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Axiom reveals the secrets of FileFixer.
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“Mommy, where do FileFixer
enhancements come
from?” |
CLEARWATER, FLORIDA, USA —Because
Axiom's FileFixer has distinguished itself worldwide
as the solution for automatic analysis and repair of
MicroStation V7 and V8 design file corruption, there's really
no reason not to reveal how we do it. Companies often protect
their proprietary data and trade secrets but, what the heck,
let's see what I can get past the editor.
Where do FileFixer enhancements
come from?
- Nearly all Axiom personnel, not just
the Support and Development teams, are in regular communication
with MicroStation sites around the globe, monitoring the
most frequently reported forms of file corruption on a daily
basis (for over 19 years). It is routine for MicroStation
users to report misbehaving design files to Axiom —
Axiom welcomes such reports and carefully analyzes and tabulates
all corruptions found.
- Axiom's Support and Development teams
identify the forms of file corruption which most severely
impact MicroStation users.
- Axiom's Development team implements
new Search and Repair capabilities which remedy the most
severe forms of corruption which FileFixer doesn't
already handle. The team goes beyond merely tweaking bits
and bytes to salvage a corrupted element in one customer
file — repair algorithms are devised which generalize
the solution to benefit all FileFixer owners.
- Axiom's Development team polishes
the user interface so FileFixer remains as easy as
possible to use, despite the underlying complexity of design
file analysis and repair.
- Axiom's Certification team performs
thousands of tests to ensure enhancements do not impact
the reliability and effectiveness of existing FileFixer
features.
- Go to step 1 and repeat.
Sounds pretty simple. Maybe I shouldn't
have revealed these secrets…
How V8 design file repair differs
from V7
To facilitate migration from MicroStation/J to MicroStation
V8, the Bentleys ensured the look and feel of V8 was not drastically
different from MicroStation/J. The similarities between the
V7 and V8 user interfaces belie the significant differences
in the V7 and V8 file formats.
Some MicroStation users have expressed
the idea that FileFixer for V8 is an upgrade from the
V7 version of FileFixer. It is more accurate to say
FileFixer for V8 is an entirely new application that specializes
in the analysis and repair of MicroStation V8 design files.
Let's highlight the similarities and differences between the
V7 and V8 file formats.
V7 and V8 elements are similar,
but…
Specific information is required to represent a line or rectangle
or other shape in a design file. For example, to store a line
you need coordinates for the two endpoints. To store a rectangle,
you need coordinates for the corners.
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| V7 and V8 elements are similar. |
The illustrated V8 element is wider because
more storage is required for V8's increased coordinate precision.
Otherwise, the information required to represent a line or
rectangle did not change dramatically from V7 to V8 (lines
still have endpoints, rectangles still have corners, etc.).
That's where the similarity between V7 and V8 design files
end.
V8 elements are compressed to reduce size, much like .zip
files. Elements in V7 files are not compressed.
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| However, unlike V7, V8 elements
are compressed. |
V8 design file organization
is new.
MicroStation V8's compressed elements are organized internally
into subfolders and subfiles. There are no subfolders or subfiles
in V7 design files.
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| V8 elements are compressed and
then stored in subfolders and subfiles within the DGN
file itself. |
FileFixer for V8 — new
search and repair breakthroughs
You might begin to see why structured storage errors are so
serious for V8 files. When the structured storage framework
of a file is damaged, there is no way to access the elements
within.
Similarly, when the compressed portions of a V8 file are damaged,
there is no way to access the elements within.
V8's structured storage file organization and element compression
normally work fine, but when one or the other or both become
corrupted, there is no way to access the elements nestled
within. Analysis of customer files reveals these are the most
common categories of file corruption unique to V8.
FileFixer for V8 includes the element analysis and
repair capabilities of FileFixer for V7 — plus
completely new analysis and repair features to handle these
V8-specific categories of corruption.
In fact, FileFixer for V8 is the only application available
anywhere which can automatically repair these new categories
of V8 corruption.
Call now!
For more information on FileFixer
for V8 contact an Axiom MicroStation Consultant today!
Call 727-442-7774 extension 9644 or e-mail 9644@AxiomInt.com.
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