Microstation Design History
In Microstation V8, the history of a design file can be tracked, albeit in a slightly less robust and controlled manner than you'd get from a document management system like Projectwise.
The initialization of the design history functionality would normally be done on a file by file basis.
Fire up the Design History tool palette, found under Tools - > Design History.
By clicking on the right hand icon from the above palette, design history is initialized in the current design file. To switch on design history in all new design files, you should open the seed file that is used for new drawings and initialize design history there.
You can request that the design team record and explain the amendments they have made to a drawing each time they save it, but this could prove obstructive and time-consuming. A more pragmatic approach would be to ask them to record design activities when they close a drawing.
To do this the configuration setting MS_DESIGN_HISTORY_COMMIT_ON_CLOSE should be set to the value 1. This can be done under Workspace -> Configuration. Scroll down to Design History in the left hand menu, then from the right hand options under design history configuration, select "commit before close", click edit and change the value to 1. You need to relaunch Microstation before these changes kick in.
Now each time the design file is closed, the CAD user will be asked to record what they have been doing. Best practise would probably involve getting the team to initial their records and to record their work in a manner that is consistent with your standard revision system, as per this example for a drawing moving from rev A to rev B.
- A.1 Preliminary Design - JB (Joe Bloggs)
- A.2 Preliminary Design continued - JB
- A.3 Drawing amended to Alison's comments - RG (Rob Green)
- A.4 Client's feedback received - comments incorporated - RG
- B.1 Drawing approved by Alison and issued to planning and procurement.
- etc
By clicking on the third icon in from the left in the design history tool palette shown above, you will see the record of all amendments to the design file. At each stage of the design's history, elements that were added will be shown in green, elements that were deleted will be shown in red and elements that were modified will be shown in blue.
In comparison to a document management system, the main limitation of the design history functionality is that users aren't obliged to record what they have been doing and may choose not to do so, particularly if they have only gone into the drawing to get a print or to copy and paste some good design.