This section discusses how ProjectWise integrates with Civil 3d (C3d). We use the Autodesk software developer kits (SDK) to integrate. We use native C3d commands, we are not creating ProjectWise commands if one exists for C3d. We have access to new releases only after they are officially released to the public.
For example, selecting Attach from the Insert ribbon opens the ProjectWise Open Document dialog.
Above you can see the ProjectWise path in the middle and at the bottom you can switch to the Windows open document dialog by selecting the Open from Disk. (WARNING: in Civil 3d you do not want to attach anything from disk!)
Most users can continue to work as they normally would.
2.1 How are Data Shortcuts affected by ProjectWise Integration?
This is a data shortcut in a file that also has a reference.
This is the prospector tab of the C3d Toolspace. The path for the data shortcut node shows the users ProjectWise Workdir (local working directory) as the path. ProjectWise will transfer the data to your local working directory. The advantage here is that after the first download it is a delta file transfer. Giving you have the speed of working local.
In ProjectWise the data shortcut project is stored in a single CivilDSProj file. This file is transferred to the user’s ProjectWise Workdir when it is being used. Meaning either a file dependent on the data shortcut project is opened or that the data shortcut project was the last one used when C3d was closed. The content of the CivilDSProj is expanded and the XML is rewritten to reflect the current Workdir. This allows the data to be moved, but still preserves the data shortcut integrity.
In the example above the user setting for the working directory is shown in the top right. The local drive shows the data shortcut folder. The Surface_DS.CivilDSProj file has been expanded and you can see the data shortcuts listed in the surface folder.
At the bottom the XML file has been updated to show the correct path.
The next example is the Workdir of a different user:
This user opens the same file and sees all of the data correctly.
As each user edits a data shortcut it will be written back to the project with their PW_Workdir path. It is not unusual to see different paths in the XML data. (Which you should not edit)
2.2 Why Use ProjectWise?
The most common user complaint about ProjectWise Integration with Civil 3d it that it is slower than opening the file directly from the hard drive. That statement is true of any integrated application. Files will take more time to open because files are transferred.
Here are a few of the advantages that make it worthwhile to use ProjectWise:
Latency
Latency is determined by physics. The information on the data needs to move from point A to point B.
A few years ago, a Bentley Intern produced this calculation of how long it would take for one packet of data to travel from Exton PA. to Melbourne Australia one way at the speed of light.
Here is a real-world example of the latency to different Azure datacenters from Exton PA on a shared internal network.
The point of this illustration is to graph real world performance. The higher the latency files the longer commands that write to the file take. Because of physics Civil 3d tends to be very slow when run over the WAN. Many times, each part of a project that is globally shared, would work their part of the project on the local server and send copies to the other teams.
ProjectWise brings the data to the local drive and allows a global project to work from a single source of truth.
A user on a project using ProjectWise and following best practices may take a bit longer to open the file. That same user will save time on every operation after the file is opened.
Allowing ProjectWise to leave cached copys on the Local Drive and using “Common” PW_Workdir paths will really help with the initial open.
ProjectWise Tools
- Dependency Viewer Lets you see the relationships between files:
- ProjectWise Data Shortcut Editor Lets you repair issues with data shortcuts and visualize the relationships between data shortcuts:
Other Benefits
- Because ProjectWise is ensuring that your local data is updated, there is less chance of working with an out of date file.
- The Audit trail enforces personal responsibility, providing a record of everyone who edits a file.
- ProjectWise has workflows for BS1192 that work within Civil 3d.
- ProjectWise can use versioning with Civil 3d.
- The local document organizer allows easy replacement of corrupt files by finding a undamaged local copy in a user’s PW_WorkDir
2.3 Best Practices for ProjectWise and Civil 3d
- Use a common path for the PW_WorkDir. This improves speed by 10% - 15%
- Leave local copy on check-in and free. Most organizations use leave local copy on check-in and not on free. Civil 3d uses a lot of large references. Leaving them on free greatly speeds up file open.
- Do not use up to date local copy. Given the nature of data shortcuts you want them refreshed every time you open them. Also, C3d exposes the location of the PW_Workdir in a way the other applications don’t. If changes are made locally, they could get uploaded to the server with this on