Use MicroStation V8i and The CONNECT Edition together on the Same Project!
As a MicroStation V8i user, aspiring to upgrade to the CONNECT Edition, you might find yourself stuck on projects consuming MicroStation V8i and might not be comfortable upgrading to the CONNECT Edition midway through the project. But, at the same time, you do not want to miss out on the advantages that the CONNECT Edition has to offer.
There is good news for you!
You can use MicroStation V8i and The CONNECT Edition together on the same project!
MicroStation CONNECT Edition and MicroStation V8i can coexist on the same workstation and you can use V8i + CONNECT mixed workflows to see your project through. Such a parallel installation allows you to increase productivity by letting you choose the version based on the features you wish to use. New projects can be delivered using CONNECT Edition while completing existing ones, using both V8i and CONNECT.
How?
Installation of both versions on the same machine eases the adoption of CONNECT Edition allowing you to become familiar with the new user interface and capabilities while continuing productively on V8i. Many legacy V8i tools are also made available in the CONNECT Edition to provide you with higher flexibility. Since all design files are forward and backward compatible, even if you must work with older-formats for project deliverables, CONNECT Edition can be used right away for faster, smarter work.
For steps to create a Hybrid WorkSet you can refer to the article below:
5 Easy Steps to Create a Hybrid WorkSet in the MicroStation CONNECT Edition.
Key Features of CONNECT you can use to enhance your V8i Projects:
Tables
Tables are crucial when you need to add information like bill of materials, schedules, legends, and other information in an organized tabular format in the sheets. Unfortunately, V8i lacks a proper tool for creating and placing tables making the simple task of table creation a tedious and time-consuming process. The CONNECT Edition’s Place Table tool is exactly what you need for this. You can create and place customizable tables which are almost Microsoft Excel like in behavior, saving you a lot of time.
You will find the following articles useful:
Tables in V8i Vs Tables in CONNECT Customizing Tables in CONNECT Creating Templates for Tables
Also watch — Place and Format a Table for Plan Sheet
Sheet Tracking and Ordering
In V8i the process of sheet creation and numbering is mostly manual and as you know any manual process is open to errors and time consuming.
If your project has drawings that are ready but pending only for sheet composition, CONNECT Edition has an efficient sheet tracking and ordering system that you can take advantage of. You can open your DGNs in CONNECT Edition and start composing sheets. The Sheet Index feature in CONNECT allows you to add sheets to the sheet index at the time of sheet creation, making sheet indexing automatic and hence quicker and more efficient.
In CONNECT Edition you can customize sheet numbering based on the standards of your choice. This article gives you an “apples to apples” comparison of the sheet numbering process between V8i and CONNECT Edition.
You can read more on how to create a sheet index, add sheets to the index and customize numbering here.
3D Modeling
If you work on 3D modeling tools in V8i, CONNECT Edition has interesting Parametric Modeling tools which you can use for your new projects and work with smarter geometries. For your ongoing projects, you can still move to the CONNECT Edition smoothly and make use of our legacy solid modeling tools that are still available in the CONNECT Edition. So now you can work productively with your legacy data sets also enjoying the benefits of CONNECT’s 64-bit architecture and any other CONNECT features that you might find useful in your ongoing projects.
However, it is not recommended to use CONNECT solid modeling tools on legacy feature solids since the new CONNECT tools will upgrade the legacy solids into CONNECT parametric solids. Here are few tips on using such a hybrid set-up of tools for 3D modeling.
Here is how Parametric Modeling is more efficient as compared to using Feature Modeling.
CONNECT Services
The CONNECT Edition brings in a gamut of cloud based CONNECT Services that you can use to manage your projects. These services include Issue Resolution Service, Project Standards Sharing Service, Cloud Storage and Sharing, CONNECT Advisor, Components Center, ProjectWise ContextShare, and more to be added soon. These services provide you with a platform for enhanced collaboration between teams and expedite project delivery. By allowing teams to share data and information, entire workflows change for the better. For example, the Issue Resolution Service replaces the traditional markup workflow of paper and pencil with a fully digital workflow that allows for more information to be shared than through a simple note on a piece of paper. Using Components Center you can quickly share a library of parametric cells with any member of your CONNECTED team.
To Summarize the Benefits of a Combined Setup:
- All design files are forward and backward compatible so you can open V8i files in CONNECT and vice versa.
- Legacy V8i solid modeling tools are available in the CONNECT Edition.
- You can make use of smarter tools and features available in the CONNECT Edition.
- You can take advantage of Cloud Services available in CONNECT.
As you use your legacy tools in the CONNECT Edition you may find some time to explore the new features and enhancements that CONNECT Edition has to offer. So please feel free to use the V8i — CONNECT hybrid work flow to get the best of both worlds.
Accreditation
The content published on Medium is used to promote MicroStation CONNECT Edition. For additional information and to find this post and other blog posts, Wiki’s, Announcements on the Bentley Communities website, click here
If you’re interested in speaking with a Bentley expert about making the move to MicroStation CONNECT Edition, please complete this form to have someone contact you to provide advice and assistance.
Thank you for reading!
