Be Newsletter: Issue #73

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Bentley tips  

Civil tip: Scale referenced cross sections in GEOPAK Civil Engineering Suite
With the latest version of cross section sheet layout we have reintroduced the ability to scale the referenced cross sections.

ROAD > CROSS SECTION SHEET COMPOSITION

Added to the tool is a Scale Cross Sections option under the File pull-down on the dialog. This new option allows you to scale the cross sections to any desired scale (e.g. convert cross sections cut at 1:1 scale to 4:1, 2:1, etc.).

Submitted by: Ignacio de Almagro III, P.E., Senior Manager, Technical Support, Bentley Civil

How you can display a line representing where two surfaces intersect in InRoads

To do this, use the Generate Isopach Surface and Pass Through Contours tools.  The Generate Isopach Surface command computes the elevation differences between the two surfaces and generates a surface based on these computations.

Make sure that the staking for the Isopach Surface is set to “ALL.” Then all surface points will be picked up, and the new surface will be much more accurate.

To view the intersecting line, display the single contour at elevation 0 of the Isopach Surface, which is the intersecting point.

An application that allows a single contour of an elevation to be displayed can be added by following these steps: 

• Go to TOOLS > APPLICATION ADD-INS and click Hydrology and Hydraulics Add-In. 
• Select EVALUATION > HYDROLOGY AND HYDRAULICS > PASS THROUGH CONTOURS. 
• Select the Isopach Surface in the Surface pull-down menu.
• In the key-in field for the CAD software (MicroStation or AutoCAD), enter a value of 0 for the elevation.

This will place a contour at the zero elevation, and you now have a line representing where two surfaces intersect.

Submitted by: Chris Key, Engineer in Training (EIT), Bentley Civil Engineering

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Client Server articles

InterPlot products are now part of the ProjectWise family: What does this mean to today’s InterPlot user?

InterPlot Client and Digital InterPlot are now a part of the ProjectWise family of products and have been renamed. InterPlot Client is now named ProjectWise.
>> more  

Using VBA to Programmatically Import a VBA Project's Components and References
This article is a continuation of the December 2, 2004, Client Server article entitled “Using VBA to Programmatically Export a VBA Project."
>> more 

Recovering Corrupt DGN and DWG Files
Have you ever said, "My deadline is tomorrow and my file won't open!" when you are working on a design that is critical to your project?
>> more  

Enhanced Selection Set Features from WaterCAD and WaterGEMS
Bentley developers have enhanced the original Selection Set feature from WaterCAD and WaterGEMS to create a trio of powerful modeling tools for the V8 release.
>> more  

Frequently Asked Questions About Bentley Building Electrical Systems
In a new file, none of the BBES commands are working. Why? How can I access projects on our network using the Project Navigator tool? More . . .
 >> more  

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Be User Conferences

Nebraska User Group Spring Conference 2008
March 18-19, 2008, Cornhusker Marriott Hotel,  Lincoln, Neb.

Be User Group Officers meeting
The Be Conference will host the Be User Group Officers meeting.  Dates and venue will be announced shortly.

Florida Local Users Group (FLUG)
May 28-30, Radisson Resort at the Port in Cape Canaveral, Fla.

Watch for more upcoming Be User Group events.
>> more 

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Bentley eSeminars

Find the most recent and most popular MicroStation/ProjectWise, Building, Civil, Geospatial, and Plant eSeminars from Bentley, with links to Bentley resources in each vertical.
>> more

Bentley LEARN
See how Bentley LEARN delivers training to every desk in your organization.  This eSeminar includes a high-level overview of Bentley LEARN and a quick demonstration of the OnDemand eLearning resources provided by this learning subscription program.
>> more 

eSeminars Available From Integrated Structural Solutions Seminar
Bentleys’ Structural Engineering Group recently held a seminar on integrated structural solutions for plant applications in Houston, Texas. One of the attendees, James Yong, PE, SE with TechnipUSA, said, "I was very impressed with the seminar. In fact, I am requesting that my company purchase RAM Connection and STAAD.foundation licenses after viewing the capabilities of the programs.”
 
The seminar highlighted the new version of STAAD.Pro, as well as the integration with RAM Connection and STAAD.foundation. The seminar demonstrated an integrated workflow for industrial structures utilizing STAAD.Pro 2007, STAAD.foundation, and RAM Connection.

You can view these seminars
Integrated Structural Design for Industrial Structures (STAAD.Pro - Part 1)
 

Integrated Structural Design for Industrial Structures (STAAD.Pro - Part 2)
 

Integrated Structural Design for Industrial Structures (RAM Connection)
 

Integrated Structural Design for Industrial Structures (STAAD.foundation)

U.K. PowerCivil Seminars
Bentley PowerCivil is a comprehensive design solution offering engineers and designers a flexible 2D and 3D tool for all types of land development and site modeling and local road links and improvements. Bentley PowerCivil can be used for:

• Residential or retail site development 
• Local road improvements – junctions and roundabouts
• Commercial building, plant, and manufacturing sites
• Urban complexes, parks, and golf courses
• Airports and rail terminals
• Dams, mines, and landfills
• Drainage, utility, and floodplain modeling

Please join us at one of the eight locations below early next year to learn how Bentley PowerCivil could increase productivity, enhance existing workflows, and help to deliver a variety of your projects on time and on budget.

>> more (register)

ProjectWise Navigator
>> more   

Data Manager/Datasheets eSeminar
>> more 

AutoPLANT P&ID
>> more 

AutoPLANT Equipment
>> more 

AutoPLANT Piping
>> more 

MicroStation - Consolidate Your CAD Platform
Are two CAD platforms too many for your organization? Why not consolidate on one that has the capabilities of both? Learn how you can work as a team on a series of projects with different consultants that use different tools. Find out how you can increase your organization’s ROI when you reduce the burden of managing two platforms and consolidate on just one – MicroStation.
>> more 

Create PDF with MicroStation V8 XM Edition
Watch this eSeminar to learn more about immutable PDF file publishing capabilities of MicroStation. See how easy it is to add comments to the PDF files using Adobe Acrobat. Learn how to attach PDF files as a reference within a DGN, and learn how to create interactive 3D PDF files that contain rendered models with switchable level or layer structures and pre-defined animations for playback and review.
>> more  

ProjectWise Passport
Did you know that every MicroStation license covered by a current Bentley SELECT agreement is eligible for a ProjectWise Passport at no additional charge? And did you know that each ProjectWise Passport licenses its holder to use a number of Bentley products, including ProjectWise StartPoint, ProjectWise Navigator, and ProjectWise InterPlot Organizer?
>> more 

ProjectWise InterPlot
This presentation provides useful insight on the broad capabilities of ProjectWise InterPlot publishing solutions. ProjectWise InterPlot automates manual and repetitive processes to produce paper and intelligent PDF renditions from drawings and Microsoft Office documents. Using common interfaces and settings, print sets are published on-demand or at the time of workflow events.
>> more 

Visual Collaboration with ProjectWise Navigator
Joe Croser, global marketing director, Bentley Platform and SELECT, highlights the challenges associated with assembling a variety of project content in one place for design review and analysis. You can learn to:

• Assemble 2D/3D content from hundreds of applications and file stores
• Review designs and models in an immersive and homogenous environment
• Enrich content by adding comments, project links, and materials for visualization
• Analyze and simulate construction schedules and assess buildability
• Produce portable and intelligent work packages for downstream activities
  >>more  

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Bentley seminars

Water Loss Seminar and Workshop 2008
Jan. 28-30, Marbella, Spain
Registration is now opened for this global event about the latest modeling technology for water loss detection and reduction. It will feature technical presentations by water loss experts as well as two half-day WaterCAD and WaterGEMS workshops.
>> more  

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Bentley Institute training calendar

The worldwide schedule of Bentley Institute training
>> more 

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Bentley white papers

Improving Water Utility Revenue by State-of-the-Art Modeling Paradigm
In this article published in Asian Water, Zheng Yi Wu, Ph.D., and Xinghua Xu take a look at the latest development of integrated simulation-optimization modeling paradigms and demonstrate the benefits for municipalities.
>> more (PDF format)  

Making PDS Interoperable
In a recent survey taken by Bentley, 90 percent of users said the transition from PDS is important to them. However, only 28 percent said they had enough information to make a decision on which route to take.

This paper is intended to fill that information gap. It sets out options for PDS users to continue gaining value from their PDS systems, and to take an evolutionary approach toward a transition using the components of Bentley's DigitalPlant solution. It also provides information about future developments that will help users work out the timing of investments.
>>more  

Managing PDS Documents Effectively
Failing to manage and track all the work-in-progress design files for the complete project makes synchronization between distributed design teams virtually impossible, and can have disastrous consequences for the project. This white paper investigates the processes involved in managing PDS projects and makes recommendations for process improvements.
>>more 

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MicroStation tips from aksinga.com

(Free registration required)

Set your tentative (snap) point readout mode
Ever wonder how to change your tentative (snap) readouts? If so, then read this. (Updated Nov. 13 with information about MicroStation V8 XM Edition.)
>> more  

Superscript^Text and Subscript_Text 

This article was inspired by posts in the Bentley discussion groups and explores a variety of options for placing Superscript^Text and Subscript_Text in both MicroStation V8 and MicroStation/J  files. Updated Nov. 13.
>> more 

Disable auto-highlighting when passing cursor over elements
In MicroStation XM, filled shapes "strobe" as you move your cursor over them. This is partly the result of enabling Identify Elements Automatically in AccuSnap. It can be turned off via the AccuSnap Settings dialog.

Better yet, use a key-in on a function key or custom button. The available key-ins are:

accusnap autolocate on
accusnap autolocate off
accusnap autolocate toggle

When this setting is off, it may affect the operation of other tools. For example, see these articles: http://www.askinga.com/searchResults.asp?s=identify+elements+automatically
>> more 

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