BidManager Command-Line Tools: Auto-loading and Overrides
This guide shows the minimum you have to type for each of the five BidManager command-line tools once the desktop app has been configured — Generator, Aggregator, Editor, Converter, and ibd2ibdx.
If you have already used the graphical BidManager Desktop app and set your directories in its Settings pane, most of BidManager's command-line tools will pick those directories up automatically. You do not need to repeat every path on the command line.
How Auto-loading Works
When a tool needs a directory or a file path, it looks in these places in this order and takes the first one that has a value:
- The flag you typed on the command line.
- A key inside your
Defaults.csvfile. - The value the graphical app has stored in its settings.
If none of those five places has a value, the tool either refuses to run (printing a message listing what it tried) or writes an unpopulated file and continues (for specific cases documented below).
If you have set something in the graphical app or in Defaults.csv, you never have to type it on the command line. You only ever pass a flag when you want to override what the app or the CSV already knows.
Configuration Files
Two files matter to the command-line tools:
settings.json— Written when you change anything in the graphical app's Settings pane. On Windows, it lives at%APPDATA%\bidmanager-desktop\settings.json. You do not need to open or edit this file by hand; the CLI tools read it directly.Defaults.csv— A comma-separated text file listing directory and database paths, one per line (e.g.,DirBid,DirSub,PoolDB). By default, tools look for it atC:\IENERGY\Defaults.csv.
Defaults.csv outranks settings.json. It is the format the underlying market engine reads, so it is the source of truth for the six paths both files cover. If your CSV lives elsewhere, set the BIDMANAGER_DEFAULTS_CSV environment variable to the file's full path.
The Five Tools
Follow the tabs below to see the minimum commands, auto-loaded elements, and common overrides for each tool.
- 1. Generator
- 2. Aggregator
- 3. Editor
- 4. Converter
- 5. IBD to IBDX
Generator (bidmanager-generator)
What it does: Reads WESM's RTDOE (energy) and RTDOR (reserve) five-minute CSV files for a given delivery date and writes one bid file (.bidx) per day plus a per-day log.
Minimum command:
set "PATH=C:\Program Files\iPool\resources\engine;%PATH%"
bidmanager-generator.exe -t 20260315 -ndays 7
(Replace 20260315 with your desired date in YYYYMMDD format).
What auto-loads: The Generator will find the output directory, RTDOE input directory, RTDOR input directory, and reference database (SysWESM) automatically.
What you always pass: -t YYYYMMDD — the delivery date. There is no auto-loaded default for the date.
Common override flags:
-bdir PATH— output directory for the finished bid file.-rtdoe PATH— RTDOE input directory.-rtdor PATH— RTDOR input directory.-srcdb PATH— SysWESM reference database file.-ndays N— process N consecutive days from-t(default: 1).
Aggregator (bidmanager aggregate)
What it does: Takes N daily bid files that the Generator produced, combines them into ONE representative bid file, and writes it to the aggregator output directory.
Minimum command (single-dash form):
set "PATH=C:\Program Files\iPool\resources\engine;%PATH%"
bidmanager-aggregator.exe -t 20260315 -ndays 7 -bt SUN -s Sun.bidx
What auto-loads: The output path for the representative bid file, reference database (SysWESM), and time-periods database.
What you always pass: The date range (-t YYYYMMDD -ndays N) and the input directory.
Common override flags:
-dest PATH— full output path, overriding auto-load.-s FILENAME— output filename only.-cap N,-fixed,-cap_<fuel>— aggregation filters.-bt, — Defines the day type to aggregate: WORKDAY, SAT, or SUN.
Editor (bidmanager-editor.exe <sub-verb>)
What it does: A collection of sub-commands for working on an existing bid file (create new, read profiles, back-fill reference tables, convert formats, export/import CSVs).
Common Sub-Verbs:
1. Create a new, empty bid file (init)
bidmanager-editor.exe init -file /path/to/new.bidx
Auto-loads: Reference tables from SysWESM, DirSub, and DirBid.
2. Populate reference tables (stamp-metadata)
bidmanager-editor.exe stamp-metadata -file /path/to/existing.bidx
Auto-loads: SysWESM reference database.
3. Convert old .bid files to the current .bidx format (import-legacy)
bidmanager-editor.exe import-legacy -in-file /path/to/legacy.bid -out-file /path/to/new.bidx
Auto-loads: SysWESM reference database.
For other sub-verbs (read, write, transform, submit, etc.), you must pass specific file paths by hand. Auto-loading only applies to reference directories/databases, not per-file I/O targets.
Converter (bidmanager-converter.exe)
What it does: Converts a folder of old .bid files to the current .bidx format.
Minimum command:
set "PATH=C:\Program Files\iPool\resources\engine;%PATH%"
bidmanager-converter.exe -indir /path/to/in -outdir /path/to/out -all -source-db /path/to/db
What auto-loads: Nothing. The Converter is deliberately strict because it is a batch tool writing many files. The output directory must already exist.
Common flags:
-indir DIR— input directory (Required).-outdir DIR— output directory (Required).-all— convert every.bidfile. (Or pass specific filenames as arguments).-source-db PATH— optional system database (.db) used for every file.
The older forms -in-dir and -out-dir are still accepted as aliases.
ibd2ibdx (iPoolSuite.exe -ibd2ibdx)
What it does: Converts legacy .ibd files to .ibdx format from the command line. Output files are written flat to the specified output directory (no subfolder structure is preserved).
Full syntax:
iPoolSuite.exe -ibd2ibdx -indir <dir> -outdir <dir> (-all | -file NAME [-file NAME...]) [-overwrite] [-market WESM|AEMO]
Flags:
-indir <dir>— input directory containing.ibdfiles (required).-outdir <dir>— output directory for.ibdxfiles (required; created if it does not exist).-all— convert every.ibdfile in-indir(mutually exclusive with-file).-file NAME— convert a specific file by name; may be repeated (mutually exclusive with-all).-overwrite— replace existing.ibdxfiles (default: skip existing).-market WESM|AEMO— market code written intoibdx_meta(default:WESM).
The flags -in-dir and -out-dir were renamed to -indir and -outdir. Using the old names produces: Flag(s) renamed: -in-dir - use -indir / -outdir instead (renamed 2026-10-22; update batch files).
Example:
set "PATH=C:\Program Files\iPoolSuite"
iPoolSuite.exe -ibd2ibdx -indir "C:\IENERGY\WESM2609\IBDold" -outdir "C:\IENERGY\WESM2609\IBD" -all
Output (one line per file, then summary):
OK C:\IENERGY\WESM2609\IBD\UNIT.ibdx (12 rules)
SKIP C:\IENERGY\WESM2609\IBD\OTHER.ibdx exists (use -overwrite to replace)
ERROR C:\IENERGY\WESM2609\IBDold\BAD.ibd: <reason>
--- 1 ok, 1 skipped, 1 error(s) ---
The same output is also written to <out-dir>\ibd2ibdx.log.
Exit codes:
| Code | Meaning |
|---|---|
0 | All files converted successfully or skipped |
1 | One or more conversion errors |
2 | Bad arguments (usage is printed) |
Quick Reference Summary
| Tool | Always pass by hand | Passed to override the default | Auto-loaded |
|---|---|---|---|
| Generator | -t YYYYMMDD | -ndays, -market, -bdir, -rtdoe, -rtdor, -srcdb | Output dir, RTDOE dir, RTDOR dir, SysWESM |
| Aggregator | Date range and input directory | -dest, -s, -metadata-db, -timeperiods-db, filters | Aggregator output dir, SysWESM, time-periods |
Editor (init, stamp-metadata, import-legacy) | The specific file targeted | -source-db, -submit-dir, -bid-dir, -market | SysWESM; for init also submit/bid directories |
| Editor (others) | Specific input/output files | Sub-verb-specific (--help) | Nothing at the per-file level |
| Converter | -indir, -outdir, and -all/filenames (old -in-dir/-out-dir accepted) | -source-db, -market, -variant | Nothing — every path must be passed |
ibd2ibdx (iPoolSuite.exe -ibd2ibdx) | -indir, -outdir, and -all/-file NAME | -overwrite, -market | Nothing — every path must be passed |
Troubleshooting Missing Paths
If a tool refuses to run, the error message will list every place it checked (flag, env variable, CSV, GUI settings) and name the missing value. To fix it, provide the path via any of those five methods.
Deliberate Exceptions:
init,stamp-metadata, andimport-legacywill print a warning but still generate the file (empty of reference data) if SysWESM is missing.- The Converter will refuse immediately without attempting any auto-load fallback.
App Settings
The GUI displays six specific settings (like Bid output, RTDOE/RTDOR inputs, SysWESM) but saves them directly to Defaults.csv, not its internal settings.json. If a field looks blank in the app but the CLI still works, it means Defaults.csv successfully provided the path. Edit Defaults.csv to permanently change these core directories.
Exercise
Test your CLI setup by running a simple generation task and verifying auto-loading works.
Step 1 of 3
Verify configuration defaults are in place