ProjectWise Connector V8i for ArcGIS

Support for Disconnected Editing Workflows

ProjectWise Connector for ArcGIS supports distributed batch extraction and posting. This is ideal for field or design workflows where editing occurs in Bentley Map disconnected from the geodatabase. The extracted DGN(s) contains all the information from the geodatabase and therefore can be edited in a disconnected mode. The ArcGIS Connector relies upon the power of Bentley’s XML Feature Modeling (XFM) capabilities working with Bentley Map to ensure that geodatabase definitions and constraints are respected during the editing session. The revised information is posted back to a version of the geodatabase via the ArcGIS Connector.

XML Feature Modeling

XML Feature Modeling (XFM) manages attribution, set properties, relationships and placement behaviors during editing in a MicroStation application. Through this mechanism, XML metadata drives dialog choices and design behaviors to provide an intelligently directed user environment. It also ensures that disconnected design sessions inherit appropriate database schema and conform to domain constraints. XML Feature Modeling is a standard capability of Bentley’s GIS products.

Native Geodatabase Data Support

During the extraction process, geodatabase constraints, domains, parameters and rules are read, maintained and written to the workspace as XML and are managed through Bentley’s XML Feature Modeling (XFM) capabilities. Point, line, polygon and annotation feature classes and categorization are supported, including the domain constraints and subtypes that can be associated with those features.

ProjectWise Connector for ArcGIS offers symbology support for text-based annotations. Symbology to be assigned to point, line and polygon features during an extraction is defined with an administrator tool, thus automating a fully symbolized DGN. Once the data is extracted, users of XFM applications can use the data for design review or modification. Driven by the XFM engine, the feature placement tools and dialogs strictly adhere to the geodatabase schema and limit the user to performing operations within specified domains and constraints.

On-the-Fly Coordinate System Transformation

ProjectWise Connector for ArcGIS supports on-the-fly coordinate system transformation. Store your data in one coordinate system, but view and edit it in a different one. The ProjectWise Connector for ArcGIS supports more than five thousand coordinate systems and all transformations between them. It can also handle custom coordinate systems as defined in the geodatabase.

Managed Extract, Modify, Post Process

Users of ProjectWise Connector for ArcGIS interact with the geodatabase using an Extract, Modify, and Post paradigm. The process is completely managed via ProjectWise Geospatial Management and  ProjectWise or the Bentley Geospatial Server. Extractions are configured via an easy-to-use wizard interface, which guides the user in selecting geospatial and non-geospatial query criteria. A wizard also guides the posting process. Multiple DGN files can be created from the area defined for extraction from the geodatabase.

Bentley Geospatial Server

ProjectWise Geospatial Management is an extension to ProjectWise that adds geospatial context to the ProjectWise graphical user interface and to the information managed by it. The same functionality is found in the Bentley Geospatial Server.

Spatial search criteria to define the extraction area can be selected directly from the geospatial interface. ProjectWise Connector for ArcGIS also relies on integration with Esri’s ArcMap to enable display of versions of the geodatabase from within the ProjectWise or Geospatial Server environment for preview and verification of posted information. It is also possible to extract data from the geodatabase and to index this data inside ProjectWIse Geospatial Management or the Geospatial Server, allowing quick and easy setup of a complete solution for managing and documenting assets.

Automated Workflows

The output of any ArcGIS Connector operation is a DGN(s) managed by ProjectWise Geospatial Management and ProjectWise. Extraction and posting operations can be easily automated to streamline workflows involving large numbers of features or files. Users can take advantage of all the security and workflow management capabilities of ProjectWise.

Integrate document management, workflow management, and geodatabase management into a single entity with ProjectWise Geospatial Management and the ProjectWise Conector for ArcGIS. This provides for efficient business processes across your entire organization and also reduces administration overhead.

Adherence to Geodatabase Versioning

ProjectWise Connector for ArcGIS software helps users adhere to geodatabase versioning. The target version is identified for the initial extraction. The user may opt to hold a copy of the extraction, which allows other geodatabase clients to access parent features without being affected by pending modifications. The user can commit modifications directly to the parent version, or route modifications to an ArcMap administrator for posting. When conflicts occur in an automatic posting, the commit is rolled back to permit an ArcMap administrator to resolve them.

Easy Customization and Administration

The ProjectWise Connector for ArcGIS can be customized at different levels: the ProjectWise client, the MicroStation editing application, and the ArcGIS Connector server. Rich feature definitions and complex workflows can be developed to ensure data fidelity. Customization can be accomplished via the Geospatial Administrator, Web Services, XML, and .NET languages.