Overview

This article details the key requirements and workflows for preparing OpenX Designer project data prior to publishing or synchronizing an iModel. Following these rules ensures seamless iModel generation, prevents data loss, and maintains digital twin performance.

1. Container Setup & Coordinate Systems

• 2D Container Creation: Create a dedicated 2D iModel container DGN file using the correct organizational workspace/workset seed file.
• Discipline Reference Attachments: Attach all relevant discipline containers or project reference files directly to the 2D iModel container.
• Geographic Coordinate System (GCS): Verify that the project's Geographic Coordinate System is correctly defined and consistent across both the 2D model and the associated default 3D model.

2. 3D Model Generation & Live Nesting Depth

• Generating Default 3D Models: The container file must contain an active, generated Default 3D Model. This model can be generated by opening a 2D view and activating a referenced terrain model.
• 3D View & Nesting Configuration:
  • Ensure the Default 3D Model is displayed in the 2D view structure.
  • Set reference live nesting to a minimum depth of 1 so that underlying 3D geometry, corridor meshes, and subsurface objects from reference attachments are included in the published iModel.

3. Portable Materials & Terrain Size Management

• Local Materials Configuration: Set the configuration variable MS_LOCAL_MATERIALS = 1 when custom materials/textures need to be embedded directly into the DGN file, creating portable and self-contained iModel content.
• Terrain Point Limits:
  • Terrains under 5 Million Points: Can be exported and published directly into the iModel.
  • Terrains over 5 Million Points: Exceeding this limit significantly increases iModel processing time and memory overhead. Large terrain surfaces should be managed using a Context Data Share rather than publishing the full surface directly into the iModel DGN container.

4. Drainage, Utilities, & OpenSite Data Schema

• Drainage & Utilities Properties: Standard Civil properties for Drainage and Utility networks are automatically extracted and included during iModel publication.
• iTwin Synchronizer & Item Types: Additional database properties can be synchronized via the iTwin Synchronizer. If external database attributes fail to synchronize, attach Item Types to map those properties directly to Civil properties.
• OpenSite Property Limitations: Specific OpenSite-exclusive properties are currently excluded during standard iModel extraction and require verification prior to publishing.