BE Newsletter: Issue #89

        September 29, 2008 

    
Issue #89
BE Newsletter  

Read the latest issue of BE Magazine

BE Conference 2008 sessions online

You can now attend BE Conference 2008 directly from your desktop as anytime, anyplace learning. Bentley SELECT subscribers have exclusive OnDemand access to all conference sessions via the Bentley LEARN Server.

SELECT subscribers can earn learning units today by viewing featured OnDemand eLearning courses or BE Conference 2008 sessions. All Bentley learning units are automatically added to online transcripts.
>> more (transcripts)  

If you are a SELECT subscriber, view quick start instructions for launching OnDemand eLearning content.
>> more 

View the list of OnDemand BE Conference sessions.
>> more   

If you have questions about Bentley OnDemand eLearning, contact us.

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BE Conference 2009

Just a reminder that BE Conference is coming to Charlotte, North Carolina, the week of May 11, 2009. Watch Bentley.com for more information.
If you’re interested in receiving news and updates for BE Conference 2009 by email, click more below.
>> more 

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Bentley educational sessions in Washington, D.C., in December

Don’t miss these three-hour workshops and one-hour seminars presented by Bentley at the AEC-ST® & Ecobuild® Fall Conference, Dec. 8-11, in Washington, D.C.

• W112 Benefiting from BIM in the Real World
• W212 Exploring Design Options with GenerativeComponents
• S112  BIM Benefits Integrated Practice
• S212  BIM in Sustainable Design: Not Just a Checklist
• S312  Project Integration: Getting the Team Connected
• S412  Construction Simulation
• S512  Feedback: Using IT to "What-If" Your Designs

Bentley is a Gold Corporate Sponsor of the event, which explores the breadth of green building, sustainable design, renewable energy, high-performance building, and information collaboration strategies, including Building Information Modeling (BIM) for construction. Exhibit highlights include BIM Storm – LIVE!, the buildingSMART™ alliance pavilion/theater, and many others. Register by Oct. 30 for early-bird pricing.
>> more 

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Highlights in BE Communities website: wiki – a free-form resource for creating and maintaining resource content

An encyclopedia-by-collaboration, the wiki allows BE Communities members to form and refine its content. In the wiki, any member can edit the content, including others’ contributions, since it operates on the principle of collaborative trust. The term wiki actually comes from the word "wikiwiki," which means "fast" in the Hawaiian language.

The wiki area lets members edit the content of each topic. Members can also create new content and change the organization of existing content using the same editor that exists for the new BE Communities forums and blogs. As of this writing, there are more than 2,400 topics in the wiki.

Contributors can conveniently view the web page as it looks to others, including nonmembers, before and after changes they have made. It is not necessary to know HTML or work in HTML code, although that option is available.

There are several ways to find your way around the wiki. Search is the primary method for finding information on a relevant topic. In BE Communities, you can search across the entire site or just within the wiki. You can also:

• Browse topics by viewing content by tags.
• Browse topics from the wiki home page [http://communities.bentley.com/wiki/default.aspx], which highlights new and updated content.
• Follow topic links to find relevant content that pertains to your topic.

With any wiki, you have two options: You can create a new topic or edit an existing topic. With either option, first run a search at the top right corner of the page (make sure "wiki" is selected) to see if the topic/word you would like to write about already exists on the wiki. To avoid duplicate entries, do not click "create a new topic" until you have searched to see if the topic you want to create already exists.
>> more (wiki front page)
>> more (online help for the wiki) 

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Discussion group threads

The Bentley discussion groups are a great place to learn new tips and tricks with Bentley products and to hear the frank views of other users. In time, discussion group on discussion.bentley.com will be transitioned, 10 to 15 groups at a time, to read-only mode. The groups with the most activity will be the last to transition. Although there will be a brief period of overlap between the two systems, the intent is to transition entirely to the new BE Communities forums. For now, the traditional discussion groups are still live.

If you have a question, it might have already been the subject of a discussion. To search the discussion groups for answers to your particular questions, use our customized search.
>> more

Here are two interesting conversations going on now in the discussion groups:

How can you create a sloped surface on an area between known elevations?
 

How can you remove a character from the end of a number of text strings in a model?

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Sponsors    

HP delivers workstation technologies that help you work efficiently and reduce costs.
The HP workstation line includes mobile, desktop, and blade workstations. HP offers a choice of processors including Intel dual-core processors or quad-core processors or AMD processors. In addition, HP offers highly secure Blade Workstations, which provide the capability of remote engineering from centralized server-based workstations with powerful 3D performance.
>> Learn more about HP and great deals on HP workstations
>> Learn more about HP and Bentley

Registration for FIATECH’s 2008 Member Meeting on Oct. 27-29 at the Hyatt Regency in Cambridge, Mass., is now open. Keith Roe, chairman, president, and CEO of Burns and Roe, will chair the meeting with the theme "Creating Sustainable Business Value: Deploying Innovative Technologies." The meeting builds on FIATECH’s highly successful Annual Technology Conference & Showcase, which took place in New Orleans this past spring, and provides FIATECH members with the opportunity to learn more about accelerating the delivery of increased and sustainable business value.
>> more

FIATECH's 2009 Technology Conference & Showcase, Where the Best Get Better, is open to the public and will be held April 6-8, 2009, at the Green Valley Ranch near Las Vegas, Nev. The conference will be chaired by Jerry Gipson, director, Engineering Solutions Technology Center, The Dow Chemical Company. Attendees will explore which technologies they should and shouldn’t be gambling on.
>> more

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Bentley tips

How can you make custom operations that are using attributes display only if an attribute is collected for a point in InRoads Survey XM?
As an example, take an attribute collected for a fence point that records the type of fence. The fence style has already been set to the attribute name TYPE in the Style Manager. Click the Custom Operations area within the style and enter the following string:

IF $(TYPE)<>[NULL] THEN 'Type of Fence: $(TYPE)

This syntax will only allow the custom text string to display in the graphics if the attribute TYPE is not a null value. When an attribute value is not recorded for a fence point, you will not see any of the custom text that was added before the actual attribute ("Type of Fence:" in this example). If an attribute is recorded, for example "Chain Link" the following displays in the graphics:

Type of Fence: Chain Link

Submitted by: Alan P. Gilbert, P.E., supervisor, technical support civil products

Using the diameter symbol in Bentley Building Mechanical Systems
Do you need to use the diameter symbol when labeling round HVAC or plumbing components in a drawing extraction? Have you already discovered that using the standard “\201” text equivalent, which will place a diameter symbol when using the Place Text tool, instead displays the literal string “\201” when used in HVAC drawing rule labels? While we can’t change how VBA interprets a backslash when used in a drawing rule label, we do have an alternative method that may be of interest to you.

1.  Open Microsoft Word, and while holding down the Alt key, enter 0216 on the number keys to create a diameter symbol.
2. Highlight this symbol and then right-click and choose Copy, or press Ctrl-C, to copy this text into the Windows clipboard.
3. From Bentley Building Electrical Systems, choose Mechanical > Settings > Drawing Rules Manager and select the desired rule.
4. Click Edit and switch to the Label tab.
5. Select the applicable Member Attribute from the list and enter a data point to the right of %VALUE% in the Label format field at the bottom.
6. Press Shift-V to paste the text from step 2 above.
7. Save the drawing rule.

That’s it! When an extraction is recalculated using this drawing rule, the diameter symbol will be placed after the numerical values for all applicable round duct and plumbing components.

Submitted by: Steve Cocchi, building technical support manager

Avoiding gridlock in Bentley Communications Network Design products
Have you ever had a problem snapping to a particular point or placing an element in an exact position? You probably have the grid and gridlocks set by default in your design file. Here is how to turn off the grid:

1. Press Ctrl-B to open the View Attributes dialog box and deselect Grid, or

From the MicroStation Settings menu, select View Attributes and deselect Grid.

2. In the Bentley Communications toolbox, select Settings > Locks and uncheck Grid.

Submitted by: Lisa Millis, geospatial support

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MicroStation tips from BE Conference 2007

Material Projections
Materials can now be rendered across several objects as if they were a single entity by adding the elements to a Projection Group.
>> more

These tips were presented at BE Conference 2007 by Stephen Holmes, head of Consultancy Services at Cadventure. [www.cadventure.co.uk]

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BE User Group events

IDDEA Group
Oct. 1-3, Schemen Center, Iowa State Campus, Ames Iowa
>> more 
TMC – The Netherlands
Oct. 2, Amsterdam
>> more
Rochester Area User Group
Oct. 23, Rochester, N.Y.
Florida Local Users Group (FLUG) Fall Conference
Oct. 30-31, Tampa, Fla.
>> more
Bentleyuser.dk
Nov. 10-12, Munkebjerg Hotel, Vejle, Denmark
>> more
Bentley Community UKI
Nov. 27-28, RIBA, London
>> more

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

Learning paths
The Bentley Institute has introduced new learning paths that provide online training roadmaps to transform businesses into productive learning organizations. With learning paths, an organization can increase its revenue and profitability by developing a well-trained, highly effective workforce that can offer more services and deliver more projects on time and within budget.

A MicroStation learning path is already available, so users can:

• Find the best training for different MicroStation applications, schedules, job roles, and experience levels,
• Plan for optimal professional development to fit any budget or business goal,
• Measure and communicate skill development and talent portfolios through learning units and online transcripts.
• Learning paths for additional Bentley applications will be available soon.
  >>more (view learning path) 
  

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New learning opportunities from Bentley

The Bentley Institute regularly updates its course offerings. Some of the newest offerings focus on MicroStation V8 XM Edition, geospatial products, GEOPAK, InRoads, and the MX suite of civil engineering applications. In addition, Bentley has introduced a full complement of OnDemand eLearning for HAMMER V8 XM Edition water analysis software.

To find available courses and register online, visit:

Scheduled courses
Find live, instructor-led courses for classroom and distance learning by product.

OnDemand eLearning courses 
Find self-paced learning content by language or product.

BE User Group information  
Network, share knowledge, and learn with colleagues at regional events.

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Attend a complimentary distance learning course and earn Learning Units

Now you can try distance learning’s personal interaction, hands-on instruction, and collaboration with your colleagues for free. Bentley is offering a complimentary MicroStation AccuDraw course that lets you experience how instructor-led distance learning helps you get training conveniently, easily, and with little disruption to your daily work routine.
>> 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

promis•e 2007, our new electrical design solution
Whether you're creating schematic drawings, panel layouts, wire lists, bills of material, or terminal plans, you’ll find that the intelligent, automatic functions of the promis•e 2007 family of electrical CAD software make the design process fast, efficient, and accurate. This series of eSeminars, presented by Jim Baker, Bentley application engineer for electrical design products, steps you through how to get the most from these comprehensive tools.

• promis●e Overview – Learn how you can streamline your electrical design process and how to create a machine-design project starting from the bill of materials and from the CAD design phase of a project.
  >> more
• promis●e Project Modes – Learn how you can use promis●e to create electrical schematics and streamline the entire engineering process.
  >> more 
• promis●e Project Reporting – Learn how to create project bills of materials, job costing lists, purchase order lists, point-to-point wiring lists, pin charts, terminal block plans, shortest distance wiring lists, and more.
  >> more 
• promis●e Project Development – Learn how to create project bills of materials and job costing and connection reports.
  >> more
• promis●e Project Navigation – Learn how to customize the software's dialog prompts and menus.
  >> more 

RAM Structural System; True interoperability with the Revit Structure Link
Bidirectional integration between the RAM Structural System (RSS) and Revit Structure enables you to analyze and design buildings within the RSS environment and subsequently use Revit Structure for multidisciplinary collaboration as well as documentation.

The integrated environment will:

• Improve internal processes by linking engineering and CAD departments to eliminate tedious and costly redlining and review processes,
• Enable effective communication with the rest of the design team, enhancing collaboration,
• Streamline processes for higher profit margins and fewer errors.

Benefits for structural engineers include:

• Start in RAM Structural System or Revit Structure,
• Import or Export from Revit Structure,
  • Make changes in either application,
  • Update and synchronize models.

Kevin Billings, CAD production manager with Hart Gaugler & Associates, had this to say regarding the link, “I like that the software provides back and forth updates. This saves us a tremendous amount of time. The two-way communication is key for us to efficiently implement architectural changes quickly. We can update the RAM and Revit portion at the same time; it works very well for us.”

Find out more and download the RAM Structural System-Revit Link. You can view a recording of Bentley’s live eSeminar as well as see answers to frequently asked questions regarding the RAM Structural System-Revit Link.

To learn more about Bentley’s comprehensive structural products, visit www.Bentley.com/Structural

PlantSpace P&ID
Learn more about PlantSpace P&ID, including how to synchronize data from the project database into the PlantSpace P&ID environment; how to create P&IDs in the PlantSpace environment, tagging elements in P&ID; and how to process and synchronize data from the P&ID into the project database.
>> more

PlantSpace Equipment
Learn what PlantSpace Equipment can do for you, including how to model parametric equipment, how to place and orient nozzles, how to create custom equipment, and more.
>> more

PlantSpace Piping
Learn more about PlantSpace Piping, including how to route and place piping components in a 3D environment, how to automatically generate bills of materials, and more.
>> more

Connected by ProjectWise
You can improve project team collaboration without changing the way your team works. See how ProjectWise Explorer is as easy and intuitive as Windows Explorer, only better. Effectively manage reference files, find files quickly, and collaborate with others across all projects when your project team is connected by ProjectWise.
>> more

Video spotlights Barge Waggoner’s ProjectWise success
See how Barge Waggoner Sumner & Cannon is using ProjectWise to connect people and information across project teams – no matter where they are located – to improve quality, reduce rework, and meet deadlines. The firm has created a solution that integrates ProjectWise with Microsoft SharePoint to enable work sharing among 12 offices across three states.
 
“People not being utilized 100 percent of the time is a cost and an inefficiency for us,” said David Davidson, president and COO of Barge Waggoner Sumner & Cannon. “Through organization-wide adoption of ProjectWise and SharePoint, we have been able to increase utilization and raise the revenue per head by approximately 25 percent.”

Independent ROI reports verify that all engineers in an organization can save up to 15 percent of their annual cost when sharing work with ProjectWise.

“The quality of our projects has really been enhanced through the ProjectWise and SharePoint portals because we can disseminate information so quickly, and because we can tie everyone together through one standard,” Davidson said.

Watch the video.

Bentley Map XM Edition – the new desktop GIS for mapping and engineering the world’s infrastructure
This one-hour eSeminar demonstrates how Bentley Map, a full desktop GIS, addresses the specific needs of organizations that map, plan, design, build, and operate the world’s infrastructure. The core desktop product in the Bentley geospatial architecture, Bentley Map integrates seamlessly with the Bentley Geospatial Server and Bentley’s mobile, web-publishing and industry-specific applications. It is also the preferred platform for customized geospatial workflows delivered by third parties. Bentley Map is one of the ways in which Bentley is advancing GIS for infrastructure.
>> more

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

View the seminar:
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)
 

ProjectWise Navigator
Learn more about ProjectWise Navigator and find out what this visual collaboration tool can do for you. You’ll learn how to assemble 2D/3D content, how to check-in/check-out transactions, how to review project designs, and more.
>> more

Bentley Data Manager/Bentley Datasheets eSeminar
Learn about Bentley Data Manager and Bentley Datasheets, including how to create views in the database, what datasheets are, datasheet synchronization, and more.
>> more

AutoPLANT P&ID
Learn more about AutoPLANT P&ID, including how to use the symbol manager, what P&ID is, how to use the assembly manager, and more.
>> more

AutoPLANT Equipment
Learn what AutoPLANT Equipment can do for you, including how to model parametric equipment, how to place and orient nozzles, how to create custom equipment, and more.
>> more

AutoPLANT Piping
Learn more about AutoPLANT Piping, including how to route and place piping components in a 3D environment, how to automatically generate bills of materials, and more.
>> more

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

Visual Collaboration with ProjectWise Navigator
Joe Croser, global marketing director, platform products and subscriptions, 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 homogeneous 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 white papers

Sustaining Infrastructure
This paper by Buddy Cleveland, senior vice president of Bentley’s Applied Research Group, explains Bentley’s interpretation of sustainability. It lays out the company’s view of the role of infrastructure in creating a sustainable world; how Bentley users are meeting these challenges today; how they can better address the challenges in the future; and how Bentley’s solutions and products are positioned to support them.
>> more 

ISO 15926 - Lifecycle Data for Process Plant
Ever since CAD and 3D modeling were first computerized, there has been a need to exchange 2D and 3D geometry information between different CAD systems. In order to provide a common file format for this geometry information exchange, the development of standards began, and ISO 15926 “lifecycle data for process plant” was proposed. The ISO 15926 initiative has been steadily increasing in maturity ever since, and with that increase in maturity the interest and the adoption of this important standard has gained acceptance throughout the plant domain. By going beyond data handover, ISO 15926 is fast becoming the standard for interoperability and collaboration between complex data models of all types, including both 2D and 3D data models.
>> more 

Making PDS Interoperable
In a recent user survey taken by Bentley, 90 percent 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 the 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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© 2008 Bentley Systems, Incorporated. 685 Stockton Drive, Exton, PA USA 19341.

Bentley, the “B” Bentley logo, BE, AccuDraw, Bentley Institute, Bentley LEARN, Bentley LEARN Server, Bentley Map, Bentley SELECT, AutoPLANT, DigitalPlant, GenerativeComponents, GEOPAK, HAMMER, InRoads, InterPlot, MicroStation, MX, PowerCivil, PlantSpace, ProjectWise, ProjectWise StartPoint, promis●e, RAM, SELECT, STAAD, and STAAD.Pro are either registered or unregistered trademarks or service marks of Bentley Systems, Incorporated, or one of its direct or indirect wholly owned subsidiaries. Other brands and product names are trademarks of their respective owners.