Bentley Map XM, First Impressions
Bentley Map is the version from XM From what was Microstation Geographics until the 8 version, at the outset, I do not expect to go into details, rather I have several questions that I hope to solve as I play with its functionality.
Primeras impresiones:
The functionality and format V8 is maintained, although the platform changed
Recall that the V8 format was implemented around 2003/2004, good news is that a V8 file can be read by Bentley MapXM as well as by MicrostationV8. Where there are changes is in the migration of attributes from a Geographics project to "feature classes" from an XFM project ... but the V8 format remains the same.
Previously the dgn was a simple vector map, with a mslink that determined a relationship with a database, whether these attributes were vectors, centroids or spatial indices. Although pulled by the hair, it was recognized that Geographics was not a geospatial tool but rather as they called it "geoengineering", that is, a system for engineering / architecture users that is Bentley's strength, with capabilities to display, analyze and publish spatial data.
And while it was half pulled from the hair, for purposes of "geoengineering" it worked, using Publisher to serve data and Project Wise to manage them, always in its own way bizarre to understand the data. It was criticized that the map was "unconnected" and that it only used the project to interconnect the vector with an external database. The scheme changed when they acquired XFM technology from the German company ISIS, although it was not until the 2005 conference when Geospatial Management results were formally seen, where the schema criterion is introduced, which structures the data within the map in such a way that they can be analyzed without destroying the dgn ... it was then that they showed the GIS connector, which allowed an MXD or SDE to interact with Project Wise or with simple Geographics.
... and with the hair pulling ... sincerely starting the space cartridge was that ...
Anyway we like the sustainability of V8 format even if the platform has changed from the old cilpper to .NET
The same project scheme is maintained, although the way of handling it changed completely
Previously, the Geographics project had its own science, with a series of folders that stored different parts of the project. Well, in summary, the structure is maintained, but a couple of folders are added to store the xml structure
From the XFM integration, an XML structure (schema) was added that started with V8 in what they called "Geospatial Management"Very robust but half raw to swallow.
Now in Bentley Map XM this is the way to manage the projects although initially it emerges as an interoperability alternative, the tendency is to migrate there ... you should improve the unfriendly face for users who already know Geographics (not in the way of structuring the project but in the way of operating it, assign attributes ... and I speak of non-developer users).
For now I am testing the version, and I have a couple of doubts that I hope to resolve in the coming days ... if not until I go to Baltimore:
1. In Geographics, a vector object could have different attributes, for example, a property boundary could be a block boundary, a neighborhood boundary, and a municipality boundary. With the introduction of the data in xml form, can it be the same or should different objects be created for different attributes?
2. Is there a wizzard that allows migrating a project from Geographics to XFM? I mean, that I could convert a project stored in Access via ODBC or Oracle, and that it transforms the features to feature classes, categories ... a project can be imported, can a map be transformed so that the attributes that it already had assigned are transformed into feature classes? or that the Index recognizes the registered maps, the vicinity the mapid ...
We will continue talking…