Change Detection

The process by which the Bentley Map Mobile Converter can be used to generate changesets for distribution to Bentley Map Mobile users can be summarized as follows:

  1. Use Bentley Map Mobile Converter to create a baseline Bentley Map Mobile .imodel file from one or more design files. During this step, server, repository and path information is stored in the .imodel indicating the location of future changesets.
  2. Distribute the baseline .imodel to any number of Bentley Map Mobile users.
  3. As the input design file(s) change over time, rerun the Bentley Map Mobile Converter to detect changes and generate changeset files. The change detection process analyzes the input design file(s), comparing element timestamps and other properties. Each changset can contain 10s, 100s, 1,000s or more individual element additions, modifications or deletions.
  4. Store the generated changeset files at the server, repository and path location specified in Step 1 and make available to Bentley Map Mobile users using Bentley's Web Services Gateway product, that enables your organization’s users to connect Bentley’s mobile apps, including Bentley Map Mobile, to project information management systems including ProjectWise, eB and SharePoint.
  5. Bentley Map Mobile users that have a copy of the .imodel created in Step 1, need to enable the "Incremental File Updates" setting.
  6. Using Bentley's Web Service Gateway REST API, Bentley Map Mobile then uses the server, repository and path stored in the .imodel during Step 1 to prompt the user for login credentials.
  7. Once Bentley Map Mobile validates the provided login credentials, a REST query is performed to the Web Services Gateway end-point, searching for available changesets.
  8. If 1 or more available changesets are found for the .imodel created in Step 1, Bentley Map Mobile will display a green button on the map thumbnail tile indicating the number of available changesets.
  9. Users simply press the green button to download the available changesets. Alternatively, if multiple .imodels on the device are found to have available changesets, a single button can be pressed to download all available changesets for all .imodels in a process that is similar to updating all apps in an app store.
  10. After the changesets have been downloaded to the mobile device, the user simply opens the Bentley Map Mobile .imodel to have the changesets applied, ensuring the data is up-to-date.

Although the Bentley Map Mobile Converter can be used on the desktop to solve many data production issues, it has been designed for server-side integration with ProjectWise, Bentley i-model Composition Server and Web Services Gateway. Using these Bentley technologies, organizations can create an unattended automated data production and distribution eco-system, keeping all information consumers up-to-date with the latest information.

Please refer to "Western Power Empowers 3,000+ Field Workers with Accurate, Timely Network Maps and Models" and "Western Power Distribution - Electronic Mapping Utility on the iPad" for details of one such organization using Bentley Map Mobile and other Bentley technologies to provide daily updates to 1,000s of distributed information consumers.