Clearwater, Florida, USA — Have you ever encountered:

• A "Tool not allowed" message?
• Models in which elements cannot be modified or added?
• Models that are "read only", but shouldn't be?
• Hidden levels?
• Hidden reference file attachments?
• Elements displayed with incorrect level symbology?
• Other odd design file behavior?

The majority of Axiom clients have now moved to MicroStation V8 or XM. Not surprisingly, the number of project-stopping, corrupted, V8 files reported to Axiom is on the rise.

Fortunately, for MicroStation users like yourself, the world's most widely used and well-known third party application for MicroStation, FileFixer for V8, is relentlessly enhanced to detect and handle new forms of V8 file corruption as they are discovered.

To detect and remedy new V8-specific corruption discovered in submitted customer files, the FileFixer development team recently had to invent four, entirely new, Search and Repair capabilities - capabilities now available in the latest release of FileFixer for V8.

What you don't know might hurt you - read on to learn how FileFixer for V8 now detects and handles newfound forms of V8 corruption.

Locked models
MicroStation V8 design files can contain more than one "model" - each model is analogous to an entire V7 design file.

V8 models can be "locked", which means model geometry cannot be added, modified or deleted. A locked model is read-only.

A V8 model might be locked intentionally to prevent changes. Models can be locked by an MDL application or by an undocumented key-in command. Models can also become locked unintentionally (corruption).

Like other MicroStation V8 users, you might be horrified by the lack of forewarning or help when you attempt to work with a locked V8 model.

This misleading message appears in MicroStation V8.5's status field when you attempt to modify an element in a locked model.

MicroStation V8.9 (XM) is even more confusing. Attempts to add or change geometry in a locked model have no effect (fail) without any error message or explanation.

Locked models can be perplexing, so the latest version of FileFixer for V8 offers new Search and Repair capabilities that detect and optionally unlock locked models when encountered. FileFixer for V8 now notifies you when a model is locked.

Hidden levels
MicroStation V8 levels can be hidden, which means a level does not appear in any MicroStation level-related tool.

For example, a hidden level is not displayed in Level Manager:

A hidden level is disabled (gray and unselectable) in MicroStation's Element Information dialog:

Levels can be hidden intentionally by MDL applications, but when a level becomes hidden unintentionally (corruption), it is a frustrating surprise. MicroStation's level-related tools are powerless to help you.

MicroStation does not offer an "un-hide level" tool but, fortunately, new Search and Repair capabilities were implemented in the latest version of FileFixer for V8 to detect and optionally display, hidden levels. With FileFixer, hidden levels can now be restored to normal use.

Hidden reference file attachments
MicroStation V8 reference file attachments can be hidden, which means the attachment does not appear in MicroStation's References dialog box and the attachment's geometry is not visible in any view.

A hidden attachment is different from turning off the display of an attachment using MicroStation's References dialog box. No evidence remains of a hidden attachment. This is not the kind of abracadabra disappearance trick anyone enjoys.

Attachments can be hidden intentionally by MDL applications, but when an attachment is hidden unintentionally (corruption), the attachment and its geometry disappear and cannot be retrieved - MicroStation does not offer an "un-hide attachment" tool.

V8 corruption can cause reference file attachments to go missing.

Of course, Axiom wouldn't leave you stranded - the latest version of FileFixer for V8 can now detect and optionally display hidden reference file attachments.

Multiple level tables
Level definitions (level names, level symbology, level settings and so on) are stored in level tables in V8 design files. MicroStation presents the contents of a level table to users in the Level Manager dialog.

There should be one master level table for each V8 design file. Suprisingly, analysis of submitted customer files revealed it is not uncommon to find more than one master level table in a V8 design file.

The content of the Level Manager dialog might change unexpectedly the next time the file is opened in MicroStation.

Which level table should MicroStation use to display drawing geometry? When you change a level setting in MicroStation's Level Manager, which level table receives the saved changes? Which level table will be active the next time you open the file?

The answers are dependent upon the extent of level table corruption and the version of MicroStation you are using.

Here are the symptoms of multiple level tables:

• Sometimes elements display with the correct level symbology, but other times they don't (without explanation).
• Master file level settings seem to suddenly match the level settings for a reference file attachment.
• MicroStation's Element Information tool displays "blank" level names for elements.
• MicroStation's Message Center displays the error message "Detected multiple level tables in file…".

Of course, FileFixer for V8 can now sort this out for you. New Search and Repair capabilities implemented in the latest version can detect and repair design files that contain multiple level tables.

<strong">FileFixer for V8 to the rescue!
Don't waste time wrestling with design file corruption. Let FileFixer for V8 make things easy for you.