ProjectWiseConnector
Accesses ProjectWise through a Bentley Web Services Gateway (WSG). A WSG is a server-side application that opens a communication channel between an app, in this case FME and the ProjectWiseConnector, and Bentley's project information management system, which in this case is ProjectWise.
A WSG is comprised of two main components. The first component is the WSG framework which uses a REST web services API to communicate with apps to authenticate, send data, and receive data. The second component is a set of providers that communicate directly with individual management systems. The provider of interest to the ProjectWiseConnector is the ProjectWise provider, which allows access to ProjectWise data sources.
Typical Uses
- Manage datasets on ProjectWise by uploading, downloading, and deleting documents and projects.
- Transfer a file's contents (such as XML, point cloud, or raster) into or out of an attribute in FME.
- Read downloaded ProjectWise data using the FeatureReader, or upload data written by the FeatureWriter to ProjectWise.
- Retrieve document and project names, paths, IDs and other information from ProjectWise to use elsewhere in a workspace.
How does it work?
The ProjectWiseConnector uses your ProjectWise account credentials (either via a previously defined FME web connection, or by setting up a new FME web connection right from the transformer) to access the ProjectWise service.
Depending on your choice of actions, it will upload files, folders, and attributes; download documents and projects; list information of objects; or delete objects from the service.
In this example, the ProjectWiseConnector is used to download a Bentley MicroStation Design document from ProjectWise. We start by creating a valid web connection to a WSG deployment (which can be done right in the ProjectWise Account parameter) and browsing to the Design document, which retrieves the Object ID for the document. Finally, we choose to download as a File and select a destination for the download.
A FeatureReader is added to read the newly downloaded dataset. Here, the A-H1-G-Pave feature type will be further processed elsewhere in the workspace.
By executing the download here in the workspace, the Design document will be refreshed every time the workspace is run.
In this example, the ProjectWiseConnector is used to download a raster from ProjectWise into an attribute.
The document is read from ProjectWise and the contents stored as a blob attribute. Then a RasterReplacer is used to interpret the blob into a usable raster format.
The combination of these two transformers avoids having to download the image to local storage and re-read it. A similar technique can be used for point cloud files, using the PointCloudReplacer transformer.
Usage Notes
- This transformer cannot be used to directly move or copy files between different ProjectWise locations. However, multiple ProjectWiseConnectors can be used to accomplish these tasks.
- The FeatureReader can access ProjectWise directly (without using the ProjectWiseConnector), however, a local copy of the dataset will not be created.
Configuration
Input Ports
This transformer accepts any feature.
Output Ports
The output of this transformer will vary depending on the ProjectWise Action performed.
- After an Upload action, the Instance ID and Object ID of the uploaded object will be set to attributes on the output feature.
- A Download action can save to a file, a folder, or an attribute.
- A Delete action will output the input feature unchanged.
- A List action will output a new feature for each document/project found in the object id specified. Each of these new features will have attributes listing various pieces of information about the object.
Features that cause the operation to fail are output through this port. An fme_rejection_code attribute, having the value ERROR_DURING_PROCESSING, will be added, along with a more descriptive fme_rejection_message attribute which contains more specific details as to the reason for the failure.
Rejected Feature Handling: can be set to either terminate the translation or continue running when it encounters a rejected feature. This setting is available both as a default FME option and as a workspace parameter.
Parameters
ProjectWise Action |
The type of operation to perform. Choices include:
|
ProjectWise Account |
Performing operations on ProjectWise through a Bentley Web Service Gateway requires the use of a basic authentication using a Web Connection. To create a ProjectWise connection, click the 'ProjectWise Account' drop-down box and select 'Add Web Connection...'. The connection parameters are:
The connection can then be managed via Tools -> FME Options... -> Web Connections. |
The remaining parameters available depend on the value of the Request > ProjectWise Action parameter. Parameters for each ProjectWise Action are detailed below.
ProjectWise Path
Object ID |
The Object ID of a document or project on ProjectWise to delete. If valid credentials have been provided as a web connection, you may browse to a location. |
ProjectWise Source
Object ID |
The Object ID of the document/project to download. If valid credentials have been provided as a web connection, you may browse to a location. |
Destination
Download as |
Select whether to store the downloaded data in a File, Folder or Attribute.
|
Download to Folder | Specify the path to the folder that will store the downloaded document. Valid for Download as File or Folder. |
Include Subfolders | Choose whether to download subprojects of the ProjectWise Source or not. Valid for Download as Folder only. |
Download to Attribute |
Specify the attribute that will store the contents of the downloaded document. Valid for Download as Attribute only. Note: FME will attempt to convert the attribute's contents to a UTF-8 string. If this fails, the attribute's contents will be created as raw binary. To ensure that the original bytes are always preserved and never converted to UTF-8, use Download as File instead. |
ProjectWise Path
ProjectWise Object ID |
The Object ID to list the contents of. If valid credentials have been provided as a web connection, you may browse to a location. |
Output Attributes
Default attribute names are provided, and may be overwritten.
Class Name |
Specify the attribute to hold the name of an object on ProjectWise. |
Instance ID |
Specify the attribute to hold the instance ID of an object on ProjectWise. |
Object ID |
Specify the attribute to hold the object ID of an object on ProjectWise. |
Class Type |
Specify the attribute to hold the type of an object on ProjectWise. |
Description |
Specify the attribute to hold the description of an object on ProjectWise. |
Create Time |
Specify the attribute to hold the creation time of an object on ProjectWise. |
Update Time |
Specify the attribute to hold the last updated time of an object on ProjectWise. |
Relative Path |
Specify the attribute to hold the relative path to an object on ProjectWise. |
Document Name |
Specify the attribute to hold the document name of a document on ProjectWise. Only added for document type objects. |
Document Size |
Specify the attribute to hold the size of a document on ProjectWise. Only added for document type objects. |
Document Last Modified |
Specify the attribute to hold the last modified time of a document on ProjectWise. Only added for document type objects. |
Document MIME Type |
Specify the attribute to hold the MIME type of a document on ProjectWise. Only added for document type objects. |
Source
Upload |
The type of data to be uploaded.
When working with large objects, File is a better choice than Attribute as the data will be streamed directly from disk and not require that the object be stored entirely in memory on a feature. ProjectWise will not overwrite documents of the same name. If trying to upload a file with the same name as an existing document, the existing document’s ID will be returned. When wanting to upload content from a folder, it is better to upload as a folder instead of setting a fixed path and sending multiple features into the connector to upload as a file. |
File to Upload |
The file to be uploaded to ProjectWise if Upload is set to File. |
Folder to Upload |
The folder to be uploaded to ProjectWise if Upload is set to Folder. |
Include Subfolders |
Choose whether to upload subfolders of the Folder to Upload or not. |
Attribute to Upload as File |
The data to be uploaded, supplied from an attribute if Upload is set to Attribute. |
ProjectWise Destination
Project Object ID | The Object ID of the project to upload the data to. If valid credentials have been provided as a web connection, you may browse to a location. |
Upload with File Name | The name of the file created from the data supplied in Attribute to Upload as File. The name must include a filename extension (for example, .txt, .jpg, .doc). |
Output Attributes
Instance ID |
Specify the output attribute that will store the instance ID of the file/folder that was just uploaded. |
Object ID | Specify the output attribute that will store the object ID of the file/folder that was just uploaded. |
Editing Transformer Parameters
Using a set of menu options, transformer parameters can be assigned by referencing other elements in the workspace. More advanced functions, such as an advanced editor and an arithmetic editor, are also available in some transformers. To access a menu of these options, click beside the applicable parameter. For more information, see Transformer Parameter Menu Options.
Defining Values
There are several ways to define a value for use in a Transformer. The simplest is to simply type in a value or string, which can include functions of various types such as attribute references, math and string functions, and workspace parameters. There are a number of tools and shortcuts that can assist in constructing values, generally available from the drop-down context menu adjacent to the value field.
Using the Text Editor
The Text Editor provides a convenient way to construct text strings (including regular expressions) from various data sources, such as attributes, parameters, and constants, where the result is used directly inside a parameter.
Using the Arithmetic Editor
The Arithmetic Editor provides a convenient way to construct math expressions from various data sources, such as attributes, parameters, and feature functions, where the result is used directly inside a parameter.
Conditional Values
Set values depending on one or more test conditions that either pass or fail.
Parameter Condition Definition Dialog
Content
Expressions and strings can include a number of functions, characters, parameters, and more - whether entered directly in a parameter or constructed using one of the editors.
These functions manipulate and format strings. | |
A set of control characters is available in the Text Editor. | |
Math functions are available in both editors. | |
These operators are available in the Arithmetic Editor. | |
These return primarily feature-specific values. | |
FME and workspace-specific parameters may be used. | |
Working with User Parameters | Create your own editable parameters. |
Reference
Processing Behavior |
|
Feature Holding |
No |
Dependencies | Bentley ProjectWise CONNECT Edition, Bentley Web Services Gateway, Bentley WSG ProjectWise Plugin |
FME Licensing Level | FME Professional Edition and above |
Aliases | |
History | Released FME 2018.0 |
Categories |
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Examples may contain information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Vancouver