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Most common V8 design file corruption
manifestations handled!
Tales from the Axiom Technical
Support desk
CLEARWATER, FLORIDA, USA — FileFixer has
long been the undisputed champion against design file corruption.
Since design file corruption is not something associated with
any particular version of MicroStation, there are always new
issues that come up that prevent MicroStation users from completing
tasks they need to complete or make it harder for them to
meet pressing project deadlines. This is why the motto of
Axiom's Customer Support team is "make MicroStation user's
lives easier!"
Following are some of the most recent V8 design file corruption
problems presented by clients to Axiom's Customer Support
team.
Damaged level definitions
Axiom clients have reported that graphical elements not associated
with any level are present in their design files. For example,
an element indicates it is on level "electric-01"
but there is no such level defined in the file. Another manifestation
of this is when MicroStation's "Analyze" command
cannot display the element's level.
FileFixer has a solid and comprehensive repair algorithm
for elements on undefined levels. FileFixer reads the
level table to determine which levels are valid for the elements
in the file. Then it handles the problem according to your
needs. You can also specify the level you want "lost
elements" moved to by using the repair setting "Move
elements on unacceptable levels to level: ____".
Structured storage problems
Structured storage errors are one of the most serious, recurring
V8-specific corruptions reported by Axiom clients. This is
a new phenomenon with MicroStation V8 files; hence, drafters
using V8 in production might have encountered problems that
were actually the result of structured storage errors, without
realizing it.
Beginning with V8, design files contain multiple internal
folders and files, similar to Microsoft Excel or Word documents.
This internal organization is called "structured storage".
There are specific internal folders and files that are standard
and expected in V8 design files. For example:
If one of the structured storage folders or sub-files is
damaged, the data therein might become inaccessible, even
when other portions of the same file are intact. FileFixer
checks for structured storage damage automatically in every
file processed because a fatal structured storage error indicates
an important portion of your file is missing or cannot be
accessed.
The most common structured storage errors are related to "missing
graphical data" and "damaged graphical data".
These errors are manifested in unselectable models, unopenable
V8 design files and missing elements.
FileFixer reports exactly what structured storage
components are damaged or missing and enables MicroStation
to read graphical data beyond corrupted structured storage
portions in a V8 file. If FileFixer can't quickly handle
the problem, Axiom's Customer Support team is readily available
to analyze the design files and provide the most workable
solution to the problem.
What is batch mode?
A common request we get is a customer wanting to know if
they can use FileFixer to automatically analyze the
health of their project files in batch at regularly scheduled
times or during hours when project files are not tied up in
production. Much to their delight, FileFixer can be
launched from the DOS command prompt to process one file,
one directory or an entire project. To do this, you must have
MicroStation installed, but MicroStation's graphical user
interface will not be used in the process.
Why use batch mode? Batch mode might be handy for you under
any of the following conditions:
1. You want to schedule timed execution of FileFixer,
especially after normal business hours.
2. You can't tie up network resources during normal business
hours and need FileFixer to run at a specified time,
unattended.
Customers report additional problems
The above-mentioned situations are not the only MicroStation
corruption problems Axiom's Customer Support team is encountering.
We also hear about the following from our customers:
Cell library problems: the same problems that plague
design files, plague cell libraries (because in V8, cell libraries
have the same structure as a design file).
Fit view problems: upon clicking on the Fit View icon
in the View Controls, the design doesn't properly fit on the
screen.
Elements off the design plane: At least one of the
element's range coordinates is beyond the edge of the design
plane (or design cube in 3D). Elements may be unselectable,
unmovable or excluded from fence operations. Also, you could
experience anomalies with plotting.
All of these varieties of design file corruption are automatically
handled by FileFixer's "Automatic Design File
Repair" command.
Conclusion
Even if MicroStation (V7 or V8) never introduced any erroneous
data into design files, factors beyond Bentley's control can
still impact your files: acts of God, acts of Bill Gates,
your operating system, your network software, your network
hardware, your server, your CPU, your hard drives and your
electric power company.
And sure enough, the tradition continues with MicroStation
V8. FileFixer for V7 is the best resource available
to ensure that your V7 files will import into V8 healthy and
whole. Once you begin production with MicroStation V8, you
enter the realm of FileFixer for V8.
Call now!
For more information on any of Axiom's learning solutions
contact an Axiom MicroStation Consultant today! Call 727-442-7774
extension 9380, e-mail 9380@axiomint.com
or visit Axiom on the Web at www.axiomint.com now!
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