROPERTYENABLER_APPS Lists the applications to be loaded that are required for displaying properties in the Properties dialog.
MS_PUBLISH_EXTENSIONSASSEMBLIES Used for internal implementation. Do not modify.
MS_PWCSLIGHTING Used for internal implementation. Do not modify.
MS_RASTER_DEF_DIR If absent, there is no effect.

If present, defines the default directory to which the Attach Raster Reference menu will point to (Default raster file open directory).

MS_REALDWG_APPS Lists the adapters for Bentley Enhanced Object Enablers that will be loaded into the product when it starts.
MS_DWG_OBJECTDBX A list of files that contain object enablers that may need to be loaded at the startup of RealDWG. These are native object enablers, and not Bentley Enhance Object Enablers that are specified in MS_REALDWG_APPS. Most object enablers are automatically loaded by custom objects in a DWG file on file open. However, if an object enabler is not designed to be demand loaded by its objects, it may be manually loaded by appending the file name to this configuration variable.

For example, if you set this configuration variable to C:\MyObjectEnablers\my1stApp.dbx;"C:\Program Files\Autodesk\AutoCAD 2017\my2ndApp.dbx", on startup, it will allow RealDWG to try loading the native AutoCAD object enablers my1stApp.dbx and my2ndApp.dbx.

MS_SELECTBY Defines the directory for the selectby.rsc file to be written to and read from. The selectby.rsc is used by the Select by Attributes tool to save and retrieve sets of selection criteria. The default setting is MS_SELECTBY=$(_USTN_HOMEROOT).
MS_SELECTSERVICESHOME URL of Bentley SELECTservices homepage.
MS_SHAREDCONTENTDIR Defines the location of the visualization shared content directory.
MS_KEEPSKETCHUPTEXTUREFILES Stores the SketchUp texture files after the SketchUp file is closed. These texture files are stored in a folder in the same location where the SketchUp file is saved.
MS_SYMBOLPROVIDER_APPS Allows developers to register a managed assembly as an application that provides additional symbols for use in named expressions.
MS_SYSFONTDIR Directory containing the system fonts.
MS_TASKMAPFILES Used for internal implementation only. Do not modify.
MS_TEMPLATEEXTENDER_APPS Used to make terrain model properties available in the Element Templates dialog.
MS_PLT_RASTERIZED_MAX_TILE_WIDTH Used to improve performance of rasterized printing. Default Width and Height size is 2048 and max is 8192, which could also help with large raster’s plotting.
MS_PLT_RASTERIZED_MAX_TILE_HEIGHT Used to improve performance of rasterized printing. Default Width and Height size is 2048 and max is 8192, which could also help with large raster’s plotting.
MS_XATTRIBUTE_HANDLER_LOAD Used to control terrain model elements. This variable should not be changed by users.
MS_XCOMMAND_RSCS Used for internal implementation only. Do not modify.
MSDIR_INSTALLED Directory where MicroStation is installed. This configuration variable cannot be modified.
PWDIR This variable appears only if MicroStation is integrated with ProjectWise and it points to the location of the ProjectWise working directory.

The following table lists the configuration variables that appear in the Configuration Variables dialog’s Extensions category only when you have a JT file open.

Variable Description
JTEXPORT_USING_POINT If set to -1, selects the Min. Line Length check box. Variable only appears when a JT file has been exported.
TEXPORT_USING_ANGLE If set to -1, selects the Angle Tolerance check box. Variable only appears when a JT file has been exported.
JTEXPORT_USING_CHORD If set to -1, selects the Chord Tolerance check box. Variable only appears when a JT file has been exported.
JTEXPORT_NESTING_LEVEL Used to set the Reference Nesting Level. Variable only appears when a JT file has been exported.
JTVERSION Used to set the JT version. Variable only appears when a JT file has been exported.
JTEXPORT_BREP By default, JT Interface exports solid and surface data as a kind of mesh data. If this configuration variable is set, the solids and surfaces are exported as B-rep data. Variable only appears when a JT file has been exported.
JTEXPORT_2D_CURVE If set to 1, selects the Export 2D Elements check box. Variable only appears when a JT file has been exported.
JTEXPORT_USED_FACET If set to 1, selects the Use MicroStation Facet check box. Variable only appears when a JT file has been exported.
JTEXPORT_SEWING If set to 1, will stitch adjoining Smart Surfaces and reduce the faceting, thus reducing the file size. It is suggested not to use this configuration variable unless the file contains mainly surface geometry, as it can have a lengthy processing time. Variable only appears when a JT file has been exported.
JTEXPORT_SIMPLIFY If set to 1, will decimate existing meshes, thus reducing the file size. The level of detail will be lower than the original subject, so it is suggested to only use this configuration variable with meshes with very small facets. Variable only appears when a JT file has been exported.
JTEXPORT_BSURFACE If set to 1, selects the Mesh as Set check box. Variable only appears when a JT file has been exported.
JTEXPORT_WITHOUT_PRIMITIVE If set to 1, selects the Facet Primitives check box. Variable only appears when a JT file has been exported.
JTEXPORT_WITHOUT_INSTANCE If set to 1, selects the No Instance check box. Variable only appears when a JT file has been exported.
JTEXPORT_POINT_TOLERANCE Used to set a value for Min. Line Length. Variable only appears when a JT file has been exported.
JTEXPORT_ANGLE_TOLERANCE Used to set a value for Angle Tolerance. Variable only appears when a JT file has been exported.
JTEXPORT_CHORD_TOLERANCE Used to set a value for Chord Tolerance. Variable only appears when a JT file has been exported.