To the chagrin of CAD Managers everywhere MicroStation CONNECT Edition stores the User Preference files along with the user’s Personal.ucf file in the Windows default LOCALAPPDATA location (C:\users\$(USERNAME)\AppData\Local).

Fortunately the User Preferences location can easily be redirected to a more convenient location. Create a .cfg file in your _USTN_ORGANIZATION folder in which you redefine the _USTN_USER, _USTN_HOMEROOT, and _USTN_HOMEPREFS variables to the desired location.

Something like this:

############################
# Redirect User Preferences Location
#############################
_USTN_USER = $(MY_USER_PREFS_PATH)/$(USERNAME)/$(_ENGINENAME)/
_USTN_HOMEROOT = $(_USTN_USER)
_USTN_HOMEPREFS = $(_USTN_USER)
##########################

NOTE: MY_USER_PREFS_PATH is a custom variable that would have to be defined elsewhere in the configuration.

We are not as lucky with the User Configuration file (Personal.ucf). That file cannot be moved from its default location.  CAD Managers can’t modify everyone’s Personal.ucf directly however we can define variables at the User level elsewhere in the configuration. Modifying or creating a new .cfg file in the _USTN_ORGANIZATION folder we can change the configuration level to User by using the %level User directive. Any variable defined after that statement will be defined as if they resided in the user’s Personal.cfg file. Just remember to set the level back after your user level variables are defined using the %level Organization directive.

################################
# Define variables at the user level
################################
%level User
    MS_GEOCOORDINATE_FAVORITESFILES=$(_USTN_USER)Personal_GeoCoordFavorites.xml
    MS_SPELLINGUSERDICTIONARY= $(_USTN_USER)Personal_Spelling.dic
%level Organization
################################

This tip also applies to PowerDraft CONNECT, OpenRoads Designer, and other CONNECT Edition applications.