CAESAR II – Network Configuration for Multiple Users
For larger companies that have multiple CAESAR II users, dealing with differences in the user’s settings can be an issue. Each user may have their own set of database settings for expansion joints, load cases, units, materials, and valves/flanges that are specified in the “caesar.cfg” on that user’s machine. What often happens during the course of a project is that User A will change a property for a material type in the CAESAR II file and that property does not exist for User B in their material database. When User B opens the CII File they get a nice error message that looks something like the below:
Basically, CAESAR II recognizes that there’s a difference between User A’s material input and what User B has in their material database, and is asking how to rectify the difference. If we clicked “No” at this point, then we’ve just reverted the material properties back to what User B has in their default database, which may not be what was needed for the project.
The risk for potential issues is very high when a user selects this option and collaboration is seen as a negative.
Fortunately, there is a simple way to avoid these risks and share settings globally across one project.
A lesser known capability introduced in CAESAR II 2014 is to set an “Alternate CAESAR II Distributed Data Path” shown here:
Distributed Data Path is a networked System directory that multiple users can connect to. By default a user’s System directory is located at “C:\ProgramData\Intergraph CAS\CAESAR II\7.00\System”.
Let’s walk through how to set up this option. Before we begin, let’s understand a very important distinction with the caesar.cfg file. There’s a caesar.cfg located in your “System directory”, as well as a caesar.cfg located in your current “data directory”. When you first open up CAESAR II, the large CONFIGURE button on the Ribbon will allow you to modify attributes for both the System and Data Directory *.cfg files. The System Data Directory is the one we want to move to the network.
If I were to go to my Piping Input Screen, and then choose configure, I’m only modifying configuration settings for the current data directory. This means that the following steps that we are about to take to modify the caesar.cfg will need to be done from the main screen, not the piping input screen.
Now that we’ve got that out of the way, here’s what you need to do to set up a Networked Directory for your CAESAR II users:
- Open CAESAR II, and click on Tools> Configuration/Setup > Database Definitions > Alternate CAESAR II Distributed Data
- Click on the three ellipses.
- Here I’ve placed a folder on the network titled “C2_Network_LOC”
- Copy the System folder, located in C:\ProgramData\Intergraph CAS\CAESAR II\7.00\System to the …\C2_Network_LOC\ The full path to my new network system folder is now \\Instructor-pc\c\TRANSFER\C2_Network_LOC\System
- Click on SAVE, located at the upper left hand corner of the Configuration editor.
- Now we need to check to make sure we can read the new networked system directory. To do this, we will perform a check by renaming a networked data table that we can see. Navigate to your new System folder located in …\C2_Network_LOC\System, and find “UMAT1.UMD”. Copy this file, and rename it to “UMAT1_NET.UMD”.
- Back in CAESAR II, open up the configuration editor again. Tools> Configuration/Setup > Database Definitions.
- Find the value that says “User Material Database Filename” and choose the dropdown on the right hand side. You should see “UMAT1_NET.UMD” as a selection.
- If you do not see UMAT1_NET.UMD, start over with step 1 and try again.
- If you do see UMAT1_NET.UMD, then you are successful. A networked System directory has now been created.
On User B’s computer:
- Open CAESAR II, and click on Tools> Configuration/Setup > Database Definitions > Alternate CAESAR II Distributed Data
- Click on the three ellipses.
- Open the directory in \\Instructor-pc\c\TRANSFER\C2_Network_LOC\ (which was created by User A).
- Click on “User Material Database Filename” and verify that you can select UMAT1_NET.UMD. This computer is now connected to the networked material database.
Repeat these steps for any other computer you wish to connect to this same location.
Project Management Notes
Material File Updates
Some closing remarks on the behavior of CAESAR II in terms of project management. If you go to Tools > Open System Folder, this will open up the Networked system directory that you have created. No longer does this function send you to your local System directory while the Alternative Distributed Data Directory has been set.
Now that you can edit a material database that is shared with multiple users, there is an important final step to take when adding or modifying materials. The *.UMD file can be modified in CAESAR II to add new materials by accessing the Materials icon on the Home tab. To learn how to do this, reference my earlier blog posts on the subject.
After you click “Save Material,” close the dialog, and then Close out CAESAR II entirely. Only then will a new UMAT1_NET.UMD file get generated with these new material properties. If you do not take this step and close out of the program, other users will not receive the updated attributes you have inserted into the material database.
Change Management
Now that a caesar.cfg file exists that can be pinged by multiple users, here’s a quick tip on how to record changes that you’ve made to the caesar.cfg as you develop a baseline for attributes for a project. The way that CAESAR II “saves” a new configuration file, is by opening it up and overwriting 97 rows of data to the file “caesar.cfg”. If you place any data on the 98th row, you can effectively add comments into the *.cfg file to help document your project.
Open up the caesar.cfg file located in your …\C2_Network_LOC\System directory. Scroll down to the bottom of the .cfg itself.
On the 98th row, you can add in your own comments to this file. For example, the steps involved to create this post have been added as follows. Each time you save changes to the *.cfg, these changes will not be overwritten.
Thank you,
George Montgomery, EIT
Analysis Application Engineer
ECE Design
www.ecedesign.com
www.cadworxblog.com
For Support: support@ecedesign.com
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