MicroStation and AutoCAD Object

Enablers - OEs
Product: MicroStation

Version: V8i

Environment: N\A

Area: DWG

Subarea: Open

Overview
When opening a DWG file in MicroStation, a message is displayed in the statusbar:
One or more Object Enablers is missing

Background
In the AutoCAD file format a number of standard object/element definitions are available, such as
lines, texts, etc.
Autodesk allows application developers to create additional object definitions to better suit their
application (you may think of them as "smart objects"). An application that creates these objects
may also provide a so called Object Enabler that runs on a RealDWG host program different than
the application itself.
Such additional objects are called Custom Objects, when their object enablers are present, or Proxy
Objects when their object enablers are missing.

In order to display custom objects the related application Object Enabler needs to have been
installed on a RealDWG host program such as AutoCAD or MicroStation.

Custom or Proxy objects on MicroStation

Following Bentley's agreement with Autodesk, RealDWG libaries were available for use in
MicroStation. Thus versions of MicroStaton V8i Selectseries 1 or later, DWG files are opened with
Autodesk's RealDWG and custom objects with their object enablers are better displayed. Therefore,
it is recommended that you get an object enabler for DWG files that contain custom objects. If you
do not have these object enablers, you will see the message: “One or more Object Enablers is
missing” in the status bar after you opened such a DWG file. In such a case, as described above,
these objects become proxies, which may or may not be displayed correctly depending on:

(a) if the DWG file as last saved with system variable PROXYGRAPHICS on AutoCAD,
(b) if the object enabler is designed to save the graphics in response to this system variable, and
(c) if the information/geometry saved in the proxies is as good as you expect (wireframe or mesh, for
example).

If the answer to all three questions is positive, then your proxies may display correctly. Otherwise
you may see problems with them.

Which Object Enabler to download/install

Object enablers are available for 32bit and 64bit operating systems. 64bit object enablers versions
cannot be used in a 32bit environment. A number of 32bit object enablers are suitable to be used on
a Windows 64bit operating system.

Object enablers also require an equivalent 32bit or 64bit CAD application.

MicroStation is a 32 bit application and therefore requires 32bit object enablers.
In short:

In order to handle DWG files that include custom objects in the best way, you will need to have
MicroStation V8i Selectseries 1 or higher on a 32bit or 64bit Windows operating system with the
appropriate 32bit Object Enablers installed.

You will also need to know what version of RealDWG is installed with your current version of
MicroStaion. To check this go to Control Panel>Programs>Uninstall a Program, this will show you
want version you have installed.

i.e. if you are installing an Object Enabler for Autodesk Civil 3D you would need to install either the
version for 2010 or 2014 based on the version of RealDWG that is currently installed.

Notes
If a DWG file has to be edited later on with the application with which it was built, be sure to
make a backup copy of the original file first before opening it in MicroStation. Also, before
opening a file that includes custom objects, make sure that exactly the same DWG file format is
set.
For example consider that a file has been created based on the AutoCAD version 2009 then you
define MS_REALDWG_VERSION = 2009 before opening the file.
If you would open such a file having the AutoCAD 2010 version active, the data in the file will be
upgraded to the 2010 format the custom objects however will not.
The result is that the original application will not be able to edit the file anymore.
Bentley V8i (SELECTseries 1) - Autodesk® RealDWG™ 2010 includes the following object
enablers, which can be used with products that have then enabled:
AutoCAD Architecture and AutoCAD MEP 2010 Object Enabler
AutoPLANT V8i (SELECTseries 1) Object Enabler
ProSteel V8i for AutoCAD 2010 Object Enabler
True object enablers are developed with ObjectDBX. If an object enabler has the file extension
.DBX, it should be loadable using MicroStation V8i SELECTseries 1 or 2 with RealDWG
installed. If the object enabler has a file extension of .ARX, it was not developed using
ObjectDBX and most likely cannot be loaded using MicroStation V8i SELECTseries 1 or 2.
Bentley Systems Inc. cannot do much here as for a fix we depend on Autodesk or the related
Application vendor who created the enabler.
A known enabler that does not conform to Autodesk's own definition of Object Enablers
is:Autodesk Raster Design 2010 (TR# 299032).
 Upon installation of an Object Enabler, a window may pop-up asking for which application the
enabler should be activated, in such a case, the installed platform product should be selected
(MicroStation V8i Selectseries 1 or up). However, not all object enablers offer such an option
(CADDuct serves as such an example).

Many thanks to Don Fu and Lily Wong for the much appreciated help and suggestions.

See also:
RealDWG(TM) [TN]

External Links
Bentley Technical Support KnowledgeBase

Bentley LEARN Server

Comments or Corrections?
Bentley's Technical Support Group requests that you please submit any comments you have on this
Wiki article to the "Comments" area below. THANK YOU!

 MicroStation V8i  SELECTservices  AutoCad  TechNote  open  DWG

 Object Enablers

Created by Dan Koval

When: Thu, Sep 5 2013 4:42 PM

Last revision by Robert Karpic

When: Thu, Jun 28 2018 8:26 AM
Revisions: 6
Comments: 0
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