Connecticut State Department of Transportation

CTDOT CONNECT DDE GUIDE VOLUME 16 - APPENDIX


Section 5 - DDE Home Use Set-up


This section will instruct CTDOT Employees and consultants on how to set up the CTDOT CONNECT DDE in order to use OpenRoads, OpenBridge, and OpenBuildings on their home computers.  This setup is to be used for training purposes and is not intended for use on actual CTDOT projects.

PRODUCT INSTALLATION
CTDOT DDE INSTALLATION
SETTING UP WORK AREAS
LAUNCHING THE APPLICATIONS
PRODUCT INSTALLATION

Please ensure the needed CONNECT Edition Applications have been installed.  The CTDOT CONNECT DDE is configured to work with:

  • OpenRoads Designer® (ORD) is Bentley’s civil design software solution for surveying, roadway, drainage, subsurface utilities, and site design. ORD supersedes Bentley’s previous design software packages InRoads, GEOPAK, MX, and Power Civil.
  • OpenBridge Modeler® (OBM) is Bentleys’ 3D Bridge Modeling Software. OpenBridge Modeler is part of the OpenBridge Designer® suite of products. OpenBridgeModeler® will be installed along with LEAP Bridge Steel®, LEAP Bridge Concrete®, RM Bridge® when OpenBridge Designer® is installed.
  • OpenBuildings Designer® (OBD) is Bentley’s Building Design and Energy Analysis Software.

All three products contain the functionality of MicroStation CONNECT Edition along with added specific design capabilities.  Note that OpenBridge Modeler is the CAD component of OpenBridge Designer. CTDOT will not support the use of plain MicroStation CONNECT Edition with our Standard Configuration Files as only OpenRoads Designer, OpenBridge Modeler, and OpenBuildings Designer align with the Building Information Modeling (BIM) functionality needed to move design data through its lifecycle.

Based on your unit you will need one of the above applications installed.  If the needed applications are not installed, you will need to go to Bentley’s website to access the download pages.

https://softwaredownloads.bentley.com/en/

 

 

CTDOT DDE INSTALLATION

 

CTDOT provides a Zip file for download located on the CONNECT Edition DDE Website. The Zip file contains Configuration files/folders as well as a CTDOT template WorkSet (Project) Container.

Step through the following to install the CTDOT CONNECT DDE:

1. In Windows Explorer create two new folders on your C Drive.

C:\CAD_CONNECT_Config

C:\CAD_CONNECT_WorkSets

2. On the internet browse on the CONNECT Edition DDE Website, under the DDE Environment Set-Up for Consultant Engineers section click on the Download button and Save As, browse to your desktop and click Save.

3. On your Desktop right click on the copied Zip Folder Icon and choose Extract All…, browse to the C:\CAD_CONNECT_Config folder that will house the contents of the zip file and click the Extract button.

Extract Zip File - Windows Screen Shot

Extract Dialog Box

4. In Windows Explorer, browse to C:\CAD_CONNECT_Config\CT_CONNECT_DDE copy the folder CT_Projects to C:\CAD_CONNECT_WorkSets

5. In Windows Explorer, browse to: C:\CAD_CONNECT_Config\CT_ConfigurationSetup.cfg.

6. Double click CT_ConfigurationSetup.cfg to open it using a text editor.

7. Edit both the CT_WORKSPACE_INSTALL path and CT_WORKSET_INSTALLpath.

CT_WORKSPACE_INSTALL = C:/CAD_CONNECT_Config/CT_CONNECT_DDE/

CT_WORKSET_INSTALL = C:/CAD_CONNECT_WorkSets/CT_Projects/

  CONNECT CFG

8. Choose File > Save and Close or Exit.

9. Create a desktop copy of the installed CONNECT products’ shortcuts to edit.  Rename it with a CT_ prefix.

 Windows Copying Icons - Screen Shots

10. Right click the copied Icons to choose Properties.

Windows Right Click Icon Properties - Screen Shot 

11. Edit the Target line by appending a command line argument as shown below. Also edit the WorkSpace install drive letter (and path if necessary) to the correct location of CT_ConfigurationSetup.cfg.

  Target Edit

OpenRoads Designer

"C:\Program Files\Bentley\OpenRoads Designer CONNECT Edition\OpenRoadsDesigner\OpenRoadsDesigner.exe" -wcC:\CAD_CONNECT_Config\CT_ConfigurationSetup.cfg

OpenBridge Designer/OpenBridge Modeler

"C:\Program Files\Bentley\OpenBridge Designer CONNECT Edition\OpenBridgeDesigner\OpenBridgeDesigner.exe" OBM_PARAMS="-wcC:\CAD_CONNECT_Config\CT_ConfigurationSetup.cfg"

OpenBuildings Designer

"C:\Program Files\Bentley\OpenBuildings CONNECT Edition\OpenBuildingsDesigner\OpenBuildingsDesigner.exe" - wcC:\CAD_CONNECT_Config\CT_ConfigurationSetup.cfg 

12. Click Apply and OK.

 

SETTING UP WORK AREAS

WorkSets will need to set up on your C Drive for the flowing purposes:

  • To properly load the application
  • To CONNECT your project information for Title Sheet integration
 

Users wishing to set up for training purposes can create WorkSets under C:/CAD_CONNECT/CT_CONNECT_DDE/CT_Projects/.  Users can store dgn training files in these WorkSets to help them learn the software and get acquainted with CTDOT DDE CAD Standards. 

 

» CREATING A WORKSET USING OPENROADS DESIGNER AND OPENBUILDINGS DESIGNER

1. To create Project Containers (WorkSets) double click the CTDOT icon to first launch ORD or OBD. From the splash screen, click Start a work session.

Welcome Screen Start a work Session button - CONNECT Edition Interface 

2. Select the CT Civil English WorkSpace.

Welcome Screen select a Workspace - CONNECT Edition Interface 

3. For the WorkSet, choose Create WorkSet.

Welcome Screen create a WorkSet - CONNECT Edition Interface 

4. Create a new WorkSet by entering the CTDOT Project Number for the Name and choose CT_Workset from the Template drop down.

5. Click Browse to assign a CONNECTED Project.

Welcome Screen Create a WorkSet - CONNECT Edition Dialog Box 

6. From the Assign Project to WorkSet dialog, select the proper Project, and click Associate.

If the Project is not listed, you must request a Connected Project on Bentley’s SharePoint site (CTDOT Bentley Cloud Services).  New CAD Project Request

Welcome Screen Assign Project to WorkSet - CONNECT Edition Dialog Box 

 

» CREATING A WORKSET USING OPENBRIDGE DESIGNER
This section is only applicable if OpenBridge Modeler (OBM) is to be used exclusively.  In order to use OBM, an OpenBridge Designer file (*.obdx) must first be selected or created.

1. To open a default obdx, first double click the CTDOT icon to launch OpenBridge Designer.

2. Browse to the default file that has been provided within the Bridge WorkSpace.

…CT_CONNECT_DDE\CT_Configuration\WorkSpaces-Bridge\CT Bridge English WorkSpace\Standards\OBD Defaults\InteropXML.obdx

Click Open

 

OpenBridge Designer Open Interoperability file - Dialog Box 

3. Ensure that Standalone has been selected (not BIM Workflow.) Select the Standalone Group: Bridge1to expose the OpenBridge Modeler icon and click it.

OpenBridge Designer OpenBridge Modeler access button - Interface 

4. From the splash screen, click Start a work session if applicable.

Welcome Screen Start a work Session button - CONNECT Edition Interface 

5. Ensure that the CT Bridge English WorkSpace has been selected and choose Create a WorkSet.

Welcome Screen OpenBridge Modeler select a Workspace and WorkSet - CONNECT Edition Interface 

 

6. Create a new WorkSet by entering the Project Number in the Name field and choose CT_Workset from the Template drop down.

Welcome Screen Create a WorkSet - CONNECT Edition Dialog Box 

7. From the Assign Project to WorkSet dialog, select the proper Project, and click Associate.

 If the Project is not listed, you must request a Connected Project on Bentley’s SharePoint site (CTDOT Bentley Cloud Services).  New CAD Project Request

Welcome Screen Assign Project to WorkSet - CONNECT Edition Dialog Box

8. Now that the WorkSet has been created, exit OBM.

LAUNCHING THE APPLICATIONS

1. Launch needed software application selecting the appropriate desktop shortcut. 

2. To open a file select the Browse or New File icon, browse to the synced Compass Project to select an existing file or create a new file.

3. Reference files will show as red in the References Dialog Box.  They will need to be re-pathed to the Compass Project.