checkerv8

Users Guide

SpecChecker for V8Perform quality assurance checks on yourMicroStation files quickly and easily!

Version 8.11

Axiom1805 Drew StreetClearwater, Florida 337651-727-442-7774 voice1-727-442-8344 [email protected]

mailto:[email protected]://www.axiomint.com/

SpecChecker

Copyright 1989-2013 Axiom.All rights reserved.

This document was last modified on 12 September 2013 3:41 PM.

Limited Warranty (Excerpted from the Axiom End User Software LicenseAgreement, see the full text of your Axiom End User Software License Agreement for

complete details.) LICENSEE is advised to test the SOFTWARE thoroughly beforerelying on it. The SOFTWARE is provided as is without warranty of any kind, either

expressed or implied, including, but not limited to the implied warranties ofmerchantability and fitness for a particular purpose and the entire risk as to the quality

and performance of the SOFTWARE is with LICENSEE.

Governing Law This Agreement (Axiom End User Software License Agreement)shall be governed by the laws of the State of Florida, United States of America. Venuefor the resolution of any dispute arising out of this Agreement shall be Pinellas County,

Florida, USA or, if that is not possible, the nearest court of competent jurisdiction thereto.

Intergraph is a registered trademark of Intergraph Corporation.MicroStation is a registered trademark of Bentley Systems, Incorporated.SpecChecker, SpecMonitor and RuleManager are trademarks of Axiom.

Chapter 1 Introduction Page 3

Table of Contents

Chapter 1 Introduction--------------------------------------------------------------------- 7The purpose of SpecChecker -----------------------------------------------------------------------7SpecChecker allows you to ----------------------------------------------------------------------7Correcting elements automatically-----------------------------------------------------------------8Analyzing element characteristics -----------------------------------------------------------------9Analyzing level characteristics in level tables-------------------------------------------------- 10

Chapter 2 Installation----------------------------------------------------------------------11General instructions-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 11Before you install ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 11Typical installation from CD --------------------------------------------------------------------- 11Congratulations------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 17

Chapter 3 Uninstalling --------------------------------------------------------------------18Uninstalling Axiom products --------------------------------------------------------------------- 18

Chapter 4 Quick Start ---------------------------------------------------------------------19Quick Start Objectives----------------------------------------------------------------------------- 19Prerequisites ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 19Sample Files ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 19Demonstration Version ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 20The Basics------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 20

When should I use SpecChecker?---------------------------------------------------------- 20Quick Start Step 1 Make a list of all non-conforming elements with SpecChecker --- 21Quick Start Step 2 Visit each non-conforming element with SpecChecker------------- 23Quick Start Step 3 Check Text Justification with SpecChecker -------------------------- 24Quick Start Step 4 Check elements in different models with SpecChecker ------------ 26What to Learn Next -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 28

Chapter 5 Using SpecChecker ---------------------------------------------------------29Running SpecChecker ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- 29The main dialog box ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 29File | Exit -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 29Settings ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 30Tools | Rule Wizard ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 30Help | Quick Start ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 30Help | Whats New? -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 30Help | Contents... ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 30Help | About -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 30Files: ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 31

{Edit List}---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 31Models: ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 31

Model Type------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 32

SpecChecker

Model Name Filter --------------------------------------------------------------------------- 32Rules File: ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 32Report File:------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 33Automatic Rules File and Report File names:-------------------------------------------------- 33One report file for each design file processed-------------------------------------------------- 33{Select}------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 33Search only------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 34Interactive editing ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 34{Start} ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 34{Display Report}----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 34

Sample Report File--------------------------------------------------------------------------- 34{Close} ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 35Report file messages ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 35

Infinite correction loop ---------------------------------------------------------------------- 36Running SpecChecker whenever a design file is closed -------------------------------------- 36

Chapter 6 SpecChecker Settings------------------------------------------------------37Settings menu --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 37

Change Settings --------------------------------------------------------------------------- 37Load Settings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 37Save Settings---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 37Save Settings As --------------------------------------------------------------------------- 37Restore Factory Defaults... ------------------------------------------------------------------ 37Settings File: ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 38

General Settings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 38Interactive editing ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 38Backup each file before processing. ------------------------------------------------------- 39Search only------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 39Skip read-only files.-------------------------------------------------------------------------- 39Report/Correct which violations:----------------------------------------------------------- 39

First--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 40Last --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 40All ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 40

Symbology: ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 40Element ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 40As displayed----------------------------------------------------------------------------- 41

Highlight or fence each element. ----------------------------------------------------------- 41Highlight color-------------------------------------------------------------------------- 41

Process attached reference files.------------------------------------------------------------ 41Process nested reference files. -------------------------------------------------------------- 42

Limitations ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 42Maximum rejections per job ---------------------------------------------------------------- 42Maximum rejections per model ------------------------------------------------------------ 42Maximum rejections per rule per model -------------------------------------------------- 42

Rules Files------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 43Ignore override options defined in rules file---------------------------------------------- 43Remember last rules file name ------------------------------------------------------------- 43

Report File ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 44Report file style: ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 44Include settings information in report file.------------------------------------------------ 44Remember last report file name ------------------------------------------------------------ 45


Chapter 7 Interactive Editing -----------------------------------------------------------46Using Interactive Editing-------------------------------------------------------------------------- 46Rule -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 46Message---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 47Correction ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 47Current Element {Ignore} and {Change}------------------------------------------------------- 47{Blink} ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 47{Undo} ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 48{Quit}------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 48Current Model -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 48Current Model {Ignore this Rule} --------------------------------------------------------------- 48Current Model {Change All that Violate this Rule}------------------------------------------- 49Current Model {Change All} --------------------------------------------------------------------- 49File: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 49Element ID: ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 49_ of _ models dont conform.--------------------------------------------------------------------- 49_ of _ problems were corrected.------------------------------------------------------------------ 50

Chapter 8 Choose Files to Process---------------------------------------------------51Selecting files to process -------------------------------------------------------------------------- 51Using Axioms Choose Files to Process box------------------------------------------------- 51Adding files to the list ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- 52File and Edit menus -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 52

Browse ProjectWise ------------------------------------------------------------------------- 52

Browse for files ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 54

Search for files ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 55Search in: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 55Include subfolders. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- 55Search for files using:------------------------------------------------------------------------ 55Search for files by date: --------------------------------------------------------------------- 56{Search Now} -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 56{Add Files} ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 56{Close} ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 56Search for Files: Advanced tab ------------------------------------------------------------- 56

Drag-and-drop files from Windows Explorer ------------------------------------------- 57Dragging folders (not files) into the list --------------------------------------------------- 57

Remove selected files ---------------------------------------------------------------------- 57

Remove all files ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- 57Remove Missing Files ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- 57

Save list to file ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 58Files to Process ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 58

Right-clicking on the list -------------------------------------------------------------------- 58Selecting files in the list --------------------------------------------------------------------- 58

Using {Shift-left-click}---------------------------------------------------------------- 58Using {Ctrl-left-click} ----------------------------------------------------------------- 58

SpecChecker

Removing files from the list ---------------------------------------------------------------- 59Version----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 59{OK}------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 59{Cancel}--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 59Advanced Commands ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- 59

Chapter 9 Troubleshooting--------------------------------------------------------------61Errors not covered in the document-------------------------------------------------------------- 61

Chapter 10 Well Make (Almost) Any Enhancements You Want-------------62We welcome your suggestions ------------------------------------------------------------------- 62

Chapter 11 New Features and Fixes--------------------------------------------------63Version 8.11a 13 September 2013------------------------------------------------------------ 63

New! Automatically run SpecChecker when a design file is closed. ------------------ 63New! Added Level_Description keyword and message variable ------------------- 63New! Added Modified_By keyword and message variable-------------------------- 63Additional Enhancements ------------------------------------------------------------------- 63

Version 8.10a 11 July 2013-------------------------------------------------------------------- 63New! Added full keyword support for level properties --------------------------------- 63New! Display Priority keyword support------------------------------------------------ 64New! Element Transparency keyword support ---------------------------------------- 64New! Custom line style scale factor corrections ----------------------------------------- 64New! Command line support for SpecChecker ------------------------------------------ 64Additional Enhancements ------------------------------------------------------------------- 64

Version 8.9a 27 July 2012 --------------------------------------------------------------------- 65Version 8.8c 30 April 2012-------------------------------------------------------------------- 65Version 8.8b 30 March 2012 ------------------------------------------------------------------ 65Version 8.8a 11 January 2012----------------------------------------------------------------- 66Version 8.7c 26 November 2010 ------------------------------------------------------------- 66Version 8.7b 25 June 2010 -------------------------------------------------------------------- 66Version 8.7a 10 November 2009 ------------------------------------------------------------- 67Version 8.6b 21 August 2009 ----------------------------------------------------------------- 67Version 8.6a 7 August 2009 ------------------------------------------------------------------- 67Version 8.5a 27 April 2007-------------------------------------------------------------------- 67

Enhancements common to all three QA Suite products --------------------------------- 67Version 8.4a 8 December 2006 --------------------------------------------------------------- 68Version 8.3a 22 June 2006 -------------------------------------------------------------------- 68Version 8.2a 23 November 2005 ------------------------------------------------------------- 69Version 8.1a 6 August 2004 ------------------------------------------------------------------- 70Version 8.0a 16 September 2003 ------------------------------------------------------------- 71


Chapter 1 Introduction

The purpose of SpecCheckerThe purpose of SpecChecker is to discover, report and correct elements in your designfiles or cell libraries that do not comply with your project standards. You tellSpecChecker what your project standards are, SpecChecker reports to you all theelements which do not comply with your standards. The SpecChecker report is easy tounderstand because you compose the messages used in the report.

For example: Lets say that for all design files in your current project, you know that alltext on level C-ANNO-TEXT should be yellow. Just create a file (using any text editor)describing this standard. Then tell SpecChecker the name of this standards file and whichdesign files you want to check for compliance. SpecChecker reads your standards file andchecks your design file(s) against your standards. SpecChecker creates a complete reportof all non-compliances that has been detected, and SpecChecker can correct many of theviolations automatically.

See the RuleManager System Administrators Guide for information on how to create arules file.

SpecChecker allows you to Inspect one or multiple design files or cell libraries.

Inspect one or multiple DWG or DXF files.

Identify every design file element that does not conform to your CAD standards.

Correct many violations automatically.

Interactively visit (and edit) the elements that do not conform to your standards.

Avoid the costs and inaccuracies of manual proofreading.

Reduce revisions by guaranteeing that drawings are correct before they are plotted.

Validate that design files conform perfectly to project requirements.

Ensure design file names follow project standards.

Show your own custom-designed messages for every non-conforming element.

Tell users exactly what standard they violated.

SpecChecker

Correcting elements automatically Carefully proofing a large design file can take a human proofreader a good deal of time(hours and days). SpecChecker can do the same job in seconds, catching every violation.That capability alone can be an incredible time saver. However, SpecChecker not onlyautomates proofreading but correction as well! SpecChecker can save you hundreds,perhaps thousands of hours, of tedious manual proofreading of your plots and manualcorrections of your design files.

SpecChecker can correct the following element characteristics automatically:

Level

Color

Weight

Style

Priority

Transparency

Font

Text Height

Text Width

Text Justification

Fill color

Class

Invisible property

Master Unit label

Sub Unit label

Global Origin

Delete any Graphic Element

And more! See the RuleManager System Administrators Guide section How Elements areCorrected for a complete description of how SpecChecker corrects elements.


Analyzing element characteristics You can direct SpecChecker to accept (conforming) or reject (non-conforming) designfile elements based on virtually any combination of the following element characteristics:

Level

Color

Weight

Style

Type

Number of text characters

Font

Various tag attributes

Coordinates location of the element on the XY plane or within XYZ cube

Class

Fill color

Complex (or not complex)

Text element value (strings)

Cell names

Rotation angle (cells, shared cells, text, text nodes, arcs, ellipses) (2D files only)

Arc and ellipse primary and secondary axes

Number of vertices

Range coordinates of an element

Text justification

Number of characters in a text element

Number of enter data fields

If arc or ellipse is circular or not

Text height and width in UORs, working units or master units

Next available graphic group number (GRAFIC)

Master Unit label

Sub Unit label

Sub Units per Master Unit

Positional Units per Sub Unit

Reference attachment file name

Reference attachment Description

SpecChecker

Reference attachment Logical name

Reference attachment Scale

Design file name

File type (V7 DGN, V8 DGN, DWG, DXF)

Custom line style scale (SCALE_LS)

Check if a component element is a component of a specific cell

Various information about the parent element of a component element (e.g. parenttype, parent level, parent color, location of the parent element) A parent element isthe complex header of a component element.

And more!

Analyzing level characteristics in level tables You can direct SpecChecker to accept (conforming) or reject (non-conforming) levelswith virtually any combination of the following level characteristics:

Level name

Level number

Level Description

The ByLevel color, ByLevel weight and ByLevel style of a level

The Override Color, Override weight and Override style of a level

Priority

Transparency

Global Display

Global Freeze

Plot

Lock SpecChecker allows you to check and correct level characteristics of both master filelevels and the levels of reference files attached to the file.

Chapter 2 Installation Page 11

Chapter 2 Installation

General instructionsThis version of SpecChecker requires MicroStation Version 8.1 or later.

Before you installThis chapter will walk you through a typical Axiom product installation. Theseinstructions apply to both MicroStation V7 and V8. V7 products are used in theexamples.

To install one or more Axiom products, you need:

The latest Axiom product CD; and

A license file on floppy disk for the product(s) you are about to install.

Please shut down all MicroStation sessions on your computer before continuing.

Typical installation from CD1. Insert the Axiom product CD into your CD drive.

2. The dialog box below should come up automatically. This may take a few momentsdepending on computer and CD drive speed.

CONDITIONAL: In some cases Windows is set to suppress auto-running executables.If the installation process does not begin automatically when you insert the CD, you willneed to start the process manually. From the Windows Start Menu, choose Run andtype in the following:D:\Setup.exe

where D is your CD drive letter.

SpecChecker

3. Click the [OK] button and the first installation dialog box (below) will appear.

4. Select MicroStation V7 or MicroStation V8 and click [Next].

5. Choose which type of installation you want to perform. The Typical installation isbest for most situations and asks the user to make very few decisions.

6. These instructions will describe only the Typical installation path. ChooseTypical and click [Next].


7. Choose the license file for this installation. Toggle on I have a license filesomewhere else. And press [Next].

8. Browse to the axiom.lic file on the CD and click [Open]. The licenses in thespecified license file will display in the next dialog box. Press [Next].

Although you have already selected the MicroStation family (V7 or V8) for whichyou want to install Axiom tools, it is common for one computer to have more thanone instance of MicroStation installed on it. For example, you might have twoversions of MicroStation/J installed (07.01.04.16 and 07.02.04.20). You must choosewhich of the two you want to associate your Axiom tools with.

SpecChecker

9. Highlight the version of MicroStation you want to associate the Axiom tools with andclick [Next].

Since this is a Typical installation, all programs for which an Axiom license wasfound will already be checked-on to be installed. Other items that are alsoautomatically checked-on for installation are the product Users Guides, individualproduct sample files and Axioms MicroStation pull-down menu.


10. To proceed with default selections click [Next].

Youve now completed the Pre-Setup.

11. Click [Next] to proceed with the installation.

SpecChecker

12. The [Next]button is grayed-out unless you accept the agreement.

If you accept the license and click [Next], the installation will begin. You can click[Cancel] at any time to abort the installation.


13. This is the final dialog box. It shows that the installation is complete. By default theView Readme.pdf option is toggled on and will display the Readme.pdf documentwhen you click [Finish].

CongratulationsThats it! You have successfully completed the installation of your Axiom tools.

SpecChecker

Chapter 3 Uninstalling

Uninstalling Axiom productsAxiom products can be uninstalled easily through the Windows Start Menu.

1. Go to {Start}, Programs | Axiom.

2. Select Uninstall V7 products or Uninstall V8 products depending on the productsyou want to uninstall.

3. Choose Select all. or Select components to uninstall. If you choose Selectcomponents to uninstall. then each product in the list can be manually checked orunchecked. This allows for any combination of products to be uninstalled. Onlyinstalled products will be shown in the list.

Note: At the bottom of the list of products you also have the option to uninstall sampledesign files, users guides and even the Axiom pull-down menu.

4. Once youve made your selections, click the [Uninstall] button to complete theuninstall process.

Chapter 4 Quick Start Page 19

Chapter 4 Quick Start

Quick Start ObjectivesThe purpose of this Quick Start is to introduce you to the basic features of SpecCheckerfor V8 so that you can immediately use the program.

This Quick Start should take less than 30 minutes.

Prerequisites1. MicroStation V8 version 8.1 or later.

2. SpecChecker must be installed on your computer. To start SpecChecker, select theAxiom menu from MicroStations main menu bar, then select SpecChecker. IfSpecChecker does not appear in the Axiom menu, follow the instructions in theInstallation section of this Users Guide.

Sample FilesTo help you get started, SpecChecker comes with some sample files (V8 design files andSpecChecker rules files). In most cases, these sample files will be located in thec:\Program Files (x86)\Axiom\V8\Checker\sample\ directory.

These sample design files and their corresponding rules files are described in thefollowing table:

Design File Rules File Descriptionchecker.dgn checker.rul Demonstrates common

SpecChecker commands andkeywords.

text_justification.dgn text_justification.rul Demonstrates SpecCheckerkeywords related to textjustification.

models.dgn models.rul Demonstrates keywordsrelated to V8 models.

Note: These sample rules files were designed only to report on non-conformingelements, not correct them. This is so that new SpecChecker users can use the samplefiles multiple times until they are familiar with SpecChecker. If SpecChecker were to

SpecChecker

correct those elements the first time through, you would not be able to ride the rideagain.

Demonstration VersionDemonstration versions of SpecChecker allow you to process 500 design file elements.

Licensed versions of SpecChecker do not have this restriction.

The Basics

When should I use SpecChecker?To detect, report and correct elements in your design files that do not comply with yourproject standards. You tell SpecChecker what your project standards are. SpecCheckershows you all the elements that do not comply with those standards. SpecChecker canalso correct most of the errors it finds according to the rules you defineautomatically!

Lets say that for a certain project all text on level A-ANNO-TEXT should be yellow.Just create a file (using any text editor or SpecCheckers Rule Wizard tool) describingthis standard. Then tell SpecChecker which design files you want to check forcompliance. SpecChecker then reads your standards file and checks your design filesagainst those standards. SpecChecker creates a complete report of all detected non-compliances. Not only that, SpecChecker can correct many violations automaticallyaccording to your instructions! For example, it might change all the blue text on levelA-ANNO-TEXT to yellow and move all the red text on level 19 to level 29.

This Quick Start will introduce these features to you.


Quick Start Step 1 Make a list of all non-conformingelements with SpecChecker

In this Quick Start we will process one sample design file (checker.dgn) in non-interactive mode using the sample rules file checker.rul. SpecChecker will reject manyelements in this design file and create a report of exactly what it found. No correctionswill be made.

1. In MicroStation, open the sample design file checker.dgn. This file can be foundin the ...\axiom\v8\checker\sample\ directory:

2. Run SpecChecker by selecting SpecChecker from the Axiom pulldown menu onthe MicroStation menu bar. When SpecChecker loads, you will see the main dialogbox:

SpecChecker

3. If the file names in your dialog box do not match the names in the image above,select these files now. You can type their names in directly or use the {Edit List...}and {Select...} buttons to select these files. You may have SpecChecker create theReport file in the directory of your choice. See the section titled Choose Files toProcess for information on how to select files after you click the {Edit List...}button.

You will be checking the design file checker.dgn against the rules filechecker.rul. For the purpose of example, this rules file will reject the majority ofthe elements in the design file. No automatic corrections will be made.

4. If it is checked on, uncheck the Interactive editing checkbox in the main dialogbox.

5. You are now ready to start SpecChecker. Press the {Start} button. You will see themain dialog box extend down slightly to display summary data during processing.

6. When the processing is done, you will see an information box that says Processingcomplete. Press {OK} to close this box.

7. Now press the {Display Report} button. You will see a detailed report of the non-conforming elements (those that do not comply with the sample standards defined inchecker.rul).

8. Here is an excerpt from the checker.rep report file that should be created. Thisexcerpt shows just the element details. Report header and footer information has beenomitted.

4000113, ID=0 -- Level = A

4000114, ID=0 -- Level = B

4000115, ID=0 -- Level = C

4000116, ID=0 -- Text height (1.5000) should not exceed 1.0mu.

4000117, ID=0 -- Text width (1.5000) should not exceed 1.0mu.

4000118, ID=0 -- Font (1025) must be 3 (ENGINEERING).



4000121, ID=0 -- Weight = 1

4000122, ID=0 -- Weight = 2

4000123, ID=0 -- Weight = 3

4000126, ID=0 -- Color (3) must be ByLevel.

4000127, ID=0 -- Rotation (89.0000) must be 0 or 90.

4000129, ID=0 -- Rotation (91.0000) must be 0 or 90.


Quick Start Step 2 Visit each non-conforming element withSpecChecker

In this Quick Start we will process one sample design file (checker.dgn) in interactiveediting mode using the sample rules file checker.rul. SpecChecker will reject manyelements in this design, visiting each non-compliant element and allowing the user toinspect it. No corrections will be made.

1. The correct files should already be selected from the previous Quick Start Step.Check the Interactive editing checkbox in the main dialog box.

2. Press the {Start} button. SpecChecker will open the selected design file and beginchecking it interactivelytaking you to each non-conforming element.

3. The SpecChecker interactive editing box below tells you that an element in the designfile violates one of the rules in the sample checker.rul rules file.

The Message: field describes the specific non-compliance detected bySpecChecker. In our example, SpecChecker simply reports that this element wasfound on level A.

4. Press the {Blink} button to cause the non-conforming element to blink on the screenso you can see it clearly.

SpecChecker

5. Keep pressing the {Ignore} button and looking at the rejected elements. Blink them ifyou are not sure which element is being rejected. Be sure to read the contents of theMessage: field for each rejected element to find out what caused it to be rejected.You will find elements rejected based on such characteristics as level, text height andwidth, font, weight, color and rotation angle.

6. When you have visited every non-conforming element in checker.dgn, you will seean Information box saying Processing complete. Press {OK} to close this box.

7. Press the {Display Report} button and view the report file. Each element that youvisited in interactive editing mode will be mentioned in the report file, along with themessage telling you exactly what was wrong with each.

Quick Start Step 3 Check Text Justification withSpecChecker

In this Quick Start we will process one sample design file (text_justification.dgn) ininteractive editing mode using the sample rules file text_justification.rul. SpecCheckerwill reject each text element in this file based on its text justification, visiting each non-compliant element and allowing the user to inspect it. No corrections will be made.

1. In MicroStation, open the sample design file text_justification.dgn. Thisfile can be found in the ...\axiom\v8\checker\sample\ directory:

2. Exit SpecChecker (loaded in previous steps) by choosing File | Exit fromSpecCheckers main dialog box.


3. Then restart SpecChecker by selecting SpecChecker from the Axiom pulldownmenu on the MicroStation menu bar. When SpecChecker loads, you will see the maindialog box.

4. Notice that the Files: field has defaulted to the name of your active design file,text_justification.dgn. This is good.

5. But you will need to select the correct rules file. To do so, press the {Select...} buttonnext to the Rules File: field, choose text_justification.rul and press {OK}.

6. Here is what your main SpecChecker dialog box should look like:

7. You are now ready to start SpecChecker. Press the {Start} button.

8. SpecChecker will reject each text element in this file based on its text justification. Itwill report each text elements justification value to you as it is rejected.

SpecChecker

9. Visit the next text element in this file by pressing the {Ignore} button when you aredone with the current text element.

10. When the processing is done, you will see an Information box that says Processingcomplete. Press {OK} to close this box.

11. Now press the {Display Report} button. You will see a detailed report of the non-conforming text elements you just viewed interactively.

Quick Start Step 4 Check elements in different models withSpecChecker

In this Quick Start we will process one sample design file (models.dgn) in interactiveediting mode using the sample rules file models.rul. The design file models.dgn containsfive separate models, each containing one text element. SpecChecker will reject these textelements by opening each model and then zooming into the text element. No correctionswill be made.

1. In MicroStation, open the sample design file models.dgn. This file can be found inthe ...\axiom\v8\checker\sample\ directory. Here is a picture of its default model:

2. Exit SpecChecker (loaded in previous steps) by choosing File | Exit fromSpecCheckers main dialog box or by clicking the {Close} button.

Note: You may be prompted by a message box, informing you that SpecCheckerssettings have changed. Click the {Save Settings} button, then continue with the rest ofthe steps.


3. Then restart SpecChecker by selecting SpecChecker from the Axiom pulldownmenu on the MicroStation menu bar. When SpecChecker loads, you will see the maindialog box.

Tip: You can also load the currently active design file in SpecCheckers Files: field byhighlighting the entire string currently in this field, pressing the {Delete} key, on yourkeyboard, so the Files: field is blank and then pressing the {Tab} key to move the focusout of the field. The Files: field will now contain the active design file.

4. Notice that the Files: field has defaulted to the name of your active design file,models.dgn. This is good.

5. But you still might need to select the correct rules file. If so, press the {Select...}button next to the Rules File: field, choose models.rul and press {OK}.

6. Now click on the option button labeled Models: and choose All models.

SpecChecker

7. Here is what your main SpecChecker dialog box should look like:

8. You are now ready to start SpecChecker. Press the {Start} button.

9. SpecChecker will reject the single text element on each model in models.dgn. It willalso open each model to show you the rejected element.

10. Visit each text element in this file (one per model) by pressing the {Ignore} buttonwhen you are done visiting each one.

11. When the processing is done, you will see an Information box that says Processingcomplete. Press {OK} to close this box.

Now press the {Display Report} button. You will see a detailed report of the non-conforming elements (each text element) with its model name also reported.

What to Learn NextTo find out more about the various rules that you can use with SpecChecker andmethods of creating rules files see the RuleManager System Administrators Guide.

Chapter 5 Using SpecChecker Page 29

Chapter 5 Using SpecChecker

Running SpecCheckerAfter installing SpecChecker as described under Installation and after creating yourrules file(s) as described in the RuleManager System Administrators Guide, you areready to run SpecChecker.

Select SpecChecker from the Axiom menu on the MicroStation menu bar.

The main dialog boxThis is the first window displayed when you start SpecChecker.

File | ExitThe File menu contains only the Exit option.

SpecChecker

Settings

The Settings menu allows you to change the factory default settings and to save andreload your personalized settings. The Change Settings options are described indetail in the next section.

Tools | Rule WizardThe Rule Wizard is explained in detail in the RuleManager System AdministratorsGuide.

Help | Quick StartChoose this to open a tutorial to get you started.

Help | Whats New?Choose this to see whats new in this version.

Help | Contents...Choose this to open the Users Guide.

Help | AboutThis displays the current product version, license type, copyright information plus contactinformation for Axiom Support, Sales and Licensing.


Files:

Here is where you designate which design files or cell libraries you want SpecChecker toexamine. There are several ways to specify files:

Key-in the name of a single design file or cell library. For example:c:\project\sample.dgn.

Key-in a wildcard filename. For example: c:\project\*.dgn.

Key-in a wildcard filename followed by /s. The /s means to process subdirectoriesalso. For example, to process all design files on drive C: (as opposed to just the filesin the root directory), you would enter c:\*.dgn/s.

Key-in a series of design file or cell library names separated by semi-colons. Forexample: c:\project1\sampleA.dgn;c:\project2\sampleB.dgn.You can use wildcards too. For more information, see the Choose Files to Processsection of this guide.

See the section Choose Files to Process and its File | Save List As feature, whichallows you to save a list of files as a text file like Filelist.lst. In this way, you can usethe Choose Files to Process dialog box to build the list of files you want processed andsave the list of files for later.

{Edit List}

Clicking the {Edit List} button opens the Choose Files to Process dialog box, whichyou can use to choose one or more files to be processed. See the section Choose Files toProcess for detailed information.

After you create a list of files to process and close the Choose Files to Process box, theFiles: field will display the number of files you selected for processing. So if you madea list of 1,001 files, the Files: field would say .

Models:Use the Models: section to define which models you want SpecChecker to process.MicroStation V8 design files always contain a Default model. This model cannot bedeleted. MicroStation V8 design files can also contain any number of additional Designor Sheet models.

SpecChecker

Model Type

Choose the model type you want SpecChecker to process. The default is {Active model}.

Model Name FilterThe Model Name Filter field can be used to isolate models within the model typechoice. This field supports wildcards and regular expressions. Regular expressions mustbe enclosed in braces.

Example using a wildcard: Sheet*

Example using a regular expression: {^Sheet.*$}

For a complete explanation of regular expressions see the chapter called RegularExpressions in the System Administrators Guide provided with RuleManager.

Special Note for V8 Cell Libraries: When processing V8 cell libraries, it is a goodidea to set this to All models as each cell in a V8 cell library is its own model.

Rules File:

Enter the name of a rules file to use for processing the selected design files. You canenter the name of a MicroStation Settings Manager parameter file (a .stg file) in placeof a rules file. By processing a .stg file, SpecChecker can check your design filesagainst the same standard used to define your Settings Manager lists.

Use the {Select...} button to the right of the Rules file: field to browse for a specificrules file. To browse for a .stg file, change the option button under the List file oftype: label to read All files (*.*)

The default folder in MicroStation that contains Settings Manager .stg files is...\MicroStation\Workspace\System\data\


When you save SpecChecker settings, the selected rules file or .stg file name is savedin the current SpecChecker settings file.

Tip: Using a .stg file by itself to check design files rejects design file header elementsand other non-graphic elements. You can eliminate this by using a rules file that acceptsnon-graphic elements and contains a #include rule with the path, name and extension ofthe .stg to be used. See the RuleManager System Administrators Guide forinformation about using the #include command.

Report File:

SpecChecker writes the results of the examination to a plain text report file. Any legalfilename can be specified. If the file already exists, it will be overwritten.

SpecChecker allows you to either have one report file for all design files processed in onerun or one report file for each design file processed.

Automatic Rules File and Report File names:If you delete the contents of the Rules File: or Report File: field and then move inputfocus out of the field, SpecChecker will automatically enter a rule or report file name andpath based on the active design file with a .rul or .rep extension, of course.

One report file for each design file processed To have one report file for each design file processed, use the wildcard character * asthe file name. SpecChecker will replace the report file name with the name of the designfile and use the extension used in the report file name field. For example:

If the report file name is *.rep

and the design files are c:\axiom.dgn and c:\project\badwtf.dgn

then the report file names will be: c:\axiom.rep and c:\project\badwtf.rep

{Select}

Use the {Select} button to choose a specific report file by browsing for it.

SpecChecker

Search onlySuppress SpecCheckers ability to automatically correct elements. In interactive editingmode, this will cause the {Change...} buttons to be disabled. In automatic (non-interactive) mode, no corrections will be made. The net effect is that SpecChecker willsearch your files for problems (and report on them) but it will not correct them.

In this mode, no backup files will be created.

If your rules file does not specify any automatic corrections, this option is not applicable.

Interactive editing This option gives you the capability of visiting each element SpecChecker finds thatviolates your standards. SpecChecker will zoom in on the non-compliant element. If morethan one design file is specified in the SpecChecker main dialog box then each design filewill be opened in turn and checked interactively.

{Start}

Push this button when you have finished selecting all of your options and are ready tohave SpecChecker process your files.

{Display Report}

Push this button to open SpecCheckers text report file using Notepad.

Sample Report File 4000116, ID=0 -- Text height (1.5000) should not exceed 1.0mu. 4000117, ID=0 -- Text width (1.5000) should not exceed 1.0mu. 4000118, ID=0 -- Font (1025) must be 3 (ENGINEERING). 4000119, ID=0 -- Font (1) must be 3 (ENGINEERING). 4000120, ID=0 -- Font (0) must be 3 (ENGINEERING). 4000126, ID=0 -- Color (3) must be ByLevel. 4000127, ID=0 -- Rotation (89.0000) must be 0 or 90. 4000129, ID=0 -- Rotation (91.0000) must be 0 or 90. Number of elements analyzed: 130 Number of violations found: 14 Number of violations corrected: 0Finished on Saturday, 11 February 2006 at 2:49 pm.1 of the 1 models processed are non-conforming.

If an element is corrected by SpecChecker then the -- will be changed to ++.


The numbers before the -- or ++ indicate the file position and unique V8 element IDof the rejected element. The part after the -- or ++ is the rejection message defined inthe rules file.

{Close}

Push this button to exit SpecChecker.

Report file messagesWhen using Settings Manager .stg files to check design files you will need to specifythe contents of the messages that will appear in the report for rejected elements. You dothis by creating the MicroStation configuration variableCHECKER_REJECT_MESSAGE. The value for this configuration variable is a textstring containing the text and message variables that are to be placed in the SpecCheckerreport. See the RuleManager System Administrators Guide Rejection messages andMessage variables sections for more information about rejection messages.

If you do not know how to create a MicroStation configuration variable, see your SystemAdministrator or CAD manager.

Here is an example of how you might define the value for the configuration variable.

There are several special messages that will be in the report file under the followingcircumstances:

When a correction command modifies one or more (but not all) components of a complexheader youll see messages such as (V7 example shown):

24 -- Components element levels dont match.24 -- Components element colors dont match.24 -- Components element weights dont match.24 -- Components element styles dont match.24 -- Components element text justifications dont match.24 -- Components element text weight multipliers dont match.24 -- Components element text width multipliers dont match.24 -- Components element text rotation angles dont match.

In most complex elements all components must share the same symbology. If you changethe level, color, weight or style of one or more components but not all of the componentsin a complex element, the above messages will notify you that the components no longermatch. Text justifications and multipliers must also match for all text in text nodes.

SpecChecker

SpecChecker cannot automatically remedy such mismatches introduced by correctioncommands.

Cells and shared cells are exceptions to the above rule about complex elements becausecell components are allowed to have different symbologies. None of the above messageswill be generated by mismatched cell components.

When a correction command properly changes all component elements but fails to updatetheir complex header, SpecChecker automatically updates the header (V7 exampleshown):

24 ++ Headers level changed from 10 to 12.24 ++ Headers color changed from 7 to 19.24 ++ Headers weight changed from 3 to 1.24 ++ Headers style changed from 3 to 4.24 ++ Headers text justification changed from CC to LMT.24 ++ Headers text weight multiplier changed from 100:51:2 to 200:87.6.24 ++ Headers text width multiplier changed from 10:50:9 to 12:55:15.24 ++ Headers text rotation angle changed from 45.0000 to 90.0000.

Again, these messages do not apply to cells and shared cells because cell componentelements are allowed to have varying characteristics within the same cell.

Infinite correction loopIf you see a message such as

** Ignoring repeat rejection of this element by rule "REJECT (level=10 &style=0)" to prevent an infinite correction loop.

then you either have

1. rejection rules which are fighting each other (one rule correcting an element such thatthe element then violates another rule); or

2. a rejection rule that is fighting itself (a rule which does not correct the actualviolation for which it rejected the element.)

When an element is corrected by a rule, it is then compared against every rule again,starting from the first rule, to ensure that the element still meets all of your standards.

If the element violates any of the rules again, the above error message is shown and thatduplicate rejection is ignored to prevent an infinite correction loop.

Running SpecChecker whenever a design file is closedMicroStation can be set so that each time a user closes a design file, exits MicroStation oropens another design file, SpecChecker automatically process the file just closed using adesignated rules file. When complete, SpecChecker displays an information dialog boxgiving a summary of the results that includes the total number of elements in the file andthe number of errors it contains.

See the RuleManager System Administrators Guide for more information about runningSpecChecker automatically when a design file is closed.

Chapter 6 SpecChecker Settings Page 37

Chapter 6 SpecChecker Settings

Settings menu

The Settings menu gives you control over SpecCheckers settings and settings files.

Change SettingsChange Settings opens a dialog box where you can access all of SpecCheckerssettings.

Load SettingsUse the Load Settings... option to load a settings file that you have saved previously.

Save SettingsUse the Save Settings option to save your current SpecChecker settings to the currentsettings file.

Save Settings AsSave your current settings to an alternate SpecChecker settings file and make that settingsfile active.

Restore Factory Defaults...This selection restores all default settings without saving them.

SpecChecker

Settings File:The Settings File: line displays the currently loaded Settings file. Clicking on it hasno effect except that it causes the Settings menu to close.

General SettingsThis is where you change general SpecChecker settings.

SpecChecker Settings General category dialog box.

Interactive editing This option lets you visit each element that violates your standards. SpecChecker willzoom in on the non-compliant element.

For more information about this option, see the Interactive Editing section of thisguide. This option is off by default (unchecked.)


Backup each file before processing. As protection against user error SpecChecker offers the option of automatically backingup each design file before processing it. The backup file will have the extension .bakadded to the original design file name and extension.

The advantage of turning this option on is that if your changes dont turn out the way youwant you can recover the previous version of each design file.

This option defaults to On, a checkmark.

Caution: When you process a design file for the second time and there is at least onecorrection clause on a rule, then the first backup file will be overwritten by the backupfile from the second run.

Search only Use this to disable any automatic corrections defined your rules file. The full, detailedreport file will still be created.

This option defaults to Off, no checkmark.

Tip: Since this is a commonly used option, it is also located in the main dialog box.

Skip read-only files. MicroStation will display a dialog box telling you when a design file is read-only. Thisdialog box is one that you must respond to before you can do anything else inMicroStation. This stops SpecChecker from processing that file until you click on an{OK} button to close the MicroStation dialog box.

If you want SpecChecker to process a list of files without stopping for each read-only file,then turn on this option.

SpecChecker will mention in the report file that it has skipped a read-only file.

This option defaults to Off, no checkmark.

Report/Correct which violations:When operating in Search only mode, this option applies to the violations that will bereported.

A MicroStation element may violate more than one rule. SpecChecker gives you theoption of reporting/correcting the first, last or all instances of an element violating rules.In other words, it might be enough to know that an element violated at least one rule andtherefore reporting more than one violation is not necessary. In this case the option can beset to First or Last.

All is the default.

SpecChecker

FirstWhen you select First, SpecChecker stops processing the element after the first violatedrule.

Tip: If you have speed considerations then set this to First. This can speed upprocessing significantly.

It may be useful to set SpecChecker to "First" and "Search only" when you just want toknow if designs are "perfect" (no violations) or not. This may be especially useful if youare processing many files and are not interested in what the specific standards violationsare.

LastIn interactive mode, SpecChecker will create a temporary list of all rules violated by anelement and present only the last one found.

In non-interactive mode, SpecChecker will create a list of all rules violated by theelement and report/correct only the last one. Only the last rule violated by each elementwill be reported (and therefore be available for automatic correction).

AllIn interactive mode, each violation is reported until the element passes all rules or youhave chosen to ignore all remaining violations.

In non-interactive mode and when not using the Search Only option, each element willbe compared against each rule in the rules file and the first rule violated that contains acorrection clause will update the element. Then the updated element will be passedagainst all rules again from the first rule. If a second violation is found, the cycle beginsagain. If a violated rule does not contain a correction clause, or SpecChecker is running inSearch only mode, or if you choose Ignore in interactive mode, the rejection messagewill be written to the report file, and the next rule will be processed.

When no more rules remain on the list, SpecChecker processes the next element.

Symbology:Elements can have one of two types of symbology:

Element Symbology

As Displayed

ElementThis is the default. If you choose Element then each elements actual symbology willbe tested by SpecChecker. Level Symbology and ByLevel symbology will be ignored.


As displayedIf you choose As displayed then each elements displayed symbology will be tested bySpecChecker. This could include any combination of Element Symbology, LevelSymbology or ByLevel Symbology for any given element.

SpecChecker will see elements exactly as they are displayed in the active view, whethertheir display is based on their Element,Level or ByLevel symbology (or any combinationof these.)

Highlight or fence each element.This option defaults to Off, no checkmark, and results in no highlight or fence. Thepurpose of fencing or highlighting is to make it easier to identify the element.

This option allows you to highlight the element that SpecChecker zooms in on whileinteractive editing. If the design file has level symbology turned on then MicroStationwill override the highlight color. In this case, SpecChecker will put a fence around theelement. The element will display in the center of the window.

To summarize, when you select Highlight or fence each element, and LevelSymbology for the active view is turned On, the elements will be fenced. If LevelSymbology for the active view is turned Off, the elements will be highlighted.

Note: Whenever you are highlighting the element and you want to undo any changesyou have made, you will need to press the undo button twice. The first time you press theundo button the element will change to the highlight color and the second time the colorwill be restored to its original color.

Highlight color This option allows you to specify the highlight color when SpecChecker is highlightingthe element in interactive editing mode. There is a color palette to select from. Thisoption is only active/useable if Interactive | Highlight or fence each element is selected.

Process attached reference files.If you want to automatically process attached reference files, select Process attachedreference files. Master files and their reference files will then be processed.

When processing reference files with this option, SpecChecker will process only themodel of each reference file that it finds attached to a master file. SpecChecker will notprocess any other models in reference files that are processed because of this option.

Note: You may have the same reference file attached to more than one master file orattached to the same master file more than once. SpecChecker will not process the samemodel in any design file (master or reference file) more than once in a given run.

The default setting is Off, no checkmark.

SpecChecker

Process nested reference files.The option to Process nested reference files is selectable only after selecting theProcess attached reference files option. You can also select the maximum nestingdepth. The default depth is 1.

LimitationsHere you can define limitations on how many rejections are reported by SpecChecker.

SpecChecker Settings Limitations category dialog box.

Maximum rejections per job This limits the number of rejections that will be reported per job, which could include anynumber of design files being processed. The default is 999,999,999.

Maximum rejections per model This limits the number of rejections that will be reported per model. The default is999,999,999 rejections per model.

Maximum rejections per rule per model This limits the number of rejections of one rule will be reported per model. The default is999,999,999 rejections for a rule per model.


Rules FilesThis is where you change settings related to how SpecChecker handles rules files.

SpecChecker Settings Rules Files category dialog box.

Ignore override options defined in rules fileTurning on Ignore override options from the rules file. will cause SpecChecker toignore settings options defined in the rules file. See the RuleManager SystemAdministrators Guide for a description of the options that can be defined in rules files.

This option is off, no checkmark by default.

Remember last rules file nameTurning on Remember last rules file name. will cause SpecChecker to continue to reusethe rules file name saved in the SpecChecker configuration file when started. If thisoption is turned off then the rules file name will match the active design files name witha .rul extension.

This option is turned on by default.

SpecChecker

Report FileThis is where you change settings related to SpecCheckers report file.

SpecChecker Settings Report File category dialog box.

Report file style:

This setting allows you to generate a detailed report for each design file processed or asummary report for each design file.

The summary report will tell you how many elements in the design file violate a rule. Aline from a summary report might look like this:

22 instances of non-compliance with rule #1: "REJECT(FONT=1:127)"

The default is Detailed.

Include settings information in report file.This tells SpecChecker to include the state of its settings in the report file. The settingsare placed in the model header section. For example:

------------------------------------------------------------------------------Settings: Symbology = ELEMENT Report/Correct = ALL Backup each file before modifying = NO Interactive Editing = NO Detailed report = YES Search only = NO Skip read-only files = NO Maximum rejections per job = 999999999 Maximum rejections per model = 999999999


Maximum rejections per rule per model = 999999999 Process reference files = NO

This list of settings will be repeated for every model processed, which can make yourreport larger and thus harder to read.

Only turn this on if you actually need this information in your report file.

Remember last report file nameTurning on Remember last report file name. will cause SpecChecker to continue toreuse the report file name saved in the SpecChecker configuration file when started. Ifthis option is turned off then the report file name will match the active design files namewith a .rep extension.

This option is turned on by default.

SpecChecker

Chapter 7 Inte ractive Editing

Using Interactive EditingWhen the Interactive editing option is turned on and an element is rejected, thefollowing window is displayed:

The interactive editing dialog box allows you to choose which predefined corrections youwant to perform. SpecChecker will zoom in on the element that violates your standards.You can then choose to make the correction specified in the rule that has been violated oruse any MicroStation function to manually change the element yourself.

If more than one design file is specified in the SpecChecker main dialog box then eachdesign file will be opened in turn and checked interactively.

Note: When running in interactive editing mode on cell libraries, be sure to choose Allmodels from the main SpecChecker dialog box. Each cell in a MicroStation V8 celllibrary is in its own model.

Rule

Here is where SpecChecker displays the actual rule that is in the rules file or the setting inthe Settings Manager .stg file that is being violated. In the example above, an elementon level A was rejected.

Chapter 7 Interactive Editing Page 47

Message

This is the message defined in your rules file for whichever rule has been violated. In thecase of .stg files (instead of SpecChecker rules files), this is a general message aboutthe element that violated the settings in the .stg file.

Correction

This displays the correction that will be made if you press the Current Element{Change} button.

If no correction is specified in your rules file for the rule which has been violated, thiswill say .

Current Element {Ignore} and {Change}

{Ignore} means dont make the correction for this element and go to the next non-compliant element.

{Change} means make the specified correction and go to the next non-compliantelement.

{Blink}

This allows you to flash the rejected element. This helps you locate (or re-locate) the non-compliant element when there are other elements around or covering it.

SpecChecker

{Undo}

This button allows you to undo the last change to this design file. This could be either thelast change by the {Change} button or what you did directly within MicroStation. If youhave not made any changes, the button will be grayed out as shown here.

Note: Whenever you are highlighting the element and you want to undo any changesyou have done, you will need to press the undo button twice. The first time you press theundo button the element will change to the highlight color and the second time theelement color will be restored to its original color.

{Quit}

Pressing this button stops examining the design file and takes you back to the mainSpecChecker dialog box.

Current Model

The Current Model options allow you to select three options specific to the currentmodel in the design file being processed.

Current Model {Ignore this Rule}

This will cause SpecChecker to ignore the rule that causes this element to be rejected forthe rest of the elements in that model.

Chapter 7 Interactive Editing Page 49

Current Model {Change All that Violate this Rule}

Correct all elements in this model that violate this rejection rule. Whenever this rule isfound to be violated the correction clause in the rule will be automatically executed inthis design file only.

If no correction is specified for this rule in your rules file or if you are runningSpecChecker in Search only mode, this button will be deactivated.

Current Model {Change All}

Correct all elements in this model that violate any rejection rule. All correction clauseswill be automatically executed as each element is analyzed.

File:

This is the current file that is being checked by SpecChecker. It is the active design file.

Element ID:

This is the unique V8 element ID of the non-conforming element currently beingdisplayed.

_ of _ models dont conform.

This is a summary of how many files do not conform totally according to the rules file.

SpecChecker

_ of _ problems were corrected.

This is a count of how many standards violations and corrected.

Chapter 8 Choose Files to Process Page 51

Chapter 8 Choose Files to Process

Selecting files to processWhen you click the {Edit List} button in SpecCheckers main box, it opens theChoose Files to Process box which you can use to select any number of files to process.This section covers the use of this Choose Files to Process dialog box in detail.

Using Axioms Choose Files to Process boxUse Axioms Choose Files to Process box to create a list of files to process. Here is anempty list (no files chosen yet):

SpecChecker

The first button shown in this picture will only display if you haveMicroStation connected to ProjectWise. When this is not the case, this buttonwill not display.

Tip: You can find balloon help for almost any dialog item by holding your mouse over it.

Adding files to the listThere are up to five ways to add files to the list:

By browsing for them in a ProjectWise datasource with the Browse ProjectWise

button . This button is only displayed when MicroStation is connected toProjectWise.

By browsing for them with the Browse for files button .

By searching for them with the Search for files button , which brings up theSearch for Files box.

By dragging and dropping them from Windows Explorer into the Files to Process

list. You can open a Windows Explorer window using the button.

By importing an existing ASCII text file with files listed in it using File | Import FileList

File and Edit menusMost of the options in the File and Edit menus are duplicated along the button bar oron the right-click menu in the Files to Process list.

Browse ProjectWise Click on this button or press {Ctrl-P} to open the Axiom ProjectWise Navigator box.You will be prompted to log into a ProjectWise datasource.


Browse your ProjectWise datasource, select the files you want and press {Add to List}. Nofiles are shown in the above picture but youll see files once you log into a datasource.

Here you simply select the files you want to process and press {Add to List} to add themto your list of files to process. You can also right-click and choose Add Files to List toget the same result.

When you are done adding files to your list of files to process, press {Close}.

SpecChecker

Browse for files Click on this button or press {Ctrl+O} to open the Browse for Files box:

Select one or more files and press {Open} to add them to your list of files to process.


Search for files Click on this button or press {Ctrl+F} to open the Search for Files box (with itsBasic tab activated):

Search in:

Choose the folder you want to search for files in. Click the Choose a folder to search

button to browse to the folder you want to search.

Include subfolders.Enable this if you want to search for files in subfolders too.

Search for files using:Use this to restrict your search to files with certain names or extensions. Most userssearch by file extension, such as *.dgn.

SpecChecker

Search for files by date:Choose files to process based on their modification date. You can choose to search forfiles that were last changed before or after a specific date and time.

{Search Now}Once you have made your file search choices, click {Search Now} to perform the search.When the search is done, you will see a count of the number of files found. Press {AddFiles} to add the files to your list of files to process.

{Add Files}After searching for files, press this button to add the found files to your list of files toprocess.

{Close}Press this button to close the Search for Files box.

Search for Files: Advanced tabIf you want to search for files in more than one folder at a time, click on the Advancedtab of the Search for Files box.

Here you can choose any number of folders to search by checking them on in the foldertree.


Drag-and-drop files from Windows Explorer Click this button or press {Ctrl+E} to open a Windows Explorer window from which youcan drag and drop files or entire folders into your Files to Process list.

Dragging a folder into the list adds the files in that folder to the list, not the foldersthemselves.

Tip: You can drag files into your list from any Windows Explorer window, not just aWindows Explorer window opened by this button.

Dragging folders (not files) into the listDragging folders into the list is different than dragging files. Dragging files is direct the files go right into your list. But since folders could include files you dont want toprocess, dragging folders initiates a search of those folders. You can then fine-tune thesearch by adding or removing folders, choosing which types of files to include andlimiting the search by file modification dates.

Once youve made your search choices, click {Search Now} to begin the search. Whenthats done, click {Add Files} to add the found files to the list of files to process.

Tip: When dragging both files and folders into your list simultaneously, the files still getadded to your list immediately and a search is initiated for the folders, as usual.

Remove selected files Press this button to remove the selected files from the list.

Remove all files Press this button to remove every file from your list.

Warning: This will clear your entire list of files. Use it with care.

Remove Missing FilesThis removes any files from the list that cannot be found. This is available only from theEdit menu, there is no dedicated button for it.

ProjectWise Tip: You may be prompted to log into ProjectWise so this operation candetermine if any files are missing. If you cancel the ProjectWise login, all ProjectWisefiles in the list are assumed to be not missing.

SpecChecker

Save list to file Press this button or {Ctrl+S} if you want to save the currently displayed list of files to atext file that you can reuse in the future.

Tip: Import a previously saved file list using the Import File List... choice on the Filemenu or by simply dragging one or more of these .LST files into the list of files toprocess from Windows Explorer.

Files to ProcessThe object of this entire box is to put files in the Files to Process list.

Right-clicking on the listRight-click anywhere in the list to see this context-sensitive menu of available actions:

Selecting files in the listYou might want to select one or more files in the list so you can remove them. There aremultiple ways to select multiple files in the list.

Using {Shift-left-click}You can select multiple adjacent files in the list by first left-clicking on the first file thenholding down the {Shift} key while left-clicking on the last file in the series.

Using {Ctrl-left-click}You can select multiple files arbitrarily by holding down the {Ctrl} while left-clicking oneach one.


Removing files from the listThere are several ways to remove files from the list:

1. Select one or more files and click the {Remove selected files} button.

2. Select one or more files and right-click on one of them, then choose a removal optionfrom the menu which appears.

3. Select one or more files and press the {Delete} key on your keyboard.

4. Click the {Remove all files} button.

VersionRight-click on the title bar and choose About Axiom File List Processor to bring up abox containing version information which is useful if you are calling Axiom for support.

{OK}Once you have chosen all the files you want to process, press {OK} to close the ChooseFiles to Process box.

{Cancel}If you change your mind, press {Cancel} and any changes you made to your list of filesto process will be discarded.

Advanced CommandsThe Choose Files to Process box is extremely powerful and easy to use. However, forthose users who want more raw power, it is possible to create a list of files to processwithout even picking up your mouse.

Instead of opening the Choose Files to Process box, you can type wildcards and otherspecial commands directly in the file specification field in the main dialog box of the hostprogram (for example, FileFixers Which Files: field.)

Using these commands, your list of files to process will be created automatically whenyou start processing. Or you can open the Choose Files to Process box to view and edityour list of files before you begin processing them.

SpecChecker

This table describes the most popular of these advanced commands.

Command Examples Description* c:\work\*.dgn

c:\work\*.*

c:\work\project1.*

This wildcard will matchzero or more charactersanywhere in the file nameand extension. It does notwork on the path.

? c:\work\project1.dg?

c:\work\project?.d??

c:\work\?project?.dgn

This wildcard will matchexactly one characteranywhere in the file nameand extension. It does notwork on the path.

/S c:\work\*.dgn /S

c:\work\border*.dgn /S

c:\work\project?.dgn /S

This command causessubfolders to be searched formatching files. It is usuallyused with a wildcard.

/L /L c:\work\list.lst Follow this command withthe name of a list of file toprocess, including its fullpath. The list file is a textfile with one file per line,including full path on eachline, usually with theextension .LST.

Chapter 9 Troubleshooting Page 61

Chapter 9 Troubleshooting

Errors not covered in the documentIf you encounter any difficulties not covered in this manual, please send a detailed e-mailto [email protected]. Please include as much information about your operatingsystem, the problem that you are experiencing and exactly what you did when thisproblem occurred. Also make sure to include the version number of MicroStation andSpecChecker that you are running.

mailto:[email protected]?subject=HELP! I'm Experiencing Problems with SpecChecker

SpecChecker

Chapter 10 We ll Make (Almost) AnyEnhancements You Want

We welcome your suggestionsSpecChecker is a powerful program. Nonetheless, we realize that you, a skilled andcreative MicroStation user, will think of ways in which it can be improved. We invite youto tell us your ideas.

For ten years weve listened to you, the skilled MicroStation professional, and haveimplemented the features youve requested. Every widely acclaimed product weve everdeveloped, including FileFixer, evolved in this manner.

Wed like to make SpecChecker perform every function you could ever imagine such aproduct being able to do. We intend to make you such a satisfied SpecChecker customerthat you cant wait for the next user group meeting so you can tell your friends andassociates how much you like SpecChecker and how strongly you recommend it.

Your suggestions on how to improve SpecChecker are most welcome.

Chapter 11 New Features and Fixes Page 63

Chapter 11 New Features and Fixes

Version 8.11a 13 September 2013

New! Automatically run SpecChecker when a design file is closed.With this new capability, each time a user closes a design file, exits MicroStation oropens another design file, SpecChecker automatically processes the file just closed usinga designated rules file. When complete, SpecChecker displays an information dialog boxgiving a summary of the results that includes the total number of elements in the file andthe number of errors it contains.

New! Added Level_Description keyword and message variableAdded the Level_Description keyword to both check and correct a levels description asdefined in a design files level tables. This includes the message variable%Level_Description to report a rejected levels description.

New! Added Modified_By keyword and message variableAdded the Modified_By keyword to check the user name found in the Last AuthorWindows file property of a design file. The message variable %Modified_By will reportthis user name.

Additional EnhancementsMade some minor changes to labels in the user interface.

Version 8.10a 11 July 2013

New! Added full keyword support for level propertiesAdded full keyword support for all level properties as defined in a design files leveltables. This includes reference file level tables and the ability to correct the properties oflevels.

Alphabetical list of new level property keywords:

LEVEL_COLOR LEVEL_OVERRIDE_STYLE

SpecChecker

LEVEL_DISPLAY LEVEL_OVERRIDE_WEIGHT

LEVEL_FREEZE LEVEL_PLOT

LEVEL_LOCK LEVEL_PRIORITY

LEVEL_NAME LEVEL_SCALE_LS

LEVEL_NUMBER LEVEL_STYLE

LEVEL_OVERRIDE_COLOR LEVEL_TRANSPARENCY

LEVEL_OVERRIDE_SCALE_LS LEVEL_WEIGHT

List of new keywords to isolate the level table a level is associated to:

LEVEL_FILENAME The name of the file a level is associated to.

LEVEL_REFLOGICAL The logical name of the reference file a level is associated to.

LEVEL_TYPE The type of file, either Master or Reference, that a level isassociated to.

New! Display Priority keyword supportAdded a new keyword, PRIORITY, to check and optionally correct element displaypriority when using MicroStation V8 XM or later.

New! Element Transparency keyword supportAdded a new keyword, TRANSPARENCY, to check and optionally correct elementtransparency when using MicroStation V8 XM or later.

New! Custom line style scale factor correctionsAdded the ability to correct a custom line styles scale factor in an element, in a levelsbyLevel line style when assigned a custom line style and in a levels override line stylewhen the override line style is a custom line style.

New! Command line support for SpecCheckerAdded the ability to run SpecChecker from the MicroStation command line. This makesit possible to launch and process files automatically with SpecChecker every time a file isclosed for example.

Additional EnhancementsNew! Added support for font type in the FONT keyword.

New! Added a model name filter that allows users to choose specific models within amodel type category.


New! Added new configuration variables to allow workspace configurations to controlthe default rules file and the default settings files.

Changed the default SpecChecker settings file extension from CFG to INI.

Fixed a problem that prevented SpecChecker from processing all files when a single rulewas added directly to the Rules File: field.

To allow for seamless installation and usage of all QA Suite products across the manyversions of MicroStation V8, there are now separate DLLs and MAs, where needed, tosupport the changes in MicroStation. This change should be unnoticed by users.

Improved the labels and functionality for correction criteria dialogs in the Rule Wizard.

Added support for MicroStation configuration variable expansion when used in #includerules files statements.

Added the ability to select, edit and update rules files stored in ProjectWise.

Fixed the Choose Files to Process dialog so it only display the ProjectWise fileselection icon when ProjectWise is loaded.

Fixed a problem where the MAJOR and MINOR keywords would not work on arcs.

Fixed a problem where the %text_style message variable was not reporting fortext elements that did not have a text style assigned.

Version 8.9a 27 July 2012New! Added the MODIFY_DATE keyword which can accept and reject MicroStationV8 elements based on their last modified date. This addition makes it easy to test onlynew geometry added since a specific date and time.

Changed: Minor update to the licensing system.

Version 8.8c 30 April 2012Fixed a problem introduced in SpecChecker 8.8b that resulted in inconsistent rejectionresults using the same rules file.

Version 8.8b 30 March 2012New! Added a new keyword to check and correct whether a reference file attachment ishidden in the References dialog but exists in the design file. The new keyword isREF_HIDDEN.

SpecChecker

Version 8.8a 11 January 2012New! Added the new keyword ANNOTATION_SCALE. The new keyword will checkand correct a V8 models annotation scale.

New! Added the new keyword MODEL_IS3D to determine a models dimension.

New! Added the new keywords X_GLOBAL_ORIGIN_V8I,Y_GLOBAL_ORIGIN_V8I and Z_GLOBAL_ORIGIN_V8I to check or correct theglobal origin of a model as expressed by MicroStation V8i..

New! Added the new keywords HBIT, MBIT, NBIT, PBIT, RBIT andSBIT. These are for the Hole, Modified, New, Planar, Relative (view independent) andSnappable property bits of an element respectively.

Enhanced the IF statement checks to include the design file header element. This allowsthe use of more keyword combinations in IF statements.

Fixed a problem in MicroStation V8i where the tag keywords were not working in allcases.

Fixed a problem with the global origin keywords that caused the message variables toreport different values than the global origin criteria keywords used.

Fixed a problem with the ZLOW criteria keyword incorrectly using the XLOW elementvalue.

Fixed a problem where the GRAPHIC_GROUP keyword would produce an error whenused with the > or < operator.

Version 8.7c 26 November 2010Fixed the Highlight and fence option so that the rejected element will stay highlightedwhen this option is turned on and SpecChecker is run in interactive editing mode.

Fixed a problem that prevented files with a full file specification exceeding 260characters from being processed.

Fixed a problem that occurred when a list of names, such as level or cell names exceededa certain length or size in the rules file.

Fixed a problem in V8I where the value for text and dimension styles was notbeing recognized.

Fixed a problem where certain rule syntax errors were not being trapped and reported tothe user for correction.

Fixed a problem where the message variable %INVISIBLE was preventing rules filesfrom compiling.

Version 8.7b 25 June 2010 Fixed a minor problem with the MU_NAME keyword.


Improved the messages to the user when incorrect rules syntax is used.

Fixed several problems when loading the rules file before processing

Version 8.7a 10 November 2009New! ProjectWise support. SpecChecker can now check out files from ProjectWise toprocess, then check them in automatically before processing the next file.

New keywords and message variables have been added. See the RuleManager SystemAdministrators Guide for details.

Fixed a problem with multi-line symbology output in report files..

Version 8.6b 21 August 2009Fixed problems with negative numbers and ranges of values when used with certain rulesfile keywords.

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Documents

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axiom products

state of florida

purpose of specchecker

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level characteristics

introduction page

yourmicrostation files