Bentley International User’s
Conference
Civil SelectCAD Session
CSC – 6
SelectCAD Implementation and Management Strategies
Presenter: Jeff Martin, P. E.
Civil XLR8
SelectCAD Implementation and
Management Strategies
High Level Overview of SelectCAD
Look at SelectCAD management tools
Discuss implementation concepts and tips
Target Audience: CADD Managers;
Implementation Leads; Alpha Users
SelectCAD Implementation and
Management Strategies
Turn Hindsight to Foresight: talk to people who
have already rolled out v8.
Implementing v8
Building a city. InRoads.
You can build a city without planning its
development.
You can use v8 without planning its
implementation.
Why you want to plan your rollout well
Given a well-planned implementation,
intelligence can be added by the user in almost
transparent manner with little additional
overhead.
v8: What’s the big deal?
Enhanced DTM
A More Intelligent Data Structure
More than just points and breaklines
User-Definable Data Types
Ability to store objects NOT At-Grade
The enhanced-data structure is known as
“Features”
What you want in an intelligent model
Minimal layers of abstraction
Intuitive
Easy to add, access intelligence
Minimize ReWork
Automate the things that should be automated
Maintain Intelligence
Modify Parent, Update Children
Minimize "Stupefication" in the Workflow
Dumb Graphics
The Holy Grail:
Why InRoads v8 is a better, moreintelligent modeler.
V8 Architecture is data-centric and designed
for intelligence.
Intelligence, once added, stays for the
remainder of the workflow.
minimizes Stupefication
(Dumb) Graphics are byproducts.
Minimizes rework. E.G., Edit Feature, Update
all graphics.
Pre-V8 Workflow
V8 Workflow
Example of v8 minimizing “Stupefication”
Feature-based DTM maintains Survey
Feature Model intelligence.
Transition Control Lines: v8 Maintains
Intelligence
Transition Control Lines: v8 Maintains
Intelligence
V8: intelligence maintained,
massively editable
Why InRoads v8 is a better, moreintelligent modeler
Given a well-planned implementation,
intelligence can be added by the user in almost
transparent manner with little additional
overhead.
“Features”
Enhanced Data Architecture
Enhanced Tools (NEW)
Design/Editing Tools
Place/Edit Feature
View Features/Feature Filter
Cross-Section Edit
Update Children
Locks
Management Tools
Symbology Manager
Feature Style Manager
Preference Manager
Symbology Manager
Create New Named Symbology...
Setting Default Line Symbology...
Setting Text Properties...
Specifying Cross-Section Cell
Display...
Feature Style Manager
Preference Manager
Implementing v8
Building a city. InRoads.
You can build a city without planning its
development.
You can use v8 without planning its
implementation.
Why you want to plan your rollout well
Given a well-planned implementation,
intelligence can be added by the user in almost
transparent manner with little additional
overhead.
Why you want to plan your rollout
Make it easy for the
user to focus on the
engineering.
E.G.: when the
designer wants to
add a transition
control, make sure
it’s available.
Goals of a well-planned v8
Implementation:
Immediate Impacts
From v7.x SelectCAD there are “un-ignorable”
differences
Locks are different
prf --> ini
v8 files cannot be read by v7.x or prior
(can be saved as v7.x or prior)
Upgrading From pre-SelectCAD
Immediate Impacts
Locks are different
prf --> ini
v8 files cannot be read by v7.x or prior
(can be saved as v7.x or prior)
SelectCAD Explorer is new (but easy)
Commands: same function, different location
(better)
Immediate Goals
Maintain current user efficiency
Minimize user "GUI-Shock"
(SelectCAD Explorer vs. old Menu Bar)
Immediate Tasks
Set up good default settings (your custom
environment) that minimize the impact of upgrade
differences
Lock Settings
Custom Toolbars
Run v7 workflows under v8???
Immediate Tasks
User training
File Compatibility
Immediate/Unavoidables
Sell Intelligence in the workflow
Set the Stage for using the new technology
Ultimate Goals:
Take advantage of v8's Intelligence
Exploit Productivity and QC Opportunities
How?
Educate the advantages
minimize the costs (make it easy)
Educate: Shift to the Data-Centric Paradigm
Stop editing the graphics! (Edit the model).
Use the feature editing commands
Edits and maintains intelligent features (as opposed
to dumb graphics).
Change the model, update the graphics
"Instant Updates" of plan, profile, & cross-sections
Modify parent, auto-update the children
Example: x-sec edit feature across a station range along
with dependent features…
Implementation Strategies
Manage the new technologies
Have Gamma Testers, get Buy-off
Have your immediate rollout support your longterm goals
make the new technology easy to use
anticipate user’s needs
have the workflow “infrastructure” set up
Have the “Intelligence” Infrastructure
set up.
If set up
properly, the
designer can
focus on the
engineering.
Have the “Intelligence” Infrastructure
set up.
If not, the user
must do it
himself, which
costs time and
consistency.
Verifying cell exists...
Create New Named Symbology...
Setting Default Line Symbology...
Setting Text Properties...
Specifying Cross-Section Cell
Display...
Creating the New Feature Style...
Creating the New Transition Control...
Ready to
Continue...
Manage the New Technologies
Behind the scenes
Set up appropriate settings defaults
units, etc.
Have Named Symbologies set up well
Have Feature Styles already set up
Use Preference Manager to ensure consistency
Have appropriate preference sets
Have default preference selector at front-end
Have a preference file plan
Standards and Changes/Updates
Software Rollout
Have custom environment ready
If upgrading from earlier InRoads, have training
for ready immediately especially for the
"Immediate impacts"
Provide Workflow Upgrade Training
New Implementations...
Managing Named Symbologies
Why use Named Symbologies?
Reason #1: Feature Styles Require them.
Reason #2: Pre-defines SelectCAD-created
graphics symbology. Good QA/QC.
Reason #3: Easier to make changes.
Reason #4: It's easy.
How?
Named Symbology: Easier
Managing Named Symbologies
Naming Conventions
Multiple agency standards
Do you have separate civil.ini's or one segregated master.
<<maybe a slide of venn diagrams for overlapping
standards (multiple users)>>
FL: Face of Curb
SD: Face of Curb
Curb, Face: FL
Curb, Face: SD
Named Symbology: Naming
Conventions
Named Symbology: Text Height
Text Size
Conventions
Text height =
1?
Use with Text
Scale Factor
Managing Feature Styles
Features are your mechanism for managing
intelligence in the model.
For each type of object you want to model,
create a Feature Style (and consequently a
Named Symbology)
This is how the user will control plan/crosssection display
Feature Style Manager
Managing Preferences
Users will create Preferences ad-hoc.
Have a plan to integrate new preferences into
your standards.
Using the Preference Manager
Provides an easy
method to manage all
preferences of a
given name.
Helps provide
preference
consistency
throughout the
program
By Default the Default
Preference is Default
But it can be set to
something else
Preference Files
The Preference File (civil.ini) contains the great
majority of your customizations.
24K+ lines of settings
The default is correct no where on Earth.
This will be updated continually by the users.
Managing Custom/Support Files
You will want a management strategy
Minimizes rework
Helps ensure QC/QA
Have a procedure for updating the standards
Managing your environment: It helps to have a
"standards owner"
Preference File Management
To Prevent Chaos (maximum ReWork) have a
coordination plan
Preference File Management
Where in the middle do you want to be?
Have users prefix or suffix new preferences with a
searchable Flag
Cut out the modified section from the civil.ini, email it to the
"standards cop"
Configuration files (MicroStation: Project Configuration files).
Make a "Preference Reset" button or “auto-update/spray”
script
Other files: template libraries report libraries, query libraries
Probably will be edited less frequently
Downloading Master civil.ini
Automatic push from server
Manual push from server
Automatic pull via client logon script
Manual pull via custom button
How do you upload changes?
Use a Keyword as Suffix
E.G., use
“ - NewPref” as a suffix
Search the civil.ini for the Keyword
Cut modification into an email to “standards
owner”
Preference File Management
One all-inclusive file vs. files separated by
agency
Civil.ini vs. Project.ini
How to manage non-standard preference
files?
How to incorporate new standards into nonstandard files?
Project Code Suffices and Cut-and-Paste
Project Configurator (v8.1)
The Holy Grail:
Civil Engineering Workflow
Pre-Electronic Workflow
Pre-V8 Workflow
V8 Workflow
Optimum Workflow (v10?)