Running the TriForma Building Suite Together in One Session

Background

For the V8 generation TriForma-based products, many of the configuration variables were reworked, and the installed locations of program and workspace files were reorganized. For more details, see the Reorganized Workspaces section in the TFv8_WhatsNew.pdf file, located in the \Bentley\Program\triforma\ folder (assuming a default install).

The key goal of this TechNote is to make use of these changes by enabling all of the building applications to run together in the same session of MicroStation TriForma.

Pre-Requisites

1. You must have the 8.0.2 or higher released versions of TriForma, Bentley Architecture, Bentley Structural and Bentley HVAC all installed.
2. This document, and the following procedure, assume that you are using the delivered out-of-the box workspaces (datasets) for all applicable products.

Procedure

1. Copy the TriForma V8 shortcut to your desktop or some other location, and rename it to something like "MS TF Building Suite."

   

2. Right-click on the new icon, and choose Properties to open the Properties dialog.
3. Change the argument in the Target field to read (substitute your install path as appropriate):

   

4. In that path, copy the existing tflocal.cfg and rename the new copy tfsuite_local.cfg.
5. In the new tfsuite_local.cfg, make the necessary changes so that the contents match those under Example Configuration Files.
6. Create a new folder c:\program files\bentley\program\triforma\config\tfsuite\.
7. In this new folder create a file tfsuite.cfg; the contents of this file should match those under Example Configuration Files.
8. [Optional] HVAC is not fully integrated into this environment for v8.0.2.8, but it is in Bentley HVAC v8.0.7 or higher. You can still set up your environment to include HVAC for TriForma though by making a few configuration changes. See To Run HVAC for TriForma v8.0.2.8 below. You must also be aware of a few known issues. See Known Issues running Bentley HVAC in the integrated "Building Suite" environment, below.
9. Backup any preference files you may have in your \home\prefs\ directory and delete the existing ones (this is very important).
10. That's it! You are ready to go! Just double-click your new shortcut.

Notes

1. While this setup does work, it has not been fully certified by Bentley Systems, Incorporated.
2. Architecture for TriForma relies on a special dataset-specific configuration file (the arch_roles.cfg). If you are running Architecture for TriForma, you will want to choose a project that supports ATF, meaning its dataset has the appropriate folders setup, as well as the arch_roles.cfg file defined properly.

   Out of the box, you can choose the Architecture4TF project:

   

3. You should have licenses for each application you are running, although if you don't, you can still run them; you'll just get a trial license that times out after 15 minutes.

Example Configuration Files

The following files are provided as examples. You will need to change drive letters and paths as appropriate to your system.

tfsuite_local.cfg

The contents of the tfsuite_local.cfg file should look like this. This is a copy of the delivered tflocal.cfg; lines changed or added are indicated in bold.

#----------------------------------------------------------------------
#
# tflocal.cfg - TriForma Local Configuration File
#
# Copyright 2001, Bentley Systems, Inc.
#
# Limited permission is hereby granted to reproduce and modify this
# copyrighted material provided that the resulting code is used only in
# conjunction with Bentley Systems products under the terms of the
# license agreement provided therein, and that this notice is retained
# in its entirety in any such reproduction or modification.
#
#----------------------------------------------------------------------
_USTN_TFROOT =$(_USTN_BENTLEYROOT)
#----------------------------------------------------------------------
# Define location of MS Engineering Configuration config files; note
# that these config files are not actually included until msconfig.cfg.
# Set with the : operator here so TF-based apps can overwrite.
#----------------------------------------------------------------------
_USTN_ECAPPL:$(_USTN_TFROOT)Program/triforma/config/tfsuite/
#----------------------------------------------------------------------
# Below lines are added during installation, and record the locations where
# MicroStation and TriForma are installed.
# TF_DATASETNAME is written at install based on user choice of reference
# dataset(s) to install.
#----------------------------------------------------------------------
_USTN_USERNAME=TriForma
* #TF_DATASETNAME:tf_imperial
 STF_DATASETNAME:stf_imperial
** STRUCTURAL SHAPES = us.stf
_USTN_PROJECT = $(_USTN_PROJECTSROOT)examples/
_USTN_PROJECTNAME:TriForma_Imperial
MSDIR=C:/Bentley/Program/MicroStation/
%include $(MSDIR)config/msconfig.cfg

tfsuite.cfg

The contents of the tfsuite.cfg file should look exactly like this:

#----------------------------------------------------------------------
# If TriForma is installed, run its configurations,
# which loads the product (note that TriForma is req. for the above apps)
#----------------------------------------------------------------------
%if exists (${_USTN_TFROOT}Program\Triforma\config\appl\triforma.cfg)
%include ${_USTN_TFROOT}Program\Triforma\config\appl\triforma.cfg
%endif 

#----------------------------------------------------------------------
# If Architecture for TriForma is installed, run its configurations,
# which loads the product
#----------------------------------------------------------------------
%if exists (${_USTN_TFROOT}Program\Triforma\Architecture\config\appl\architecture.cfg)
%include ${_USTN_TFROOT}Program\Triforma\Architecture\config\appl\architecture.cfg
%endif

#----------------------------------------------------------------------
# If Structural for TriForma is installed, run its configurations,
# which loads the product
#----------------------------------------------------------------------
%if exists (${_USTN_TFROOT}Program\Triforma\Structural\config\appl\structural.cfg)
%include ${_USTN_TFROOT}Program\Triforma\Structural\config\appl\structural.cfg
%endif

#----------------------------------------------------------------------
# If HVAC for TriForma is installed, run its configurations,
# which loads the product
#----------------------------------------------------------------------
%if exists (${_USTN_TFROOT}Program\Triforma\hvac\config\appl\hvac.cfg)
%include ${_USTN_TFROOT}Program\Triforma\hvac\config\appl\hvac.cfg
%endif
#----------------------------------------------------------------------
# Configs to alter behavior of the title bar, splash screens, etc.
#
# NOTE: The sum of these values will cause a cumulative effect.
#
#       0 : no affect
#       1 : do not display ATF splash screen
#       2 : do not modify MicroStation title bar
#       4 : do not suppress TriForma tool palettes (at start-up)
#
#----------------------------------------------------------------------
ATF_NOSPLASH = 3
STF_NOSPLASH = 3
HTF_NOSPLASH = 3

Note that these last three variables are used to suppress the display of the Application Splash Screens, and to control what is displayed in the MicroStation title bar. With the above settings, the splash screens are suppressed and the title bar will look like this:

To Run HVAC for TriForma v8.0.2.8

HVAC is not fully integrated into this environment for HTF v8.0.2.8, but it is in Bentley HVAC v8.0.7 or higher. You can still set up your environment to include HVAC for TriForma though by making a few configuration changes, and you must be aware of a few known issues.

Altering the delivered HVAC for TriForma v8.0.2.8 configuration

1. Navigate to and open the hvac.cfg file, which by default resides in the following location:

   C:\program files\bentley\program\triforma\hvac\config\appl\

2. Cut (remove completely or comment out) the following lines:

   #------------------------------------------------------#
   # TriForma configuration variables 
   #------------------------------------------------------#
   SAVE_MS_DGNAPPS     = ${MS_DGNAPPS}
   %include ${_USTN_TFROOT}Program/triforma/config/appl/triforma.cfg
   MS_DGNAPPS     = ${SAVE_MS_DGNAPPS}
   %undef SAVE_MS_DGNAPPS
   

3. To allow HTF v8.0.2.8 to run outside of the integrated building suite environment, create a new file in the same folder, htfalone.cfg, and paste the above lines in, as is, so that the file looks like this:

   #------------------------------------------------------#
   # TriForma configuration variables 
   #------------------------------------------------------#
   SAVE_MS_DGNAPPS     = ${MS_DGNAPPS}
   %include ${_USTN_TFROOT}Program/triforma/config/appl/triforma.cfg
   MS_DGNAPPS     = ${SAVE_MS_DGNAPPS}
   %undef SAVE_MS_DGNAPPS
   

Known Issues running Bentley HVAC in the integrated "Building Suite" environment

1. Main Toolframe: HTF and Bentley HVAC use different tools than TriForma, Architecture, and Structural for several common manipulation commands, including (but not limited to) Move, Copy, Rotate, Scale, and Delete. All of these tools are included in the Main toolframe; however, TriForma, Architecture and Structural use a different Main toolframe than HVAC.

   You can choose to load the TriForma, Architecture and Structural Main toolframe by simply commenting out the following bolded line in the HVAC.cfg file:

   #--------------------------------------------------------
   # Set HTF as application interface (see triforma.cfg)
   #--------------------------------------------------------
   #_TF_UIAPPL = ${_USTN_TFROOT}Program/TriForma/interfaces/hvac/
   

   In this case, the TriForma Main toolframe will be loaded instead of the MicroStation version, so all the manipulation commands will work as they do in TriForma - but only on MicroStation, TriForma, Architecture and Structural elements; they will not work properly on HVAC elements¹.

2. Default Seed File Directory: Bentley HVAC sets the configuration variable that points to the folder for seed files to the HVAC workspace.

   You may wish to set this path at the system, site or project level. To set down this folder elsewhere, comment out the following lines in the hvac.cfg configuration file (using # at the beginning of the line):

   # HTF_SEED = $(HTF_WRKSPACE_DIR)seed/
   # MS_SEEDFILES = $(HTF_SEED)
   # TFDIR_SEED = $(HTF_SEED)
   

3. Delete Command (HTF v8.0.2.8 only): HTF v8.0.2.8 will override the Delete command, whether the MicroStation or the TriForma Main toolframe is used, as outlined above. To invoke the TriForma delete command, simply use the keyin "tfdelete icon".

To simplify your workflow, you could customize the Delete toolbox in any one of the following ways:

• Add a new icon/tool for the TriForma delete that invokes the keyin "tfdelete icon".
• Re-map the existing delete command to the keyin "tfdelete icon", and add a new icon for the HTF delete that invokes the keyin "htfdelete".

¹In this context, "properly" means there will be no intelligent cleanup of elements, as there is with the HTF manipulation commands.