OpenBuildings™ Designer Help

To update a model from an ISM repository

  1. Open a DGN file containing the Structural model you want to import changes to, and make it the active model.
  2. Select ( Update ISM Repository ) from the ribbon.

    The ISM Import dialog opens.

  3. (Optional) Activate the Logging and Revision Tracking options by menu selections Settings > Logging and Settings > Revision Tracking.
  4. Review and modify the ISM Use mappings by selecting OpenBuildings Designer DataGroup types and instances with the Type and Instance pick lists in the ISM Import dialog's member table.
  5. Activate Automatic Coping to cope all incoming member pairs by selecting Settings > Automatic Coping > Cope Imported Model.
    Note: Automatic coping uses standard Structural discipline coping functionality.
  6. Define automatic coping settings for individual member pairs being imported by selecting Settings > Automatic Coping > Settings. This opens the Model Coping Settings dialog where the controls provided are used to define coping options for individual member pairs.
  7. (Optional) Select Settings > Section Map to open the Mapping Sections dialog where incoming sections that do not match any of the loaded section definitions can be mapped. While in the Mapping Sections, highlight the sections you want to map (displayed with red text), and right click. This opens a pop up menu with options to Select map Name or Rename.

    Choose Select Map Name. The Structural Sections dialog appears. Select the section you want to map (now displayed with blue text indicating the section is mapped), and click OK.

    Save your mapping choices to a settings file for reuse when importing changes from the same ISM repository or for exporting changes back to it by selecting Mapping Settings > Save As from the Mapping Sections dialog menu bar.

    Note: When you chose this option, the settings file location is automatically saved via the configuration variable SECTIONMAPPING_SETTING.
    CAUTION: If the incoming sections are not mapped individually using the Mapping Sections dialog, you will be prompted to select a default section. The default section will be used for all the unmapped incoming sections.
  8. Click Import.

    The Commit Message dialog appears. Enter a change description.

    Tip: If the project contains multiple building definitions, the building used previously for merging the ISM floors information must be selected. This is done with the Select Building dialog. It appears automatically when multiple buildings exist in the project. If the project does not contain multiple buildings, the Select Building dialog does not appear. From the Select Building dialog, select the building definition used to contain the ISM floors information. Then click OK.
  9. A progress bar then appears and displays the overall import status including information about Structural member types being imported. Structural Synchronizer opens. The potential changes to be made in OpenBuildings Designer are displayed in the Objects panel. In Structural Synchronizer’s Object panel, review the potential changes. Using the controls provided, select the changes you want to accept, reject, or remain as undecided. Then click Update Application.

    Structural Synchronizer closes.

  10. Select All and Accept. Then click Update Application.

    The Commit Message dialog opens.

    The ISM progress bar appears again. When completed, Structural Synchronizer closes.

    A progress bar appears again, and indicates members are being written to the file.

    Note: The actions in this procedure step occur outside of OpenBuildings Designer. The tools and settings described are native to Structural Synchronizer. Please refer to Structural Synchronizer Help for more information.
  11. The Update Design Results dialog appears prompting you to review and update the DGN file with the imported changes. From the Update Design Results dialog, click Update. The Structural discipline progress bar appears again, and indicates members are being written to the file.