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Essential MicroStation

Sixth Edition

Bentley Institute Course Guide

TRN003430-1/0002TRNB03430-1/0002



Essential MicroStation Sixth Edition Copyright © 2003 Bentley Systems, Incorporated Do Not Duplicate

8/7/03 ii


Trademarks

AccuDraw, Bentley, the “B” Bentley logo, MDL, MicroStation and SmartLine areregistered trademarks; PopSet and Raster Manager are trademarks; Bentley SELECTis a service mark of Bentley Systems, Incorporated or Bentley Software, Inc.

Java and all Java-based trademarks and logos are trademarks or registeredtrademarks of Sun Microsystems, Inc. in the U.S. and other countries.

Adobe, the Adobe logo, Acrobat, the Acrobat logo, Distiller, Exchange, andPostScript are trademarks of Adobe Systems Incorporated.

Windows, Microsoft and Visual Basic are registered trademarks of MicrosoftCorporation.

AutoCAD is a registered trademark of Autodesk, Inc.

Other brands and product names are the trademarks of their respective owners.

Patents

United States Patent Nos. 5,8.15,415 and 5,784,068 and 6,199,125.

Copyrights

©2000-2003 Bentley Systems, Incorporated.MicroStation© 1998 Bentley Systems, Incorporated.

IGDS file formats ©1981-1988 Intergraph Corporation.Intergraph Raster File Formats ©1993 Intergraph Corporation.Portions© 1992 – 1994 Summit Software Company.Portions©1992 – 1997 Spotlight Graphics, Inc.Portions©1993 – 1995 Criterion Software Ltd. and its licensors.Portions©1992 – 1998 Sun MicroSystems, Inc.Portions© Unigraphics Solutions, Inc.Icc ©1991 – 1995 by AT&T, Christopher W. Fraser, and David R. Hanson. All rightsreserved.Portions©1997 – 1999 HMR, Inc. All rights reserved.Portions©1992 – 1997 STEP Tools, Inc.Sentry Spelling-Checker Engine ©1993 Wintertree Software Inc.

Unpublished – rights reserved under the copyright laws of the United States andother countries. All rights reserved.




8/7/03 iii


Welcome!

A Message from Frank Conforti, Senior Editor

So, here you are, face to face with a Bentley Institute course. The question that’s no doubt onyour mind right now is, “What can I expect from this class?” Whether you are taking a one-day update class or a five-day programming class, the answer is simple: Understanding.

An understanding of the fundamental concepts discussed in this class, an understanding ofhow you’ll apply these concepts and a greater understanding of why Bentley designed thesoftware the way we did.

This last point is a very important one. In the design environment we all work in, it is theapplication of our hard-gained experiences, our understanding of the problem and the rightsolution, that makes the difference at the end of the day. The same is true of software design.Our goal is to impart to you the reason why things are the way they are, as much as howcertain tools work or what buttons to click to perform a particular operation.

Your partner in this learning process is your instructor. Whether physically located in theclassroom with you or available as needed over the Web, this individual is an importantcomponent of every Bentley Institute course. Their intimate knowledge of the training

materials, coupled with their life experiences, are key to conveying the sometimes complexconcepts that are the part and parcel of the design tools you need to understand to do yourjob.

Your complete satisfaction with the quality of your Bentley Institute experience is our utmostpriority. If, for any reason, you believe that the information you have been presented as partof this class is unclear–or worse, inaccurate–please don’t hesitate to let us know. We’ll makeevery effort to make it right.

So, with the guarantee that you’ll leave this class understanding more than when you entered...

Welcome!




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v

Table of Contents


Welcome! __________________________________________I-iii A Message from Frank Conforti, Senior Editor_______________ I-iii

Welcome to MicroStation ____________________________1-1Starting MicroStation __________________________________ 1-1 The MicroStation Manager ______________________________ 1-2 An Overview of MicroStation ____________________________ 1-6

MicroStation’s menus _______________________________ 1-6Dialog boxes and Alert boxes_________________________ 1-7 Tools, tool boxes and tool frames______________________ 1-7 Typical element placement tool settings _________________ 1-11 The Key-in browser ________________________________ 1-12 The Status Bar ____________________________________ 1-13 View windows ____________________________________ 1-13

Mouse Functions in MicroStation _________________________ 1-15 The Element Selection tool __________________________ 1-18 The Reset button __________________________________ 1-21 The Tentative Snap button ___________________________ 1-25

Ending a Design Session________________________________ 1-27

MicroStation’s Design Files______________________________ 1-28Saving files _______________________________________ 1-28Creating a MicroStation design file _____________________ 1-28Seed files ________________________________________ 1-30

Ending a MicroStation Session ___________________________ 1-33Save Settings______________________________________ 1-33

Working With Views ________________________________2-35Multiple View Usage and Why ___________________________ 2-35MicroStation’s View Controls ____________________________ 2-39

Multiple Views and Multiple View Controls ______________ 2-40

Drawing Navigation ___________________________________ 2-44 Window in on an area_______________________________ 2-44Rotate and unrotate a view ___________________________ 2-45Panning _________________________________________ 2-49 View Previous and View Next ________________________ 2-50Scroll Bars _______________________________________ 2-51




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Table of Contents


Using view controls during the design process ____________ 2-51 Window Menu Commands ______________________________ 2-51 View Attributes_______________________________________ 2-54

Shortcuts ________________________________________ 2-56Saved Views _________________________________________ 2-57

Drawing with MicroStation ___________________________3-63Place Element Tools ___________________________________ 3-63

The Place Line tool_________________________________ 3-64Dealing with Mistakes: Undo/Redo & Delete ________________ 3-67

Undo/Redo ______________________________________ 3-68Introduction to AccuDraw ______________________________ 3-69

Activating AccuDraw _______________________________ 3-69 AccuDraw’s compass _______________________________ 3-69 The Input Focus___________________________________ 3-70 AccuDraw Indexing ________________________________ 3-70Locking Your Coordinate Values ______________________ 3-72

AccuDraw Works with Your Tools ____________________ 3-73Disabling AccuDraw _______________________________ 3-73

More Element Placement tools ___________________________ 3-73 The Place Arc Tool_________________________________ 3-73Using Arcs to create a part ___________________________ 3-74 The Place SmartLine Tool ___________________________ 3-79

More About AccuSnap _________________________________ 3-86 Additional Undo Features_______________________________ 3-90

Hit the Mark______________________________________ 3-92Backing Up Your Work_________________________________ 3-96 Additional Exercises ___________________________________ 3-97

Drawing Polygons and Circles ________________________4-99Polygons ____________________________________________ 4-99

The Place Block Tool _______________________________ 4-100 The Place Shape Tool_______________________________ 4-103 The Place Orthogonal Shape Tool _____________________ 4-105 The Place Regular Polygon Tool_______________________ 4-107

The Place Circle Tool __________________________________ 4-108 Additional Exercise____________________________________ 4-113

Using MicroStation’s Snaps ___________________________5-115 The Active Snap Mode _________________________________ 5-115 All MicroStation’s Snap Modes ___________________________ 5-117 AccuSnap and the Snap Modes ___________________________ 5-119

AccuSnap Settings dialog box_________________________ 5-119“Exercising” the Snap Modes ____________________________ 5-120 Another Use for the Tentative Snap _______________________ 5-133




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Table of Contents


Additional Exercises ___________________________________ 5-135

Manipulating Single Elements ________________________6-137 The Basic Manipulation Tools____________________________ 6-137

Copy Element_____________________________________ 6-138

Move Element ____________________________________ 6-138Mirror___________________________________________ 6-138 Align Edges ______________________________________ 6-139

Using Manipulation Tools Effectively ______________________ 6-144Mirror Copy about a line ____________________________ 6-144 Aligning stray elements______________________________ 6-145


More Tools For Manipulating Elements ________________7-149Rotating and Scaling Elements ___________________________ 7-149

Rotate___________________________________________ 7-149Scale____________________________________________ 7-150

Moving and Copying Elements Parallel_____________________ 7-154 Arrays ______________________________________________ 7-156

Construct Array ___________________________________ 7-156 Additional Exercises ___________________________________ 7-160

Precision and Working with AccuDraw _________________8-161 The MicroStation V8 Working Environment ________________ 8-161

Setting Working Units ______________________________ 8-162Controlling the Coordinate Readout____________________ 8-163

AccuDraw Settings ____________________________________ 8-166 AccuDraw’s Keyboard shortcuts__________________________ 8-167

Often used AccuDraw shortcuts_______________________ 8-170 AccuDraw Drawing Modes______________________________ 8-172

Rectangular Drawing Mode __________________________ 8-172 AccuDraw and the Common Snaps _______________________ 8-176Offsetting the Origin___________________________________ 8-179

Setting the AccuDraw Origin _________________________ 8-179Using AccuDraw with other tools_________________________ 8-181Exercise More of the AccuDraw Features___________________ 8-181

Revert the Compass to the View Coordinate System _______ 8-187 AccuDraw’s Pop-up Calculator___________________________ 8-190

Activating the Calculator ____________________________ 8-191 Additional Exercises ___________________________________ 8-192

Design Problem 1 ___________________________________9-193 The Problem _________________________________________ 9-193Design Parameters ____________________________________ 9-194Design Procedure _____________________________________ 9-195




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Table of Contents


Alternate Exercise 1 ___________________________________ 9-197 Alternate Exercise 2 ___________________________________ 9-198

Measurement ______________________________________10-199Making Measurements _________________________________ 10-199

The Measurement Tools ________________________________ 10-200 The Measure Distance tool___________________________ 10-201Using the Message Center____________________________ 10-203 The Measure Radius and Measure Angle tools ____________ 10-206 The Measure Area tool ______________________________ 10-206 The Measure Length tool ____________________________ 10-209

Additional Exercise____________________________________ 10-210

Making Drawings Legible ____________________________11-211Element Symbology ___________________________________ 11-211

The Attributes tool bar______________________________ 11-212Using Element Attributes to Add Definition to Drawings_______ 11-214

The Change Element Attributes tool ___________________ 11-217 Additional Exercises ___________________________________ 11-223

Levels _____________________________________________12-225Drawing on Different Levels_____________________________ 12-226 The Active Level______________________________________ 12-231 Working With Multiple Levels____________________________ 12-232 The Level Display Dialog Box____________________________ 12-235Level Filters _________________________________________ 12-239

Nested Filters _____________________________________ 12-241Filter Groups _____________________________________ 12-242

Moving Elements between levels _________________________ 12-243 The Level Manager ____________________________________ 12-245

Symbology _______________________________________ 12-245Copying levels ____________________________________ 12-248Level Libraries ____________________________________ 12-249

Manipulating Multiple Elements ______________________13-251 Working with Fenced Elements __________________________ 13-251Using the Element Selection Tool_________________________ 13-260

Working with selected elements _______________________ 13-261Creating a Group _____________________________________ 13-266

The PowerSelector Tool ________________________________ 13-269Select All____________________________________________ 13-272 Additional Exercises ___________________________________ 13-274

Introduction to Text Elements ________________________14-277




ix

Table of Contents


The Place Text tool____________________________________ 14-277 The Place Text tool settings __________________________ 14-278

Text Attributes _______________________________________ 14-278Font ____________________________________________ 14-278 Text Height and Width______________________________ 14-280 Justification ______________________________________ 14-280

Filled Fonts ______________________________________ 14-282Line Spacing ______________________________________ 14-282Intercharacter Spacing ______________________________ 14-283Changing Text Attributes ____________________________ 14-283

Text Placement options_________________________________ 14-284 Active Angle______________________________________ 14-284Method__________________________________________ 14-285

Text Styles___________________________________________ 14-292Creating a new Text Style ____________________________ 14-292More General tab attributes __________________________ 14-298 Advanced tab attributes _____________________________ 14-298Placing Text With a Predefined Text Style _______________ 14-300Overriding Text Styles ______________________________ 14-301Copying Text Styles ________________________________ 14-302Child Text Styles___________________________________ 14-303

Text Placement and Modification ______________________15-305 Tools for Changing Text ________________________________ 15-305

The Edit Text tool _________________________________ 15-305 The Spell Checker__________________________________ 15-305Display Text Attributes______________________________ 15-306Match Text Attributes ______________________________ 15-306Change Text Attributes______________________________ 15-306

Copy / Increment Text _____________________________ 15-306Using the Text Editing Tools ____________________________ 15-307Reserving and Filling Text Locations ______________________ 15-312

The Text Node____________________________________ 15-313Enter_Data Field __________________________________ 15-313Other Enter_Data Field tools_________________________ 15-319

More Ways to Modify and Place Text Elements ______________ 15-320Find/Replace Text _________________________________ 15-320Import Text ______________________________________ 15-322 The Place Note tool ________________________________ 15-324

Different Styles of Text Editor ___________________________ 15-325

Modifying Elements _________________________________16-327 The Element Modifiers _________________________________ 16-327

Modify Element ___________________________________ 16-328Partial Delete _____________________________________ 16-330 Trim Elements ____________________________________ 16-330




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Table of Contents


Extend __________________________________________ 16-330Use modification tools to modify a floor plan_____________ 16-331 The Extend tool ___________________________________ 16-337IntelliTrim _______________________________________ 16-339Construct Circular Fillet _____________________________ 16-343Construct Chamfer_________________________________ 16-343


Working with Cells __________________________________17-349Inserting Cells Into a Drawing ___________________________ 17-349

Scaling Cells ______________________________________ 17-353Placing cells containing Enter_Data Fields _______________ 17-354 True Scale________________________________________ 17-357Placing cells relative to levels _________________________ 17-357Other cell placement methods ________________________ 17-358

Types of cells ________________________________________ 17-358Creating cells_________________________________________ 17-359

Shared cells __________________________________________ 17-362Replacing cells in a drawing______________________________ 17-365Using the Active Line Terminator_________________________ 17-369Breaking up cells______________________________________ 17-372 Additional Exercises ___________________________________ 17-374

Design Problem 2 ___________________________________18-377 The Problem _________________________________________ 18-377Design Parameters ____________________________________ 18-377Design Procedures ____________________________________ 18-379 Alternate Exercise 1: ___________________________________ 18-381

Alternate Exercise 2: ___________________________________ 18-382

Grouping the Elements ______________________________19-385Creating Complex Chains & Shapes _______________________ 19-385Returning Elements to their Simple Existence________________ 19-392

The Drop Element tool _____________________________ 19-393Other tools for dropping grouped elements ______________ 19-395

Graphic Groups ______________________________________ 19-396

Design Problem 3 ___________________________________20-399 The Problem _________________________________________ 20-399

Design Parameters ____________________________________ 20-399Design Procedures ____________________________________ 20-401 Alternate Exercise 1: ___________________________________ 20-402 Alternate Exercise 2: ___________________________________ 20-403 Alternate Exercise 3: ___________________________________ 20-405




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Table of Contents


References and Models - An Overview __________________21-407Introduction to References ______________________________ 21-407Using references to divide a drawing _______________________ 21-409Introducing Raster Manager files__________________________ 21-411Models Overview _____________________________________ 21-412

Working with References and Models __________________22-415 Working with References _______________________________ 22-415 Attaching a Reference __________________________________ 22-415

Using references with different units ___________________ 22-425Live Nesting of References ______________________________ 22-430

Live nested attachments to direct attachments ____________ 22-433 Working with Attached References ________________________ 22-435

Reference Clipping _________________________________ 22-435References and Levels ______________________________ 22-437Modifying Attachment settings________________________ 22-438 Alternate files using the same reference settings ___________ 22-440

Detaching References_______________________________ 22-441Reloading reference files_____________________________ 22-442Display, Snap, and Locate settings _____________________ 22-443Selecting multiple files ______________________________ 22-443Level Symbology __________________________________ 22-443 Adjusting Reference display colors _____________________ 22-443

Working with Models __________________________________ 22-444Design Models ____________________________________ 22-445 View Groups and Models____________________________ 22-447Sheet Models _____________________________________ 22-447Models and Cells __________________________________ 22-453

Raster Tools _______________________________________23-455Raster Manager _______________________________________ 23-455

Attaching Raster Data_______________________________ 23-456 Adding Photos ____________________________________ 23-459Resizing a Raster File _______________________________ 23-460Moving a Raster File________________________________ 23-462 Warping the Raster File _____________________________ 23-463Clipping Rasters ___________________________________ 23-465Update sequence for raster references __________________ 23-467

Raster Tools Tool Boxes________________________________ 23-468Live nesting of raster references __________________________ 23-469

Design Problem 4 ___________________________________24-471 The Problem _________________________________________ 24-471Design Parameters Phase I ______________________________ 24-471Design Procedure _____________________________________ 24-472




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Design Parameters Phase II______________________________ 24-474Design Procedure _____________________________________ 24-474 Alternate Exercise 1 ___________________________________ 24-475 Alternate Exercise 2 ___________________________________ 24-476 Alternate Exercise 3 ___________________________________ 24-477

Patterning an Area __________________________________25-479 Tools For Patterning ___________________________________ 25-479

Pattern tool settings ________________________________ 25-480Creating Holes in a Pattern ______________________________ 25-482Other Pattern Tools ___________________________________ 25-482 Working with Associative Patterns ________________________ 25-488 Additional Exercises ___________________________________ 25-490

Dimensions ________________________________________26-493Dimension Tools______________________________________ 26-493

The Dimension Element tool _________________________ 26-493Dimension Element tool settings options ________________ 26-495 Associated Dimensions______________________________ 26-498 The Dimension Size with Arrow tool ___________________ 26-500 The Dimension Angle Between Lines tool _______________ 26-502 The Dimension Radial tool___________________________ 26-502 The Dimension Ordinates tool ________________________ 26-504

The Dimension Settings dialog box________________________ 26-504Changing Dimensions_______________________________ 26-508

Modifying Existing Dimension Elements ___________________ 26-512Updating Dimension elements ________________________ 26-517More Dimension Modifications _______________________ 26-518

Creating Dimension Styles_______________________________ 26-518 Alternate Labels ______________________________________ 26-520Editing a Dimension’s Text______________________________ 26-521 Additional Exercise ____________________________________ 26-523

Design Problem 5 ___________________________________27-525 The Problem _________________________________________ 27-525Design Parameters_____________________________________ 27-526Design Procedure _____________________________________ 27-526 Alternate Exercise _____________________________________ 27-528

Printing Overview ___________________________________28-529 The final print scale — an early consideration________________ 28-529Specifying the area to plot _______________________________ 28-531

A word on scales (What does it mean?)__________________ 28-532




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Tools For Creating Printed Output _____________________29-533Controlling the printed output____________________________ 29-533

Using the Print dialog box ___________________________ 29-533Previewing prints __________________________________ 29-537Sending your print data to the printer/plotter_____________ 29-538

InterPlot ____________________________________________ 29-539

Design Problem - The Production Line _________________30-541 The Problem _________________________________________ 30-541Design Parameters_____________________________________ 30-542Design Procedure _____________________________________ 30-542

Design Problem - New Site and Parking Plan ____________31-549 The Problem _________________________________________ 31-549Design Parameters_____________________________________ 31-549Design Procedure _____________________________________ 31-553




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8/7/03 1-1


1 Welcome to MicroStation

It is always best to start with the basics before moving to challenging activities. Forthat reason, this course will start with some basic tools you should master beforeyou actually begin to create new drawings.

In this lesson you will take a brief tour of MicroStation, and then complete exercisesdesigned to allow you to try out the features you have seen.

The lesson includes these topics:

• Starting MicroStation

• The MicroStation Manager

• A MicroStation overview

• Mouse functions in MicroStation

• MicroStation’s design files

• Ending a MicroStation session

Starting MicroStation

Let’s begin by actually starting the MicroStation application. After that, you will look at someof the tools you’ll be using on a daily basis.

You can start MicroStation using one of these methods:

• Select the MicroStation program group from the Windows Start menu, then select the MicroStation item.

• Double-click the MicroStation icon.

• Double-click the icon of a .dgn file in Windows Explorer. (The default

extension for a MicroStation design file is .dgn .)




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The MicroStation Manager



When you start MicroStation, the MicroStation Manager dialog box appears. Thegateway to MicroStation, this important dialog box serves several important functions.

MicroStation Manager’s primary function is navigating to and opening drawings,referred to as design files .

Directories: To navigate to a different directory, double click the name of thedesired directory. This will cause any sub directories to be displayed as well as thefiles that are in the directory. As an example, if you want to see all the files anddirectories on the C: drive, just double click on C:\.

Drives: To select a drive, move your mouse to the Drives: area and click on thedownward arrow. A list of all available drives will drop down. Then click on thedesired drive letter.

List Files of Type: To select a specific file type to display in the files list, move yourmouse to the List Files of Type: option list and click on the downward arrow. A listof all available file types will be displayed. When you select a specific file type, theFiles list above will only display files that have the selected extension(s).

OK: When a file name is highlighted, clicking OK will open that file.

Cancel: Clicking the Cancel button on the MicroStation Manager dialog exits theMicroStation application.

The preview window, on the right side of the MicroStation Manager, displays athumbnail image of the selected file, if one is available. Information about the

MicroStation Manager

dialog box, listing files

and directories, andshowing a thumbnail,

Workspace components,

and File Icons




8/7/03 1-3



selected file appears above the preview window. The preview window informationindicates whether a .dgn file is 2D or 3D, and also indicates the MicroStation version the file is compatible with. The file format version displays for AutoCADfiles.

If the file is from an earlier MicroStation version, a thumbnail is not displayed.

Information as to whether the file is 2D or 3D and the compatible version isdisplayed.

File Icons: The option to display File Icons has been added to the MicroStationManager, as well as to the New file and Open file dialog boxes. File icons are auseful visual cue when you have a mix of file types.

Once MicroStation is started, enabling the Show File Icons check box in theMicroStation Manager will display the appropriate file icon before each file name.

2D V8 DGN (The flap in upper left corner indicates that all Models in the file are2D.)

3D V8 DGN (Or mix of 2D and 3D Models.)

Pre-V8 2D DGN (The flap in upper left corner indicates 2D.)

Thumbnail Image File Association

V8 .dgn files and later revisions of .dwg files, when a thumbnail is available

V8 .dgn files and later revisions of .dwg files, when a thumbnail IS NOT available, asafter a batch conversion

MicroStation/J and older versions of MicroStation

Older .dwg versions




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Pre-V8 3D DGN

Protected DGN (The lock symbol in the lower right corner of any file icon indicatesprotection.)

Digitally signed DGN (The ribbon symbol in the upper right corner of any file icon

indicates a digital signature.)

DWG

File Icons will prove especially useful if you begin to work with files that aredigitally signed or protected. Protected files are shown with the lock symbol addedto the file icon, and digitally signed files are displayed with the red ribbon symboladded.

Other MicroStation Manager functions include moving and renaming files, creatingdirectories and selecting a working environment known as a Workspace . There isalso a check box that you can enable to open files in a Read-only mode for viewingand plotting. The read only mode protects you from accidently modifying a file.

To get started, let’s open a design file. Unless otherwise instructed, the design filesfor this class can be found in the\Program Files\Bentley\Workspace\BentleyInstitute\EssMS6thEd\dgn folder.

Exercise: Opening a design file from MicroStation Manager

1 Start MicroStation if it is not already started.

2 Navigate to, and select the design file intro.dgn from MicroStationManager’s Files list by clicking on it with the pointer.

The file name highlights and it appears in the Files: input field.

3 Click OK.




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The MicroStation Manager dialog box disappears and is replaced by themain MicroStation application window, displaying the contents of the design file.

intro.dgn




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An Overview of MicroStation



Let’s take a closer look at the environment you will be working in. This illustrationidentifies the most prominent MicroStation features.

MicroStation’s menus

First in the overview of MicroStation is the main menu bar. The main menu bar is located at thetop of the MicroStation application window. It represents one of the main sources ofcommands for controlling MicroStation’s operation.

As you click on each menu, a list of menu items appears. Each menu item initiatesan operation directly or opens a dialog box where you can further define thedesired operation.

The MicroStation menu bar is well organized, and the commands are logicallygrouped.

• If you are looking for a specific tool to use in your design file, go to the mainmenu bar and select Tools . The resulting list shows all tools available inMicroStation.

Standard tool bar

View window (1 of 8)

Main tool frame

Status bar

Primary tool bar

Tool settings window

Main menu bar

Border View Controls

Attributes tool bar

View toggle buttons The docked AccuDraw window




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• If you need to adjust design file settings, select Settings from the main menu barand then look in the list for Design File ( Settings > Design File ).

Dialog boxes and Alert boxes

Dialog boxes appear whenever you select a menu item that is followed by anellipsis (…), items such as Open… Simply enter the requested information into thedialog box and then select an action, like OK, Done or Apply.

Alert boxes appear whenever you are about to do something in the design file thatmay be hard to reverse. Take serious note and select OK or Cancel carefully.

Tools, tool boxes and tool frames

Key to successful MicroStation operation is your use of its drawing tools. Organized in toolframes and tool boxes, MicroStation tools are analogous to the tools your mechanic uses toservice your car. And, just as the mechanic has a box or cabinet filled with tools designed toperform specific tasks, MicroStation provides an extensive collection of tools organized byfunction.

The Main tool frame

Central to the organization of MicroStation’s tools is the Main tool frame. Used as a tool“cabinet,” the Main tool frame provides access to boxes of related tools. Identify the Maintool frame either by its title bar ( Main ) or, if it is docked, by its two vertical columns of icons.

The Main tool frame is called a tool frame because it contains tool boxes , which youcan open individually. When you place and hold a data point on a tool in the Main

tool frame, a tool box associated with that tool appears. Use a dragging motion toselect an individual tool from the open tool box. Dragging your pointer evenfurther lets you “tear off ” the tool box from the Main tool frame. After tearing thetool box off, you can place it in a convenient location anywhere on your screen.

The Main tool frame with the Fence tool

box opened




8/7/03 1-8



Tearing off individual tool boxes is a behavior that is somewhat unique toMicroStation. Frequently used tool boxes can be isolated in this manner and thendocked around the view window for easy access.

The Main tool frame includes one tool that does not have an associated tool box,and that tool is Delete . All the other tools have a small black triangle at the bottom

right hand corner, indicating that the associated tool box includes other tools.

Notes:

Working with tool boxes

Exercise: Tearing off the Manipulate tool box

1 Continuing in intro.dgn , move the pointer to the Copy tool in the Main toolframe.

2 Press and hold the left mouse button.

The tool box appears extended to the right.

3 While holding down the left mouse (or data point) button, drag the toolbox away from the Main tool box until you see its outline following thepointer.

4 Release the mouse button to display the tool box in its new location. When you tear off a tool box, you can re-size it the same manner as youcan most Window style windows.

Docking a Tool Box

You can dock tool boxes, which means to attach them to the border of theMicroStation application window. You can dock them on the sides, top, orbottom of the window. Let’s dock the tool box that you just opened.

Exercise: Docking the Manipulate tool box

1 Continuing in intro.dgn , place the pointer on the title bar of the Manipulatetool box.

2 Press and hold the left mouse button.

The Copy tool displays a small black

triangle indicating that there are more

tools available




8/7/03 1-9



3 Drag the tool box to the left of the screen until it changes to a verticalrectangle.

4 Release the mouse button.

The Manipulate tool box is docked.

Exercise: Undocking the Manipulate tool box

1 Continuing in intro.dgn , move the pointer to place its tip on the border ofthe docked Manipulate tool box, at the top where the horizontal line is.

2 Hold down the left mouse button and drag the tool box into the designarea.

A rectangle appears, following the pointer.

Release the mouse button to place the tool box back in the design window.

Exercise: Closing the Manipulate tool box

1 Continuing in intro.dgn , click the Window Close “x” at the upper right

corner of the Manipulate tool box.

The tool box closes.

You can also open or close each MicroStation tool box individually byselecting its name from the Tools menu on the Main menu bar.

Docking the Manipulatetool box

Place the pointer here




8/7/03 1-10



Tool tips

MicroStation includes a feature called Tool Tips to help you identify a tool without having toactivate it. As you move your pointer over a tool, pause. A small tag appears showing thetool’s name.

As you experiment with this feature, notice that the tool tip also works for the toolsin the Primary and Standard tool bars, and even in the status bar at the bottom ofthe application window. Hold your cursor over the Lock icon in the status bar, andyou will see a tool tip that says “Active Locks”. Mouse over some of the tools in theMain tool frame. Take a second to look at what happens in the status bar (at thelower left-hand corner of the MicroStation application window) in conjunction withthe tool tip. The status bar will display a description of what the tool does.

The Tool Settings window

Most tools have options to control their operation. These appear in the Tool Settings

window. You enter the information required for a tool’s individual parameters in itstool settings. The tool settings window floats in the MicroStation application window and will not dock.

This dialog box is open by default on start up. If you close the tool settings window, new tool settings will automatically appear when you select the next tool.

In all tool settings and dialog boxes, right clicking in a text entry field will producea pop-up menu that allows you to select, cut, copy, paste or clear the text in thatfield.

Exercise: Exploring the tool settings window

1 Continuing in intro.dgn , click on the Copy tool in the Main tool frame usingthe left mouse button.

The Copy Element tool settings automatically display on the screen.

2 Select any other tool from the Main tool frame.

Note how the Place Circle tool and the

Place Smartline tool require entirely

different tool settings for operation




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Note that the content of the tool settings change to show the parameters ofthe new command.

Notes:

Pop Set and tool settings

As you have discovered, the tool settings display whenever you select aMicroStation tool. And, as you know, this window contains the settings thatdetermine how the selected tool will work. The tool’s name appears in the titlebar. The PopSet button establishes where the tool settings appear.

As you saw when selecting the Copy tool in the previous exercise, the toolsettings appeared floating somewhere in the view window. If you enable the

PopSet option in the Primary tool bar, the tool settings window appears next tothe Main tool frame, and then disappears and reappears only as you need it

Exercise: Exercise the PopSet option

1 Continuing in intro.dgn , click on the red PopSet button in the Primary Tools tool bar.

The button turns green. The green light indicates that PopSet is enabled.

PopSet auto-positions the tool settings window next to a tool whenever youselect it.

2 Select Place Circle from the Main tool frame.

The tool settings window is auto-positioned next to the Place Circle tool.

Typical element placement tool settings

Most tools used for placing elements have similar settings. They generallyinclude a setting to control the size of the element (either length or radius), theangle (if applicable), and a method for choosing the element’s location if there

is more than one option.

There are keyboard shortcut keys for these settings. These appear as underlinedletters in menus and tool settings. Press Alt and then the key for the underlinedletter to activate them.

Primary Tools tool bar




8/7/03 1-12



Exercise: Locking a tool setting value

1 Continuing in intro.dgn , select Place Circle again. Leave PopSet enabled.

The Diameter field is highlighted in the tool settings.

2 Enter 1.5 as the diameter of the circle.

The value appears in the value field.

3 Leave the pointer over the Place Circle tool settings then press Enter or Tab.

Note that a check appears in the box beside Diameter . This indicates thatthe diameter function is enabled and that the value is locked. The value will

remain locked until the check box is disabled. All circles placed will be 1.5in diameter.

4 Move the pointer outside of the Place Circle tool settings window.

The box disappears.

A 1.5 diameter circle is attached to your pointer.

5 Reset, by pressing the right mouse button, to cancel the process.

6 Click on the green light to disable PopSet and try the process again.

Notice that without PopSet enabled, the tool settings window stays open.

When using tool settings, remember that locking a value field requires that you doone of the following:

• Press either Tab or Enter

• Enable the box with a mouse click

• Enter a keyboard shortcut

The preferred method is to use Tab instead of Enter to accept tool settings valuesand to move between fields in dialog boxes.

The Key-in browser

“Key in” refers to the act of typing a value or command from the keyboard. There isa key in interface available in MicroStation since some commands, like the one forbacking up a file for instance, need to be entered from the keyboard. There are alsoa set of utilities that can be activated only by key in.

Set the Diameter to 1.5




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MicroStation’s Key-in browser can be opened from the Utilities menu on the mainmenu bar ( Utilities > Key-in). The browser can be docked at the top or bottom ofthe screen. The key ins that invoke almost all the MicroStation tools are availableusing the Key-in browser.

With the focus in the Key-in browser, typing place circle then pressing Enter will

invoke the Place Circle by Center command. Key ins can be detailed enough toinvoke a tool and set further tool settings. Typing in place circle edge constrained invokes the Place Circle tool with the Method tool setting set to Edge automatically.

MicroStation's key in language now incorporates many of the same keywords asone would use to enter commands in AutoCAD. Many of these key ins have DWGas their first keyword. For instance, to place a circle in MicroStation, you may enterthe MicroStation key in place circle, or either of the AutoCAD key ins DWGCIRCLE or \CIRCLE. Instead of using the MicroStation key in copy icon to copy,the key in DWG COPY may be used.

The Status Bar

This important feature was mentioned earlier. The Status Bar is a critical part of theMicroStation user interface since it constitutes our view into MicroStation’s operation. Thisarea contains all the information that is often associated with a command line, but withouthaving an actual command line. MicroStation continually displays information about itsoperation in the status bar at the bottom of the application window. The status bar displaysmessages that include:

• The current tool in use

• Prompts for additional steps or information

• The status of key parameters

Click on several different tools and watch as the status bar messages change. Thename of the tool is displayed followed by a prompt that instructs you how to startusing the tool.

Notice that when you hold your pointer over a tool (as though waiting for a Tool Tip) a different message appears than when you actually choose the tool. Thismessage is descriptive of what the tool does.

View windows

Graphics appear in one large design window where you add and remove elements.Let’s talk about opening more than one design window at a time to aid in thedesign process. MicroStation’s design windows are called Views .




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MicroStation can display as many as eight views at any time. They are all active(ready for input), yet graphically independent of one another. Labeled View 1 through View 8 , these windows provide direct access to your graphic data. Thereason for eight of these windows is simple; you may want to view more than oneportion of your design at once, in varying degrees of detail.

Exercise: Opening a View window from the Window menu

1 Continuing in the file intro.dgn , select Window from the main menu bar.

2 Hold the pointer over the Views item.

3 Select 3 (Window > Views > 3).

This opens a new view window named View 3.

In this view you can see the landscaping pen close up.

Note that the view windows are re-sizable, moveable, and collapsible.

Closing all the view windows in your .dgn file is not the same as closing the file.

You may have closed all of the design windows, but the file is still open. The titlebar at the top of the MicroStation Application window displays the name of theopen file.

View window border View Controls

To control what a view window “sees,” each view window has its own set of viewcontrols. View controls let you change the contents of one View, without affectingthe contents of any other View. View controls are located at the bottom left edge ofeach open view window.

All of MicroStation’s view controls will be presented later, but let’s look at a coupleof these border view controls right now.

Zoom In and Out

Zoom In and Zoom Out are the second and third view controls in the view border view controls.

• The configuration of the Zoom In area is proportional to your original view.

• When you Zoom Out, the point in the view window where you enter the datapoint, becomes the view’s center.

• MicroStation remembers the Zoom factor. Once you change the zoom factor,

MicroStation will maintain that factor until you reset it again in the tool settings.




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Exercise: Using Fit View

1 Continuing with intro.dgn , move the pointer to the view controls at thebottom left of View 3 and select the fifth icon, Fit View .

All of the elements that are present in the design file are now fit into this view.

2 Reset, by pressing the right mouse button, to end the Fit View command.

View Previous

If your Zoom operation has zoomed a bit too far, or panning has taken you past thepoint where you wished to stop, the View Previous tool will restore previous views. View Previous can “undo” the last several view manipulations.

The View Groups dialog

View windows can also be controlled using the view toggle buttons in the View

Groups dialog box at the bottom left of the MicroStation application window. Thisdialog box is usually open and docked by default when you start MicroStation.

Exercise: Open and close views using the view toggles

1 Continuing in intro.dgn , click View 3’s toggle button in the View Groupsdialog to close View 3.

2 Click View 2’s toggle button to open View 2.

This view shows a close up of the building.

Before we continue: What is the function of the fifth view control icon?

What are the functions of the second and third viewcontrol icons?

Notes:

The View Groups dialog box containsview toggles




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Mouse Functions in MicroStation



Before going any further, you must learn how to use the mouse in MicroStation. MicroStationuses a Graphical User Interface (GUI) as its primary operational interface. As part of thisinterface, the mouse is the primary input device.

You perform three key functions with the mouse:

• Data Point: Select commands and menu options from the GUI and placecoordinate points, such as a line’s start and end points.

• Reset: Reset performs several different functions, depending on the currentprocess taking place. You will use this a great deal as you progress.

• Snap (also known as a tentative point): This button is used to locate and selectan exact location, such as an end point or midpoint, of an element.

Typical wheeled mouse

By default, MicroStation is set up for using a two button mouse. If you use a twobutton mouse, simultaneously click both left and right buttons for the tentativesnap.

A three button mouse is often used with MicroStation. If you use a three buttonmouse, there is one button for each of the most common types of input inMicroStation. The middle button on a three button mouse, or the wheel on a wheeled mouse, is used for the tentative snap. In the next exercise, you’ll configurethe middle button or the wheel of your mouse as the snap button.

Reset Button

Data Point button

Tentative Snap button




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Exercise: Assigning the Tentative snap to the middle button

1 Continuing in the file intro.dgn , select the Button Assignments menu itemfrom the Workspace menu ( Workspace > Button Assignments... ).

The Button Assignment dialog box appears.

2 Use the data point (left) mouse button to click the word Tentative in theButtons (left) column of the dialog box.

3 Read the message in the Button Definition Area of the dialog box.

4 Click with the center mouse button, or push down on the wheel, on the textin the Button Definition Area bar.

This action assigns the tentative point button definition to the button you

clicked.Once you have clicked there, the Invoked by entry for Tentative changes to Middle Button.

5 Click OK.

This operational parameter change is now part of the MicroStationconfiguration. The next time you open MicroStation, the Tentative buttonfunction will still be set to the middle button.

To set preferences for how your mouse will work during view commands, go toWorkspace > Preferences > Mouse :

Workspace menu

Button Assignments

dialog box




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Before we continue: Which mouse button do you press for a data point?

How do you access the snap function with a two buttonmouse?

Which mouse button do you press to Reset?

The Element Selection tool

Element Selection is a tool for selecting objects from a design file. MicroStationdefaults to the Element Selection tool whenever no other tool has been chosen. When you opened this drawing, you may have noticed that Element Selection wasselected and active at the top of the left-hand column of tools in the Main toolframe. You will use this tool, along with the data point button, to select several

items in this design file.

Element Selection is a very versatile MicroStation tool. Not only can you use it toselect elements, you can also use the tool to modify elements, move elements, andgroup elements in a design file. The chapter on Manipulating Elements covers thistopic in greater detail.

Notes:

Exercise: Using the data point and the Element Selection tool

1 Continuing in the file intro.dgn , close View 2 by clicking on the x in theupper right-hand corner of the view window.

2 Select the Element Selection tool.

3 Use the mouse to move the pointer until it touches the top bush in thelandscaping pen.




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The bush changes color as you move over it. This is called highlighting anelement. The highlighting turns off as you move the pointer away.

The color used for highlighting is user selectable in the DGN File Settings dialog box. Each design file can have its own highlight color.

Notes:

4 While the bush is highlighted, press the mouse’s data point button.

MicroStation responds by displaying the bush highlighted, even when you move thepointer away.

5 Hold down the data point button on the bush, and move the mouse to dragit upward until it is in the courtyard of the building.

6 Release the data point button.

7 Move the pointer into an empty area, away from any elements in the designfile, and enter another data point.

The bush will

highlight as the pointer moves across it

Drag the bush to thecourtyard as shown




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This releases the selection of the bush.

The bush you just placed does not fit along the side wall of the building. To makeit align with the side wall, you need to rotate it. To do this you must select anelement manipulation tool, Rotate , located in the Main tool frame’s Manipulate toolbox.

Exercise: Using the data point to confirm input

1 Continuing in intro.dgn , click a data point on the Copy tool in the Main toolframe and dock the Manipulate tool box.

2 Click on the Rotate tool in the tool box.

This activates Rotate , which rotates objects in your drawing. This tooloperates in several different ways though, so you must set its tool settings.

3 Click once on the Method option menu in the tool settings.

This menu displays a number of options under Method . This type of menu

is called an option menu .

4 Select the 2 Points method option.

5 Verify the Copies check box is not selected.

6 Returning to the drawing, enter a data point on the bush you just placed to

identify it as the element to rotate.

7 Enter another data point at the middle of the bush to Enter Pivot Point(point to rotate about), as directed in the status bar.

Notes:

MicroStation responds by putting the bush into a dynamic rotation mode. As you

move your pointer, the bush “spins” to follow it.

Rotate Element

tool settings set to 2

Points




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8 Spin the bush around until it is vertical.

Press the data point button to lock the rotated bush in the vertical position.

When the element you were working with was in place, the data pointconfirmed the position in which you wanted it.

9 Select the Move tool, next to the Copy tool, enter a data point on the rotatedelement and move it against the side wall.

10 Reset to release the element.

11 Using the Element Selection tool and the steps described previously, placeanother bush from the landscape pen next to the first one.

Add some more landscaping to the plan by placing some other plants onthe plan, such as an ORNAMENTAL plant on either side of the mainentrance.

The Reset button

The Reset button is used to perform the following functions:• It ends the currently active tool’s operation

• It resumes the last drawing or editing operation after using a view manipulationtool

• It rejects the currently selected element and cycles between eligible elements within a preset distance from the pointer

Let’s put reset to use, finishing the parking area.

Exercise: The Reset button’s first function

1

Continuing in intro.dgn , open View 4.In this view you can see part of the parking area and some Locationmarkers you will be using to help you work. You will use MicroStation’sPlace SmartLine tool to create a parking island.

Enter a data point

in the center of the

bush, then rotate

until it is vertical




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The Place SmartLine tool is used to place a chain of connected line or arcsegments as individual elements, or as one single line string or complexshape.

2 Select the Place SmartLine tool from the Main tool frame.

3 In the Place SmartLine tool settings, set the following values:

Segment Type : Lines

Vertex Type : Sharp

Rounding Radius : 0.1

Join Elements: Enabled (checked)

4 Move the pointer over the marker circle at Location 1.

An X appears at the center of the location marker. This is the AccuSnapindicator , which tells you that you are snapped to the center of the circle.

5 With the pointer snapped to the middle of Location marker 1, click the datapoint button to start the line.

6 Move the pointer to the marker at Location 2.

When the snap marker’s X appears, click the data point button to define thefirst line segment, and start the second segment of the line.

7 Continue by placing a data point at Location 3, and then pause.

8 Reset to stop the placement of line segments.

MicroStation frees the pointer, but keeps the Place SmartLine command active. Thisis the reset button’s first function.

Reset doesn’t cancel a tool, it resets it to the previous operational step.

The Place SmartLinetool in the Main tool

frame




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Exercise: The Reset button’s second function

1 Continuing in View 4 of intro.dgn , and with the Place SmartLine tool active(remember, it is still the active tool and will remain the active tool until youselect a different tool), place data points at the center of the markers atLocations 3 through 5, and then pause.

You must continue the SmartLine to Location 6, but it is not visible in the view window. You need to manipulate the view’s contents by using a viewcontrol tool.

2 Move the pointer to the view controls at the bottom left of View 4, andselect the third icon, Zoom Out .

The rest of the location markers are now visible.

3 Press reset.

What happens?

Notes:

4 Place data points at the center of the markers at Locations 6 through 12, andback to Location 1.

5 Reset to stop placing SmartLines.

You have completed the island.

One of MicroStation’s strengths is that it lets you perform view controls in themiddle of all drawing and editing commands without interfering with thecommands’ operation. You don’t have to worry about losing the selection of a tool,or your status in the tool’s operation. When you select and use a view control tool,just remember to press the reset button after you finish adjusting your view. You will be transported back into the action of the tool you were using after the resetoperation.

This is the second reset function. One click of the reset button while in a viewcontrol moves the “action” back to the active tool and to the state that tool was in when you activated the view control. In this case, reset returned you to “Enter nextvertex or Reset to complete.”

Now you will use the Copy tool to add more islands to the parking lot

Zoom out from the view window border

View Controls




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Exercise: The Reset button’s third function

1 Continuing in intro.dgn , select the Copy tool.

Note the small circle on the cursor. This is known as the locate tolerancecircle, and is much like the select box found in other applications. It willappear any time the system prompts you to select or identify an element.

2 Move the pointer until the AccuSnap x appears inside Location marker 3and place a data point at Location 3.

The location marker changes color. If you move the cursor, you will see thatthe circle is attached to the cursor.

3 Press reset.

The location marker is released and the first SmartLine you placed changescolor and is attached to the cursor.

4 Press reset again.

5 The second SmartLine you placed is attached to the cursor.

MicroStation cycled through the elements inside of the locate tolerance(how close the pointer must be to an element in order to snap) because youused the reset button. This functionality saves much time.

Instead of having to data point and reset, data point and reset, etc., to get tothe element you need, you can just data point once and then click the resetbutton until the desired element is chosen.

6 Move the cursor to the left, and place a data point in the center of Locationmarker 13 when you see the AccuSnap x.

As you copy the SmartLine, notice the dynamic line that extends along with

the element. This is a feature of AccuDraw , MicroStation’s tool for precisioninput. You have been seeing the AccuDraw compass as you’ve been working. AccuDraw and its features will be discussed in more detail a littlelater.

The SmartLine is copied to Location 13.

The AccuDraw compass

AccuDraw’s dynamic line




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7 Move the cursor to the left, and place a data point in the center of Locationmarker 14 to complete the parking area.

8 Reset to complete the copy operation.

This is the third reset function. When MicroStation asks you to select or identify an element,

the selected element displays highlighted. If MicroStation highlights the wrong element, resetto release it and select the next element inside of the locate tolerance circle.

The Tentative Snap button

All engineering drawing products include tools to let a user select precisecoordinate locations in a drawing, such as the end point of a line or the center of acircle. MicroStation is no exception.

This operation is called snapping because you use a mouse click to “snap” tospecific locations on any element.

Notes:

You will use the most popular snap function called Keypoint. For the followingexercise you will use the middle mouse button (or the left/right button combinationon a two button mouse) to issue the snap. You will know you have a successfulsnap, or have placed an accurate tentative point, if the element you are snapping todisplays highlighted and you see a cross hair.

Let’s try out the Keypoint snap in a different design file.

The Tentative Pointsnap crosshair




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Exercise: Using the Tentative Snap

1 Open the file keypoint.dgn .

2 Move the pointer to Location 1 and use your mouse’s middle button, wheel,or left/right button combination to snap to the end point of the line, thenmove the pointer away from this spot.

Note that there is no menu selection or screen button to push, just a quickmouse click.

You might be asking yourself, “How do you know you are really at the endpoint of the line?” The answer is simple: if the line highlighted and the large white cross hair (tentative point or snap point) appears to be on the end ofthe line, you can be confident the snap function was a success.

3 Observe the status bar at the bottom of the MicroStation application window. The coordinates of the snap point appear near the center.

4 Move the pointer to Location 2 and snap.

Again, the line displays highlighted and the tentative point (large whitecross hair) rests at the other end of the line.

5 Press reset to clear the tentative point.

This is another example of the use of the reset button.

6 Move the pointer near Location 3 and snap.

keypoint.dgn




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Ending a Design Session


MicroStation knows you want the midpoint of this line and you get it.

With the Keypoint snap, all you have to do is move the pointer near the locationyou need to select and snap. MicroStation finds the closest snapping point, a keypoint, on the element and places a tentative point at this location. Accept the point with a data point if it is correct. Snap again if it is not correct.

Key points on a line are both end points and the midpoint. Similarly, key points of

an arc are both end points and the center of its radius. The center of a circle andthe vertices of a shape are also key points.

Explore the Keypoint snap further by snapping to the locations marked on theother elements. No additional menu selections are required, just use the mouse.

Before we continue: What information appears at the bottom of the screen aftera snap?

What are the three functions possible from a Reset?

Ending a Design Session

You have finished with the file keypoint.dgn and want to close it. There is still more work to do in MicroStation though, so you don’t want to quit the program. You just want toclose the open design file.

To close a file in MicroStation:

• File > Open : This lets you select the next file you wish to open. The file you arecurrently using will close and the new file will open.

• File > Close : This will close the current file and open MicroStation Manager.

The Midpoint is automatically snapped to




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MicroStation’s Design Files


Exercise: Closing the active design file

1 Select Close from the File menu (File > Close).

MicroStation closes the design file and returns to the MicroStation Manager.

You can only open one design file at a time in a MicroStation session. If you find

that you need to have two design files open at the same time, you must start asecond MicroStation session to open the second design file.


Saving files

One of the cornerstones of MicroStation’s operation is the way it stores drawing information. When you open a drawing for modification in MicroStation, the program reads the drawing’sdata from the design file stored on the computer’s hard disk or network device into thecomputer’s local memory. During the design process, MicroStation periodically writes thechanges back to the open file on the hard drive. This contrasts with other software packagesthat require you to perform a Save operation to permanently save your changes. MicroStationsaves your work automatically.

Creating a MicroStation design file

To work in MicroStation, you must either open an existing design file or create a new one. Inthe next exercise, you will create a MicroStation design file and give it a name before openingit. You will use the MicroStation Manager to create the new file.




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Exercise: Creating a new file

The MicroStation Manager dialog box should be on your screen.

1 Select New from MicroStation Manager’s File menu.

The New design file dialog box appears.

2 Enter myfile in the Files : field.

Do NOT press Enter yet. Doing so is the same as pressing OK.

Notes:

Observe the Seed File section near the bottom of this dialog box. Note, too,that it uses the seed2d.dgn file. More on this in a moment.

Notes:

3 Now click OK.

The new file name myfile.dgn appears in the Files list box and is selected,ready to be opened.

Your system administrator or project leader will probably set the location of yourproject’s design files. You can open existing MicroStation files and create new files from yourown workstation or any accessible device on your network that has access to a MicroStationlicense. This provides a system that is very flexible and easy to use.




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Now that you’ve created a new design file, let’s open it and see what’s inside.

Exercise: Opening the new file

1 Verify that myfile.dgn is still highlighted in the MicroStation Manager’s Files list, and click OK to open the file.

MicroStation responds by opening the main drawing environment to the file selected. At this point, you only have an empty drawing.

2 Select Fit View and you’ll see in the statement No elements found in thestatus bar.

3 File > Close .

Seed files

In the previous exercise, you created a new, blank drawing. As part of creating thenew drawing, a Seed File was used. A seed file is like a template for the new design

file. It contains preset values for the drawing such as initial element parameters, thetype of drawing to be created (2D versus 3D), and even some initial drawingelements. A common example of the latter would be a seed file of your company’sdrawing sheet border and title block.

Now that you know about seed files, let’s try creating the myfile.dgn drawing witha seed file other than the default seed file.

Exercise: Use another seed file to create a file

1 From the MicroStation Manager’s File menu select New .

2 Enter the name myfile.dgn in the file name field once again.

This is the same name as before, so you will overwrite the first file youcreated.

3 Move to the Seed File section of the dialog box and click the Select button.

The Select Seed File dialog box appears.




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4 Locate the file tb_seed.dgn in the class folder and click on it.

5 Click OK.

This selects tb_seed.dgn as your seed file and the Select Seed File dialog boxcloses.

6 Click OK to create the file.

An Alert dialog box appears warning that the file myfile.dgn already exists.

In this case you really do want to overwrite the file you previously created.In your workplace, when such an alert box appears, pay close attention andmake sure you really need to overwrite the file.

7 Click OK.

Back in the MicroStation Manager dialog box Files list, myfile.dgn isselected and ready for editing. The thumbnail shows you that elements arepresent in this file. Let’s open it.

The MicroStation New

file and Select Seed File

dialog boxes




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8 Make sure myfile.dgn appears highlighted in the MicroStation Manager dialog box Files list, then click OK to open the file.

myfile.dgn

You can see that, unlike the previously created version of myfile.dgn , thisdesign file already contains elements making up a drawing sheet. This is theresult of having used the tb_seed.dgn seed file, rather than the previousseed file.

The MicroStation installation contains many useful previously formatted and filled seed files.

These delivered seed files encompass most engineering disciplines. They can be used asexamples for creating your own seed files.

The seed files that are installed with MicroStation are located in the ProgramFiles\Bentley\Workspace\System\seed directory.

Before we continue: Where can you choose a Seed File ?

Why isn’t it necessary to choose Save to store all of thechanges to a design file before exiting?




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Ending a MicroStation Session



Save Settings

In the process of the drawing creation process, MicroStation does not immediately write setting or attribute changes to disk. When you make changes to thefundamental operational parameters of the design file that you want to permanentlystore, you must save them to disk. To do this select Save Settings from the File menu on the main menu bar (File > Save Settings). A shortcut exists for thiscommand as noted in the File menu: Ctrl + F.

Save Settings saves the settings in the active design file. Settings that are controlledthrough setting boxes and the view configuration will be preserved. Also, the file’simage location and view windows will look exactly the same when you reopenthem if you Save Settings before you close the file.

There is a preference ( Workspace > Preferences , then Category Operation ) whichyour administrator might wish to use that sets saving settings automatically. When itis set, all settings will always be saved when closing a file or exiting MicroStation.




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8/7/03 2-35


2 Working With Views

MicroStation’s design windows probably appear much like those of otherengineering drawing products. However, their functions differ significantly. Forexample, MicroStation can have as many as eight views open for display at a time.In this chapter, you will become more familiar with MicroStation’s view windowsand view controls as these topics are discussed:

• Using multiple views and View Groups

• Using View Controls

• Drawing navigation

• Window menu commands

• View Attributes

• Saved Views

Notes:

Multiple View Usage and Why

As you will see, MicroStation’s view windows and view controls are designed tofacilitate a multi-view environment. You can arrange and rearrange the views to fit

your needs.

Imagine that you live on the plains of Kansas and design windmill generators. Wouldn’t it be nice to have one tall vertical view to see the entire windmill andseveral close up views next to it from which to work? Even if you have a small




8/7/03 2-36



monitor, such an option would leave you plenty of room to view and work on the windmill.

Let’s start using some view controls and look deeper into a MicroStation View window’s operation.

Exercise: Resizing views

1 Locate the file windows1.dgn .

2 Click OK to open it.

windows1.dgn

This design file opens with one view window visible. You want to see someof the details from this drawing without losing this overall view. To do this,you will open two more view windows.

First let’s make View 1 a little smaller.

3 Move the pointer to the lower left corner of View 1 so the pointer becomesa diagonal double arrow.

Notes:

4 With the pointer appearing as an arrow, grab and drag the corner of the view window toward the center of the screen and release.

This action shrinks View 1, leaving room for more view windows.

Move the point er to the lower left corner of View

1 so that the pointer becomes a diagonal doublearrow




8/7/03 2-37



5 Move the pointer to the View Groups dialog box in the lower left corner ofthe MicroStation application window.

You can use the numbered toggles to open and close view windowsquickly.

If the View Groups dialog box is not visible, select Views > Dialog from theWindow menu.

6 Click the 2 button in the View Groups dialog box.

View 2 opens.

7 Click the 3 button in the View Groups dialog box.

View 3 opens.

Let’s arrange these view windows to better use the screen area, and then set

up this group of views to save and re-use in a later session.

Exercise: Create a View Group

1 Continuing in windows1.dgn , move the pointer to the View Groups dialogbox and click the Manage View Groups icon in the middle of the box.

The Manage View Groups dialog box appears

2 Click Create View Group on the Manage View Groups dialog box

The Create View Group dialog box appears

3 Enter the following values:

Name : Arrange

Description : 3 views arranged

4 Click OK.

View Groups dialog box

View Groups dialog box showing the Manage View Groups tool t ip

The Manage View Groupsdialog box




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You must create the View Group before setting up the views that will go into it.

Now, let’s arrange view windows for the new View Group. Leave the Manage ViewGroups dialog box open.

Exercise: Arrange the view windows

1 Continuing in windows1.dgn , select Window > Arrange.

Arrange optimizes the three view windows so each is completely visible without overlapping any of the others.

2 Select the Fit View view control at the bottom of View 1.

You will save this view arrangement as the View Group so you will be ableto recall this arrangement the next time you open this design file.

3 With the previously created View Group highlighted in the Manage View

Groups dialog box, select Save Settings from MicroStation’s File menu.

The View Group is saved.

A design file stores information about:

Arrange th e views usingthe Window > Arrange

command

Save the View Group




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MicroStation’s View Controls


• The number of open view windows

• The windows’ positions on the screen

• The position of the design file in each window

If MicroStation has been installed on your computer with the default settings, any

editing changes you make to the drawing (placing a line, for example) areautomatically saved as you make the changes.

However, changes you make to drawing file settings (zooming into a view orresizing a window, for example) are not automatically saved. To save these settingschanges for later recall, you must use File > Save Settings.

Unlike design file modifications such as deleting an element, design file settings arenot automatically saved with a design file. This is why you need to Save Settings.

Notes:


Now that you’ve opened and manipulated a few views, let’s consider the viewcontrol tools located at the lower left corner of each view window. This table

describes what each tool does.

ToSelect from the view control bar for the

view in question

Update (redraw) a view(s) Update View

Increase the magnification of a view Zoom In

Decrease the magnification of a view Zoom Out

Window an area in a view Window Area

Display all displayable elements in the activedesign and attached reference files in a view Fit View

Rotate the view (not the drawing) Rotate View

View a different part of the design withoutchanging the view magnification

Pan View




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Multiple Views and Multiple View Controls

The drawing on the screen is a layout of a housing sub-division. View 1 is a view ofthe entire layout, while View 2 and View 3 show enlarged portions of the drawing.Let’s see how MicroStation reacts when you use the view controls while multiple windows are open.

Exercise: Update View

1 Continuing in windows1.dgn , select Update View from the View 3 border.

View 3 automatically updates.

Since you selected Update View from the border of View 3, MicroStationmakes the updates to view window 3. This is true for any view commandyou select in this manner.

2 Select Update View from the View 2 border.

The view updates.

3 Select Update View from the View 3 border.

This view updates. You’ve just updated the views for all three windows by selecting Update View from each view window. Although that worked, there is a better way.

Check the tool settings. There is a button labeled Update All Views . This isthe best way to update all of the views at once.

Negate the last viewing operation View Previous

Negate the last negated viewing operation View Next

Change the perspect ive angle of a 3D view Change View Perspectivea

Changes the view display of a 3D view to Wireframe, Smooth, etc.

Change View Display Modea

Activates the Navigate Camera control of a 3D view.

Navigate Cameraa

a. These controls only display if the active design file is a 3D file. 3D controls are coveredin a separate class.

ToSelect from the view control bar for the

view in question

View Controls showing the

Update View tool tip




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4 Push the Update All Views button in the tool settings.

Exercise: Zoom In

1 Continuing in windows1.dgn , select Zoom In from the View 3 border andset the Zoom Ratio in the tool settings to a value of 2.

The prompt in the status bar area reads Enter zoom center point .

2 Move the pointer into View 1.

As you move the pointer into View 1, you see a rectangular box attached toit.

Update All can also be activated by the SpaceBar if the focus is in the tool settings

Zooming in with the ZoomRatio set to 2.00

Move the Pointe r to View 1




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3 Next, select Zoom In from the View 2 border and move the pointer into View 1.

This time, as you move the pointer in View 1, you will see a differentshaped rectangle (short and wide) attached to it.

The shape of the window rectangle is proportional to the shape of the view window from which you selected Zoom In . This rectangle previews the areathat will display if you place a data point at its current position.

4 With the pointer still in View 1, use the rectangle as your guide and place adata point to indicate the area to which you want to Zoom In on.

View 2 updates to show the area selected in View 1.

Just as with Update View, the view window from which you chose Zoom Inis the view that changes. The view window from which you select the toolis the view in which your changes will occur.

Select Zoom In from

the View 2 border andmove the pointer toView 1




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Exercise: Zoom Out

1 Continuing in windows1.dgn , select Zoom Out from the View 3 border.

The view zooms out about its center. After making the initial Zoom Out,you can place a data point in any view window and the view zooms outcentered about the point you entered.

2 With Zoom Out still active, place a data point in View 2.

The point you identified becomes the center of the view window.

The Zoom Out tool works a little differently than the Zoom In tool.

• As soon as you choose Zoom Out MicroStation zooms out about thedesign’s center

• When you choose Zoom In , MicroStation waits for you to enter thezoom point

Select Zoom Out from the View 3 border




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Drawing Navigation


Drawing Navigation

When you use the MicroStation navigation tools, pay close attention to the promptmessages in the status bar, just as you would watch road signs while driving.MicroStation provides user prompts and dynamic feedback to keep you on track.

You have already observed this while using Zoom In and Zoom Out. Let’s see whatsome of the other view controls do.

Window in on an area

Exercise: Window Area

1 Open windows2.dgn .

2 Select Window Area from the View 1 border.

MicroStation prompts Define first corner point.

3 Move the pointer into View 1.

4 Place a data point anywhere in View 1.

MicroStation prompts Define opposite corner point.

Open windows2.dgn




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Drawing Navigation


5 Move the pointer around.

A rectangular box follows the pointer dynamically.

As with the Zoom In tool, the shape of the dynamic rectangular box isproportional to the shape of the window from which you initiated the Window Area command.

6 Using the rectangle as a guide, move the pointer to define the area you want to display in View 1 and place another data point.

As before, the window you used to initiate Window Area automaticallyupdates.

The tool settings show Apply to Window set to View 1 and it is unchecked.

7 Enable Apply to Window and set the window number to 2 . This is the

window in which you want the updates to occur.

Apply to Window now shows the number 2, and the check box isautomatically enabled.

8 Move the pointer into View 1 and place two data points to define the window area.

After you place the second data point, View 2 updates to reflect the new window area definition.

A dynamic Rectangularbox follows the pointer

Enable Apply to Window to 2




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Drawing Navigation


Rotate and unrotate a view

Rotate View changes the drawing’s orientation in the design window on the screenbut it does not affect the drawing itself. Rotate View is fundamentally different fromrotating design file elements or rotating the design file itself.

Exercise: Rotate View

1 Continuing in windows2.dgn , use Fit View in View 1.

The entire drawing displays in View 1.

2 Select Rotate View from the View 1 border and set the Method to 2 Points inthe tool settings.

MicroStation prompts Define first point.

3 Place a data point near the lower left corner of the border. For this lesson,your placement does not have to be precise.

MicroStation prompts Define X axis of view .

As you move the pointer around, MicroStation provides additional dynamicfeedback. The dynamic rectangle shows the portion of the design file which will display in the rotated View 1. The dynamic axis line also shows theangle to which the view will rotate.

4 Place a data point near the upper right corner of the border. Again, theplacement does not have to be precise.

View 1 updates to show the design file rotated. Note that the other views

are unchanged. Remember that MicroStation views move over the drawing.

MicroStation prompts you todefine the X axis of the view




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Drawing Navigation


In this example, View 1 now sits rotated over the drawing while the othersretain an orthogonal orientation.

This method of rotating the view is effective if the precise angle of the rotation is

not important (as in our example) or if you are snapping to specific points on thescreen to achieve your precision.

Notes:

Now that your view is rotated to an arbitrary angle, you can easily reset it tonormal.

Exercise: Unrotating your view

1 Continuing in windows2.dgn , select Rotate View from any of the view window borders.

2 Set Method in the tool settings to Unrotated .

MicroStation prompts you to Select View.

3 Place a data point in each view you want to un-rotate.

The view or views return to their unrotated state.

The file’s image location and view windows will look exactly the same when you reopen them if you Save Settings before you close the file.

4 Select File > Save Settings.

View 1 now sits rotated overthe drawing while the othersretain an orthogonal

orientation

Set the Method in thetool settings to

Unrotated




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Drawing Navigation


5 Select File > Close to close the file.

While working, you may rotate your view to work on an element orthographicallyand then unrotate the view to continue work in other areas.

Exercise: Rotate a view to a specific angle

1 Open view_rot.dgn.

view_rot.dgn

The window system at the entry door into the space is placed at an angleother than 0 or 90 degrees. You must add a mullion in the middle of the window and to the right of the door.

2 Select Rotate View from the View border and set the Method to 2 Points inthe tool settings.

MicroStation prompts Define first point.

3 Tentatively pick the interior wall intersection at Location 1 for the first pointof the line of rotation and enter a data point.

MicroStation Prompts Define X axis of view .

4 Tentatively pick the interior wall intersection at Location 2 and enter a datapoint.

This line becomes horizontal when the view rotates.




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Drawing Navigation


The view rotates.

5 Window in on the window to the right of the entry door.

Now you can select and copy the mullion from the end of the window to

the middle of the window.

6 Select the mullion to copy by its midpoint on the short side and copy it tothe midpoint of the window sill.

7 Unrotate your view.

Panning

Exercise: Pan View

1 Reopen windows2.dgn .

Notice the layout of Views and data looks just like it did when you closedthe file.

2 Select Pan View from the View 3 border.

MicroStation prompts Select View . Make sure the Dynamic Display is

disabled in the Pan View tool settings.3 Place a data point near the bottom center of View 3.

MicroStation prompts Define amount of panning .

4 Move the pointer around the view.




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Drawing Navigation


A dynamic arrow appears pointing from your first data point to the pointer’scurrent location.

5 Using the arrow as a guide, place a data point to define the amount ofpanning.

View 3 updates to reflect the new view display.

This dynamic arrow makes it easy to understand the Pan View operation.

Enabling the Dynamic Display check box in the Pan View tool settings lets you see

the elements move as you pan in the design.

View Previous and View Next

Another pair of important view controls is located in each view’s border viewcontrols. View Previous steps you backward through the sequence of views storedin the buffer during your earlier windows, pans, rotates, etc. View Next steps youforward through the view displays stored in another buffer after you have used View Previous. In other words, before you can use View Previous, you mustchange a view, and before you can use View Next, you must have used ViewPrevious. Let’s try these two controls.

While these icons may resemble the Undo and Redo icons in the Standard toolbox,they do not do the same thing. Undo and Redo will undo and redo changes to thedesign, not just the Views. View Previous and View Next are tools that change the view, not the content of the file.

The dynamic panning

arrow




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Window Menu Commands


Exercise: View Previous and View Next

1 Continuing in windows2.dgn , from the View 2 border, select Zoom Out andperform three zoom out operations.

You have zoomed the view windows out three times. More importantly, youhave just stored three views in the View Previous buffer.

2 From View 2, select View Previous once.

The last Zoom Out operation reverses.

3 Select View Previous twice more.

The view changes three times as it steps backward through the last three view operations stored in the View Previous buffer. Using View Previousplaces these views into the View Next buffer.

4 In View 2, select View Next three times.

Once again, the view changes three times as it steps forward through the view operations.

Scroll Bars

MicroStation’s view windows also have horizontal and vertical scroll bars in thebottom and right window borders. These scroll bars help you easily movehorizontally or vertically in your design file. They work similarly to the panfunctions.

Using view controls during the design process

MicroStation allows you to use the view controls and scroll bars while you are inthe middle of a drawing command sequence. While you have any drawing toolactive, you can window, pan, scroll, etc., without leaving the active tool. You sawthis earlier while exercising the reset button. It’s a little like having an extra handfree to change the view while you’re in the middle of a command.

Almost all of the view controls require you to enter a reset before you can continue with the current drawing tool, but there are some exceptions. The scroll bars, ViewPrevious and View Next do not require a reset.


As you have seen, MicroStation’s Window menu includes a few more tools formanipulating multiple windows. Let’s take a quick look at these functions.




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The Tile Command

Tile changes the open view windows so that each one occupies an equal amount ofspace on the screen.

Exercise: Tile the View Windows

1 Continuing in windows2.dgn , select Window > Tile .

MicroStation adjusts the three windows so that they all are visible on thescreen.

The Cascade Command

Cascade changes the open view windows so they stack on top of one another, eachshowing a visible title bar.You can choose any active window by clicking on its titlebar, or by selecting its name from the Window menu.




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Exercise: Cascade the view windows

1 Continuing in windows2.dgn , select Window > Cascade .

MicroStation stacks the windows front to back so that they overlap eachother.

The Arrange Command

Perhaps the most useful of the Window menu commands when you are working with multiple view windows on your screen is Arrange . You used this command alittle earlier, and will now take a closer look at its function.

Exercise: Arranging view windows automatically

1 Continuing in windows2.dgn , resize View 1 and View 2 making them bothsmaller by dragging the edges of the windows.

2 Select Window > Arrange.

MicroStation adjusts the windows so that they fill the available screen area withoutoverlapping. Arrange also works when just one window is open, enlarging the window to its maximum size.

Also remember that MicroStation supports the IntelliMouse. You can use theIntelliMouse wheel to manipulate view windows and dialog box scroll bars. You

can also use the IntelliMouse wheel to zoom in and out of designs, and to entertentative snap points.




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View Attributes


Before we continue: What happens when you press Reset in the middle of anoperation?

How does the Arrange command work?

What defines the dynamic box that appears when usingthe Window Area?

View Attributes

MicroStation lets you use View Attributes to change the way you view a drawingby determining whether or not some types of elements are displayed, and howother elements appear. Let’s examine the View Attributes.

Changing the View Attributes

1 Open view_attr.dgn .

The floor plan shown includes dimensions, labels, and symbols as well asbuilding features such as walls, stairs, doors, etc. There is so muchinformation that showing all of it at once can make the drawing hard toread.

2 Choose View Attributes from the Settings menu.




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View Attributes


The View Attributes dialog box appears.

3 Change the View Number to 3.

You will change the view attributes of View 3. Let’s turn off dimensions, textand line weights.

4 Click in the box next to Dimensions to remove the check and turn them off.

5 Remove the check from the box next to Text .

6 Remove the check from the box next to Line Weights .

7 Click Apply at the bottom of the View Attributes dialog box.

You must click Apply for the changes to take effect in a view.

View 3 updates to reflect these changes. Now this view is a clearer andeasier to read.

8 Click All in the View Attributes dialog box.




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View Attributes


MicroStation updates all of the open windows with the same viewattributes.

9 Close the View Attributes dialog box.

View Attributes are saved with the design file settings. As with the size and

positions of windows, you must select File > Save Settings during your designsession to store your changes.

Shortcuts

You’ll see other attributes in this dialog box. They will not be covered here, butbefore leaving this topic completely, let’s look at two shortcuts that quickly get youto the View Attributes dialog box.

Exercise: Try using the shortcuts

1 Continuing in view_attr.dgn, move the pointer to the Bentley “B” at the

upper left corner of View 3.

2 Click the left mouse button once to display the menu.

3

SelectView Attributes

from this menu. The View Attributes dialog box appears.


5 To use the other shortcut, while holding down the Ctrl key, press the B key.


The View Next and View Previous buttons appear to change the View Attributessettings you have selected. Remember that the View Attributes are view changesthat you can undo with View Previous or redo with View Next.

The option menu under

the Bentley B




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Saved Views


2 Select Utilities > Saved Views to open the Saved Views dialog box.

You can also open the box by clicking the Bentley B in a view’s upper leftcorner and choosing View Save/Recall .

3 In the Saved Views dialog box, the check boxes next to Camera Position ,Levels and View Attributes should be checked. This will save the leveldisplay parameters and the view attributes of the selected View, along withthe view layout.

4 Select the Save View icon from the top of the Saved View dialog box.

The Save View dialog box appears

5 Enter the following into the Saving section of the Save View dialog box:

Name : Plan

Description : Overall floor plan - all levels

If multiple views are open, you can pick the view you want to save fromthe option menu. You are using View 1

6 Click OK.

The Plan view is added to the view list in the Saved Views dialog box

Exercise: Saving the kitchen view 1 Continuing in view_save.dgn, Zoom In on the kitchen area.

2 Ctrl E to open the Level Display dialog box.

The Saved Views dialog box




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Saved Views


3 In the Level Display dialog box, click on the names SLAB and Level 10 toturn off the room names and the perimeter slab line.

4 Ctrl B to open the View Attributes dialog box.

5 Turn off the Dimensions check box.

6 Select the Save View icon from the top of the Saved View dialog box.

7 Enter the following into the Saving section of the Save View dialog box:

Name : Kitchen

Description : Kitchen Area w/o dimensions and rm. names

8 Click OK.

The Kitchen view is added to the view list.

Exercise: Saving the Office 102 view

1 Continuing in view_save.dgn, select the Fit View icon.

2 Click on the name Level 10 to turn it back on.




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Saved Views


Your screen should match the following illustration.

Predefining a series of saved views in a seed file is a good way to standardizecommon views. If you insert a drawing sheet into your seed file, then set up saved views showing the title block and perhaps a sheet overview, it can speed the setupof a new drawing.




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Saved Views





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3 Drawing with MicroStation

When you use MicroStation to create a design, you begin by adding elements such as lines,arcs, and circles to the design. You can later modify these elements and manipulate them,singly or in groups. Other drawing tasks include adding details such as dimensions, patternsand text.

This chapter will explore the following drawing tools and techniques:

• The Place element tools

• An introduction to AccuDraw (MicroStation’s tool for precision input)

• The SmartLine tool

• More about AccuSnap

• Using Undo and Redo commands

• Backing up files

Place Element Tools

Many of the tools in the Main tool frame add new elements to the design file. Elements varyin kind and complexity and generally follow the same series of steps as you create elements:

• Choose the appropriate tool to create the desired element

• Enter the desired settings in the tool settings

• Specify the location for the new element

In some cases, this series of steps varies. Some elements require you to enter more than onelocation to place them, some require additional input, and some require the use of anadditional tool to specify their location. Let’s take a closer look at a few of MicroStation’stools.




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Place Element Tools


The Place Line tool

Place Line is located in the Linear Elements tool box. This tool does just what itsname implies, it places a single line into the design.

Place Line is a simple line tool. It creates one segment of straight line at a time, notline strings or connected segments. Place SmartLine is the more complex line toolfor creating those elements and will be covered later.

Place Line has two tool settings, Length and Angle . Length lets you enter a specific value for the length of the line you are placing. Use Angle to enter a specific angleof rotation for the line.

These settings are optional. You do not have to use both settings together, or even

use one of them. When you use only one setting, or use neither setting, Place Linerequires you to enter two data points to place the line. If you use (lock) bothsettings, then you only need to enter one data point to place the line.

In the following exercise, you will place a point at a location label in a file. Youmust center your pointer in the circle next to the number in order to place the datapoint as intended. Notice, too, that the center snap is set. The Active Snap Mode image with the AccuSnap x will appear when your pointer is at the middle of thecircle.

Linear Elements tool box




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Place Element Tools


Exercise: Place two lines

1 Open the file line.dgn .

2 Select the Place Line tool

3 Enter a data point at Location 1 to define one end of the line.

4 Enter a data point at Location 2 to define the line’s endpoint.

5 Enter a data point at Location 3.

MicroStation keeps placing single lines through each successive data point you enter.

6 Reset to finish the Place Line operation.

Notice that Place Line is still active. Reset only backs up one step in the command.In this case, it returns you to Enter first point .

You use tools like MicroStation so you can create graphics quickly and efficiently.One way MicroStation helps you work more efficiently is by leaving a selected toolactive until you select a different tool. This means that you can do your work withfewer keystrokes. You can work more productively.

The design file line.dgn

The Place Line tool in action




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Place Element Tools


Before we continue: How many settings appear in the Place Line tool settings?

What happens if you continue entering data points afterthe first line is placed?

What action ends the current Place Line operation?

What happened to the Angle setting value as you movedthe mouse around the screen?

Let’s take a quick first look at the Place SmartLine tool. You will explore Place

SmartLine in detail later in this lesson.

Exercise: Place SmartLine

1 Continuing in line.dgn, choose Place SmartLine .

2 Place a data point just above Location 1 to start placing a line.

3 Place another data point above Location 2.

4 Enter a data point at Location 3 to place the last endpoint.

5 Reset to end the Place SmartLine operation.

This line looks just like the line you placed in the previous exercise. Youfollowed the same steps as you used in applying the Place Line tool. Thisline is different, though. You just placed a line string instead of a series ofunconnected line segments.

6 Move your cursor over the element you just created using Place SmartLine.Notice that MicroStation highlights the entire line as one. This is because ityour SmartLine is a single element.

7 Move your cursor over the element you just created using Place Line. Noticethat MicroStation highlights only one segment of the line. This is becauseyou actually placed two separate elements when you used Place Line.

Place SmartLine places a line string and Place Line places individual lines.

Before we continue: If you were going to draw a valve symbol would you usePlace Line or Place SmartLine?




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Dealing with Mistakes: Undo/Redo & Delete


Notes:

Element Attributes

When placing an element in your design file you select the appropriate tool tocreate the element and then enter the appropriate values into the tool settings. Youmust also determine the attributes you want for the new element: what color will itbe, what line weight, what line style?

You must set the element’s attributes.

The Attributes tool bar is one place where you can enter an element’s attributes,including its color, level, line style, and weight.

Exercise: Setting element attributes

1 Continuing in line.dgn, select Place Line.

Verify that Length and Angle are not constrained (checked).

2 Select the color as green (2) from the Attributes tool bar.

3 Choose line style of 2.

4 Choose line weight of 2.

5 Use the steps you followed earlier to place a line in the design file.

Your new line should appear different than the lines and linestrings you placedearlier. This line will have a different color, a different weight, and will appear as adashed line instead of a solid line.

You use attributes as a way to distinguish elements in a design. You use color,linestyle, and line weight to define your elements and make your meaning moreclear for those who read the file after it has been printed. You also use attributes asa way to organize the contents of your drawings, as you will see in a later lesson.

Dealing with Mistakes: Undo/Redo & Delete

Mistakes are common in the world of computers. Everyone makes them from timeto time. One way to address a mistake is to reverse it; another is to delete it. Youcan effectively eliminate an error by reverting the design file to the situation that




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Introduction to AccuDraw



In the previous drawing exercise, you placed a series of lines by entering datapoints at approximately the right locations. In most cases, you require a higherdegree of accuracy to complete a working drawing. AccuDraw is MicroStation’s tool for

precision input.

At its simplest, AccuDraw lets you enter coordinate data from the keyboard andthen applies your input to the current MicroStation operation. If you are creating a new lineor manipulating existing elements, AccuDraw lets you control input into your drawing with aprecision that you cannot achieve with just a mouse.

Activating AccuDraw

When AccuDraw is enabled, a small window with X and Y fields appears on yourscreen. By default, AccuDraw is enabled when you first enter a design file. If it is

not, you can enable AccuDraw by clicking its icon in the Primary Tools tool bar (asshown below). To enter precise coordinates while using a drawing tool, just keythe desired numeric values into the appropriate AccuDraw window X and Y fields.

However, there is more to AccuDraw than just an X and Y field.

You can dock the AccuDraw window. Unlike most toolboxes, though, AccuDraw will only dock to the top or the bottom of the screen.

AccuDraw’s compass

Another AccuDraw feature reveals itself when you enter a data point. Called the AccuDraw compass , this feature works in conjunction with the AccuDraw window’sX and Y fields and provides a visual cue based on the selected MicroStation operation.

…and this appears Click here…

With AccuDraw active, the

AccuDraw compass appears when youenter a data point




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As you move your pointer around the screen, note that the values in the AccuDraw window’s X and Y fields change in response to your motion. The values displayedrepresent the distance from the previous data point to the pointer’s current location.

You can override the dynamic coordinate values displayed by directly enteringcoordinate data from the keyboard. Do this either by using AccuDraw’s automatic

input focus capability or by clicking in the field you want to set with the pointer.

AccuDraw’s main purpose is to help you define locations in both 2D and 3Ddrawings. AccuDraw makes it easier for you to establish the drawing plane’sposition and orientation without having to disturb the drawing or constructcomplex geometry to establish the orientation.

The Input Focus

As you move your pointer around the screen, AccuDraw continually changes thecurrent active field. This is identified by the highlight box and text insertion bar thatappears in the active field.

How does AccuDraw determines which field to make active? If the pointer’smovement from the previous data point includes a higher X value than the Y value,then the input focus appears in the X field. If the direction you move the pointerincludes a higher Y value than the X value, then the Y field becomes the focus.

Knowing this, all you must do to direct AccuDraw to a specific field is drag thepointer in that direction. Do not by move your pointer into the box and enter a datapoint to highlight the AccuDraw window’s key-in fields. AccuDraw includes afeature that makes this movement completely unnecessary. We will demonstrate

this feature in an example shortly.

AccuDraw Indexing

As you move your pointer around the screen, note that when a line crosses an axismark (the red, green, and two white marks placed every 90 degrees on thecompass), the line changes to a heavier weight. When the line changes to a heavier weight, it is indexed .

In this example, note the greater value of X over Y

As a result , the input focus switches to

the X field as seen by the black borderaround the X




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This feature is useful when you want to set one line perpendicular to another line.It is also helpful in drawing orthogonal lines. It means that we don’t have to call upthe axis lock, saving us a step or two. You will see more uses for indexingthroughout this course.

Before actually entering some precision coordinates, let’s take a minute to

understand AccuDraw’s input focus feature a little better. The best way to do this is with a short exercise in which you won’t actually place anything. Instead, you will watch AccuDraw’s response to specific movements of your pointer.

Exercise: Exercising AccuDraw’s input focus

1 Open the design file accudraw.dgn .

accudraw.dgn

A color wheel appears. Each filled segment represents 30° of arc,corresponding to the hours of a clock face.

2 Activate AccuDraw if it is not already enabled. Verify that AccuDraw is inRectangular coordinate mode.

When the focus is in the AccuDraw window, you can depress the <spacebar> and access a shortcut to switch between Polar and Rectangular compass modes.

We will cover many other AccuDraw shortcuts later in this course.

3 Select Place SmartLine from the Linear Elements tool box.


5Move your pointer to Location 2.Note AccuDraw’s focus is on the X field.

6 Move your pointer to Location 3.

Now, the focus is on the Y field.




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The focus remains on the Y field.


This location is exactly 45° from Location 1, which is the crossover point for

the input focus. Depending on just where your pointer is located, the focus will be on X or Y.

9 Move your pointer around Location 5 noting the input focus as you do so.

10 Try moving the pointer around to various parts of the wheel.

Can you predict where the focus will go as you move the pointer aroundthe screen?

11 Reset.

Having the compass in rectangular mode provides visual clues as to the location ofcrossover points. For instance, each corner of the compass is a crossover point (the

point at which the input focus switches from X or Y or vice versa).

If your cursor is oriented towards the top or bottom of the compass, then you knowthat your input focus will be in the Y.

If the cursor is oriented toward the sides, then the input focus is in the X.

Locking Your Coordinate Values

As you enter a precise value from the keyboard, AccuDraw performs another trick.Because it knows you are entering coordinate data relative to the current pointer

location, it locks the current input field (denoted by a check mark in the active X or Y field’s check box) and immediately affects the pointer’s motion.

After entering a value for the first field, move the pointer until the input focuschanges to the other field. Now you can enter the other value. The coordinates youhave entered establish a data point for the placement of your element.

As the value 2.3 is entered in this

example

The dynamic line “locks” to the valueindicated

Observe the additional index line noting

the Y value is not yet locked




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More Element Placement tools


Using this feature means that you don’t have to lock both axes. You may sometimesneed to lock only one axis and define the opposite one with a snap or data point.

AccuDraw Works with Your Tools

As you start using AccuDraw you will find it works with the different drawing toolsin very specific ways. For instance, when you work with circles and arcs, AccuDrawprovides a distance and angle face instead of the X and Y values shown previously. This polar coordinate mode also becomes available if you press the space bar. This will be discussed in greater detail later.

Disabling AccuDraw

Although you will probably use AccuDraw most of the time, sometimes you will want to turn it off. Do this by selecting the AccuDraw icon on the Primary Toolstool bar. Select the AccuDraw icon in the Primary Tools tool bar again to re-enable AccuDraw.


The Place Arc Tool

Place Arc is found in the Main tool frame. Use this tool to create an arc element inthe design file. Place Arc also occurs in the Arcs tool box. Let’s try it.

Exercise: Opening the Arcs tool box

1 Continuing for now in accudraw.dgn , click on MicroStation’s Tools menu.

2 Select Main from the sub menu.

Here the Place Circle tool has been selected anda data point entered

Note the change in AccuDraw’s compass This denotes data entry in polar coordinates

(distance and angle) rather than rectangular

(X/Y) coordinates

Primary Tools tool bar




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Exercise: Create the inside curve of the rocker arm

1 Open arc_arm.dgn.

2 Select Place Arc .

3 Set tool settings option Method to Center .

4 Enable AccuDraw if it is not already active.

Exercise: Create the R 2.2 unit arc

1 Continuing in arc_arm.dgn ,enter a data point at Location 1 to define the

first arc endpoint.2 To identify the Arc Center , index the pointer to the right and enter 2.2.

A line extends 2.2 units to the right (to Location 2)

3 Enter a data point to define the center of the arc at Location 2.

Arc radius values are shown fo r

this exercise

Other dimensional data is provided by location markers in

arc_arm.dgn




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This will be placed automatically at Location 2 and the AccuDraw compassswitches to the polar mode.

4 Enter a data point at Location 3 to define the arc’s opposite endpoint.

5 Reset.

Exercise: Create the end caps of the rocker arm

1 Continuing in arc_arm.dgn, zoom in to the top cap.

2 Continue with Place Arc.

3 Set Method to Edge .

4 Enter a data point at Location 1 in the design file to mark the first endpointof the new arc.

Note that AccuDraw does not switch to polar mode as it did with theprevious Place Arc method.

5 Enter a data point at Location 4 for a point on the arc radius.

6 Enter a data point at Location 5 to complete the arc.

7 Fit View.

Let’s switch back to the Center method to complete the other end.

Place endpoint of Arc

Place Arc by edge




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Notes:

Exercise: Complete the rocker arm

1 Continuing in arc_arm.dgn, set the Method to Center in the tool settings.

2 Place the arc’s start point at Location 6.

3 Place the arc’s center at Location 7.

4 Place the arc’s endpoint at Location 3.

Note that you are still in the Place Arc command and that the status bar isprompting for the First point on the arc .

5 Place the next arc’s start point at Location 8.

6 Place the arc’s center at Location 9.

7 Place the arc’s endpoint at Location 10.

You can complete the drawing with lines.

8 Select Place SmartLine .

9

Place the first point on the line with a data point at Location 5.

Place Arc by center

Place the endpoint at Location 10




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10 Place a the next point on the line with a data point at Location 8.

Reset.

11 Place a line from Location 6 to Location 10.

12 Select Place Circle from the Main tool frame and set the Method to Center .

13 Enable Diameter , and enter a value of 0.325.

14 Press Enter or Tab.

15 Place a data point (the circle center) at Locations 7, 11 and 12.

Reset.

Press F8 to see the finished part without location markers.

Place SmartLine




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Notes:

SmartLine tool settings include:

Before we continue: What is the difference between a Vertex Type andSegment Type?

What happens if SmartLine’s Join Elements option isturned off when placing multiple elements in succession?

In the next exercises, you’ll use Place SmartLine and AccuDraw to create acomplex shape representing a gasket in an automobile’s carburetor.

The focus of this lesson is to create the throttle plate gasket shown above.Remember, if you make a mistake during this exercise, you will not need to re-start

Segment Type Lines Places a linear element by defining start and end points.

Arcs Places a radial element by defining a start vertex, a centerpoint, and a sweep angle.

Vertex Type Sharp With the “lines” Segment Type, each vertex point is placed without modification.

Rounded With the “lines” Segment Type, each vertex point is placed as afillet based on the value of Rounding Radius .

Chamfered With the “lines” Segment Type, each vertex points is placed as

a chamfer based on the value of Chamfer Offset .

Rounding Radius (with Vertex Type set to Rounded) If on, sets the arc radius for a rounded vertex.

Chamfer Offset (with Vertex Type set to Chamfered) Sets the two distances required to define achamfer.

Join Elements If off, places segments as individual elements, and also eliminates the option to closethe chain (Close ELement) upon snapping to the first vertex point.

Smartline

Placement Settings

Rotate AccuDraw

to segments

If on, after you enter line segments, AccuDraw typically rotates

its compass such that the x-axis aligns with the line that youjust placed. If off, disables AccuDraw 's rotation exclusively forSmartLine tool functions.

Always start in linemode

If on, the segment type normally defaults to Lines, despite thelast segment type used. If off, AccuDraw uses the last segment

type that you used.




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at the beginning. Press Ctrl Z or select Undo to return to the previous step in theprocess.

Exercise: Begin drawing a throttle plate gasket

1 Open gasket.dgn.

gasket.dgn

2 Go to Settings > AccuDraw and open the AccuDraw Settings dialog box.

3 Select the Coordinates tab and set the Unit Round off Distance to 1.0, thenenable the Distance setting.

This forces the pointer to move 1 unit at a time (the distance between mostof the points in the exercise).

4 Click on the Active Snap mode icon at the bottom of the application window and make sure the snap mode is set to Center Snap. Also makesure that AccuSnap is enabled.

5 Select Place SmartLine and set the following tool settings:

Segment Type : Arcs

Vertex Type: Sharp

Join Elements : Enabled

The Rounding Radius setting does not apply to this function, and so doesnot need to be set.

Let’s begin construction at the left edge of the gasket.

6 Respond to the status bar message Enter first vertex , by entering a datapoint at Location 1.

Place SmartLine tool settings




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7 Move the pointer towards Location 2 and enter a data point to define thecenter of the arc

The pointer moves one unit to Location 2 and AccuSnap indicates an x atthe center of the location marker.

Notice that the arc dynamically appears.

8 Move the pointer in the direction of Location 3 and enter a third data pointto define the sweep angle for the arc.

If the arc sweeps in the wrong direction (and shows ¾ of a circle instead of¼), move your pointer in the opposite direction around the center of thearc.

9 Move the pointer in the direction of Location 4 and define the center of thearc with a data point.

10 Move the pointer towards Location 5 and enter a data point to define thearc’s sweep angle.

Two tangent arcs should now be in place.

11 Modify the entries in the tool settings as follows:

Segment Type: Lines

Vertex Type: Sharp

Place Arc using

SmartLine

Place Arc using

SmartLine




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12 Move the pointer towards Location 6 and enter a data point.

Notice that the line dynamically moves into place.

Notes:


Vertex Type: Rounded

Rounding Radius: 0.5

14 Move the pointer toward Location 7 and enter a data point.

Notice the corner near Location 6 rounded off as the next SmartLinesegment formed.


16 Change the Vertex Type to Chamfered .


Notice the corner near Location 9 chamfers as the SmartLine segment forms.

Move toward Locat ion 8 andenter a data point

Chamfered vertex




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You have now constructed one quarter of the throttle plate gasket.

Exercise: Continuing the construction with SmartLine

1 Continuing in gasket.dgn , modify the tool settings as follows:



4 Modify the tool settings as follows:

5 Then move the pointer toward Location 12 and enter a data point.


This creates a straight line to Location 13.

7 Modify the tool settings as follows:

Vertex Type: Sharp

Enter a data point at Location 11

Vertex Type: Chamfered

Working with SmartLine continued

Vertex Type: Rounded




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8 Then move the pointer toward Location 14 and enter a data point.


10 Then move the pointer toward Location 15 and enter a data point to definethe arc’s center.

11 Move the pointer toward Location 16 and enter a data point to define thearc’s sweep angle.

12 Now move the pointer toward Location 17 and enter a data point to definethe arc’s center.

13Move the pointer toward Location 18 and enter a data point to define thearc’s sweep angle.

You have constructed one-half of the throttle plate gasket.

Complete the gasket from Location 18 back to 1 by selecting SmartLine’s toolsettings in the opposite order just provided. Locations 19 through 34 have beenset to help you with the construction.

As you constructed the gasket, you were able to select and reselect differenttool options as you worked, adjusting the appearance of the element.

Segment Type: Arcs

Vertex Type: Sharp

Enter a data point at Location 18

Throttle plate gasket halfway

done




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More About AccuSnap


Turn off the distance setting in the AccuDraw Settings ( Settings > AccuDraw )dialog box.

More About AccuSnap

As this course as progressed, you have seen the yellow AccuSnap x and a smallicon with a point, or points, appeared as you approached elements. The x is the AccuSnap indicator and the small icon is the snap mode indicator. In the lastexercises the point in the center of the circle indicated that the Center snap was thecurrent Active Snap Mode.

AccuSnap provides graphical assistance for snapping to elements. When in AccuSnap mode, you select a tool and move the pointer over the elements, letting AccuSnap find and display the nearest snap point for you. When the correct snappoint is displayed, enter a data point to accept. You can use the Snap Mode buttonbar to suspend AccuSnap for one point, and to toggle AccuSnap off and on.

AccuSnap works with the Active Snap Mode. The easiest way to set Active Snapmode is with the Snap Mode Button Bar.

Exercise: Accessing the Snap Mode button bar

1 Open accusnap.dgn.

This design file shows a selection of elements on which you will utilize the various AccuSnap functions.

accusnap.dgn

AccuSnap x and the ActiveSnap Mode indicator




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More About AccuSnap


2 In the status bar, select the Active Snap Mode icon, and then select ButtonBar from the menu.

The Snap Mode button bar appears.

3 Dock the button bar at the bottom of your screen.

AccuSnap is enabled as a MicroStation default setting. The first button turns

AccuSnap on and off.

4 Verify that AccuSnap is enabled (the icon is depressed).

Exercise: Use AccuSnap with the Midpoint snap

1 Continuing in accusnap.dgn , select the Place SmartLine tool.

2 To activate the Midpoint snap, double click on the Midpoint snap icon.

A single click selects the snap mode temporarily, for one use only.

3 Move your pointer over the objects in the drawing.

Note that when the pointer approaches the line’s midpoint, the AccuSnaphint (plus sign) appears with the midpoint snap image,

Note, too, that the cross hair hint turns into an x and the object highlights when the pointer is right on the midpoint.

Select Button Bar from the pop-up menu

Snap Mode button bar

Cross hair hint

Object highlights




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More About AccuSnap


4 Move until you see the x and enter a data point to accept the first point ofthe SmartLine.

5 Move your pointer to one of the other objects and see where its midpoint islocated.

On a shape, the midpoint is the midpoint of one of the sides. On a circle, it

is one point on the circle and on an arc, it is the midpoint of the arc.

6 Enter a data point to end one line segment and start another.

7 Continue drawing SmartLine segments to the midpoints of the objects in thefile with data points utilizing the Midpoint snap.

8 Reset when finished.

What a mess!

9 Undo by selecting the Undo icon on the Standard tool bar or, Edit > Undo.

Note that this operation only requires one Undo command because youplaced a continuous line string ( SmartLine ) rather than individual lines.

The Keypoint snap is the most versatile snap. It will snap to the end of a line or theto the midpoint. It snaps to the center of a circle, or eighth points on thecircumference. It also snaps to the ends or the midpoint of an arc. On a shape, itsnaps to the midpoint of a side or to a vertex.

Exercise: Use AccuSnap with the Keypoint snap

1 Continuing in accusnap.dgn, select the Keypoint snap by double clicking onthe Keypoint icon in the button bar.

The Keypoint icon highlights.

2 Move your pointer over the objects in the file to see where the x appears.




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More About AccuSnap


3 Enter data points to draw lines from keypoint to keypoint.

4 Reset when finished.

5 Then, Undo.

You may find that, as you draw, you need to change from one snap mode toanother.

Exercise: Changing AccuSnap on the fly

1 Continuing in accusnap.dgn, select the Place SmartLine tool and then hoverthe pointer on the vertex of the linestring in the file.

You are still in Keypoint snap mode.

2 To change to Center snap mode, click once on the Center snap icon in thebutton bar.

Note that the Keypoint icon is greyed out and the Center snap icon ishighlighted.

3 Move the pointer around over the linestring. AccuSnap is looking for thesnap point.

4 Move the pointer toward one line of the linestring.

Practice with the Keypointsnap




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More About AccuSnap


5 The x will snap to the center of the linestring, the linestring will highlight,and the center snap image will appear.

6 Enter a data point to accept the center point.

Note that the center icon is no longer active and the Keypoint Snap ishighlighted as the active snap again.

7 To find another center, single click on the center icon in the button baragain

8 Move the pointer toward one side of the free form shape

9 The x appears at the center of that shape and the shape is highlighted.

10 Enter a data point to accept the center point.

11 Reset to complete.

The linestring center and Center

snap icon

The shape center and Centersnap icon




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Additional Undo Features


5 Enter a data point at Location 1 to select the first shrub.

Use AccuDraw to copy the shrub to the right along the x-axis 9.0 units.

6 Move the pointer to the right and key in 9.0 in the AccuDraw window.

9.0 appears in the AccuDraw X input field.

7 Enter a data point to accept the location.

8 Reset.

9 Copy each shrub from Locations 2, 3 and 4 the same distance to the right.

10 Reset.

The project manager just looked at the drawing and decided that the shrubs don’tlook right in the courtyard. He wants more of the small plants currently on the left

side of the building to be placed around the courtyard perimeter. So, you mustremove the shrubs you just placed.

Exercise: Removing the shrubs

1 Continuing in undo_shrub.dgn , select Undo copy element from the Edit menu.

The last shrub placed is removed.

2 Select Undo Copy element once again.

The next shrub is removed.

3

Select Undo copy element two more times.Since you placed each shrub as a separate action, MicroStation reverses theplacements one at a time.

Copy shrub 1

AccuDraw window




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But, the project manager returned a second ago, and he changed his mind.He wants the shrubs back again.

4 Select Redo copy element from the Edit menu or the Redo icon from theStandard tool bar.

Redo only works after you have used Undo to reverse an action. Since youused Undo four times, you can Redo four times to replace all four shrubs.

5 Select Redo copy element three more times to replace the shrubs.

Did you notice how the entries for Undo and Redo in the Edit menu change toshow you what action will be undone/redone? Since MicroStation records every actionsequentially, it can remember many actions in the order in which they were taken.

Exercise: Instant replay

1 Continuing in undo_shrub.dgn, use the Undo keyboard shortcut <Ctrl+Z> toundo the last four steps.

2 Use the Redo keyboard shortcut <Ctrl+R> to redo each of these steps one ata time.

This gives you a replay of how the elements were moved into position.

If you use another tool or menu item after using Undo, the Undo action cannot bereversed later with Redo.

Hit the Mark

When you are reading a book and have to put it down, you use a bookmark to save your place.

The bookmark lets you come back and pick up where you left off. MicroStation also lets youplace a mark, like saving your place in the design, so that you can return to that point. Let’s tryout this feature after copying the small plants along the outer walls of the building.

Undo/Redo




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Exercise: Copying the small plants

1 Continuing in undo_shrub.dgn, select Set Mark from the Edit menu.

In the status bar, the message Current position MARKed displays.

2 Select the Element Selection

tool.3 Drag a rectangle around the row of plants at Location 5.

The shrubs are highlighted.

4 Select Copy .

5 Enter a data point on one of the plants at Location 5.

6 Using AccuDraw , copy the plants a distance of 28.3 in the x-axis directionto the right side of the building.

Reset.

7 Enter a data point away from any elements to release the selection set.

8 Copy the plants from Location 6 to the right side of the building in the same way.

Reset.

9 Enter a data point away from any elements to release the selection set.

You also want to copy the shrubs from the left front of the building to theright front.

10 Select Copy .

11 Enter a data point at Location 7 to select the shrub at the front of thebuilding.

You’ll copy this shrub across to the left front side of the building.

Element Selection and Copy

Copying the shrub




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12 Enter data points at Locations 8, 9, and 10.

Reset.

13 Press F8 to hide the location labels again.

The project manager just walked past again and shook his head. He doesn’tlike the plants after all.

Exercise: Remembering where you set the mark

1 Continuing in undo_shrub.dgn, select Undo Other > To Mark from the Edit menu.

Note where the Undo command stopped. This is what the drawing lookedlike when you originally selected Set Mark from the Edit menu.

State of the drawing at

the time of Set Mark




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2 Select Redo from the Edit menu.

Note what happened. Redo returned to the position you had before youselected Undo to Mark.

If you find that you have spent a lot of time and effort and don’t like what you’vecreated, there is an option. MicroStation has another option to Undo, named Undo All . Thiscommand reverses all of your actions since opening the file, or as many actions asMicroStation can remember. Since the landscaping you did in this file doesn’t look very good,let’s use Undo All to reverse all of your changes.

Exercise: What to do when it looks all wrong

1 Continuing in undo_shrub.dgn , select Undo Other > All from the Edit menu.

An Alert dialog box displays on the screen.

Because Undo All is not reversible, MicroStation asks you to verify that you have notaccidently selected it.

2 Click OK to indicate that you really want to undo ALL changes.

The file returns to the state it was in when you started.

Redone!

The Alert dialog box




8/7/03 3-98

Additional Exercises



1 Draw a valve using locations 1through 4.

2 Draw pipe extensions to the valve from Locations 5 and 6.

PRESSURE GAUGE (plt_gauge.dgn )

1 Draw the gauge as a circleusing Locations 7 and 8.

2 Press F8 to hide the locationlabels.




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SKETCH THE ROADWAY INTERSECTION (plt_intsct.dgn)

Tool Method Locations

Edge of Sidewalk

Place Line 1, 2

Place Arc By Center 2, 3 & 4

Place Line 4, 5

Edge of Curb

Place Line 6, 7


Place Line 9, 10

Pavement Marking

Place Line 11, 12

Edge of Median

Place Line 13, 14


1 Use the location markers and table data to start designing the intersection. Observe the AccuDraw window while placing the elements with the assistance of the locationmarkers.

2 Based on feedback you noted from AccuDraw, complete the intersection.




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8/7/03 4-99


4 Drawing Polygons and Circles

In this chapter, you will work with closed shape elements and use the tools in thePolygons and Ellipses tool boxes to place shapes into a drawing. The followingtools will be introduced:

• Place Block

• Place Shape

• Place POlygon

• Place Circle

• Placing Circles

In the course of this chapter you will use tools that create closed elements to finisha drawing template, similar to those found on most drafting tables. By selecting theappropriate tool and setting a few options, you can duplicate just about anytemplate you might find.

Polygons

Squares, triangles, and hexagons are useful shapes in drafting and design work. These shapes are called polygons. MicroStation defines all shapes that enclose anarea as closed elements . A useful feature of shape elements, unlike linear elements,is that they can be filled with color or patterns.

Polygons tool box




8/7/03 4-100

Polygons


The Place Block Tool

The simplest of the polygon tools is Place Block. This tool creates four-sidedrectangles or squares. When you select this tool, you are given two options for themethod of placement, Orthogonal and Rotated .

Other options available in the tool settings include Area , Fill Type , and Fill Color .

Notes:

Exercise: Create the first template shape

1 Open shape.dgn .

MicroStation displays a template drawing. Note the missing elements thatyou must create.

Method ofBlockPlacement

Results

Orthogonal • The sides of this block appear at right angles to the x- and y-axis.

• Two opposite diagonal data points define the block.

• The first data point anchors the block.

• The block dynamically forms across the screen as you move the pointer to enter thesecond data point.

Rotated • The sides of this block appear at right angles to an axis which is defined by the user.

• Three data points define the block.

• The first data point anchors the block.

• The second data point defines the rotation axis for the block.

• The block dynamically forms across the screen as you move the pointer to enter the

third data point.

Create the missing

elements




8/7/03 4-101

Polygons


2 Set the Active Snap Mode to Center snap so you can snap to the center ofthe location markers.

3 If not already activated, enable AccuDraw .

The first shape you will create is a rectangle, or, an orthogonal block.

4 Select the Place Block tool with the following tool settings:

Method: Orthogonal

Area: Solid

Fill Type: Outlined

Fill Color : 9

5 Move the pointer over the circle at Location 1. When the Center snap xappears, Enter a data point at Location 1 to define the first point of theblock.

6 Move the pointer toward Location 2.

Set the active snap to Center

Create a rectangle

The Place Block tool settings

Enter a data point atLocation 1




8/7/03 4-102

Polygons


Note the block’s dynamic movement.

7 Once you see the AccuSnap x at the Location marker, enter a data point atLocation 2 for the opposite corner of the block.

Next you will create the diamond shape, next to the square.

Exercise: Placing a rotated block as the second shape

1 Continuing in shape.dgn, select the Place Block tool once again, with thefollowing tool settings:

Method: Rotated Area: Solid

Fill Type: Outlined

Fill Color : 9

You will use AccuDraw to input the data.

2 Enter a data point at Location 3 as the first base point for the block.

Make sure the AccuDraw Compass is a circle ( Polar mode), and the focus inthe AccuDraw window is Distance . If it is not then press the space bar tochange mode to polar.

3 For the distance to the second base point, on your keyboard, type .8485.

This number will appear in the Distance field of the AccuDraw window.

4 Press Tab on the keyboard to lock the Distance and shift the focus to the Angle field of the AccuDraw window.

5 For the angle of rotation to the second base point, on the keyboard type315.

This number will appear in the Angle field.

Create the diamond shape

next to the square

AccuDraw window in polar mode with

distance locked

AccuDraw window in polar modewith distance and angle locked




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Polygons


6 Enter a data point to accept the second base point

The AccuDraw compass automatically changes to the rectangular mode androtates 315 degrees. This makes it easier to place the block.

Note that the AccuDraw window has changed to X and Y. The X field isfilled in with the distance entered previously.

7 To enter the diagonal point, type .8485 on your keyboard and move thepointer up and to the right

The number will automatically go into the AccuDraw Y field.

8 Enter a data point to accept the Location.

9 Reset.

The Place Shape Tool

Place Shape lets you create free-form closed shapes. You specify the length andangle of each shape segment by entering those values into the AccuDraw window.Or, the length and angle of shape segments may be arbitrarily defined with thepointer. If the length and angle of a shape segment is specified, then the newsegment becomes visibly attached to the pointer as you dynamically move it intoplace.

There are two methods for closing a shape.

Click the Close Element button in the tool settings, at which time the shape

automatically closes.Enter the last data point of the last shape segment at the same location as thefirst point of the first shape segment.

AccuDraw compass w ith

distance and angle locked

Finishing the rotated block




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Polygons


During the next exercise, you will place a shape representing the parallelogramtemplate cutout.

Exercise: Creating the parallelogram cutout

1 Continuing in shape.dgn, select the Place Shape tool with the following toolsettings:

Area: Solid

Fill Type: Outlined

Fill Color : 9

Leave the length and angle check boxes unchecked.

2 Move the pointer to Location 4 and enter the first point of the shape.

3 Move the pointer to Location 5 and enter a data point for the next vertex.

Notice that the shape segment dynamically moves with the pointer. Thisbehavior will continue.

4 Move the pointer to Location 6 and enter a vertex point to place the secondshape segment.

Parallelogram cutout

Place Shape Tool Settings

Placing the first leg of the

shape between points 4 and 5

Move the pointer to Location

6 and enter a vertex point to place the second shapesegment




8/7/03 4-105

Polygons


5 Continue and place the next line segment by entering a vertex point atLocation 7.

6 Click on the Close Element button. in the tool settings.

As the last segment jumps into place closing the shape, the shape fills withcolor.

Place Shape is handy for creating original, on-the-spot shapes that you find inanything from block or electronic diagrams to process piping diagrams.

Note that if you do not close the shape you will lose the element once you issue a

reset.

The Place Orthogonal Shape Tool

When using this tool, the first two data point placements set the axis for the shape. All shape segments then form at right angles to, or parallel with the axis. Close theorthogonal shape by entering the last point of the last segment at the same locationas the first point of the first segment. Finally, Enter shape vertex is the only promptyou receive from the status bar while using this tool. This prompts you clue tomove the pointer and enter data points to continue placing segments until yourshape is complete.

During the next exercise you will create an L-shaped regular cutout using anorthogonal shape.

Exercise: Create the V cut out

1 Continuing in shape.dgn. select Place Orthogonal Shape with the followingtool settings:

Area: Solid

Fill Type: Outlined

Now click on the Close Element

button

Finished L-shaped cut out




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Polygons


Fill Color : 9


3 Move the pointer to Location 9 and enter a data point to place theorthogonal axis line.

The element dynamically follows the pointer.

4 Move the pointer to Location 10 and enter a data point to place the nextshape segment.

Notice that this shape segment locks to a right angle of the defined axis line.

5 Place the next three segments by entering data points at Locations 11, 12,and 13.

MicroStation places each shape segment at a right angle to the previoussegment.

6 Enter a data point at Location 8 to close the shape.

Place Orthogonal Shape tool settings

Enter a data point at

Location 8

Move the point er to

Location 10 and enter adata point to place the

next shape segment

Microstation places each

shape segment at a rightangle to the previous

segment




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Polygons


The Place Regular Polygon Tool

Place Regular Polygon is yet another shape making tool. It allows you to createequal-sided shapes containing from three to 100 equal sides. There are threeoptions for placing polygons, all of which determine polygon size.

Before we continue: What is the easiest and quickest way to close a shapeelement?

What are the three methods for placing polygons?

What is the quickest way to place a triangle?

Describe the difference between the inscribed andcircumscribed methods of polygon placement.

During the next exercise, you will create the six-sided cutout using a hexagonalpolygon shape.

PolygonPlacement

Description

Inscribed The vertices (corners) of the polygon touch the inside of the polygon circle. The firstdata point identifies the center of the polygon and the second data point defines theradial distance from the polygon center to the vertices.

Circumscribed The sides of the polygon rest upon the outside of the polygon circle. The first datapoint identifies the center of the polygon and the second data point defines the radialdistance from polygon center to a tangent midpoint on the polygon side.

By Edge Also requires two data point placements neither of which identify the polygoncenter. The two points define the length and angle of one polygon side from whichthe polygon center and radial distance will originate.

Hexagon created with the Place

Regular Polygon tool




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The Place Circle Tool


Exercise: Create the hexagonal cut out

1 Continuing in shape.dgn, select the Place Regular Polygon tool with thefollowing tool settings:

Method: Circumscribed

Edges: 6Radius: 0.375

Area: Solid

Fill Type: Outlined

Fill Color : 9


3 Now move the pointer and enter a data point at Location 15.

Notice the hexagon shape dynamically moves into place.

Try your hand at the triangle, pentagon and octagon shapes using the Place RegularPolygon tool and its Inscribed and Circumscribed options to see how they work.


Place Circle places a closed radial element into a design file. It is located in the Main tool frame. Place Circle also occurs in the Ellipses tool box.

Place Regular Polygon tool settings

Placing the hexagon

Place Circle tool settings showing the

Method option list




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Place circles by these methods.

Create Circular Cutouts

During the following exercises, you will create three circular cutouts using PlaceCircle and its tool settings placement options.

Exercise: Place the small circle

1 Continuing in shape.dgn, select Place Circle with the following tool settings:

Method: Center

Area: Solid

Fill Type: Outlined

Fill Color : 9

Radius: enabled

Radius: .25

Click the down arrow on the Diameter option displays the Radius option. A circle with a .25 radius is attached to the pointer.

Center Circles are placed by defining a center point and a point on the circle. If Diameter orRadius have been defined, then only a center point is required for placement.

Diameter Circles are placed by defining a point on the circle and a point on the diameter.

Edge Circles are placed by defining 3 points on the circles edge. If Diameter or Radius have

been defined, then only 2 points are required for placement. This method is typicallyused to place circles tangent to other elements.

Circles placed using thePlace Circle tool

Place Circle tool settings




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3

Reset.

Exercise: Placing the large circle

1 Continuing in shape.dgn, select Place Circle again with the following toolsettings:

Method: Center

Area: Solid

Fill Type: Outlined

Fill Color : 9

Radius: Disabled

2 Identify the center by entering a data point at Location 16.

3 Indexing AccuDraw, move your pointer to the left (or right).

4 Key .5 into the AccuDraw window.

This number will appear in the X field.

5 Enter a data point to accept.

6 Reset.

Placing a circle by radius


Place Circle using AccuDraw.

AccuDraw settings dialog box in polar

mode




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Exercise: Place the medium circle

1 Continuing in shape.dgn, select Place Circle once again with the followingtool settings:

Method: Edge

Area: SolidFill Type: Outlined

Fill Color : 9

Radius: Disabled

MicroStation will place the circle using three points on the circle.

2 Enter the first point on the circle with a data point at Location 18.

3 Enter a second point on the circle with a data point at Location 19.

4 Enter the third point at Location 20.

5 Reset.


Placing the circle by 3 pointsalso called edge

Enter the final data pointon the edge of the circle




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6 Select fit view from the bottom of the view window to see the completetemplate.

You’ve now completed the template design, however, you may want to try andduplicate some of the other shapes found on this template.

View the completed template




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Additional Exercise


Additional Exercise

Use AccuDraw with the Place Block, Place Shape and Place Circle toolsto create the mending plate (1), angle bracket (2), tee bracket (3)and column cap (4) based on the dimensional data provided above.

CREATE THE BEAM AND COLUMN CONNECTIONS (plt_conn.dgn)




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The Active Snap Mode


You can select your snap mode quickly by selecting the Active Snap Mode icon onthe status bar and then clicking a snap mode in the Active Snap Mode pop-upmenu. This temporarily overrides the default snap mode for one operation, after which the override is canceled and the original active snap mode becomes activeagain. Depress the Shift key while clicking a snap mode to set a new default activesnap mode. The dot indicates the current mode.

The Snap Mode button bar, which you have already been introduced to, is selectedfrom the Active Snap Mode menu, or from Settings > Snaps > Button Bar .

Like other MicroStation tool boxes, the Snap Mode button bar displays tool tips when you leave the pointer on one button for a second.

A single click on a button overrides the current snap mode for one operation.Double clicking on a snap mode button resets the active snap mode. The dark greybackground indicates the current active snap mode.

There are several important features about snaps to review.:

• The Full Locks dialog box has a section devoted to the operation of the snaps.Here you can disable the operation of snaps, set the default mode and otherimportant settings. ( Settings > Locks > Full .)

• You can set the Active Snap mode as you work by placing the pointer in any view, holding down Shift, pressing the tentative button (or buttons), andchoosing from the pop-up menu which appears next to the pointer.

• You can also access the Active Snap mode with AccuDraw shortcuts that will beexamined in a later chapter.

The button bar, like other MicroStation tool boxes, can be customized. The defaultSnap Mode button bar does not show all available snap modes. To access thehidden icons, right mouse click while the pointer is over any of the buttons. A pop-

Active Snap Mode pop-up menu,accessed from the status bar

Snap Mode button bar




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All MicroStation’s Snap Modes


up menu appears with check marks adjacent to the enabled modes. To enableadditional modes, check the boxes next to modes you want to see on the bar. Thefollowing image shows all available snap modes.

Each snap mode setting affects both AccuSnap and tentative snap points. Thefollowing table describes the MicroStation snap mode options.

If elements are overlapped, select the desired element(s) with the Element Selectiontool and then go to Edit > Bring to Front . This will bring the element(s) to the “top”and make it easier to snap to them.


Snap Mode: Tentative point snaps to:

Nearestor Near Snap Point

Point on the element nearest to the pointer.

Keypointor Keypoint Snap

The nearest of the Element Keypoints on the element. This is the mostgenerally useful snap mode.

Midpointor Midpoint Snap

Midpoint of the segment of the element closest to the pointer. (For anelliptical arc, the tentative point snaps to the point on the arc at half thesweep angle, as opposed to the point at half the arc distance.)

Center Snap Center of elements (circles, arcs, text) that have centers.Centroid of other elements (shapes, line strings and B-Splines).

Origin Snap Origin of a cell or text element, centroid of a B-spline, the first data pointin a dimension element, or the first vertex of a line, multi-line, line string,or shape.

Bisector Snap Midpoint of an entire line string, multi-line, or complex chain, rather than

to the midpoint of the closest segment. Midpoint of a line or arc. (For apartial ellipse, the tentative point snaps to the point on the curve at halfthe arc distance, as opposed to the point at half the sweep angle.)

Intersection Snapor Intersect Snap

Intersection of two elements. (requires at least two tentative points) Thefirst tentative point snaps to one element and that element is highlighted.

The second tentative point snaps to another element and the twosegments used to find the intersection of the two elements show asdashed lines. (If the two elements do not actually intersect, but projectionsof the elements would intersect, the segments include projections of theelements to the intersection.) Continue snapping until you find the

desired intersection. Your last two tentative points define where theintersection snap lies.

Tangent Snap An existing element — the edge of the element you place is constrainedto be tangent to an existing element. The tentative point dynamicallyslides along the element to maintain the tangency as you move the pointerto finish placing the element.

Snap Mode button bar showingall available snap modes




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Tangent PointSnap

An existing element — the edge of the element you place is constrainedto be tangent to an existing element. The tentative point does not movedynamically as you move the pointer but is locked in place.

Perpendicular Snap An exist ing element — the l ine you place is constrained to be

perpendicular to the element — the tentative point slides dynamically

along the element in order to maintain the perpendicularity as you movethe pointer to finish placing the element.

PerpendicularPoint Snap

An existing element — the line you place is constrained to beperpendicular to the element at the tentative point. The tentative pointdoes not move dynamically as you move the pointer but is locked in place.

Parallel Snap An existing element but does not define a point through which the lineyou place will pass. Instead, when you accept the tentative point, the line

you then place is parallel to the line to which the tentative point wassnapped.

Point ThroughSnapor Thru Point Snap

Element keypoints and defines a point through which the element youplace (or an extrapolation of it) must pass.

Point On Snap To nearest element, as follows: When entering second or later data point, constrains the next data point

to lie on it (if it is a closed element) or anywhere on the line on which itlies (if it is a linear element).

When entering first data point, constrains the element you place to extendto that element (or the line on which it lies) from the second data point.

Snap Mode: Tentative point snaps to:




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AccuSnap and the Snap Modes


Before we continue: How do you display the Snap Mode button bar?

Can you change the default snap? If so, describe how todo this.

What distinguishes the default and the active snaps in thesnap mode pop-up menu?

What is the difference between the Tangent and theTangent From snap modes?

AccuSnap and the Snap Modes

You have been introduced to AccuSnap, which provides the basic snapfunctionality and graphical assistance for snapping to elements. While in AccuSnapmode, you just select a tool and move the pointer over the elements, letting AccuSnap find and display the nearest snap point for you. When you see thecorrect snap point, enter a data point to accept it.

AccuSnap Settings dialog box

Choose Settings > Snap > AccuSnap from the menu bar to access the AccuSnapSettings dialog box.

You can also access AccuSnap Settings by selecting the snap icon on the status barand clicking AccuSnap in the Active Snap Mode pop-up menu.

AccuSnap snap settings




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“Exercising” the Snap Modes


Settings in the AccuSnap Settings dialog box are divided into these three tabbedsections


During the following exercise, you will try out nearly all of the MicroStation’savailable snap modes. As a result, the elements created will share a geometricrelation with the elements already found in this drawing. These relationships will

General settings

Enable AccuSnapa

a. Enabled by default.

Enable or Disable AccuSnap

Show Tentative Hint* As you move the pointer over the elements, AccuSnap finds the nearest

snap point and displays its location with a cross hair, or a heavy line weight “x” denoting a tentative snap point.

Display Icon* Current snap mode icon displays at the snap point, for both thetentative hint and tentative point.

Fixed point for Perp/Tan.from

With Perpendicular snap, AccuSnap sets the snap override toPerpendicular From.

With Tangent snap, AccuSnap sets the snap override to Tangent From.

Update status barCoordinates

Each time AccuSnap snaps to a point on an element, or whenever youpress the tentative point button, the snap point’s coordinates appear inthe status bar.

Play Sound on Snap A sound plays when you snap to an element.

Highlight Active Element Element highlights as soon as AccuSnap is within range of the Snap Tolerance.

Identify Elements Automatically *

Automatically locate elements as you pass the pointer over them

Pop-up Info* When you point at or enter a tentative point on an element,MicroStation displays a tool tip showing the element type and level ofthat element.

Element settings

Toggle on and off snapping capability for curves, dimensions and/ortext

Feel setting

Keypoint sensitivity Adjust how close the pointer must be to the snap point before AccuSnap snaps to it

Stickyness Adjust the sensitivity of AccuSnap to the cur rent element. The further

to the right (+) you set the Stickyness, the further away from theelement the pointer may be before AccuSnap will snap to anotherelement.

Snap Tolerance Adjust how close the pointer must be to an element to snap a tentativepoint to it.




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include tangencies, parallelism, common coordinate locations, and others. Thisexercise is not meant to create a specific type of drawing.

Exercise: Review the keypoint snap mode

1 Open snap1.dgn.

2 Open and dock the Snap Mode button bar if it is not already.

Let’s review the Keypoint snap mode.

3 To set Keypoint as the default active snap mode, double click Keypoint snapbutton on the Snap Mode button bar.

Keypoint lets you snap to element key points, like a vertex, or the middle or

end of a line.4 Select Place SmartLine .

5 Move to the line string labeled Keypoint.

As you move your cursor around the line string, it is highlighted. As youapproach a Keypoint, the Tentative Hint crosshairs appear at the nearestKeypoint snapping point. The AccuSnap x and the Keypoint snap iconappear when the pointer in on the keypoint. If you pause, the pop-up infobox reports that you are about to snap to a Line String on Level 1.

The Identify Elements Automatically, Display Icon, Pop-up Info, and Show Tentative Hint settings are enabled as MicroStation default settings.




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6 Move the pointer to the upper right end of the line string.

7 When the AccuSnap x appears, click the data point button to snap to thelocation indicated by the x (the end of the line string) and to enter the first vertex.

A dynamic line appears.

8 Move the pointer to the intersection of a horizontal and vertical segment.

9 Once you see the AccuSnap x, enter a data point to place the next vertex.

10 Move the pointer to the end of the left vertical segment.

11 Once you see the AccuSnap x, enter a data point to place the next vertex.

12 Reset to complete the process.

Select Settings > Locks > Full to access the Divisor setting in the Full Locks dialog box. This setting determines the number of keypoints an elementhas. The number of keypoints on a line, line string segment, or curvesegment is one greater than this value.

If the divisor is 1, the keypoints are the endpoints of a line or segment. Ifthe divisor is 2 (or any even value), keypoints are the endpoints andmidpoint of a line or segment.

Snap to the upper right end of

the Line String

Snapped to the upper rightend of the Line String

AccuSnap snaps to the end

of the left vertical segment




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Exercise: Using the Near Point snap mode

1 Continuing in snap1.dgn , select Place SmartLine .

2 Set Near Snap Point (or Nearest ) as the override snap mode.

3 Move the pointer along the line at Location 1.

The Near Point snap lets you snap to any point on an element.

The Near Point snap is looking for any point on the line, so the TentativeHint crosshairs do not appear.

4 Enter a data point on the highlighted line where you want to start your line.

A dynamic line appears.

5 Look at the left side of the status bar to see the next step.

6 Enter a data point near Location 2 to place the next vertex.

7 Reset to complete the process.

Exercise: Use the Center snap mode

1 Continuing in snap1.dgn , continue with Place SmartLine .

2 Set the Center snap as the override snap.

3 Move the pointer along the circle marked by Location 5.

The Near Point snap

The dynamic line




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AccuSnap snaps to the center point of the circle.

Center snap works on most elements and is especially useful for finding thecenter point of an arc.

If you are still in Keypoint snap mode, AccuSnap will still find the center ofthe circle. Remember: the center of a circle is also a key point.

4 Enter a data point to accept the snap and start the line.

5 Reset the override snap to Center .

6 Move the pointer to the arc at Location 18.

7 Move the pointer around the arc and note that the AccuSnap x moves to thecenter of the arc.

8 Enter a data point to enter the center of the arc as the next vertex of the

line.9 Reset to stop the process.

Before you continue, let’s turn off the Pop-up Info in the AccuSnap settings.

Exercise: Changing the AccuSnap settings

1 Continuing in snap1.dgn , choose Settings > Snaps > AccuSnap from themain menu bar.

2 Disable the Pop-up Info check box.

3 Close the AccuSnap Settings dialog box.

The Center snap

Using the Center snap

mode




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Exercise: Placing a line using the Bisector snap mode

1 Continuing in snap1.dgn , continue with Place SmartLine .

2 Change the active snap mode to Bisector snap.

3 Move the pointer to the curve identified by Location 7.

The Tentative Hint crosshairs appear.

4 Move the pointer toward the center of the curve.

5 Enter a data point once you see the AccuSnap x.

A dynamic line originates from a point halfway along the length of thecurve.

This contrasts with the Midpoint snap, which would have snapped to themidpoint of one of the curve’s segments. To prove this point try these twosnaps, midpoint and bisector, to create the line and see where the dynamicline originates.

6 Complete the line by entering a data point at Location 8.

The last data point was just an arbitrary point in space. You did not snap toanything.

7 Reset.

Placing a circle using the Intersection snap mode

1 Continuing in snap1.dgn , select Place Circle with the following toolsettings:

Method : Center Area : Solid

Fill Type : None

Diameter : Disabled

The Bisector snap

The Bisector snap




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2 Double click to change the Active Snap mode to Intersection .

Notice how the available snaps buttons change when you select newdrawing tools.

Intersection snap requires you to select two elements and let MicroStation

calculate their intersection.3 Move the pointer over the intersection of the two lines at Location 9.

You will see the AccuSnap x and also that the two intersecting lines arehighlighted.

4 Enter a data point to accept the intersection as the center point of the circle.

5 Place a data point at Location 25 as a point on the circle.

6 Reset.

Now let’s use the tentative snap with the middle mouse button to place a circlecentered at the intersection of two lines that do not physically intersect in thedrawing. You will place the center of a .5 diameter circle at the intersection of theline that passes through Location marker 11 and the line that passes throughLocation marker 25.

Exercise: Use the Tentative snap button and the Intersection snap

1 Continuing in snap1.dgn , select Place Circle .

2 Enable Diameter for the circle and key .5 into the Diameter field in the

Place Circle tool settings.

The circle is attached to your pointer.

3 Use a tentative snap (the middle mouse button) to select the first line forintersection (the one through Location 11).

Intersection snap

Intersection - AccuDrawcompass




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The line highlights and a large crosshair appears on the line.

4 Select the second line (the one through 25) by moving the pointer over theline.

The line highlights and the AccuSnap x, the Intersection snap mode iconand the circle appear where extensions of the two segments wouldintersect.

5 Enter a data point to accept the Intersection snap location.

6 Reset.

The circle’s center is at the intersection of the two lines.

You can also accomplish an Intersection snap with two tentative points, one oneach of the intersecting elements. The Intersection snap is extremely accurate.

Exercise: Placing an arc with the Tangent snap

1 Continuing in snap1.dgn , select Place Arc and set the Method to Edge . Makesure that nothing else is enabled in the tool settings.

2 Change the active snap to Tangent snap.

Tentative and Intersection snap

Intersection snap point in space




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3 Tentative snap to the arc at Location 15.

The large crosshairs appear.

4 Accept the tentative snap point with a data point.

The tentative snap only identifies the element for tangency, the arc in thiscase. The data point actually sets the first point of the arc to be created.

5 Enter a data point near Location 16 to identify the second point on the arcradius.

A dynamic arc appears tangent to the existing arc and passing through thepoint at Location 16.

Move the pointer and notice how the first point of tangency moves along

the existing arc.

The Tangent snap

Tangent to existing arc

Tangent snap and place arc




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Notes:

6 Move the pointer towards Location 16 and enter a data point.

7 Reset.

Exercise Place a constrained SmartLine using the Perpendicular snapmode

1 Continuing in snap1.dgn , continue working with Place SmartLine .

The Fixed Point for Perp/Tan. From option is still enabled.

2 Select the Perpendicular snap.

3 Move the pointer over the line at Location 20.

4 When you see the AccuSnap x at the end of the line, enter a data point toplace the first vertex.

A dynamic line appears which starts at the end of the line and isperpendicular to the selected line. Note that you can draw theperpendicular line above or below the line you originally snapped to.

5 Enter a data point at Location 21 to complete the perpendicular lineplacement.

Tangent Fixed Point for Perp/Tan From

The Perpendicular snap




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6 Reset.

The line’s first vertex is constrained to the end of the horizontal line, andmust remain perpendicular. The end cannot be at Location 21.

Exercise: Use the Perpendicular snap

1 Continuing in snap1.dgn , continue working with Place SmartLine .

2 Disable Fixed Point for Perp/Tan. From in the AccuSnap Settings dialog box.

3 Select the Perpendicular Point snap.

The Perpendicular Point snap icon and AccuSnap x moves with the pointeras you move around the circle.

4 Move the pointer over the circle at Location 22 and enter a data point tostart the line.

5 Enter a data point at Location 10 to create a line perpendicular to the circle.

Perpendicular snap with line

Perpendicular Point snap

Perpendicular Point snap with line




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Another Use for the Tentative Snap


6 Reset.

Placing a line using the Parallel snap mode

1 Continuing in snap1.dgn , select Place SmartLine from the Main tool frame.

2 For the first vertex, enter a data point at Location 24.

3 Select the Parallel snap.

4 Tentative snap (middle button) to the line at Location 25.

5 Enter a data point to accept the snap.

Did you notice how the dynamic line is parallel to the line you identified with a snap at Location 25?

6 Stretch the dynamic line to Location 26 and enter a data point.

7 Reset.

You have just used some of MicroStation’s snap modes to place elements. Snapmodes afford us with many different ways of referring to exact positions in designdrawings.


Tentative snap can cycle thru elements that share common points. Let’s try usingthe tentative snap to move the boxes at the bottom of your screen.

Exercise: Using Tentative Snap to select the correct element

1 Continuing in snap1.dgn , Window Area on the three boxes.

Let’s move the middle sized box to place its upper left corner exactly at thelower left corner of the large box.

The Parallel snap

Parallel snap in action




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2 Set the active snap mode to Keypoint .

3 Select the Move tool from the Main tool frame.

First you select the element to move.

4 Tentative snap (middle button) to the upper left corner where all of the

boxes meet.5 One of the boxes highlights.

6 Keep the pointer at the upper left corner and tentative snap again.

Another box highlights.

The boxes highlight in the order they were placed in the design file.

7 Continue to tentative snap until the middle box is highlighted.

8 Enter a data point to accept the tentative point and the middle box.

As you move the pointer the upper left corner of the box is attached to it.

9 Move the pointer to the lower left corner of the large box.

10 Once the large box highlights and the AccuSnap x appears. Enter a datapoint to accept the snap location.

Reset.

11 Repeat the process to move the upper left corner of the smaller box to thelower left corner of the middle box.

12 Update your screen.

13 Now move the boxes back to their original position.

When working in MicroStation on drawings, the Keypoint snap is the most oftenused. All of the snap modes and the tentative snap will ensure accuracy as youperform geometric construction operations.

Tentative snap to the upper left

corner of the boxes

Tentative snap cyclingthrough elements




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8/7/03 6-137


6 Manipulating Single Elements

You have learned how to use MicroStation tools to create some basic drawingcomponents. However, there is more to drawing than just placing elements in adrawing. Enhancing the drawing process with MicroStation includes manipulating drawingelements after they have been created. This chapter will examine several tools that enablethese manipulations, including:

• Copy

• Move

• Mirror

• Align

• Rotate

• Scale

• Move Parallel

• Construct Array

The Basic Manipulation Tools

The tools used to manipulate elements, such as the Copy , Move and Mirror tools,are located in the Manipulate tool box.

Manipulate tool box




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Copy Element

Copy creates a duplicate of an existing element without affecting the originalelement. Identify the element to be copied with a data point and then enter asecond data point at the location where you want the copy to appear. You can thenplace additional copies by entering more data points. A final Reset releases theelement from the copy process.

You can also create multiple copies by entering the number of copies desired in theCopies field in the tool settings, and then entering a data point in the direction in which you want the copies to be placed. This is similar to creating an array.

After initially identifying a base point relative to the element with a data point, youcan Edit > Undo Last data point to establish the base point elsewhere.

Move Element

Move relocates an element to a new location. After identifying the element to bemoved, enter a second data point to define its new location. You can continue torelocate the selected element with additional data points. A final reset releases theelement.

Here again you can Undo Last data point to establish the base point elsewhere.

Mirror

Mirror mirrors the chosen element about one of three axes: horizontal, vertical or

line (user defined). Identify the element to be mirrored with a data point. Enter asecond data point to locate the mirror axis. Rather than manipulating the selectedelement, you can choose to copy it by selecting the Make Copy option in the toolsettings.

To explain what happens when you mirror something, the following table showsthe axis option and the results of the Mirror operation.

Mirror About Axis Option Results

Horizontal Element mirrors with respect to the x-axis. The mirrored elementchanges vertically, top to bottom or bottom to top.

Vertical Element mirrors with respect to the y-axis. The mirrored element

changes horizontally, left to right or right to left.

Line Element mirrors with respect to an axis defined by the user (datapoints 2 and 3). The mirrored element changes about the userdefined axis line.




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Align Edges

Align Edges provides an easy way to align two or more elements to a common“edge”. An edge is defined as the X, Y, or Z axis normal to the view. You can selectthe edge by which the elements are aligned in the tool settings. The first elementselected is the element to which all the others will be aligned.

Before we continue: What is important about the location at which you identifythe original element with the Move and Copy tools?

How do these tools respond when you press the Resetbutton?

When you Mirror an element about the x- axis, whichdirection does the selected element “flip?”

Using Copy, Align and Mirror

You will use Copy, Align and Mirror in these exercises to place chairs around atable.

Exercise: Copying chairs

1 Open manip_tables.dgn .

2 Open the Manipulate tool box ( Tools > Main > Manipulate) or tear the Manipulate

tool box off the Main

tool frame.

manip_tables.dgn




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3 Select Copy .

4 Identify the edge of the chair at Location 1 with a data point.

MicroStation highlights the outline of the chair. The original chair remains while acopy dynamically travels with the pointer.

5 To copy the chair, move the pointer to Location 2 and enter a data point.

The chair you just placed displays highlighted and another chair appearsattached to the pointer. Each new chair is a copy of the chair that wasplaced last. MicroStation continues to place sequential copies of the chair until youterminate the operation with a reset.

6 To copy the chair again, move the pointer to Location 3, and enter a datapoint

7 Reset.

The Copy tool

Identify the edge of the

chair at Location 1

The Copy command willcontinue to make copies until

you press r eset




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You will line up the chairs next to the table with the Align Edges tool, so that youcan then use a Mirror Copy command to copy the chairs.

Exercise: Align the chairs

1 Continuing in manip_tables.dgn, select Align Edges from the Manipulate

tool box.

You want the right edge of the lower two chairs to line up with the rightedge of the upper left hand chair.

2 Set the Align setting to Right in the tool settings.

3 Identify the upper left hand chair as the base element for alignment byentering a data point on the chair.

The chair highlights and dashed box forms around the chair.

4 Move the pointer over the next chair and enter a data point on the chairedge.

Align setting option list

The chair highlights and a dashed

box forms around the chair




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MicroStation moves the second chair to align with the first chair.

5 Move the pointer over the next chair and enter a data point.

MicroStation moves the third chair to align with the other two.

6 Reset to stop.

You can use Align Edges to line up text and other elements.

Now you need to copy the chairs on the left to the opposite side of the table, andthe top chair to the bottom of the table. You will use the Mirror tool.

Exercise: Mirror copy the chairs about the vertical axis

1 Continuing in manip_tables.dgn, select Mirror from the Manipulate toolbox.

2 Select Vertical from the Mirror About option menu and turn on the MakeCopy option in the tool settings.

The second chair moves to align withthe first

Press reset to stop the Align Element command

The Mirror tool




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3 Enter a data point on the bottom left hand chair at Location 3.

MicroStation highlights the original chair and the newly mirrored chair appears,mirrored to one side of the original.

When you move the pointer horizontally the mirrored image moves relative

to the pointer location. The next point you will pick is the point about which to place the mirrored image.


MicroStation placed the mirrored image with the second data point and thecommand is cancelled with a Reset.

5 Reset.

6 Repeat the process, using the same Location 5 to mirror copy the other twochairs.

Mirror ed elements appear

dynamically half way between the

pointer and the element beingmirrored

Snap to the midpoint ofthe table then accept the

new chair




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Using Manipulation Tools Effectively


7 Mirror the upper chair about the horizontal axis using Location 4 as thehorizontal line about which to mirror.

This exercise just guided you through a series of steps to manipulate elements in adesign file in order to illustrate how to use the Copy , Move , Mirror and Align by Edges tools. These were simple steps to familiarize you with the tools. There aremany effective ways to use these tools.

Select Edit > Undo Other > All and let’s take some time to test the most effective way to use the manipulate tools you just saw so that you can create a dining roomset. After some practice, you may even decide that you do not need to use all thetools.

Notes:


Mirror Copy about a line

After mirroring elements about the horizontal and vertical axis, you will now mirrorelements about a line.

An office layout has been designed. You want to mirror the layout for use in otheroffices on the floor. The office layout has been created as a Group so it can becopied as one unit.

Mirro r the rest of the chairs untilthe design looks like this




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Exercise: Mirror the office layout about a line

1 Open mirr_office.dgn.

2 Select the Mirror tool with the following tool settings:

Mirror About: Line Make Copy : Enabled.

3 Identify the office by entering a data point at Location 1.

The office highlights and you are prompted for the first point on the mirrorline.

You want to mirror the office layout about the centerline of the wall, whichis at an unknown angle. You must identify that centerline with two points.

4 Move the pointer to Location 2, tentatively snap the end of the line, thenenter the first point of the mirror line with a data point.

A copy of the office starts to rotate.

5 Move the pointer toward the bottom of the upper line (Location 3) and AccuSnap will find the bottom of the line and indicate it with an x.

6 Once there, enter a data point to accept.

mirr_office.dgn

Showing the AccuSnap x as it

finds the element at Location 3




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7 Reset.

8 Mirror copy three more offices about the adjacent centerline for a total offour.

Aligning stray elements

Cleaning up a design file often requires common repairs such as aligning elementsthat were placed slightly askew. Let’s use Align Edges to make this easier.

Exercise: Aligning ragged text

1 Open align_notes.dgn .

View 1 shows several notes that were inserted individually, but must nowbe aligned with one another.

Make a total of four offices withthe Mirror tool




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2 Select Align Edges from the Manipulate tool box and set the Align setting toLeft .

3 Select the second note from the top of View 1 ( 2 x NAILER... ) with a datapoint.

The other elements you select will be aligned to the left edge of thiselement.

4 Select each of the other notes down the side of the section detail with a

data point. As you select each element, MicroStation moves it to align with the left edgeof the first note.

5 Reset after selecting the last note.

Align Edges tool settings, showing

the Align option list




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1 Move the handrail from Location 1 to 2.

2 Copy the baluster from Location 3 to Locations 4, 5, 6 and 7.3 Mirror the door windows about Locations 8 and 9.

4 Complete the elevation using Copy and Mirror .

BUILD THE PORCH ELEVATION (plt1_porch.dgn)

Directional Arrow

Wheel Stop

Pavement Marking Line

10’

1 Use Copy, Move , and Mirror to complete the parking lot using the pavement marking lines, wheelstops and directional arrows provided in the design file.

COMPLETE THE PARKING LOT (plt2_prkg.dgn)




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7 More Tools For Manipulating

Elements

You have learned how to manipulate the basic components of a drawing usingCopy, Move, Mirror and Align commands. In this chapter, you will continue withmore manipulation operations including:

• Rotating and Scaling

• Moving elements parallel

• Constructing arrays

Rotating and Scaling Elements

Rotate

The Rotate tool rotates one or more selected elements. The following tabledescribes the available tool settings.

Tool Setting Effect

Method Sets the method used to rotate and stretch an element.

• Active Angle - the element(s) are rotated by the Active Angle, which can bekeyed in.

• 2 Points - the angle of rotation is defined by entering two data points.

The two points are a Pivot point and a point to define rotation

• 3 points - the angle of rotation is defined by three data points.

The three points are a Pivot Point, a Point to define the angle to start therotation at, and a point to define the rotation itself.

Copies If on, the element(s) are copied and the copy(s) are rotated; the original(s) are notmanipulated.

When copying and rotating an element with tags, the selected element is copiedand any associated tags are rotated with the element.

Use Fence If on, the fence contents are rotated. The option menu sets the Fence (Selection)

Mode.

Stretch Cells If on, the fence contents are rotated and stretched, when Fence (Selection) Modeis Stretch.

About ElementCenter

If on, the selected element is rotated about its center point instead of a selectedpoint.




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Scale

The Scale tool scales the chosen element by a user-entered scale in either the X or Y direction, or both, about a specific data point.

If you choose multiple elements, all will scale about one data point. If you expandthe tool settings and choose About Element Center , each element will scale about itsunique center.

Using the tools to finish a site plan

A building has been designed and must be inserted into the site plan. The architect wants the building to be parallel to the sidewalk and driveway which are at a 75º angle. Let’s see how Rotate Element makes this easy.

Exercise: Rotate the Building

1 Open site.dgn .

View 1 shows the building on the left and the site plan on the right. Youmust rotate the building 75º before moving it into the site.

2 Select Rotate from the Manipulate tool box with the following tool settings:

Method : Active Angle

75.0000

Copies : Disabled

3 Identify the edge of the building with a data point.

Rotate tool settings




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The building displays highlighted and rotates. As you move the pointer, thebuilding maintains its angle of rotation, but its position changes.

The prompt in the status bar reads Enter pivot point . The pivot point is thepoint about which the element will rotate.

4 Enter a second data point and the building moves into its rotated position.

5 Reset.

The Active Angle value set in DGN File Settings dialog box is updated by any valuethat is entered in an Active Angle field in the tool settings.

Let’s move the building on to the site.

The building dynamically

rotates as it follows the cursor

Enter a data point to accept

the new rotation




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Exercise: Move the building

1 Continuing in site.dgn, select Move from the Manipulate tool box.

2 Identify the building with a data point on the building perimeter.

MicroStation shows the original building highlighted, and a second building

appears and dynamically travels with the pointer.3 Move the building to the position where you want it and enter a data point.

The building you just placed displays highlighted, and another buildingappears attached to the pointer. MicroStation continues to move the originalelement to new locations until your terminate the operation with a reset.

4 Reset.

Next, the landscape architect needs to locate the trees on the site. The plan calls forthree different tree sizes. One with a crown height of 30’, one with a crown heightof 20’ (67% of 30’) and one with a crown height of 10’ (50% of 20’). A 30’ crowntree is already located on the parking island to the right of the building. You willscale and copy that tree to create the other two sizes. Afterward, you will be able tocopy the different trees where you wish.

Exercise: Scale and Copy the trees

1 Continuing in site.dgn, use the Zoom In or Window Area view control to

move in closer to the tree on the right side of the building on the site plan.

Select the Scale tool from the Manipulate tool box with the following toolsettings:

Method : Active Scale

Move the bui ldingoutline into place




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X and Y Scale : .6667

Copies : Enabled

If the padlock next to the X Scale is closed, the Y Scale automaticallydisplays the same value as the X Scale . If you want to input different X and Y scale values, click the padlock to open it.

2 Identify the tree with a data point.

Similar to the Copy tool, MicroStation highlights the tree and a new smaller

tree travels with the pointer.

3 Move the smaller copy to a clear space and enter a data point.

MicroStation copies and places a tree 50% of the original size at the newlocation and a new smaller tree travels with the pointer

4 Move the smaller copy to a clear space and enter a data point

MicroStation copies and places a third tree 50% of the second tree size atthe new location and a new smaller tree travels with the pointer.

5 Reset.

Now you have three trees that you can copy wherever you want to placethem on the site.

6 Use Copy to copy the trees and design the planting scheme.

Scale tool settings

Move the smaller copy to anopen space




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Moving and Copying Elements Parallel



Move Parallel relocates a selected element to a new position by modifying theindividual vertices of the target element to maintain a path parallel to the originalpath. If you select Make Copy in the tool settings, Move Parallel becomes Copy

Parallel . The Copy Parallel tool creates a duplicate of an existing element into aposition parallel to the original element.

When copying parallel smartline shapes or segments, the Miter or Rounded optionsfill the gaps created between the duplicate elements with a miter or an arc.

A feature of this tool is that you can enter a specified distance to move or copy. Dothis by entering the distance in the tool settings. After you identify the element tomove or copy parallel, you can determine the side-to-side direction of placementfor the new element with the pointer.

When you use Move or Copy Parallel on SmartLine shapes, SmartLine segments,

polygons, or circles, take note of how the entire figure may become larger orsmaller, gaining mitered or rounded corners, while the length of each segmentremains parallel.

Before we continue: What must you do to switch from Move Parallel to CopyParallel?

When using Move Parallel, what happens when thedistance option in the tool settings is turned off?

Exercise: Finish the parking layout

1 Continue using site.dgn.

Notice that, on the building’s left, some parking lines are missing.




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2 Zoom In or Window Area in on the area around Location 1.

The parking stalls for this site must be 9’-0” wide. You will use the CopyParallel tool on the line at Location 1.

3 Select Move Parallel from the Manipulate tool box with the following toolsettings:

Distance: Enabled and set to 9:0

Make Copy : Enabled

4 Identify the parking line at Location 1 and move the pointer up.

MicroStation displays the original element highlighted, and a new line isplaced into a parallel position.

Window in on the area

containing Location 1

Move/Copy Parallel

tool settings




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Arrays


5 Enter a data point to accept the parallel copy

6 Continue moving the pointer up and entering data points until the last newline is placed on the island at the end of the parking row.

7 Reset.

Arrays

Construct Array

Construct Array creates multiple copies of single elements or groups of elementsand places them in rectangular or polar (circular) patterns at regularly spacedintervals.

Enter a data point to

accept the parallel copy

Continue copying the element

until it fills the row of parking

spaces and meets the island




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Arrays


A rectangular array copies elements into a specified number of columns and rows. The spacing between elements can be separately specified for each direction. Thatspacing is the distance from the center of one element to the center of the nextelement.

A polar array copies elements around a real or imaginary point, circle, or arc and

the circular spacing of elements is specified in degrees of rotation.

Rectangular array

During the following exercise, you will use a Rectangular array to create 39 seats,placing them in an auditorium layout.

Exercise: Create an auditorium layout

1 Open array_aud.dgn.

MicroStation displays the auditorium shown below.

2 Select Construct Array .

Set the following tool settings:

Array Type : Rectangular

Active Angle : 0

Rows : 3Columns : 13

Row Spacing : 4:0

Column Spacing : 2:0

array_aud.dgn

The Construct Array tool inthe Manipulate tool box




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Arrays


3 Use a data point to identify the chair as the element to be arrayed.

The chair is highlighted.

4 Enter a data point to accept the array.

The rest of the chairs appear.

As you can see, Array is handy for placing multiple copies of drawing itemsquickly.

Polar array

During the next exercise, you will use Construct Array to create the 12 spokes of a wagon wheel with a Polar array.

Exercise: Create a wagon wheel

1 Open array_wheel.dgn .

The Happy Trails wagon wheel is displayed.

2 Select Construct Array with the following into the tool settings:

Array Type: Polar

Items: 12

DeltaAngle: 30 degrees

Rotate Items: On

A calculator function is built into this tool’s angle option. You could enter360/12 and gotten the angle 30 as the result.

3 Identify spoke number 1 as the element to be arrayed.

The completed array




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8 Precision and Working with

AccuDraw

One important advantage computer drafting has over traditional manual drafting isthat computer drafting allows the user far greater precision. MicroStation allows youto place elements and take measurements with specialized tools that help maintaina drawing’s precision. This chapter looks more closely at some of the precisionfeatures in the MicroStation environment, and will also examine more of AccuDraw’s features. Topics included are:

• The MicroStation V8 working environment

• AccuDraw settings

• AccuDraw keyboard shortcuts

• AccuDraw drawing modes

• AccuDraw and the common snaps

• The AccuDraw calculator

Notes:

The MicroStation V8 Working Environment

In MicroStation V8, a Model is a collection of design elements that share a commoncoordinate space, in a fashion similar to the familiar design plane (or cube) inearlier versions of MicroStation. When you initially set up a design file, you work with at least one default Model. This model has several unique properties.

The coordinate space is defined using the Working Units Category in the DGN FileSettings (Settings > Design File) dialog box. However, these settings are specific tothe particular Model and not to the design file as a whole, as you may beaccustomed to.




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Setting Working Units

Working units are the real-world units in which you work while you draw or createmodels in a design file. Working units are typically defined in the seed files from which you create your design file. You will not normally need to make anyadjustment to working units.

Working Units are set as Master Units (the largest units in common use in a design,such as meters) and fractional Sub Units (the smallest convenient unit to use, suchas centimeters or millimeters). By definition, Sub Units may not be larger thanMaster Units.

You can choose your Master Units and Sub Units by name, such as Feet and Inches,or Meters and Centimeters. Changing the working units’ Unit Names does not affectthe size of geometry in your model.

You can change your working units without changing the size of the elements in

your design. For example, you can draw in Meters and Centimeters, and thenchange the Unit Names to Feet and Inches to get the English measurements.

Exercise: Changing Unit Names for your working units

1 Open draw.dgn .

2 Choose Design File from the Settings menu.

The DGN File Settings dialog appears.

3 Choose Working Units from the Category list.

4 Set the Unit Name s Master Unit to Meters .

If you change the Master Unit from English to Metric, or visa versa, the Sub

Unit changes to a suitable unit at the same time. Note that the labels alsochange.

Working Units Categorysettings options




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5 Make sure the Master Unit is Meters . Verify that the Sub Unit is Centimeters and that the appropriate labels are listed.

6 Leave the DGN File Settings dialog open

Although the most frequently used units are available and the Master Unit

and Sub Units can be changed independently, the Custom Units option lets

you customize units and their labels.

The Advanced… button directs you to the area where you can changeResolution . Resolution determines the accuracy of the design plane, and itdoes affect the size of existing elements in a design. In most cases you willnot want to change the Resolution setting. Consult with your siteadministrator before changing the Resolution setting.

7 Select OK to close the dialog box.

How Working Units are expressed

When you enter distances into design files, you will typically enter them in one oftwo formats.

You can enter a standard decimal number, such as 1.275.

You can also enter two numbers separated by a colon, indicating MU:SU. Forexample, 3:4 means three Master Units (MU), and four Sub Units (SU).

This table includes examples of distances expressed in the latter form.

Controlling the Coordinate Readout

Coordinate Readout is the setting that controls the format in which, and theaccuracy with which MicroStation displays coordinates, distances, and angles in thestatus bar and dialog boxes.

Working Units MU:SU Distance

Feet / Inches 120:10 120 feet, 10 inches

Miles / Yards 26:385 26 miles, 385 yards

Meters / Millimeters 5:25 5 meters, 25 millimeters

Millimeters / Micrometers 0:500, or :500 one half millimeter




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Exercise: Changing Coordinate Readout

1 Continuing in draw.dgn , choose Design File from the Settings menu.

2 Choose Coordinate Readout from the Category list.

Notes:

Setting the Coordinate Readout does not affect the accuracy of calculations, onlythe precision at which the results are displayed.

The Coordinates Format options establish which units are displayed. These include:

Coordinate Accuracy sets the readout decimal accuracy or fractional accuracy ofthe Sub Units .

The Angles Format sets the angle readout format:

The Angles Mode sets the manner by which angles are measured.

Format Displays the Following

Master Units Master Units only

Sub Units Master and sub units (MU:SU)

Working Units Master, Sub and positional units (MU:SU:PU)

DD.DDD Decimal degrees

DDMMSS Degrees, Minutes, and Seconds

Coordinate Readout settingsoptions




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AccuDraw Settings


As you try the AccuDraw features, keep an eye on the Working Unit andCoordinate Readout information.

AccuDraw Settings

A previous chapter introduced you to some of AccuDraw’s features. AccuDraw is adrawing aid for precision placement that evaluates such parameters as:

• Your current pointer location

• The previously entered data point

• The last coordinate directive

• The current tool’s need

• Any directive you have entered using keyboard shortcuts or AccuDraw options

After making this evaluation, AccuDraw generates the appropriate precisioncoordinates and applies them to the active tool. In previous chapters of this course we have used several AccuDraw functions. Let’s take a closer look at more AccuDraw features and settings.

The AccuDraw Settings dialog box provides access to AccuDraw’s Operation ,Display, and Coordinates settings. Normally, the AccuDraw Settings dialog boxdoes not have to display on the screen as you work. In fact, many of the controlsand settings included in the AccuDraw Settings are also available through shortcuts.

As you can see, the Display settings let you change the way AccuDraw appears onyour screen. You can change the colors of the AccuDraw compass components.

You can enable or disable display options here and you can access the shortcutkeys.

AccuDraw Setting s

dialog box, Display tab




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AccuDraw Settings


The Coordinate tab shows you which rotation system is active. (You can changethe rotation system here, but using the space bar shortcut as you work is faster). You can enable or disable unit roundoff options and indexing options on this tab.

A more advanced class covers the specifics of the options under the Operation tab.Here you will only look at two of the Operations tab settings which are the essenceof AccuDraw functionality, the Floating Origin and Context Sensitivity settings.

Floating Origin

As you’ve seen, AccuDraw changes the origin of its drawing plane whenever youenter a data point. AccuDraw indicates this by moving its compass to the locationof the latest data point. You can turn this feature off by disabling the FloatingOrigin check box in the AccuDraw Settings dialog box.

Try this feature for yourself. Choose Place SmartLine and place some elements intothe drawing. With Place SmartLine still active, go back into the AccuDraw Settingsdialog box and turn off Floating Origin. Place some more lines into the design file. The compass is no longer following you as you enter data points.

This can be useful in some situations, especially if you have a series of offsets froma single reference point.

Context Sensitivity

Context Sensitivity is another AccuDraw feature that you can toggle on and off inthe AccuDraw Settings dialog box. Enabled by default, Context Sensitivity causes AccuDraw to orient its drawing plane so as to align the x-axis with the last elementcreated.

Using Place SmartLine, take a look at this feature. With Context Sensitivity on you will see the compass rotate to match the last data point you entered. With Context

Sensitivity off, the compass will stay oriented to the view.

AccuDraw Settingsdialog box, Coordinates

tab




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AccuDraw’s Keyboard shortcuts



AccuDraw tries to anticipate your next move. This becomes apparent in many ways, particularly in the way the AccuDraw window streamlines your keyboardinput. Sometimes though, you will want to tell AccuDraw specifically what you

want it to do. To convey this information, you will typically use one of AccuDraw’sshortcut keys. These shortcuts are one or two letter sequences that tell AccuDrawexactly what to do.

As you might have noticed, a menu occasionally pops up when you press a key onthe keyboard while AccuDraw is active. This menu lists the “shortcuts” that are onlyavailable while you use AccuDraw.

Pressing the <?> key displays a listing of all the AccuDraw shortcuts.

When you choose a tool, the focus shifts to the tool settings. When you enter a datapoint in the drawing to start to use the tool, the focus shifts to the AccuDraw window.

These shortcuts only work when the AccuDraw window has the focus.

Try this for yourself. Choose the Place SmartLine tool. Notice how the tool settingsis highlighted — it has the focus. Now enter a data point in the design file to beginusing the tool. Notice that the focus has now shifted to the AccuDraw dialog box.

Exercise: Displaying the AccuDraw shortcut list

1 Open the file accudraw1.dgn .

2 Activate AccuDraw if it is not already active.


4 Press the <?> key to display the list of AccuDraw shortcuts.

Did the AccuDraw shortcut window open? No? Why is this?

When you chose Place SmartLine , the focus shifted to the SmartLine tool settings. You can only use an AccuDraw shortcut like the one listed above if the focus is inthe AccuDraw window. To shift the focus to the AccuDraw window, either enter adata point in the drawing to start using the tool, or depress Esc on the keyboard.Esc toggles the focus between the tool settings and the AccuDraw window.

AccuDraw Shortcuts pop-up




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The AccuDraw Shortcuts dialog box is fully re-sizeable. You can stretch the window vertically to display all of the available shortcuts.

A complete list of the shortcuts and what they do is included at the end of thisbook.

Many of these shortcuts, such as the Front Rotation and Rotate ACS commands, are beyond the scope of this course. You can learn about thesein a MicroStation course that concentrates only on AccuDraw or 3D.

Exercise: Expand the AccuDraw Shortcuts list

1 Continuing in accudraw1.dgn , resize the shortcuts dialog box until all thecommands are visible.

2 Scroll the list downward until you see the line that reads GS Go to Settings .

3 Click the line for GS Go to Settings .

4 Click Run.

The AccuDraw Settings dialog box appears.

The shortcut window does not have to be visible for you to access the shortcuts.Simply enter the correct keyboard keys to run the shortcut. But, remember that thefocus must be in the AccuDraw window for these shortcuts to work.

The entire AccuDraw

Shortcuts list




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Often used AccuDraw shortcuts

<Space Bar>

With Place SmartLine still active, press Use the space bar to toggle the display of the

AccuDraw compass between its two standard modes — Rectangular (X/YDistance), and Polar (Distance/Angle) modes.

<Q> (Quit)

If AccuDraw is getting in your way, you can use the shortcut <Q> to disable it.

If you disable AccuDraw, you can click the AccuDraw icon in the Primary Tools tool bar to enable it.

<V> (View Rotation)

When AccuDraw’s Context Sensitivity setting is enabled and AccuDraw has orientedits drawing plane to align the X-axis with the last element created, you may want tore-orient the axis back to horizontal. The AccuDraw shortcut <V> resets theorientation of the drawing plane (and compass) to the original view (orthogonal ina 2D drawing) rotation. You will try this shortcut later.

<Enter> (Smart Lock)

The Enter key locks the AccuDraw compass’ indexing. To release the lock, pressEnter again.

Exercise: Using the Smart Lock shortcut

1 Continuing in accudraw1.dgn , verify that Place SmartLine is active andclick in the view window to start another SmartLine.

You will draw a horizontal line.

2 After you place the first vertex and the line displays dynamically, index the

AccuDraw compass by starting to move the pointer in a horizontaldirection, press Enter.

Rectangular Compass Polar Compass




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Now the line will only continue in a horizontal direction. You will not beable to move the second vertex vertically until after you have placed thepoint horizontally.

3 Enter a data point to place the next vertex.

The lock is released, which lets you move the pointer and place the next vertex wherever you like.

4 Now move the pointer vertically and index to the compass.

5 Press Enter to lock onto the vertical axis.

6 Move the pointer around and notice that the next vertex is locked vertically.

7

Press Enter again to unlock the axis.8 Now move the pointer off at an angle to the first line segment

9 Place a data point for the next vertex.

The compass rotates.

10 Move the pointer so that the line indexes with the compass and press Enter.

AccuDraw compass locked to

horizontal direction

Vertex moving freely

Rotated compass




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AccuDraw Drawing Modes


11 Now the line is locked into the angled axis.

12 Enter a data point for the next vertex.

13 Reset.


To better understand AccuDraw, you must take another look at its differentmethods for positioning data points on the drawing plane. We will review at the

two standard drawing modes, Rectangular and Polar, and then discuss how tomake precision into each of these.

Rectangular Drawing Mode

The Rectangular drawing mode is MicroStation’s primary method for entering alocation. In this mode, we use X and Y values to specify points. When AccuDraw isin Rectangular mode, the compass appears as a square. Using Rectangular mode,you might create the line below by specifying one end point, and then, using theoffsets shown, entering the opposite end point.

Now let’s use AccuDraw to place this line.

Axis locked

Working in Rectangular Drawing

Mode




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Exercise: Placing a line with X/Y (Rectangular Mode) precision

1 Continuing in accudraw1.dgn , delete the work you have drawn so far, oruse Undo All to return to the beginning.

All you should see are location markers 1 and 2.

Location markers 1 and 2



You will not see the AccuSnap x. This is just a point in space.

The AccuDraw window shows zero as initial values for both X and Y. Theinput focus is in one of AccuDraw’s input fields. If you move the pointeryou will see that change.

4 Move the pointer to the right (+ X axis).

The focus is in the X field.

When the field is highlighted, AccuDraw’s focus is in that field.

5 Enter 2.75, then move the pointer upward.

The dynamic display of the line reflects the value entered. Also, the X fieldautomatically locks to preserve the value and the focus jumps to the Y field.

The line dynamically displays with an X offset of 2.75. Also note that youcan press Tab, Enter, or use the down arrow to toggle from the X to the Yfields.

As you enter the 2.75 the line’s dynamics change with each keystroke of thespecified value. These per-keystroke dynamics provides you with constant

AccuDraw window

AccuDraw Rectangular compass

AccuDraw window





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visual feedback to the design process and helps you catch mistakes beforethey have a chance to happen (a key in of 275 versus 2.75, for example).

Move the pointer towards the top of the screen (in the +Y direction). Theline has not been placed, just constrained to the value entered. The key infocus was automatically shifted to the Y field in anticipation of the next

precision key in.6 Enter a Y value of 1.5.

The line now dynamically displays with an X offset of 2.75 and a Y offset of1.5.

Once again, the line still has not been placed, even though it has now beencompletely constrained to the X/Y values specified. If desired, you can stillchange the values, unlock the fields, etc.

7 Enter a data point to complete the placement of the line.

8 Reset.

Although the sequence took a good bit of time in this illustration, in normalpractice the execution would have been very quick — data point , 2.75 ,< Enter >, 1.5 , data point .

See for yourself, try this by quickly performing the sequence one moretime.

Polar Drawing Mode

Polar drawing mode (for specifying a distance and angle relative to the origin) isMicroStation’s second method for entering positions. This mode is similar to using

AccuDraw window


Complete the line




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polar coordinates in planar geometry. While you work in this mode, the AccuDrawcompass appears as a circle.

Use this mode to place points at specific distances and angles from the origin. Youcan use AccuDraw in this mode to place both arcs and lines.

Let’s use AccuDraw to place this line.

Exercise: Placing a line with Distance/Angle (Polar Mode) precision

1 Continuing in accudraw1.dgn , with Place SmartLine active, enter the line’sfirst point at Location 2.

2 Press the space bar to toggle the drawing mode to Polar .

The AccuDraw window reflects an initial Distance/Angle offset of zero. The focus is in the Distance field because AccuDraw anticipates that you will usea Distance key in.

If the focus is not in the Distance input field, Tab or down arrow to changefields.

3 Enter a Distance value of 3.5.

The dynamic display of the lines changes to reflect the value entered. Also,the distance field is automatically locked to preserve the entered value.

The line dynamically displays with a length of 3.5.

The line has not been placed yet, just constrained to the value entered. Thekey in focus does not automatically shift to the Angle field. Press the <A>key or Tab or down arrow to change the focus to the Angle field.

4 Press the down arrow or Tab.

AccuDraw window

AccuDraw Polar compass

AccuDraw window





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AccuDraw and the Common Snaps


The focus shifts to the Angle input field.

5 Enter an Angle value of 15.5.

The line now dynamically displays as 3.5 units long and at an angle of 15.5.

Once again, the line has still not been placed, although it has now beencompletely constrained to the values specified. If desired, you can stillchange the values.

6 Enter a data point to complete the placement of the line.

7 Reset.

To reinforce how easy it was to quickly place the line — data point , 3.5 ,Down Arrow or Tab , 15.5 , data point. Try it yourself.

Before we continue: To what does the term focus refer?

When entering a value in the AccuDraw window, do youhave to backspace over the existing value?

How can you shift the focus from the tool settings to theAccuDraw window?


As you know, snaps are a great design aid. Three of the most commonly used snapmodes, Nearest, Center, and Intersection , are available as AccuDraw shortcuts. Asyou might expect, the shortcuts are <N>, <C> and <I>. Let’s take a look at them.

AccuDraw window


Complete the line




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Center Snap from AccuDraw - <C>

1 Open accudsnaps.dgn .

You will see the intersection of two column grids and a misplaced squarecolumn on the screen. Let’s move that column to center on the column gridintersection.

Check the status bar snap icon to verify that the Keypoint snap is active.

2 Select Move Element .

3 Move the pointer to a corner of the column.

The Keypoint icon and the AccuSnap x appear at the corner because theKeypoint snap mode is enabled.

4 Press <C>. This invokes the Center snap.

The snap mode icon in the status bar reflects the choice.

Note in the Snap Mode Button Bar that Keypoint snap is still the defaultsnap mode. The Center Snap mode is temporarily selected. The Center Snapicon button appears depressed, but is not dark grey.

Column

Column Grid Lines

AccuSnap x and Keypoint snap icon




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5 Move the pointer over the column again.

As you approach the edge of the shape, the AccuSnap x and Center Snapicon appear at the center of the column.

6 Enter a data point to pick up the column.

The column is now attached to the pointer at its center.

Now you will place the column center at the intersection of the column grid lines.

Exercise: Intersection Snap from AccuDraw - <I>

1 Continuing in accudsnaps.dgn , enter the Intersection snap shortcut <I>.

The snap mode icon in the status bar reflects the choice.

2 Move the pointer over the intersection of the column lines.

This time the AccuSnap x and Intersection snap icon appear at theintersection of the two column grid lines because you are in Center snapmode.

3 Click a data point to place the column.

Use these snaps whenever AccuDraw is active, even before you start an operation.

Using these one key shortcuts is much quicker than any of the traditional activationmethods.

AccuSnap x and Center

snap icon

Column is moving with the pointer

AccuSnap x and Intersection snap icon

Column Grid lines




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Offsetting the Origin



Often times when placing elements, you must place points “in space” that youcannot reference with a snap function. To place these points, you can offset yourdrawing compass from a snap point on another element. Access this function with

the shortcut <O>, for origin.

Setting the AccuDraw Origin

When you enter a data point with AccuDraw active, AccuDraw resets the displayedcoordinates to 0,0. This feature, called the Floating Origin , makes it easy to enterdistances from the selected point in both the X and Y directions. You can also use asnap to set the AccuDraw origin, or 0,0, point.

To demonstrate this feature you will start to add the exterior building wall two feetaway from the column.

Exercise: Creating the exterior wall

1 Continuing in accudsnaps.dgn , change the level to Exterior Wall in the Attributes tool bar.

2 Select Place SmartLine and enter the following tool settings:

Segment Type : Lines

Vertex Type : Sharp

Join Elements : Enabled

Check the status bar to verify that the Keypoint snap mode is active.

3 Move the pointer over the column until the AccuSnap x appears at thecenter of the right side of the column.

The key point divisor is set to 2, so the keypoint snap will snap to themiddle of a line.

The line will not start here, but at a location relative to this point.

4 Tentative snap to the right side of the column.

AccuSnap x and Keypointsnap icon




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Notes:

5 Enter <O> to tell MicroStation how far to offset the origin point.

The AccuDraw compass appears.

6 Move the pointer in the X direction and key in 2.

7 Move the cursor in the Y direction and key in 5.

The AccuDraw window fields are filled and locked.

8 Place a data point to enter the first vertex of the line at the new originlocation.

The AccuDraw compass moves.

9 Move the pointer down, indexing the AccuDraw compass, and key in 10.

The AccuDraw Y input field reads 10.

10 Enter a data point to accept this location for the next vertex.

Move the pointe r

AccuDraw window wi th fields filled

and locked

AccuDraw Compass

Thick line indicates AccuDraw is indexed

Column

Column grid lines




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Exercise More of the AccuDraw Features



AccuDraw provides several shortcuts for rotating the drawing plane axes andcompass. The <R> series of shortcuts accesses these functions. You found earlierthat AccuDraw’s shortcuts are one or two letter sequences. The Rotate shortcuts are

examples of the two letter variety.

This office building is in the preliminary design stages. You want to check to seehow many 10’ x 15’ offices you might place in the angled portion of the building.Some of the Rotate shortcuts will help with this task

Let’s start with a wall along the column grid B. This interior wall will start at theintersection of the exterior wall and column grid B and be 15 feet long.

Exercise: Place office walls

1 Open the file accudplan.dgn .

2Set the Level to Interior Walls in the Attributes tool bar. The other attributes, color, line style, and line weight, are set to ByLevel, which will be discussed in a future chapter.

3 Choose Place SmartLine .

4 Activate AccuDraw and press <I> to temporarily change the active snap toIntersection .

5 Move the pointer to the intersection of the exterior wall and the columngrid B.

6 When the exterior wall and column grid lines turn to dashed highlightedlines and the AccuSnap x and Intersection snap mode icon appear, enter a

data point for the line’s first vertex.

The AccuDraw compass is oriented to the view. To make it easier for you todraw the interior walls, you want to change that orientation to the angle ofthe building and column grid.

Snap to the intersection of

the column grid




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Notes:

7 To rotate the compass, enter <R> then <Q> (the Rotate Quick shortcut).

The compass now spins freely (following the pointer) about the originpoint. Move the pointer and see how the compass rotates the X axis tomatch its location.

The next point will not be entered as part of the line, but to establish theangle.

The status bar prompts for the definition of the X axis. The beginning of theline just entered is the first point in the definition of the angle. To define therotation, we need to enter a second point on the angled line.

8 Move the pointer up the column grid line, until you see the AccuSnap x andicon (at the end of the column grid line).

9 Enter a data point.

The interior wall line is now started at the intersection and the AccuDrawcompass rotated to align with the angle of the column grid. You can use the AccuDraw window to enter the line’s length, 15 feet.

Note that after you finish rotating the compass, you resume the currentoperation. Now all Delta X and Delta Y values are relative to the rotatedcompass orientation.

10 Move the pointer toward the building interior and index to the compass.

11 Use the shortcut Enter to lock the line into this angle.

12 Key in 15.

Using <R> <Q>, AccuDraw rotates

to the grid line




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15 appears in the AccuDraw window and the line now has an end.

13 Enter a data point to place the next vertex.

The compass automatically moves to the end point of the line and adapts itsorientation to it.

If this orientation is not what you want for successive operations, you canuse the <V> shortcut to make the compass rotation revert to the drawing’s view.

The status bar prompts for the next vertex.

Align with the c olumn gridby rotating the compass




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14 Move the pointer perpendicular to the line just placed and index to thecompass

15 Enter 7 on the keyboard. (You will leave 3’ blank for the doorway.)

7 appears in the AccuDraw window.

16 Enter a data point then reset.

Remember that you can use the Rotate shortcuts at any time, even in the middle ofan operation.

The lines you placed in the last exercise indicate two walls of a 10 x 15 office alongthe angled perimeter of the exterior wall. Now that you have placed them, let’scopy these two walls at the same angle and create the next office.

The AccuDraw compass automatically rotates

to the last data point




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Exercise: Create the next office

1 Continuing in accudplan.dgn, select Copy.

2 Move the pointer to the end of the last two lines placed. When you see the AccuSnap x, enter a data point to select the end of the linestring.

Instead of using the compass orientation defined by the last line placementoperation, the AccuDraw compass automatically resets itself to align withthe design file’s drawing coordinate system.

To copy at the angle, you must set the angle again. This time you will setthe angle so it will remain the default axis for more than just one operation.

3 Enter the Rotate Angle shortcut <R>, then <A>.

The copy operation pauses. The status bar prompts Define X axis .

4 For the first point on the X axis, move the pointer over the end of theangled wall line until the AccuSnap x appears at the end of the line andenter a data point.

5 Move the pointer over the other end of the same angled line.

6 The rotation compass enlarges as the pointer moves.

Creating the office wall

Using <R> <A> to

rotate the compass




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Notice that the compass does not have to be reset to the angle.

12 Reset.

Revert the Compass to the View Coordinate System

As mentioned earlier, the AccuDraw compass takes on the current element’s

orientation. This is known as Context Sensitivity.

This can be a useful feature. However, sometimes you may not want to retain theangled orientation. Let’s use the <V> shortcut to realign the compass with the viewaxes.

Let’s add an office at the corner near the intersection of grids 2 and B. Two walls will align with the orthogonal grid and the other with the rotated grid.

Since the compass is already rotated, lets utilize this to draw the angled wall.

Exercise: Add another office

1 Continuing in accudplan.dgn, select Place SmartLine .2 Move the pointer over the corner of the first wall placed. When the AccuSnap x

appears, enter a data point to select the line’s first vertex.

The compass is rotated.

AccuDraw works with

your drawing and

manipulation tools

The finished exercise




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3 Move the pointer along the X axis.

This wall will be 18’ - 6” long.

4 Key in 18:6 or 18.5.

5 Enter a data point to accept this location as the line’s next vertex. The next line must be parallel to the orthogonal building grid (the view rotation).

6 To revert to the view rotation, use the <V> shortcut.

The compass rotates.

7 Move the pointer in the Y direction (along the green index mark).

8 Use the Enter shortcut to lock the orientation to the Y axis.

You want this portion of the line string to end at grid line 2.

9 Tentative snap to grid line 2.

Rotate the compass to match theangle of the wall

<V> aligns the compass to

your view




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AccuDraw’s Pop-up Calculator


The crosshairs appear at the end of grid line 2.

10 Enter a data point to place the next vertex on grid line 2.

11 Move the pointer in the X direction and press Enter to lock the orientationto the X axis.

You want the line to end at the building exterior.

12 Tentative snap to the building exterior line.

The large crosshairs appear at the corner of the exterior wall.

13 Enter a data point to accept the last vertex.

14 Reset.


AccuDraw’s popup calculator lets you perform calculations on measured values(for example you snap to an element and then multiply the distance), or simply keyin the entire equation, for example, 5.23 + 1.34.

AccuDraw works with

your drawing andmanipulation tools

You could use AccuSnap toaccomplish the same thing

Either way, you use the end

of the wall as your stopping

point




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The pop-up calculator can eliminate your need to use a physical calculator. Also, with the pop-up calculator’s “+” and “-” operators, you do not have to reposition AccuDraw’s origin to move relative to a snapped or keyed-in offset.

The calculator is designed to be very efficient, to work seamlessly with AccuDraw,and to be entirely “keyboard driven,” letting you keep the mouse pointer in the

view window rather than requiring you to click in the dialog box. In addition, thecalculator works in a per-keystroke mode. The result of the calculation displaysboth numerically and graphically with every keystroke you enter.

The pop-up calculator is format aware . It lets you enter expressions in meters and

centimeters/feet and inches or in degrees-minutes-seconds, using just a colon “:” toseparate units. Obviously you cannot multiply feet times feet, so the calculatorproperly adjusts to interpret this type of string.

When performing operations on a measured value, the popup calculator alwaysoperates on the underlying precise value, rather than the string that is truncated to whatever coordinate readout you have. This dynamic value displays at the bottomof the popup calculator.

Activating the Calculator

Activate the pop-up calculator by pressing an operator key such as <*> or </> whilethe AccuDraw window has the focus. <+> and <-> will also activate the calculator,but only if the value field is already locked, or if a tentative point is active.Otherwise, <+> or <-> are interpreted as explicit positive or negative designationsfor the value field.

If you type 3 3/8, the / is interpreted as part of a fraction because of the space. Ifyou simply type 3/8, AccuDraw uses the calculator, but the result will be the sameas 3 divided by 8, or the fraction 3/8.

You may use a colon and key in a space between the colon and the first number of

a fraction (1: 3/8) to prevent your value from being interpreted as 1 mu 3 su,divided by 8. You can also use 1+:3/8.

When entering planar data points (not polar coordinates), you must follow somespecial procedures to prevent unexpected results. Since AccuDraw interprets valuesas negative when the cursor is pointed in the negative direction, the calculator

AccuDraw with the PopUp Calculatorand its options




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precedes the entered expression with a minus sign. The calculator operating this way insures that the “27+2” is always interpreted properly as a distance of 29. Therelative position from the last data point determines positive or negative values.

To demonstrate the automatic negative feature by using Place Line , move thepointer to the left, entering 27 in X, then entering + 2, to get a distance of 29,shown as -29.0.

This has been a quick trip through more of the features of the utilities included in AccuDraw. As you continue through these lessons, AccuDraw will help you drawmore efficiently and accurately.

Using the pop-up calculatorto draw a line a distance +

a number




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DRAW THE BOAT ANCHOR (anchor.dgn)

1

Use AccuDraw to create the anchordrawing from the given dimensions.

2 Use Place Line or SmartLine to helpyou.

FINISH THE BRIDGE ELEVATIONS (bridge.dgn)

1 Use AccuDraw and the dimension data in conjunction with Element Manipulation tools tocomplete the elevation drawings of the suspension and box girder bridges.




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9 Design Problem 1

The Problem

The client has given you the floor framing plan for a small, self-contained area inthe company’s office building complex.

The total floor area is 206 square meters. However, the total space available fordevelopment is less than 154 square meters. The dashed lines define circulationspace which must remain clear.

The client wants to locate the company’s design department in this area. The clienthas asked you to lay out the area with work stations. Plot/print equipment andadministrative areas will be located in a nearby space.

Project work started before you were asked to help. The following hand-drawnsketch was completed during initial interviews with the client. The client hasspecified that each work station will consist of a cubicle with of an L-shapedcomputer table with dividing partitions, and a utility casing post (which can beshared among stations), and a chair. The sketch shows all parts of the cubicle and




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Design Parameters


dimensions. Using what you have been given, complete the space utilizationdesign.

Design Parameters

• The room must contain at least 18 work stations, but place as many workstations as you can fit into the available space.

• Provide aisles to give the operators access to their work stations. Aisles must beat least 70 centimeters wide.

• Avoid the columns in the center of the floor space.




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Design Procedure


“napkin” sketch. Place all dimensions on a single cubicle, or spread them aroundon a cluster. Dimensioning is covered in the chapter on Dimensions (page -493).

Complete the title block

Select Place Text and complete the title block:

• Row one: name of department or office.

• Row two: design drawing title.

• Row three: designers name, date, and scale.

• Row four: name of company.

Review the final drawing

Review the client’s criteria and verify that your design meets them.

Sample solution:




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Alternate Exercise 1



For Reference Only

1 Given the dimensions in the drawing, use AccuDraw and SmartLine to help you draw the fencebracket, within the drawing sheet border.

2 Dimensions are given in inches, your drawing must be in millimeters.

3 Draw the slots, and the fence.

4 An isometric view of the finished part is shown for reference.

DRAW THE ADJUSTABLE FENCE BRACKET (pm17.dgn)




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10 Measurement

Now that you can place elements at precise sizes and locations, you need a way tomeasure the results. This becomes more important as you learn constructiontechniques that involve the interaction of different tools and elements. This lesson will look at the following tools for measurement:

• Measure Distance

• Measure Radius

• Measure Angle

• Measure Area

• Measure Length

Making Measurements

MicroStation’s steps for measuring are similar to the steps for placing elements.First, you must choose the tool you want to use. Then follow the prompts tochoose the necessary elements or locations involved in the measurement. Let’s take

a look at the Measurement tools.

To Select in the Measure tool box

Measure the distance(s) along an element.orMeasure the cumulative distance from a data point.orMeasure the perpendicular distance between anelement and a data point.orMeasure the minimum distance between two elements.

Measure Distance

Measure the radius of a circle, circular arc, cone, orcylinder, or the axes of an ellipse or elliptical arc.

Measure Radius

Measure the angle between two lines. Measure Angle Between Lines

Measure the area and perimeter of a polygonal areadefined by a sequence of data points and to analyzemass properties.

Measure Length




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The Measurement Tools


Exercise: Open the Measure tool box

1 Open measure1.dgn .

2 Select Measure Distance from the Main tool frame.

3 Click on the Measure Distance tool and tear off the Measure tool box.


The Measurement tools let us make real world measurements based on the drawingelements. The results of measurements made with these tools are displayed in thestatus bar in the units that are set in the Working Units category, and the formatchosen for the Coordinate Display, in the DGN File Settings dialog box. In the nextfew examples you’ll use the Measurement tools to make some necessarymeasurements on the ground floor of an office building.

The labels you set in Settings > Design File > Working Units are the ones you willsee in the status bar. For instance, if you used a single quote mark for foot (‘) as the

label for Master Units, the single quote will display in the status bar. If you hadchosen the abbreviation ft instead, then ft is the label that would appear in thestatus bar.

The format choices in Settings > Design File > Coordinate Readout include: MasterUnits , Sub Units , or Working Units . Selecting Master Units causes the values to be

Measure the area and perimeter of a shape, ellipse, orcomplex shape and to analyze mass properties.

Measure Area

Measure the volume enclosed by an element or a set ofelements and to analyze mass properties.

Measure Volume

To Select in the Measure tool box

Measure tool box




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expressed as master units only. Selecting Sub Units displays master and sub unit values.

Accuracy is another choice you will learn to make in this chapter. You can select whether values will be displayed in decimal or fractional format.

The Measure Distance tool

Measure Distance has several different options. Its general purpose is to measure alinear distance between two locations. Let’s try it, using some of its options, tomake measurements in a group of offices.

Exercise: Measuring the distance between two points

1 Continuing in measure1.dgn , press F8 to display the location labelsnecessary for this exercise.

2 Select Measure Distance .

Let’s measure the length of office 1.

3 Set the Distance parameter to Between Points in the tool settings.

4 Be sure the snap mode is set to Keypoint .

Measure1.dgn




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5 Use AccuSnap to snap to Location 1.

6 Accept this end of the line with a data point.

7 Using AccuSnap move to Location 2.

Be sure to snap to the front wall, not the side wall, as it continues into thehall.

8 Accept this end of line with a data point.

9 Read the distance measured in the status bar.

The distance is also displayed in the Measure Distance tool settings.

The distance is 17 ft. 5 1/2 in.

10 Reset.

Exercise: Measure the width of office 1

1Continuing in measure1.dgn, with the Measure Distance (between points)tool active and using AccuSnap, move the pointer to Location 1.


Notice that the tool settings show the measurement for the last distancemeasured.

3 Use AccuSnap to snap to Location 3.

Accusnap shown at

Location 1

Distance readout in the status bar

Move pointe r to Location 1




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Be sure to snap to the side wall, since the rear wall continues into the nextoffice.


5 Read the measured distance in the status bar or the tool settings.


6 Reset.

Using the Message Center

When you Reset, the last distance disappears from the status bar. Click on the spotin the status bar where the distance was, and the Message Center dialog boxappears.

The Message Center lets you review error, warning, and informational messagespreviously displayed in the status bar. The default maximum number of messagessaved for display in the Message Center is 50. You can change this, of course. Rightclick on the message area of the status bar, choose Properties from the pop-upmenu, and change the number of messages to be saved in the messages field.

Measuring a distance along an element

Measure Distance can also measure a distance along an element. Let’s use this tomeasure the length of pipe that runs from the sinks in the men’s rest room to theplace where it turns at the back wall of the women’s room.

Accept this end o f the line with

a data point

The Message Center




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If you choose points with the Along Element option, MicroStation can calculate adistance that includes curves or multiple angles or corners, as long as the start andend points are on the same element.

Exercise: Measuring along an element

1 Continuing in measure1.dgn, use the Zoom In view control to enlarge the view of the rest rooms.

2Select Measure Distance .

3 Select the Along Element Distance option in the tool settings.

The status bar prompt reads Identify Element @ first point .

4 Using AccuSnap, position the pointer over the end of the pipe at the backedge of the group of sinks at Location 4.

5 After the pipe highlights, enter a data point.

The status bar prompts you to Enter end point .

Zoom In on the rest

rooms

AccuSnap atLocation 4




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6 Using AccuSnap, position the pointer over the corner of the pipe in the women’s room at Location 5.


8 Read the measured distance in the status bar or the tool settings.

The measured distance is 15 ft. 7 1/2 in.

This is the distance between the two points, as measured along the pipe.

Measuring the minimum distance between elements

Another option for Measure Distance is Minimum Between . Using this option,MicroStation finds the shortest straight line distance between two elements youselect and graphically shows this distance. Let’s find the distance between the deskand the angled back wall in office 2.

Exercise: Measuring minimum between

1 Continuing in measure1.dgn, press F8 to hide the location labels.

The location labels are not needed for this measurement.

2 Select the Fit View view control for View 1.

3 Select Measure Distance from the Measurement tool box.

4 Choose the Minimum Between Distance option in the tool settings.

The prompt in the status bar reads Identify first element .

AccuSnap atLocation 5

Measure Distance tool set tings

showing the Distance option list




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5 Click on the desk in office 2.

The status bar prompt reads Accept, Identify 2nd element/Reject .

6 Move the pointer to the angled back wall of the office.

7 Click on the back wall.

A temporary line appears indicating the shortest distance between the twoelements.


8 Reset.

The distance between the desk and the wall displays in the status bar. Theplace it was measured is shown with a temporary line in the view window.

The Measure Radius and Measure Angle tools

These two tools have no options. Instead, they make very straightforwardmeasurements that prompt you to choose the elements to measure. Try these tools

on your own. Measure the radius of the table in Office 2. Measure the anglebetween the two walls at the back of Office 2.

Click on the desk in office 2

Click on the back wall




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The Measure Area tool

Another measurement tool is Measure Area , which includes options for severaldifferent calculations.

Make sure your location labels are turned off before performing the followingexercise. These labels can interfere with the flood area measurement.

Exercise: Measuring a floor area by Flood

1 Continuing in measure1.dgn, press F8 to turn off the location labels if theyare displayed.

2 Select Measure Area from the Measurement tool box, with the followingtool settings:

Method: Flood

Dynamic Area: Enabled

3 Move the pointer inside Office 2, close to the door.

Measure Area showing the Method

option list

Move the pointer inside of fice

2 and close to the door




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The perimeter of the region you identified is calculated by MicroStation and will be highlighted.


5 Enter a second data point to initiate the measurement.

6 Read the calculated area and perimeter in the tool settings.

The measured area is 304.3957 SQ ft.

7 Reset.

This method does not account for the space in the door swing. Since this area wasomitted from the area measurement, you must find a more accurate method.

Exercise: Measuring area using the Points method

1 Continuing in measure1.dgn, press F8 to display the location labels.

If necessary, use the Zoom In view control to see the location labels andoffice 2 clearly.

2 Select Measure Area .

3 Change the Method to Points in the tool settings.

4 Using AccuSnap, start at the rear left corner and identify and accept a pointat each corner of office 2 (Locations 6 through 10).

Measure Area tool settings

Measuring the area

contained by points 6

through 10




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5 After selecting Location 10, reset to complete the set of points.

6 Read the total area and length of perimeter in the tool settings.

The total area is 311.4643 SQ ft. and the perimeter is 70.3906 feet.

Before we continue: What are the four methods that can be used with MeasureDistance?

What are the methods for Measure Area?

How can you find the second to last distance measured?

The Measure Length tool

The Measurement tool box includes two other tools. Measure Length determinesthe overall length of any element that you select. Let’s use this tool to find the totallength of the hot water pipe in the men’s rest room.

Exercise: Measuring the length of the pipe

1 Continuing in measure1.dgn, select Measure Length .

2 Identify the pipe by entering a data point anywhere on the pipe whichbegins near the sinks in the men’s rest room.

You may need to Zoom In to do this easily.

3 Read the total length in the tool settings.

Measure Length can also capable display mass properties and show the center ofmass (centroid) of the selected element. This feature can be useful on drawings ofmechanical parts.

Identify the pipe in the Men’s room




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Additional Exercise


Additional Exercise

Use measurements to proof a part drawing

1 Open the file measure2.dgn.

2 Using the tools in the Measurement tool box, check the drawing foraccuracy, comparing the actual element measurements with the dimensionsand notes in the drawing.

See how many errors you can find

3 Correct these errors using tools that have been discussed thus far in thecourse.

Assume that the given dimensions are correct for the part. Use AccuDraw ifneeded, and the Move and Copy tools where you can.

Notes:




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11 Making Drawings Legible

In a crowded drawing, it can be difficult to distinguish one item from another. Thistask becomes even harder when all elements look alike. MicroStation lets us definedistinguishing characteristics for drawing elements by specifying various elementattributes. Collectively, these element attributes are called Element Symbology . Thisdiscussion will touch on these tools and concepts:

• Element symbology

• The Attributes tool bar

• Using attributes to add definition to drawings

• Changing attributes

Typically, an organization will set up symbology standards to be used on theirprojects. A mapping project may require that all cadastral information is drawn on aCadastral level, but the symbology of an element will be different depending onthe class of the information. For example:

Element Symbology

Attributes are determined by settings. For example, the color attribute of allelements that are placed while the Active Color is set to red will be red. Changingan active setting does not affect elements that were placed before the setting waschanged. However, you can change any attribute of a previously placed element to

the corresponding active setting with the Change Element Attributes tools.

Level Name Color Linestyle Weight

State line color 0 = (black) 0 (solid) 6

County Line color 4 = (yellow) 7 (long dash, medium dash) 4

Town line color 0 = (black) 4 (long dash, short dash) 3

Section line color 0 = (black) 6 (2 short dashes, medium dash) 2




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Element Symbology


The Attributes tool bar

The Attributes tool bar is typically docked at the top of the MicroStation application window.

The tool bar displays the currently active level, color number and depiction, linestyle number, line weight number, with a graphic image of line style and weight.From this tool bar you can change Active Level and Active Symbology . (Levels andthe ByLevel option will be discussed in a future chapter.)

Color

MicroStation provides the whole rainbow of colors and more. By default, 254 colorsare available to use in your drawing. Further, you can create variations to these

default colors, making your own custom “color table.” You can also change thecolors in the active design file by attaching a different color table to it. All of the 254colors do not have individual names. Instead, they are assigned identificationnumbers.

To set the Active Color , press the colored tile in the Attributes tool bar. The colorpalette appears. Move the pointer across the palette to the desired color and clickto select it. The new Active Color displays in the Attributes tool bar.

Line Style

An element’s most distinguishing characteristic is probably its line style. Whetherthe drawing is in color or black and white, a dashed line always appears as a

Attributes tool bar

Color table expanded from

the Attributes tool bar




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Element Symbology


dashed line. MicroStation provides eight standard line styles. As with colors, eachstandard line style has an associated number.

MicroStation’s standard line styles are only symbolic. No scale is associated withthem. Therefore, when you window your view in or out, the line style always

appears to have the same scale or “size” on the screen. How will they look whenplotted? That’s a good question, one that will be answered later.

In addition to the standard line styles, MicroStation provides several customizableline styles including Dashed, Dot, Hidden, Rail Road, Tree Line, Batten and others. These custom line styles are associated with a scale or size and they respond visually to view controls. Select Element > Line Style > Custom to open the tool forcustomizing or defining custom line styles.

Line Styles option list

The Line Styles

dialog box




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Using Element Attributes to Add Definition to Drawings


Line Weight

MicroStation allows as many as 32 different line weights (also known as thickness)for elements. The weights are numbered from 0 to 31, with 0 being the thinnest.

Like line style, line weight is only symbolic. When you window in or out, the weight always appears at the same pixel size on the screen. How thick will theyplot? We’ll answer that question later too.

Fill

Sometimes it is helpful, and aesthetically pleasing, to add a solid color fill to aclosed element. Bodies of water, building outlines, and mechanical parts are goodexamples of the kinds of elements you may want to fill. When filling elements, youhave the three Fill Type options:

Once an element is filled, you can toggle the display of the fill on or off in the View Attributes dialog box, as you will see later.


In the following exercises you will use element attributes to modify a highway mapin three ways. You will:

Fill Type Effect

None Element is not filled.

Opaque The element is filled with the color of the selectedelement.

Outline The element is filled with the Active Fill Color which can be different from the active fill color.

Line Weight option list




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• Add a missing section of road

• Change the appearance of two sections

• Place an oil storage tank

Let’s start by placing a line to connect two sections of a highway.

Exercise: Bridging the gap

1 Open map.dgn .

map.dgn

The illustration shows a typical section of a highway map. The four circlesmark areas that need revision. Let’s begin by adding the missing highwaysection across the river in Area 1. First you must use the Attributes tool bar

to set the symbology to that of the existing highway.

2 Click the colored tile in the Attributes tool bar to reveal the color palette.

The color palette appears.

Color palette expanded from the Attr ibutes tool

bar




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3 Move your pointer into the color palette. Click color 3 (red).

The Active Color is set to red. Next, set the line style.

4 Click the Line Style button in the Attributes tool bar.

The Line Style menu appears.

5 Choose line style 4.

Line style 4 becomes the Active Line Style .

Last, let’s set the line weight.

6 Click the Line Weight button.

The Line Weight menu appears.

7 Choose line weight 2.

Line weight 2 is the Active Line Weight .

Let’s draw the missing section.


9 Place a line between the two sections by snapping to their end points.

The highway is connected.

Let’s move on to Area 2. You must use a new tool to make this revision.

Place a line between the

two sections by

snapping to theirend points




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The Change Element Attributes tool

Use this tool to change the appearance of existing drawing elements. When usingChange Element Attributes , you can change an element’s attributes individually,collectively, or in a combination.

In our drawing, the problem in Area 2 is that part of the highway is the wrong color

and line weight. You must change the color to red and the weight to 2 . Let’s useChange Element Attributes to do this.

Exercise: Changing the color and weight of a highway section

1 Continuing in map.dgn , select Change Element Attributes from the Main tool frame.

The tool settings change to show the individual element attribute options.

2 Click the Color check box enable it.

3 Click the down arrow adjacent to Color and select color 3.

4 Click the Weight check box to enable it.

5 Click the down arrow adjacent to Weight and select Weight 2.

These are the only two attributes that need to be changed.

Change Element

Attributes tool

settings

Change Element Attributes

tool settings




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6 Identify and accept the section of the highway in Area 2.

The section is changed to match the adjacent sections.

Area 3 includes a section of highway that had been under construction. This area isdenoted by a thin, dashed line. Now that construction is complete and the highwaysection is open, you need to change it to match the adjacent highway. Instead ofusing Change Element Attributes , you will use the Change Element Attributes tool’s Match/Change method.

Exercise: Opening the highway

1 Continuing in map.dgn , select Change Element Attributes from the Main tool frame.

Verify that the Color , Style , and Weight boxes are enabled in the toolsettings.

2 Change the Method to Match/Change.

The status bar prompts you to Identify the Element to Match .

3 Move the pointer over the adjacent green highway.

A portion will highlight.

4 Identify the highlighted portion with a data point.

The tool settings values changes to the attributes of the element justselected.

Color: 2

Line Style: 0

Line Weight: 4

The highway in Area 2

Area 3




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5 Enter a data point away from any lines to accept the element to match.

The status bar now prompts you to Identify the Element To Change .

6 Identify the portion to be changed in Area 3 with a data point.

7 The dashed line changes to match the adjacent lines.

8 Reset.

If you check the Use Active Attributes check box, the selected element changes tomatch the current settings in the Attributes tool bar.

Notes:

The final revision you must make to the map is adding an oil storage tank. You willdesignate its location by placing filled objects on the map in Area 4. First you wantto place a block to represent the storage tank foundation. Before placing the block,set the color, weight and line style (element symbology) for the new element.

Exercise: Placing the oil storage tank

1 Continuing in map.dgn , click the color tile in the Attributes tool bar to openthe color palette and choose color 7 (cyan).

2 Choose line style 0 from the Line Style menu.

3 Choose weight 0 from the Line Weight menu.

4 Select Place Block with the following tool settings:

Area: Solid

Select the element to changewith a data point

Area 3 now has continuity




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Fill Type: Opaque

Fill Color : 7

5 Place a square block inside the area 4 circle.

The block is placed and filled with the active color. Now let’s place thestorage tank on top of the foundation.

Notes:

6 Change these values for element symbology in the Attributes tool bar:

Color: 3

Line Style: 0

Line Weight: 3

7 Select Place Circle . with the following tool settings:

Method: Center

Area: Solid

Fill Type: Outlined

Fill Color : 4

Area 4





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8 Place a circle centered on the storage tank foundation in area 4.

Notes:

Let’s see how to use the View Attributes dialog box to toggle the fill display on and

off.

Exercise: Turning off the fill display

1 Continuing in map.dgn , select View Attributes from the Settings menu.


2 Click the Fill check box to disable it.

3 Click the Apply button.

The view updates and does not show the filled areas. Let’s turn the filldisplay back on.

4 Click the Fill check box in the View Attributes dialog box and click Apply . The filled areas are displayed again.

Area 4 with circle.

View Attributes dialog box




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Notes:

Before we continue: How do you turn off the display of the Fill attribute?

What determines the attributes that an element will have?




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MODIFY THE P&ID GRAPHIC LAYOUT (P&ID.dgn)

Element Color Style Weight

Primary piping 3 0 4

Primary valves 3 0 1

Primary equip 6 0 1

Secondary piping 4 0 2

Secondary valves 4 0 1

Instrumentation 2 5 1

Special notation 5 2 1

Drains 0 0 1

Primary piping

Primary valve (typ)

Special notation

Secondary pipingSecondary valve (typ)

Primary equip

Instruments (typ)

Flow arrow (typ)

Drain (typ)

1 Using the settings in the table, modify the element attributes to separate the four distinct systems

(primary, secondary, instruments, drain). Use Change Element Attributes to perform this operation.2 Use Change Element to Active Fill Type to change the flow indicator arrows to filled with same color

as primary lines.




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MODIFY THE CEILING PLAN (ceiling.dgn)

Element Color Style Weight

Exterior wall 4 0 2Centerline 7 4 0

Interior wall 6 0 1

Door 2 0 0

Window 1 0 0

Ceiling grid 5 0 0

Lights 0 0 0

Return air 3 1

Supply air 1 0 1

Sprinkler head 3 0 0

Clg Grid (typ)

Lights (typ)

Return (typ)

Supply (typ)

Sprinkler (typ)

1 Using the settings in the table, modify the element attributes to make the floor plan drawing legible.

2 Use the Change Element Attributes tool to modify the exterior walls (1), centerlines (2), interior walls(3), door (4) and window (5).

3 Complete by using the settings and modifying the remaining elements.




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12 Levels

Now that your drawings are taking on new complexities, it is time for you toorganize your drawing information into usable segments. When you create differentfeatures of a building, the features normally appear on different transparent sheets.Primary walls are drawn on one sheet, dividing walls on another sheet, windowson a third, and so on, until the entire building has been drawn. When the individualsheets are stacked up and aligned, you can see the entire drawing. You can view

each sheet individually, or view multiple sheets that display similar information. This kind of organization was implemented with a system called overlay drafting.

Similar in concept to overlay drafting, MicroStation includes a feature called Levels which allow the user to logically organize the elements of a drawing. This lesson will look at several features of MicroStation’s level capability:

• Drawing on different levels

• Using the active level

• Working with multiple levels

• The Level Display and Level Manager dialog boxes

• Level Filters

• Level Libraries




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Drawing on Different Levels



Let’s start by drawing some simple shapes on different levels.

Notes:

Exercise: Drawing elements on different levels

1 Open lvl1.dgn .

The location labels for this exercise are visible.

2 Select Place Block.

3 Draw a block by entering data points at Locations 1 and 2.

Location markers for

placing blocks for thelevel exercise

MicroStation

dynamically showsthe creation of the

block




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Notes:

4 Choose the Level option menu in the Attributes tool bar.

An option list appears, showing names of levels, and numbers 1 through 63.Level 1 is highlighted.

5 Click on Level 2 .

Note the change in the status bar. It shows Level 2 .

6 With Place Block still active, enter data points at Locations 3 and 4.

7 Click the Level option menu again and choose Level 3.

MicroStation lists the levels

in the file alphabetically

The right hand portion status bar reflects the

current level

Place the vertex of your blockat Marker 4




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8 Place another block by entering data points at Locations 5 and 6.

9 Click the Level option menu again and choose Level 5 this time.

10 Place another block by entering data points at Locations 7 and 8.

MicroStation dynamically displays

the block creation

All blocks placed on

different levels




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Exercise: Turning levels on and off

1 Continuing in lvl1.dgn , select Level > Display from the Settings menu.

The Level Display dialog box appears.

Notes:

2 Click Level 2 in the Level Display dialog box.

The Level Display dialog boxshows all levels in the file,

and their display status: on,

off or active

You can turn off or on as many levels asneeded from the Level Display dialog

box




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Level 2, which had been black, changes to a black text on a gray coloredbackground.

3 Click Level 1 in the Level Display dialog box.

The block on Level 1 disappears.

4 Click Level 1 so that it is shown in black again.

5 Click Level 3 so that its background is gray.

This time you made two changes, turning Level 1 back on and turning offLevel 3.

6 Click Level 4.

When turning off the display of the level,the elements on that level are no longer

displayed

More than one level isturned off in this part of

the exercise




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The Active Level


Did anything happen? You didn’t place any elements on Level 4, so turningit off has no effect on the drawing. Let’s turn them all back on.

7 Click on Levels 2 , 3, and 4 to turn them all on.

The Active Level

When you select a level in the Attributes tool bar, that level becomes the ActiveLevel . MicroStation lets you choose one level at a time to be the active level. TheLevel Display dialog box shows the active level with white text on a tealbackground.

There are several ways to set the active level:

• Click the Level option list in the Attributes tool bar and select the desired level.

• Double click the level you want to set as active in the Level Manager dialog box

that opens up when you click the level indicator in the status bar.

• Double click a level number to make it active in the Level Display dialog box.

• Set the level from the option list in the Element Attributes dialog box.

• Use the SmartMatch tool to change the active symbology to an element of adifferent level.

Let’s turn off all of the levels.




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The Active Level


Exercise: Turning off all of the levels

1 Continuing in lvl1.dgn, press and hold down the data point button in theLevel Display dialog box and drag the pointer down the levels to turn themoff.

Be sure to cover each of the levels in the list.

Why didn’t Level 5 turn off ? Where did the location labels go?

Notes:

Let’s turn all the levels back on.

2 Click Level 1 in the Level Display dialog box. Scroll down the list while youhold down the Shift key and click on the level at the bottom named Default .

All levels should now be highlighted.

Notes:

MicroStation does notallow the display of the

active level to be turned

off




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Working With Multiple Levels


You’ve seen location labels all through the design files we’ve used so far. These were intentionally placed by the writers. As a convention, all location labels occur

on the same level.

Exercise: Find the location labels

1 Continuing in lvl1.dgn , turn levels on and off to determine which level thelabels are on.

Notes:


In complex MicroStation drawings, levels are used to group similar kinds ofinformation. A house design might include information about construction,electrical wiring, and plumbing, and it might show furniture and even decoratingschemes. You can turn off drawing levels that contain items you don’t need to seeso as to simplify a cluttered view. Let’s look at a complex drawing that uses levelsin this way.




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Exercise: Opening a drawing with multiple levels

1 Open lvls.dgn .

This drawing is a layout for a town house. It includes elements on differentlevels that represent many different design features including electrical,structural and others.

2 Let’s turn on a few more levels. Select Settings > Levels > Display .

How do you know which levels are used in this drawing? It is difficult to tell which levels the designer used.

A sample plan with the display of all elements turned on




8/7/03 12-235



3 Check the bullets that appear next to the levels in the Level Display dialogbox. Each level which has a bullet beside it contains elements. Those levels without bullets are empty.

4 To see only the levels which contain elements click on the column headingUsed .

Now scroll to the top of the list. You will see all the levels which containelements, followed by the empty levels.

The dots indicate that

elements are located

on the levels

All the Levels which have bulletscontain elements. They are filtered

to display at the top of thelist

The levels which are highlightedblack are on

The level which is teal is

the active level




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5 Turn on the levels labeled Rugs and Furniture .

The Level Display Dialog Box

As you have seen, the Level Display dialog box allows for efficient handling of

levels. From it you can control level display in individual or many views, and levelscan be manipulated singularly, in selected groups or with Level Filters. A Level Filter is a named set of levels, similar to Level Groups in previous MicroStation versions.

The most important aspect of the Level Display dialog box is conveying whichlevels are on and off. The method for identifying this is noted in the table below. Asingle click toggles a level to the opposite state. The typical selection modifiers ofShift, Ctrl and dragging all work to toggle the multiple levels quickly and easily. The Active Level is set with a double click.

Highlight Color Indication Method to Set

Green Active Level Double click to set as Active Level

Black Level Display On Single click to turn on level

Gray Level Display Off Single click to turn off level

Dimmed Gray Global Display Off Single click with Use Global active

Plan displayed with various levels turned off/on




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The Level Display Dialog Box


View toggles

The View toggles set the view(s) within the model in which the levels are beingdisplayed when the View Display mode is selected.

View toggles

Display option menu

The Display option menu sets the operating mode for the Level Display dialog box.

View Display: Changes in the level display affect the chosen view in the active fileor model.

Global Freeze : Changes in the level display affect all views in all models in the openfile. When Global Freeze is on, elements on the selected levels are not displayed

and cannot be printed (plotted). In addition, elements cannot be placed or assignedto these levels.

Global Display: Changes in the level display affect all views in all models in theopen file.

Viewport Freeze : (available in DWG workmode only.) Changes in the level displayaffect only the open views in the open file. Viewport freeze does affect the data ina reference. When Global Freeze is on, elements on the selected levels are notdisplayed and cannot be printed (plotted). In addition, elements cannot be placedor assigned to these levels.

Change Level

Opens the Change Level tool settings, which are used to toggle the display orlocked status of a level.

Show Target Tree

This icon toggles the display of the target tree (list of files and references files) inthe upper portion of the dialog box. The target tree enables selection of the activemodel, another model in the open DGN file, or an attached reference in the openfile or another file, as the target for level display choices.




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Level Filters


Before we continue: What are the three ways you can open the View Levelswindow?

How can you set the Active Level?

Level Filters

Level Filters are used to organize levels in flexible ways. They are subsets of levelsbased on user selection or wildcard style criteria. Level filters can be used tocombine existing level filters, as well as individual levels. Level Filters can beapplied to Views for display purposes and in the Level Display and Level Managerdialog boxes to aid navigation through the levels by working on subsets of levels.

The List Filter option button allows the user to apply a quick filter on-the-fly to thelist of levels. The option is only available in Levels mode. In the following example,using an Untitled filter, the level list has been reduced using the filter “g*” in theName column. This displays only the levels which contain the letter G.

Filter definitions are not limited to level names but can be used with any of thelevel features for which there is a column of information in the Level Display dialogbox. A right mouse click on the column header displays a list of availablecategories.

Level Display Dialog Box with an Untitled filter

Filters are a useful way to group associated levels for the purposes of viewing ornot viewing as a group. Filters can be named, saved, and recalled as needed. For




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Level Filters


example, you might have a DGN file with several hundred levels. Within theselevels could be filters for different groupings such as Buildings or Plantings that would display only levels which pertained to that description.

After Filters are created, to access them from the Level Display dialog box, changethe Mode to Filters .

Level Display Dialog Box with Filters Mode selected

The next exercise will focus on using Level Filters to control the display of levels.

Exercise: Changing Display using Filters

1 Open the file LvlMgr.dgn .

2 In the Level Display dialog box, select the Untitled filter from the filteroption list.

An input field opens in the level list portion of the dialog.

3 In the new field, key-in the wildcard p* in the Name column, then press Tab, to display only the levels with names beginning with the letter P.

4 Select Filters from the option list next to the List Filter icon.

A list of the available level filters will be displayed in the Level Displaydialog box.

5 In View 1 - Display only the Plantings filter by depressing only the viewtoggle for View 1 and clicking on the Planting filter name.

The Plantings filter should be on and all other filters off.




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Level Filters


Notice that all levels associated with Plantings are on.

6 In View 2 - Display only the Site Plan.Roads filter.

7 In View 1 – Add the display of the Buildings filter.

8 In View 2 – Add the display of the SitePlan.Property filter.

Nested Filters

The last step of the previous exercise shows you a nested filter . You only turned onthe Property filter, which is part of, or nested under, the Site Plan filter(SitePlan.Property). Selecting the Site Plan filter itself would also turn on the Roadsfilter because it is nested beneath Site Plan also.

The Active Level filter tool

If you are using level filters in your working environment, there is a new tool, Active Level Filter , available for the Attributes tool bar. If you use level filters,

consider showing this control in the tool bar to save the screen space associated with opening the Level Manager dialog box. When you select a filter from theoption list, only levels associated with that filter will be available in the Levels list.

The tool is hidden by default. To display it, right click on the Attributes tool bar andselect Active Level Filter from the pop-up menu.

The Level Manager dialog box

showing the Property and Roads

filters nested in the Site Plan filter

The Buildings filter also has

nested filters

The Active Level

Filter tool added to

the Attributes tool bar The level filters for

LvlMgr.dgn areshown

The levels available for the Autos level filter




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Level Filters


Filter Groups

You may also define a Filter Group to use as a level filter. This allows you to useexisting filters to define new filter criteria. A Filter Group filter can be theintersection of or difference between existing filters, as well as the union.

You might have a design file with many, many levels. Within these levels could befilters for different discipline components of the design such as civil, architectural,mechanical or HVAC. Within each filter there might be levels for arch-Existing, arch-Proposed, HVAC-Existing, HVAC-Proposed, etc. By adding and subtractingcomponents of the existing level filters you can easily define a Filter Group calledProposed that would show only levels that included proposed components.

Optional Exercise: Create a filter group

1 Continuing in LvlMgr.dgn , in the Level Manager dialog box ( Settings > Levels

> Manager), select Filters in the tree view (left-hand pane).

Existing filters and nested filters are listed.

2 Click the Create Filter icon.

A new filter will appear in the filter list.

3 Enter a name for the filter group, Property Info, and press Tab.

4 Expand Filters in the tree view by clicking on the + sign.

5 In the tree view, right click on the new filter name and select Filter Group from the pop-up menu.

The Filter Groups dialog box appears.

The Filter Groups dialog box

6 From the Edit menu, select Insert Filter(s).




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Moving Elements between levels


may spend some time reorganizing the drawing and moving elements betweenlevels. The level assigned to an element is considered part of its symbology. Just asyou might change a line’s color or weight, you can easily change its assigned level. We’ve already seen one way to do this but it’s not very efficient if you must moveelements to more than one level. Let’s use Match Element Attributes to make acorrection in this drawing.

Exercise: Changing the level by matching attributes

1 Reopen lvls.dgn .

2 Open View 1 and verify that the level labeled Electrical is displayed.

3 Select Match Element Attributes from the Change Attributes tool box.

This is the tool that lets us change the active symbology to match anychosen element.

4 Turn on the Level attribute by enabling the check box for Level .

5 Select one of the ceiling fans in the first floor.

6 Enter a data point that is not close to any other element to accept thisselection.

Notes:

7 Select Change Element Attributes from the Change Attributes tool box.

This tool changes the attributes of a chosen element to the activesymbology.

8 Check the tool settings and verify that only the Level attribute is selected.

Use Match Element Attributes to quickly

set your Active Attributes to an existingelement’s attributes




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The Level Manager


9 Use the Window Area tool to zoom in on the Finished Loft area.

10 Reset.

11 Click the ceiling fan in the Finished Loft.

The Level Manager

The Level Manager dialog box is used to control Levels and level symbology for the

active design file and attached References. The Level Manager dialog box can beaccessed from Settings > Levels > Manager.

From the Level Manager you can:

• Create, Rename, Delete, Cut and Copy Levels

• Set Level Symbology

• Create Level Libraries

• Create Filters and Filter Groups

Symbology

Each level supports ByLevel symbology. Default symbology settings can be definedfor each level, and elements can then be placed with ByLevel attributes for color,style or weight, instead of using the active settings. The ByLevel settings can bechanged dynamically affecting elements already placed.

Window In on the area

needed in the plan

The ceiling fan changes tothe new attributes




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The Level Manager


In addition, elements can be displayed with an alternate set of symbology by usingthe Overrides settings.

Level Manager dialog box with Symbology set to ByLevel

The Level List in Level Manager has controls to set the ByLevel Color, Style and Weight for each level. By default, levels are created with overrides on and set tocolor 0, style 0 and weight 0.

To place elements using ByLevel symbology; in the Attributes dialog box set theactive attributes to ByLevel. The option lists for Color, Style and Weight all have anadded option of ByLevel. If the attribute is set to ByLevel, the element will bedisplayed with its ByLevel symbology.

Attributes d ialog box showing ‘ByLeve l’ setting for line style.

Level Manger Symbology option list

When ByLevel is selected, all elements on a particular level are displayed with thesame, element symbology. This allows the control of element symbology on a levelby level basis.

When Overrides is selected, all elements on a particular level are displayed withalternate element symbology than the default. Each level may define a set of LevelSymbology overrides.




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The Level Manager


Level Manager dialog box with Symbology set to Override

Level Symbology must be turned on in the View Attributes dialog box for theoverride symbology to display.

The next exercise will focus on using three different settings for element attributes;

Active attributes, ByLevel and Override.

Exercise: Using ‘ByLevel’ & ‘Override’ Symbology

1 Reopen the file LvlMgr.dgn .

2 In the Attributes tool bar, make Property Line the Active Level.

3 Set Active Attributes to:

Color : 3

Line style : 3

Weight : 2

Active Level settings

4 Draw a property line at the back of the house.

5 Change each attribute to ByLevel .

Attribute set tings By Level

6 Draw property lines to the left of the house and to the right of the garage.

7 In the Settings > View Attributes dialog box, turn on Level Symbology and Apply to View 1.




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The Level Manager


Notice how the elements display in each case.

View Attributes dialog box with Level Symbology On

Copying levels

In the Level Manager dialog box, accessed from either the Level Manager icon inthe Primary Tools tool box, or from Settings > Level > Manager , right clicking a levelopens a pop-up menu that enables you to cut, copy, and paste levels. Using theitems in this menu make performing many level management tasks much easier.

The Level pop-up menu




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The Level Manager


The Copy function can be used to copy level definitions between a master file anddesign files which are attached to it as references.

W Note that if the level name/number being copied into a file already exists, the newdefinition will overwrite the old definition.

Level Libraries

The term “Level Library” refers to a level structure definition from an externalsource. From the Level Manager, Level libraries can be:

• Attached and Detached to the Active file

• Imported from another file to the Active file

• Exported from Active file to another file

Notes:

The following exercise will focus on using an existing Level structure from anexisting file

Exercise: Importing an existing Level Library

1 Create a new design file named SitePlan.dgn .

2 Open the Level Manager dialog box.

As an illustrati on, the Level Manager dialog box in MyFile.dgn, fi rst showing levels fr om

the Reference LvlMgr.dgn, and then showing several levels copied into the master file




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The Level Manager


3 From the Levels menu, select Library > Attach … .

Attach Level Library Menu Item

4 From the class directory, attach arch.lvl .

5 Open the Level option list from the Attributes tool bar to review theattached Level Library

The Level option list




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The Level Manager





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13 Manipulating Multiple Elements

Prior to this chapter in the course you have been engaged in operations working with only one element at a time. This lesson will discuss operations which involvemultiple elements. MicroStation has a several of methods for selecting multipleelements. This chapter will discuss the following methods, and their use inmanipulating multiple elements:

• Grouping elements using a Fence

• Grouping with a Selection Set

• The PowerSelector tool

• Select All

Working with Fenced Elements

One way to group elements together is with the Place Fence tool. A fence is atemporary outline placed around a number of elements for the purpose ofperforming an operation on them.

The Fence tool box includes five tools. The principle tool is the Place Fence tool. You cannot invoke the other four tools in the tool box unless you have first placeda fence.

The Place Fence tool settings include six Fence Type options and six Fence Mode options.

Fence tool box

Place Fence type options Place Fence mode options




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The fence types and modes include:

Manipulating Fence Contents

Use Manipulate Fence Contents to manipulate the elements defined by a fence. TheManipulate Fence Contents tool settings include six tool operation options.

Other Fence tools

The Fence tool box includes three other fence tools. All of them employ the samefence mode options described above.

Fence Type Description

Block Two opposite diagonal data points define the fence block.

Shape The length and angle of fence segments may be arbitrarily placed with the pointer.

Circle Enter a data point for the center and dynamically place the fence circle.

Element Identify a shape element. This places a fence that coincides with the shape boundary.

From View Places a fence around the perimeter of the selected view.

From Dgn File Fences all elements in the design file regardless of the current view window.

Fence Mode Action

Inside Elements located entirely inside the fence outline.

Overlap Elements inside and touching the fence outline.

Cl ip Elements inside and the portions of elements inside the fence out line.

Void Elements located completely outside the fence outlines are effected.

Void-Overlap Elements outside and touching the fence outline.

Void-Clip Elements outside and the portions of elements outside the fence outline.

Operation Description

Copy, Move, Rotate, Scale, and Mirror Operation is identical to the manipulate tool of the same name.

Stretch Fenced elements are stretched.

Icon Tool Description

Modify Fence Changes the shape of an existing fence or moves an exist ingfence.




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The use of a fence is an option associated with individual tool settings. Seven of thetools in the Manipulate tool box have the Use Fence option in their tool settings. They are the Copy , Move , Scale , Rotate , Mirror , Align Edges , and Construct Array tools. In addition, both Change Element Attributes and Change Text Attributes havea Use Fence option.

During the next exercise you will work with placing fences and manipulating fencecontents.

Exercise: Using a fence block to manipulate elements

1 Open fenceshaft.dgn.

A threaded shaft drawing displays.

2 Select Place Fence with the following tool settings:

Fence Type : Block

Fence Mode : Inside

3 Move the pointer to Location 1 and enter the first corner of the fence blockby placing a data point.

Delete Fence Contents Deletes fenced elements.

Drop Fence Contents Drops the complex status of fenced elements.

Icon Tool Description

The threaded shaft




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4 Move the pointer to Location 2 and enter the opposite corner of the fenceblock with a data point.

5 Select Manipulate Fence Contents with the following tool settings:

Operation : Copy

Fence Mode : Inside6 Move the pointer near any portion of the fence and enter a data point.

A fence outline appears and moves dynamically with the pointer while theoriginal highlighted fence remains in place.

7 Move the dynamic fence outline to the open area at the right of the objectand enter a data point.

Fence Block around the threadedshaft

The Fence block moves dynamically




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The original fence disappears as the new fence is placed.

The threaded shaft was the only item copied because it was the only itemlocated completely inside of the fence.

8 Reset.

Exercise: Using a fence shape to manipulate elements

1 Continuing in fenceshaft.dgn, select Place Fence again, with the followingtool settings:

Fence Type : Shape

Fence Mode : Overlap

2 Move the pointer to Location 3 and enter a data point.


4 Enter data points at Locations 5, 6, and 3 to finish placing the fence.

Look at the tool settings and you will see that the Close Fence button isanother option available to finish placing a fence shape.

5 Select the Manipulate Fence Contents tool with the following tool settings:

Operation : Copy

Fence Mode : Overlap

6 Move the pointer anywhere near the fence and enter a data point.

Fenced shaft is copied

Place the Shape type fence




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A fence outline dynamically moves with the pointer while the original fenceremains in place.

7 Move the pointer to the open area above the object and enter a data pointto place the copied fence contents.

One full thread was extracted from the object and copied. This time,portions of the thread that overlapped the fence, as well as those inside thefence, were manipulated.

8 Reset.

The only way to remove a fence is to select Place Fence again.

Let’s create an exploded detail using a circular fence and the Clip mode. This is a

good way to create the enlarged details found on many design drawings.

Exercise: Placing and using a fence circle to scale elements

1 Open fencenozzle.dgn .

This file contains a nozzle bonnet drawing.

Fence outline dynamically moving

Fenced copy placed

Nozzle Bonnet




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Fence Type : Circle

Fence Mode : Clip


A circular fence outline appears and dynamically moves with the pointer.

4 Move the pointer to Location 2 and enter a data point to place the fence.


Operation: Scale

Fence Mode : Clip

Make Copy: Enabled

X Scale and Y Scale : 2.0

2 Move the pointer to Location 3 and enter a data point to place the scaledfence contents.

3 Reset.

A couple of things have happened.

Since you used the clip mode, a portion of the location labels were copied.

The new scaled fence dynamically moved with the pointer, but in the oppositedirection.

Items are frequently scaled and then copied into positions where they must betangent with the original item. In such cases, if Location 3 had been located on the

Circular fence

A copy (scaled x2) of thecircular fence contents




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perimeter of the original fence, then the new fence would have been tangent to thefirst. With this feature, the center of the new fence and the pointer will both beequidistant from the center of the original circle fence.

There are times when your drawings fill up rather quickly and there doesn’t seemto be room to squeeze in any more. Let’s find out how you can use the Fence

Stretch tool setting to make room.

Exercise: Placing a fence and stretching elements

1 Open fencepid.dgn .

MicroStation displays a P&ID drawing that contains processing units #1 and#3. You want to add unit #2 between them.


Fence Type : Block

Fence Mode : Inside


4 Move the pointer diagonally down and enter a data point at Location 2 toplace the fence.


Operation : Stretch

Fence Mode : Inside

6 If not already activated, enable AccuDraw .


The fence now dynamically moves with the pointer.

Fence around Unit Two




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8 Use AccuDraw to move the pointer to the left, key in 3.4 and place a datapoint.

9 Reset.

The unit is moved to the new location, and the connecting process lines were stretched to remain connected.

If you weren’t working carefully and accidently placed your fence touching one ofthe valves, you would have seen the valve stretched along with the process lines. That is how Fence Stretch works. Anything that touches the fence is stretched.

Now let’s use Fence Copy to complete the P&ID.

Exercise: Finishing the circuit

1 Continuing in fencepid.dgn, change Manipulate Fence Contents Operation tool setting from Stretch to Copy .


3 Move the pointer to the right, key in 3.2 and place a data point.

4 Reset and dismiss the fence.

Fence around Unit One




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Using the Element Selection Tool


Your completed drawing should look like this:


Element Selection provides a convenient way to select elements in a drawing. Thissection will explore the tool’s diverse functionality as you use it in:

• Selecting single elements

• Manipulating selected elements

• Adding elements to a selection set

• Selecting multiple elements

• Modifying elements using handles

• Creating a Group from a selection set

• Selecting all elements

The completedP&ID




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As you have learned, manipulating an element requires that you first choose a tool,then identify the element to be manipulated. However, the Element Selection tool works in the reverse order.

First you select the element with the Element Selection tool, then choose themanipulation tool.

When you select an element with the Element Selection tool, MicroStation addssmall squares called “handles” at an element’s vertices. If you select more than one

element at a time, these selected elements become what is called a Selection Set . You can add additional elements to a selection set in several ways.

If the Workspace > Preferences > Operation Disable Edit Handles check boxdisabled, you will not see the “handles” on a selected element, but rather theelement will be identified with a highlight color. The highlight color is set inSettings > Design File > Color: Selection Set Color .

Working with selected elements

In the following exercises you will use Element Selection in several ways to addfurniture to an office furniture plan. You will then duplicate the furniture providedin the drawing to lay out a training room.

The Element Selection tool in the Main

tool frame




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4 The lower right corner of the status bar shows an image of the ElementSelection icon with 1 beside it.

This indicates that one item has been selected. Should you select more thanone element, this number updates to show the total number of elementscurrently selected.

5 Select the Mirror tool from the Manipulate tool box with the following toolsettings:

Mirror About: Vertical

Make Copy : Enabled

A mirrored element appears.

As you move the pointer around the screen the handles may disappear.

However, the object remains selected until you deselect it with a data point.6 Move your pointer near the instructor’s desk in the middle of the room.

7 Enter a data point to place the new desk opposite the first one.

Now there are two desks.

But you should have copied the chair at the same time you copied the desk.

8 Undo the last command and let’s select two objects to copy.

Exercise: Creating a selection set to mirror both objects at once

1 Continuing in ssetfurn.dgn, select Element Selection from the Main toolframe.

2 Enter a data point away from any element in the drawing to clear theselection set.

Let’s create a selection set by selecting the desk then the chair.

3 With Element Selection still active, identify the desk.

A portion of the status bar

A dynamic mir rored element isdisplayed here




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Handles appear on the desk.

4 Press and hold down the Ctrl key and identify the chair with a data point toadd it to the selection set.

Both elements highlight. The handles disappear.

In the lower right hand corner of the status bar you see an image of theElement Selection icon with :2 beside it.

5 Select Mirror with the following tool settings:

Mirror About: Vertical

Make Copy : Enabled

6 Move your pointer near the instructor’s desk in the middle of the room.

7 The mirrored desk and chair appear.

8 Use your mouse to move the copies to the desired location and enter a datapoint to place the new desk opposite the first one.

9 Reset.

If you do not reset at this point, each data point you place will createanother mirrored set relative to that data point.

Now there are two student desks with chairs. The second desk and chair arehighlighted. Let’s copy all four elements at once to fill the room. First, you must addthe original desk and chair to the selection set that is currently composed of the lastdesk and chair, which are still selected and highlighted.

Exercise: Copying four elements at once

1 Continuing in ssetfurn.dgn, verify that Element Selection is active and thatthe last desk and chair are still selected.

2 Press and hold the Ctrl key.

Desk and chair are

highlighted




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Creating a Group


Ordinarily you would use exact dimensions when placing elements into a designbut approximate locations are fine for this exercise.

Before we continue: What keyboard key is instrumental in the selection ofelements to add to a selection set?

Where can you find a count of the number of elements in aselection set?

Creating a Group

You can take the selection set a step further by turning it into a Group. A Group letsyou perform operations on several elements as if they were one. Once you define aGroup, you no longer need to create a selection set to operate on it. If you want tomove the Group, you simply select Move and identify any of the elements in theGroup.

With all of the training room furniture now in place, let’s look at the rest of thedrawing. The room names and numbers have been added to some of the rooms,but not all. A typical room name and number label can be found in the Receptionarea in the drawing.

The next step is to copy the room name and number label into place for the rest ofthe rooms. You could copy the box and the text eight times individually, or youcould make a selection set of the label components and copy it all at once.

Since you have already performed both of these procedures in previous exercises,let’s try a new procedure.

Let’s create a Group.




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Creating a Group


Exercise: Grouping the label components

1 Continuing in ssetfurn.dgn, to see the whole floor plan select the Fit View icon from the lower left corner of the View window.

2 Window in to show the Reception area , Break room, Copy room and Training room.

3 Select Element Selection .

4 Drag a rectangle around the label components.

The box and text highlight.

5 Select Group from the Edit menu.

A group is created.

6 Enter a data point away from any element to deactivate the selection set.

The handles disappear.

Now let’s copy the label into place.

Exercise: Labeling each room

1 Continuing in ssetfurn.dgn, select the Copy tool from the Main tool frame.Do not use Element Selection .

2 Identify the label by entering a data point on any element in the group.

Reception area, Break room,

Copy room and Training room

Room Name and Number box selected

with “drag” rectangle

Handles at the extent of the group




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Creating a Group


The entire label highlights and a copy is attached to your pointer.

3 Enter a data point in each of the three adjacent rooms to place a copy of thelabel.

4 Press reset.

The rooms now have labels.

Handles do not always appear when you select elements. Handles cancel eachother out whenever there are coincidental points.

Ungrouping a Group

Suppose that you wanted to make a change to the Group of elements you createdin the last exercise. You will need to edit the text for unique room names andnumbers in each room.

Before you can operate on any of the Group’s individual components, you mustungroup the Group. Otherwise, we can only operate on the group as a whole.

To perform this operation, you use the Ungroup menu item.

Exercise: Ungrouping the label

1 Continuing in ssetfurn.dgn, use Element Selection to select the label in oneof the rooms.

2 Select Edit > Ungroup from the Edit menu.

Grouped elements ready to move

Room Name label copiedinto other room




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The PowerSelector Tool


The label has been changed from one element to its original three.

Now you can edit the text.

Notes:


PowerSelector is a MicroStation tool that lets you add, remove, invert the selection of, select allor clear all elements from a selection set. Using the Element Selection tool, you can only addor remove elements from a selection set by pressing the Ctrl key while clicking or draggingacross elements. PowerSelector offers other ways.

PowerSelector lets you select the elements you want to manipulate individually, bycreating a block, by creating a shape, or by drawing a line.

After selecting the elements, use the Mode tools to define which action you want toperform. The actions are:

Add ( + ): Identified elements are added to the selection set.

Remove ( - ): Identified elements are removed from the selection set.

Invert: The role of identified elements in the selection set is reversed. Selectedelements are deselected or unselected elements can be added.

New : Clears the current selection set and starts a new set.

Select all/Clear: Selects all elements or deselects all elements in the file.

When you expand the PowerSelector tool settings by clicking on the downwardarrow, more settings become available. Attribute tabs in the PowerSelector settingslet you further refine the selection set by one or more attributes including:

• Level (Lv)

• Color (Co)

• Style (Lc)

Modes: Add, Remove, Invert, New and Select All / Clear




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• Weight (Wt)

• Type (Ty)

• Class (Cl)

When you select elements graphically, the active attribute displays highlighted atthe top of each corresponding tab page (the Lv tab will show the level name, Co will show the color, etc.).

By default, selected elements are highlighted. If any elements are selected, theElement Selection icon shows in the status bar and the number to the right of theicon is the number of selected elements.

The Block and Shape methods also let you toggle between overlap and insideselection method by clicking a second time on either the Block or Shape icons. The

Block or Shape icon changes to reflect the current setting (see table below). Inaddition, the dynamic bounding Block or Shape changes appearance to distinguishbetween overlap and inside operation.

SelectionMethod

Block Icon Shape Icon Bounding Element Style

Inside Solid

Overlap Dashed

Expanded Power Sel ector tool settings

with attributes tabs




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Exercise: Accessing the PowerSelector tool

1 Continuing in ssetfurn.dgn, click on the PowerSelector tool which resides inthe Element Selection tool box, accessed from the Main tool frame.

2 Tear off the Element Selection tool box and dock it at the top or side ofyour screen for easy access.

You can use PowerSelector with both 2D and 3D design files, and you candesignate it as the default setting. Let’s set this default for the next few exercises.

Exercise: Setting the PowerSelector as the default tool

1 Continuing in ssetfurn.dgn, go to Workspace > Preferences, Look and Feel Category.

2 Choose PowerSelector from the Default Tool options.

3 Press OK to close the Preferences dialog box.

Working with Subsets and Full Scans

As you select elements, PowerSelector compiles the elements’ attributes found inthe current selection set and reports the results to the Attribute tab lists in thePowerSelector’s tool settings.

You can adjust the selection set by modifying each attribute list’s subset valueseither by directly adding or removing values in the list, or by re-scanning the designfile using values entered after the semicolon. The easiest way to understand thismethod is to try it.

Exercise: Using PowerSelector’s Attribute list feature

1 Continuing in ssetfurn.dgn , window in on the Conference Room.

2 Choose PowerSelector tool.




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3 Use PowerSelector’s Block method with the Overlap option to select aportion of each chair, the table, the door swing, the projection screen(dashed box) and the word Conference in the Conference Room.

4 Click the downward arrow in the tool settings to display the Attributes ofthe elements selected.

The levels for elements in the set are highlighted on the Lv tab.

Click on the other tabs to see the selection set’s other attributes highlighted.

5 Click on the Room name #Numb level name to remove the room name from

the selection set.

Notice that in the design file the room name is no longer highlighted as partof the set.

PowerSelector block

Level Attributes of elementsselected




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Select All


Next, you will fine tune the selection set by manipulating the colors in theselection set.

6 Select the Co attribute tab and deselect the color 3 (Red) from thehighlighted list.

Note that the chairs are no longer highlighted.

7 Try using the Attributes tab to add and delete elements from the selectionset.

As you can see, PowerSelector’s Attribute selection feature is a valuableenhancement to its operation.

Select All

Selecting the Select All item from the Edit menu causes MicroStation to create a selection set

that includes every element in the drawing, even if the element is not visible at the time.

W Select All selects every element in the design file, visible or not.

Notes:

Let’s take a quick look at how it works.

Exercise: Selecting all elements in the design file

1 Continuing in ssetfurn.dgn , choose Select All from the Edit menu.

Note how all elements are highlighted. Let’s change their color.

2 Select Change Element Attributes from the Main tool frame.

Change Element

Attributes icon on the Main tool frame Change Element

Attributes tool settings




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Select All


In the tool settings, click in the Color check box and enter a value of 7 inthe Color field. Press the Tab key.

3 Enter a data point in View 1.

All elements change color.

4Enter a data point away from any element to deactivate the selection set. This change can also be accomplished by simply changing the active colorin the Attributes tool bar while elements are selected. Any element in aselection set will have its level, color, line style, or line weight attributeschanged if the attribute is changed in the attributes tool bar while theelement(s) is selected.

The Select All operation can be useful. However, you must use this tool cautiously. If youaccidently click on Delete , the entire design deletes without warning. Other MicroStation toolsreact in the same manner while selection sets are active.




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1 Use Element Selection to copy, mirror, modify and group storefront elements tocomplete the floor plan.

2 Use the vertical (1) and horizontal (2) centerlines to assist you in completing this task.

COMPLETE THE FLOOR PLAN (pltfloorplan.dgn)




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14 Introduction to Text Elements

In this chapter and the next you will learn about one of MicroStation’s most usefuland flexible features, the Text element. MicroStation handles text differently frommost engineering products. Before starting to place text in your drawings, thiscourse will first define the attributes that control how text will appear in yourdesign. The introduction to the Text element will cover:

• Tools for placing Text

• Text Attributes

• Text placement options

• Text Styles

The Place Text tool

The Place Text tool is used to enter text in single or multiple lines in a drawing. Access this tool from the Text tool box, where other text placement and textmodification tools reside.

Each MicroStation text element has many parameters or attributes. Let’s look first atthe tool settings associated with the Place Text tool.

The Text tool box




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Text Attributes


The Place Text tool settings

The Place Text tool settings contain settings for several of the options and attributesavailable when placing text.

The following illustration shows some of the text attributes accessible through thePlace Text tool settings.

Text Attributes

Font

A font is a set of alphanumeric characters that have a similar style. Available fontsinclude:

• MicroStation fonts

• SHX fonts

• True Type fonts

The expanded Place Text tool

settings

A sample of the most frequently used Text Attributes




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Text Attributes


Fonts are stored in external files and are only referenced by MicroStation for displayinformation. This helps keep design files at a reasonable size.

Let’s look more closely at the font option.

Exercise: Selecting a Font

1 Open the file Text1.dgn.

Text1.dgn is a blank file. You will work with some of the different attributesby placing text and changing attributes.

2 Select Place Text from the Text tool box.

The Place Text tool settings appear.

When you select Place Text , the Text Editor also appears. You will use thetext editor to enter text for new placement, to edit previously placed text,and to check spelling.

3 If the Font, Width, Height and Justification attributes are not visible in thePlace Text tool settings, click the down arrow on the lower right corner toexpand them.

4 Click the arrow next to Font down arrow to access the fonts option list.

The Word Processor Text Editor




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Text Attributes


You can select a font to use in your drawing from the option list.

5 Select Arial from the True Type fonts.

Let’s set some other attributes before entering any text.

Text Height and Width

These values determine the overall size of the text. A likely question is “whatshould these values be?” For most of us, these values will be dictated by client orcompany standards.

Exercise: Setting Height and Width

1 Continuing in Text1.dgn, highlight the value in the Height field in the Place Text tool settings and enter 7.

2 Set the Width field to 5.

Font option list

Height and Width set in the toolsettings




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Text Attributes


The padlock to the right of the Height and Width value fields is unlocked. As withother settings that have the padlock, it allows you to enter a different value in eachfield. You can lock and unlock this padlock with a data point. If the padlock islocked, any value you enter will automatically be entered into the other field onceyou Tab or Enter.

Justification

You enter a data point to place text into a design file. Consider the data point to bethe origin, or insertion point, of the text. The text will display around this pointbased on the justification that is set for the text.

You may find that you need to adjust the justification during text placement.

cursor and origin/

insertion point

cursor and origin/

insertion point

cursor and origin/

insertion point




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Text Attributes


Exercise: Setting Justification

1 Click on the Justification options menu and select Left Top.

Now that you have set some of attributes, let’s place the text. The Place Text tool isstill active.

Exercise: Placing Left Top justified Arial text

1 Continuing in text1.dgn , click inside of the text editor to give it focus.

A flashing cursor appears.

2 Type in the words MicroStation V8, and press Enter to start the second lineof text.

3 Type This is a string, press Enter, and then type of multi-line text. for thethird line of text.

4 If you move the pointer away from the text editor, the text string will beattached to the pointer.

Justification options

Text typed into the text editor

Text attached to cursor

is left top justified

Arial font, left top justified, height 7.0, width 5.0




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Text Attributes


5 Enter a data point to place the text.

6 Reset.

Filled Fonts

Arial is a filled font, but it does not appear filled on the screen. You must enable the View Attribute for Fill before you will be able to see the fill.

Exercise: Display filled fonts

1 Continuing in text1.dgn , click the Bentley B in the upper left corner of View1 and select View Attributes from the option list.


2 Enable the check box for Fill .

3 Click All at the bottom of the dialog box to enable the Fill attribute in all

views.

The Arial font now appears filled.


There are more Attributes you can change in the Place Text tool settings.

Line Spacing

MicroStation’s text placement tools let you place multi-line text and text above andbelow elements. Line Spacing becomes important whenever you use thesemethods. The value set determines:

• The distance between lines in multi-line text

The View Attributes

dialog box with the Fill

attribute enabled and the filled font




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Text Attributes


• The distance text goes above or below an element when you use thesemethods

• The distance text goes above or below an element when you place text alongan element

When standards or other requirements do not establish a value for this attribute, setthe line spacing equal to one half the text height. This produces a look of singleline spacing.

Notes:

Intercharacter Spacing

All characters have an inherent spacing to provide a gap between them.Intercharacter Spacing lets you increase or decrease this distance to create specialeffects. Most users do not adjust this value very often, but the ability to make theadjustment may become valuable when you place text Along elements.

Changing Text Attributes

Although you will study the Change Text Attributes tool more thoroughly in thenext chapter, let’s use it now to look at the Line Spacing and Intercharacter Spacing attributes.

Exercise: Changing the Line Spacing

1 Continuing in text1.dgn , select Change Text Attributes from the Text toolbox.

The Change Text Attributes tool setting appear. If they are not expanded,click the downward arrow in the lower right corner.

You can use this tool to change one or many attributes. A check markdenotes which attributes will change. At this time you will only change theLine Spacing attribute.

2 Enable the check box for Line Spacing and disable all other check boxes.




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Text Attributes


3 Enter 7.0 into the Line Spacing input field and press Tab to enter the new value.

4 Select the text string you just placed with a data point.

5 Reset.

The spacing between the text lines is now 7.0.

Exercise: Changing Intercharacter Spacing

1 Continuing in text1.dgn, disable Line Spacing and enable the check box for

Intercharacter Spacing .

2 Set the Intercharacter Spacing value to 1.0.

The status bar prompts you to identify the element to be changed.

3 Choose the text string.

4 Reset.

The spacing between characters is expanded.

Change Text Attributes

tool settings with LineSpacing enabled

7.0 high font with 7.0 spacing

between lines

1.0 spacing between characters




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Text Placement options



Active Angle

This value is set in the Place Text tool settings, and is essential when placing text. The Active Angle setting affects many tools. The Active Angle is the angle, indegrees, used with tools that require an angle specification, including Place Line ,Place Active Cell , Place Text , Rotate and Construct Array . The text you place on adrawing is aligned with the active angle. This lets you place text at any angle. Whenthe value of the Active Angle is set to 0, text appears horizontal across the screen.

An Active Angle affects the angle of an entire string of text, as well as otherelements placed into the file. The Slant attribute governs the plane of individualtext letters. This attribute will be discussed later.

Method

You can set the method by which text is placed with the Method option menu inthe tool settings. There are nine different methods to use when placing text.

Method Description

By Origin Dynamically places text with a data point.

Fitted Dynamically places a single l ine of text to fit between two data points. Text size and

rotation angle adjust with the distance between the data points.

View Independent Similar to the By Origin method except that the text does not rotate with a viewrotation.

Fitted ViewIndependent

Similar to the Fitted method except that the text does not rotate with a view rotation.

Above Element Places text above a selected element. The spacing between the text and element isdetermined by the Line Spacing setting. The position of the text, relative to theselected element data point, is determined by the Justification setting.

Below Element Places text below a selected element. The spacing and positioning of text is

determined in the same manner as the Above Element method.On Element Places text on a selected element automatically removing the portion of element that

passes through the text. Text orientation is along the element axis.

A sample of placing text at different

angles




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Notes:

Working with the Place Text options

You’ve been asked to complete a Spot Location Index Catalog (SLIC) page for arailroad. When complete, this drawing will go into a book that contains customer

information and will be used to identify freight pick-up and drop-off points for theengineer on the railway. You must use several of MicroStation’s text placement andmodification tools to complete this drawing. Let’s get started.

Exercise: Place text using the By Origin method

1 Open SLIC.dgn .

You will plot this file at full scale, leaving the MicroStation text size to equalplotted size.

2 Select the Place Text tool from the Text tool box with the following toolsettings:

Method : By Origin

Text Style : None

Active Angle : 0

Height and Width : 0.125

Font : Engineering

Along Element Places text above or below a selected element with two additional features. The stringof text characters align with the contour of the element and the characters form agraphic group.

Word Wrap Places text within a rectangular element. The rectangular element is placed during the

command. Justification is always orientated to the upper left vertex of the rectangular

element.

Method Description

The design file SLIC.dgn




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Justification : Center Center

3 Key the word Dock into the text editor.

4 Using the Center Snap, snap to the shape defining the dock at Josten’s.

5 Enter a data point to place the text.

6 The text is still attached to the cursor. Use the Center Snap to place the textat Smitty’s dock.

Being able to enter text just once, and then place it many times, is a greattime saver.

7 Reset to clear the text editor.

8 Press F8 to display the location markers.

9 Select Place Text.

10 Key 01 into the text editor.

11 Use the Center Snap place the text 01 at Locations 1 through 4.

The text editor shows the end user what thetext will look like before placing the text in

your design

Snap to the dashed block thatrepresents the dock

Josten’s dock

Smitty’s dock




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Exercise: Place text using the Fitted method

1 Continuing in SLIC.dgn , change the Method in the Place Text tool settings to

Fitted.

2 Zoom In or Window Area on the lower left corner of the drawing.

3 Key Salvage into the text editor.

The text does not appear on the cursor at this time.

4 Follow the status bar prompts and place a data point near Location 5.

The text stretches dynamically from the cursor.

5 Again, following the status bar prompts, place a data point near Location 6to place the text labeling in this area.

Exercise: Place text using the Above and Below Element methods

1 Continuing in SLIC.dgn , change the following tool settings:

Method : Above Element

Line Spacing: .06

2 Fit View to see the whole sheet

01 text placed at Locations 1 through 4

Let AccuDraw help you align

Fitted Text when possible




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3 Key the text Highland Ave. into the text editor.

Follow the status bar prompts and place a data point on the road line atLocation 7. The line defining the road is highlighted. Be sure to pick theroad and not the location marker.

4 Place a second data point to accept the placement of the text.

When you place text using the method Above or Below Element , linespacing is a definite consideration.


6 Key the word Road into the text editor.

7 Label the roads at Locations 8, 9, 10. Do not press Reset.

The text at Location 10 seems flipped because this line was drawn from topto bottom. Text placed Above or Below Element on vertical elements isplaced following the direction in which the element was drawn.

8 Change the Method in the Place Text tool settings to Below Element.

9 Continue placing the text Road at Location 11.

Even though you changed the Method of placing the text, this did not alterthe text you keyed into the text editor. You were able to change the methodduring text placement.


Before we continue: Why did the “Road” label seem to flip at Location 10 in theexercise?

Does changing the method disrupt the placement of text?

Highland Ave and Roads labeled




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How does justification effect these methods?

You still need to must place some more labels in the drawing. Let’s exercisemore placement options.

Exercise: Use the On Element method

1 Continuing in SLIC.dgn , change the Method in the Place Text tool settings to On Element.

2 Change Justification to Right Center .

This forces text to the left of the data point when placing text.

3 Key the number 0411 into the text editor.

4 Following the status bar prompts, place a data point near Location 13.

The text is previewed on the track.

5 Place a second data point anywhere to accept.

6 Change 0411 to 0412 in the text editor.

Notes:

7 Label the second main line track at Location 14 by placing a data point topreview and a second to accept.


9 Key in 0250 in the text editor.

10 Label the track at Locations 15 and 16.

The On Element method willautomatically break the element when

the text is placed.




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11 Continue labeling the tracks, using the following illustration as a guide.

Exercise: Use the Along Element method

1 Continuing in SLIC.dgn , change the following tool settings:

Method : Along Element

Justification : Center Center

Line Spacing : .1

Notes:

2 Key North Main Line into the text editor.

3 Follow the status bar prompts and place a data point near Location 17.

The text is previewed both above and below the track.

4 Follow the status bar prompts and place a data point above Location 17 toaccept the text above the track.

5 Double click North in the text editor to select this text. Type in South tooverwrite the old text.

6 Place South Main Line above the south track at Location 18.

Labeling the tracks

Remember that line spacing controls the distance

between the text and the selected element




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Text Styles


You are finished for now. However, you will work with this file again later in thechapter. To be sure your settings are saved for use the next time, select File > SaveSettings.

Text Styles

A Text Style is a saved set of text attributes. You can define a text style and apply itto text elements during and after placement. Text style attributes include font type, width, height, color, and justification as well as others like slant vertical placement,color, overline color, etc. You can use a preset text style to place text in a model ina consistent and automated manner.

Use the Text Styles dialog box ( Element > Text Styles ) to manage text styles.

As you have seen, the Place Text and Change Text Attributes tools each have a TextStyle option menu to let you choose the text style to apply, and the magnifyingglass icon to take you directly to the Text Styles dialog box. If the active text style isset to Style (none), the active text attributes are applied.

Creating a new Text Style

Let’s create a new text style and set some attributes that you can access through theText Styles dialog box.




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Text Styles


Exercise: Create a new text style

1 Open Text2.dgn.

2 Select Text Styles from the Element menu.

The Text Styles dialog box appears.

The default text style is Style (none).

Let’s create a new style.

3 Select the Create New Style icon from the Text Styles dialog box.

If the text editor and Place Text tool settings open in front of the Text Stylesdialog box, move these out of the way.

4 Click the name *Untitled -1 in the Style Name Value field and change it to

TNR-1. Press Enter.

You have created the new style.

General text style attributes

Next, you will edit the new text style’s attributes and then save the style to includethe changes. Let’s start by setting some of the attributes on the General tab.

Exercise: Previewing fonts

1 Highlight the Font attribute by clicking once on the word Font in the Name column of the list box.

The preview window displays the current text settings. The color, weightand style displayed are the current attributes displayed in the Attributes toolbar. If you use the Attributes tools to change one of the attributes, your

change appears in the Text Styles dialog box’s preview area.




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Text Styles


2 Click the Value field for the Font attribute to see the available fonts.

3 Select the MicroStation font 41 Architectural from the list.

You will see a sample of the MicroStation font number 41 Architectural inthe Text Styles dialog box’s preview window.

4 Use the up/down arrow keys to move through the other fonts. Clickdifferent fonts values to display them in the preview window.

5 Finally select Times New Roman from the list of True Type fonts.

This will be the font for the TNR-1 style.

Notice that along with the standard MicroStation fonts, you can access all the True Type fonts currently installed on your computer. A set up procedure makes anySHX installed fonts available. The icon next to the font indicates which program itcomes from.

Notes:

Exercise: Setting the text style Height and Width

1 Continuing in text2.dgn , highlight the Width attribute in the Text Stylesdialog box.

2 Click the Value column of the Width attribute.

The Width value is highlighted so you can edit it.

The list of available fonts is displayed




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Text Styles


3 Change the Width Value to 5 and Tab or down arrow to highlight the Height

attribute.

Note that the display in preview window changes to reflect the wider width.

4 Click Value in the Height row and enter 8.

Note the display of the style.

5 Change the Height Value to 4.

Check the display once again.

Do not close the Text Styles dialog box. Next you will save the attributesettings to the style.

Exercise: Save TNR-1

1 Continuing in text2.dgn , verify that TNR-1 is highlighted as the active style.

2 Select the Save Style icon.

The current parameters are saved to the TNR-1 style

Slant Angle

Most engineering products include special fonts that is slanted left or right to use

when noting isometric views. MicroStation lets us use any font for these notes,since you can change any font’s Slant Angle . You can set this value to 30° for textthat leans forward 30° and reset the value to -30° for text that slants backward. ValidSlant Angle values range from 89.0 to -89.0. Each letter is slanted. Set the Slant and Active Angle values to 30° for right isometric text or to -30° for left isometric text.

Height and Widthvalues edited




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Text Styles


Notes:

Color Value

You can set the color of your text as part of the Style or, you can disable this settingand let the font color be the default color set in the Attributes tool bar. Let’s set thecolor for the TNR-1 style to Orange.

Exercise: Setting the text style’s Color

1 Continuing in text2.dgn , click in the Value column for the Color attribute toenable it. This is located near the bottom of the list.

A check mark appears.

The Color Value attribute changes from -Color Off- to the color set in the

Attributes tool bar.

2 Click the tile in the Value field of the Color Value attribute and change it toOrange , or Color 6.

The preview window reflects the change in color.

With the Color attribute

enabled for the text style,the color is set to orange




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Text Styles


Justification vs. Node Justification

As you’ve learned, Justification determines where the origin of the text will occur when you place the text, or where your pointer will be relative to the text youplace. The Node Justification parameter is used to set the justification for textnodes.

Exercise: Setting the style’s Justification

1 Continuing in text2.dgn , click the Justification attribute.

2 Click in the Value column and select Left Center.

We have been building this style one attribute at a time. Let’s save the styleagain to include the last two parameters you changed.

3 Select the Save icon to save the text style TNR-1.

These are all the style attributes you will set at this time.

Node Justification op tions




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Text Styles


More General tab attributes

Let’s consider more of the available text attributes before you place text using thetext style you have created. The following illustration shows more of the textattributes which are available in the Text Styles dialog box.

Vertical Text

When this attribute is enabled, any text is placed in a vertical stack, with one letteron top of the other. Vertical text is useful when you create tables, civil sections, andtitle blocks.

Underline and Overline

When this attribute is enabled, any text you place will display underlined oroverlined. All fonts support this feature. However, it does not affect Vertical Text.

Go to the Advanced tab in the Text Styles dialog box to find the parameter settingsfor Underline or Overline Color, Weight, Style, and Offset.

Italics and Bold

Text will be italicized or bolded when these parameters are enabled.

Advanced tab attributes

Let’s look at a few of the Advanced attributes.

Line Spacing

As you learned earlier, this attribute governs the spacing between lines of text inmulti-line text, or the space between the text and the element in Above and Below

placement methods. Let’s set this up for the new TNR-1 text style.




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Text Styles


Exercise: Setting the Line Spacing

Let’s make the line spacing half the height of the text. The text is 4 unitshigh.

1 Click the Advanced Tab in the Text Styles dialog box.

The complete list appears.2 Click the Line Spacing parameter in the list box.

3 Click the Value column and enter 2.

4 Save the style TNR-1 again.

Line Length

The Line Length parameter on the Advanced tab sets the maximum number ofcharacters that will be allowed in one line of text. This parameter is helpful if a textelement has more than one line.

If you enter more characters than the Line Length limit allows, MicroStation placesthe extra characters on the next line automatically.

Notes:

Fractions

If this setting is enabled, any standard fractional value you enter with the “/”character appears as a fraction in the design file. If the setting is disabled, the textappears in line.

MicroStation will only display the fraction if that stacked fraction appears in thefont. For example, the MicroStation Architectural font (font 41) does not includeany stacked fraction characters in the font. In such a situation, typing in 1/2 (1-slash-2) will not produce a stacked fraction.

Background Fill and Text Masking

MicroStation text supports masking. Text masking fills the space around a text

element with a polygon that has the same color as the background. When youplace text with text masking enabled, all vector and raster information behind thetext is masked, eliminating interference with existing geometry/image informationand making the text much easier to read. This efficient scheme doesn’t “break up”any existing geometry and it is scalable.




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Text Styles


Turn on Background on the Advanced tab of the Text Styles dialog box to enablemasking.

Many of the text and text style attributes that can be selected for text and text styleshave been presented. Now let’s discuss using a predefined text style.

Placing Text With a Predefined Text Style

Exercise: Placing text using the text style TNR-1

1 Continuing in Text2.dgn , select the Fit View icon from the lower left cornerof View 1.

You will see several numbered boxes. You will use the numbers as a guidefor placing text in this exercise.

2 Select Place Text with the following tool settings:

Text Style : TNR-1

Method : By Origin

Active Angle : 0

The boxes in design file Text2.dgn




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Text Styles


3 Click inside of the text editor to give it focus and type in CONSTRUCTION and then press Enter and key in DETAILS.

4 When you move the pointer you will see the text attached to the pointer. The text justification is set to left center. Notice that the pointer is attachedat the left center of the multi-line text string.

5 Place the text in box 7 by moving the pointer into the box and entering adata point.

6 Reset.

Overriding Text Styles

An instance-specific override tool lets you change text attributes for a singleplacement of text or a text node. Text style changes made this way do not becomea permanent part of the text style.

You can create instance specific text overrides in either of two ways:

• Using the text editor.

• Using the Place Tex t tool settings.

Exercise: Changing text attributes while you work

1 Continuing in text2.dgn , select the Place Text tool.

2 Enable the Width attribute and change it to 3.0 in the Place Text toolsettings.

3 Press Tab to enter the change.

4 Click inside of the text editor window to give it focus.

5 Type Design Drawing and Enter, then type Details for the second line oftext.

Using the text style TNR-1




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Text Styles


6 Place the text in box 2, but do not Reset.

The text placed maintains all of the attributes set for the TNR-1 style exceptfor the Width, which you changed as you worked.

7 Set the Active Angle to 10 and change the Justification to Center Center inthe Place Text tool settings.

Note that the text attached to the pointer has the narrower width, is placedat an angle, and is center justified, but still has all other attributes of TNR-1.

8 Place the text in box 3.

9 Reset to complete.

Copying Text Styles

If you copy your current text style, you can edit just the parameters you wish tochange and save it as another style.

Exercise: Copying one text style to create another1 Continuing in text2.dgn , open the Text Styles dialog box.

2 Highlight the TNR-1 style.

3 Select the Copy icon.

Text placed with a pre-set text style with a change

in the Width attribute. MicroStation allows you tooverride attributes before passing

MicroStation will place seldom usedattributes in an area that can be easily

accessed when needed, such as these

text attributes

The text with the new settings isupdated automatically




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Text Styles


4 Click on the new name Copy of TNR-1 and change it to BLOCK.

5 Click the Vertical attribute in the Advanced tab and click in the Value fieldto enable it.

A check mark appears.

6Change the Font to the font Block Outline .

7 Save the Style as BLOCK by choosing the Save icon

8 Close the Text Styles dialog box.

9 Select Place Text.

10 Select the BLOCK text style in the Place Text tool settings.

11 Set the Active Angle to 0.

12 Click inside of the text editor and enter the word MICROSTATION .

13 Place the text in box number 6.

The text is placed vertically.

Child Text Styles

A “child” text style inherits all attributes of its “parent” text style except for theattributes that are explicitly set differently. For example, both parent and child canhave the same Font , but the child style can be left center justified while the parentis center center. The child text style inherits all other characteristics from the parenttext style

The new BLOCK text style




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15 Text Placement and Modification

MicroStation includes several tools for your use as you place and modify text in a drawing. Inthe previous chapter you used the Place Text and Change Text Attributes tools. This chapter will further explore the Place Text tool, and introduce other tools and methods used to place,modify, and edit text:

• Tools for changing text

• Using text editing tools

• Reserving and filling locations for text

• Additional modification and placement tools

• Text editor styles

Tools for Changing Text

If you had to remove or replace text elements any time an error was made you would spend much unproductive time simply managing text. MicroStation providestext editing tools that allow you to review text and make necessary changes simply

and quickly.

The Edit Text tool

Edit Text , located in the Text tool box, allows you to recall text to make changes.Edit Text also allows you to edit the text’s Height, Width, and Font attributes.

When you select text to be edited, it appears in the text editor. After changing thetext in the editor, enter a data point to place the new text into position.

The Spell Checker

The Spell Checker tool in the Text tool box allows you to check the spelling ofindividual text elements or of multiple text elements located inside of a fence.




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Tools for Changing Text


The Spelling icon in the text editor opens the Spell Checker to let you review textbefore placing it in the design file.

Display Text Attributes

Display Text Attributes displays the attributes of selected text in the status bar. Ifyou select a text string, MicroStation displays the text height, width, active level, font, andstyle. If you select a text node, MicroStation also displays the node number, line length, linespacing, active level, font, and style. The status bar also displays the element type and level.

Match Text Attributes

Match Text Attributes changes the attributes of the active text element to matchthose of an existing text element.

Change Text Attributes

Change Text Attributes changes the attributes of an existing text element. You canchange text individually or in combination.

Copy / Increment Text

Use Copy/Increment Text to copy previously placed text strings that includenumbers. As MicroStation creates each new copy, the number included in the text string isincremented according to the Tag Increment value defined in the Copy and Increment Text tool

settings.




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Using the Text Editing Tools



In the following exercise you will use the editing tools to leverage text that alreadyexists in the SLIC drawing from the previous chapter.

Exercise: Copy and Increment text

1 Open the design file SLIC.dgn .

2 Press F8 if the location markers are not on.

3 Window in on Bldg. 1, on the right side of the drawing.

Other than spot 01, the spots have not yet been numbered. We will use the01 text to continue the numbering process.

4 To facilitate the process, set the Center Snap to be the default.

5 Select the Copy/Increment Text tool.

6 Set the Tag Increment to 1 in the Copy and Increment Text tool settings.

Negative numbers will subtract as they increment.

The status bar prompts you to Identify an element.

7 Identify the 01 text, and accept with a data point.

8 Tentatively snap to the dashed box to the right of it and accept with a datapoint to copy and increment the text.

02 appears centered in the box.

9 Continue to tentatively snap to and accept the other boxes, creating a row

of boxes numbered 01 to 05.10 Reset to clear.

SLIC.dgn from the previous chapter




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11 For better visibility, press F8 to turn off the display of the location markers.

12 Use the same procedure to finish incrementing the other areas as shown.

Since this drawing is being created for use by a client, you will want to be sure thatit contains no misspelled words. The following exercise demonstrates how to usethe Spell Checker.

Exercise: Use the Spell Checker

1 Continuing in SLIC.dgn, select Place Fence from the Main tool box with the

following tool settings:Fence Type : From design file

Fence Mode : Inside

Design: Active

2 Place a data point anywhere in the design to accept the creation of thefence from file.

3 Select the Spell Checker tool from the Text tool box.

4 Enable the Use Fence option in the Spell Checker tool settings.

5 Enter a data point to accept the fence contents.

6 Smitty’s displays in the Not in dictionary list.

Turn off the displayof the location markers

Finish incrementing the

other spots




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7 Scroll down and select Smith’s in the Suggestions list, and click Change .

The Spell checker will move on to the next unrecognized word.

8 Keep clicking the Ignore button until & Foundary is listed as Not indictionary .

9 Select Foundry from the Suggestions list and click Change .

The change is made.

10 Click Cancel to close the Spell Checker.

11 Select Place Fence and enter a data point in the file to dismiss the fence.

To keep your work consistent with other drawings in the project, you must modifythe attributes of some of the text in the file. The project manager has establishedsome text styles to use on this project. For the Business names, you are to use theBusiness Name text style.

Exercise: Use Change Text Attributes to implement text styles

1 Continuing in SLIC.dgn , select the Change Text Attributes tool from the Text tool box.

2 Expand the Change Text Attributes tool settings.

3 Disable all options but the Text Style option tool settings.

4 Select the Business Name style from the Text Style option menu.

Scroll down to Smith’s in the SpellChecker’s Suggestions list

Change Text Attributes tool

settings with Text Style option list

shown




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5 Select the first text string you want to change by clicking on Josten’s .

The font changes to Arial .

6 Change all the rest of the business name, and the Bldg. 1 label to theBusiness Names style, then reset.

You have also been asked to change the map, zone, client, and drawingnumber information in the border area to preset styles.

7 Select the Text Style Map# in the Change Text Attributes tool settings.

8 Select the border text Map 27 with a data point, and then reset.

9 Change Wystien’s to Text Style Client, and then reset.

10 Change Zone 11 to Text Style Zone #, then reset.

11 Change 03-11-27 to Text Style drawing #.

12 Reset.

13 Open the Element > Text Styles dialog box and note that the stylesdrawing#, Zone #, Client and Map# are Child styles of the Border style.

Next, the word Dock is too big and you must change its size to match the size ofthe text fence . You can use the Match Text Attributes tool to correct the textattributes.

Exercise: The Matching Text Attributes tool

1 Continuing in SLIC.dgn , select Match Text Attributes from the Text tool box.

2 Follow the status bar prompts and select the “fence” text element.

3 Place a second data point anywhere to accept.

The active text settings ( Text Style None ) have now been set to match“fence”.

4 Select Change Text Attributes from the Text tool box.

Note that the correct text style appears in the Text Style field.

5 Enable Height and Width in the Change Text attributes tool settings.

These values have also been set correctly, even though they were notenabled in the tool settings.

6 Select and accept each Dock text element.

The size changes.

Sheet border text changed to

preset styles




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7 Reset.

The Change Text Attributes tool let you selectively pick attributes you willchange by enabling and disabling them as desired.

Now you learn that some of the roads on the drawing have names. You must

update the drawing to complete this SLIC page.

Exercise: The Edit Text tool

1 Continuing in SLIC.dgn , press F8 to display the location markers.

2 Select Edit Text .

3 Follow the status bar prompt and select the text at Location 8.

The text element highlights and the text, Road from Location 8, nowappears in the text editor.

4 Remove Road and replace it with Pine St. in the text editor.

5Enter a data point anywhere in the drawing to update the text.

6 Select the text Road at Location 9.

The text element is now highlighted and the text displays in the text editor.

7 Remove Road and replace it with Oak St.

8 Enter a data point anywhere in the drawing to update the text.

The roads are updated with the correct names.

The last step is to place the area label on the map.

Dock text height is changed

Road text edited to street names




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Reserving and Filling Text Locations


Exercise: Place an area label to complete the SLIC

1 Continuing in SLIC.dgn, press F8 to turn off the display of the locationmarkers.


Method : By OriginText Style : Area Label

Active Angle : 0

3 Key Springfield, MO into the text editor, and press Enter to add a return.

4 Key in Zone 11 for the second line.

5 Place this text near the top of the drawing to complete the SLIC.

The following image shows the completed drawing.

Now that you are finished, let’s save the settings.

6 Choose File > Save Settings.

7 File > Close out to the MicroStation Manager.


So far you have placed text directly into a drawing. Sometimes, though, you mayknow that you must eventually place text at a location on the drawing, even thoughyou do not yet know the exact content of the text. MicroStation provides tools thathelp in such situations by giving you a deferred text placement capability.

Area Label t ext style

The completed drawing




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MicroStation offers two advanced element types for holding text, the Text Node andthe Enter_Data Field . Think of these features as empty text holders that you canplace in your drawing now and then fill with text at a later time.

Each text node or data field includes a full set of text attributes when you place it,even if it does not contain any actual text at that time. These text attributes

automatically apply to any text you later enter into the text node or data field.

The Text Node

Use Place Text Node to place a text node in your drawing that initially contains notext. The text node’s origin point is indicated by a text node symbol (+) that isaccompanied by a sequential text node number. You can toggle the display of textnodes on or off in the View Attributes dialog box. The location of the text node’sorigin point relative to the rest of the text node display depends on how thejustification was set in the Text tool settings at the time of Node placement. Twotext node tool options appear in the Place Text Node tool settings.

View Independent lets you place text nodes that will not rotate when the view isrotated.

Active Angle lets you place text node elements at specified angles.

Use the Edit Text tool to enter text into text nodes.

Enter_Data Field

Use the Place Text tool to place an empty enter_data field . When creating theempty portions or “blank spaces” of the enter_data field, enter an underscore ( _ )character (sometimes called an underbar) in place of the missing text characters toreserve the blank spaces. You can fill in the blanks later by using two text tools.Sometimes Enter_Data Field is used to hold places for numbers on a title block, orto detail call-out symbols, etc.

Use Fill In Single Enter_Data Field to select each empty enter_data field and enterthe missing text. Your text displays on the screen showing the underscores unlessyou turn off the data field display in the View Attributes dialog box. You can selectdata fields for text entry even if they do not display.

Auto Fill In Enter_Data Fields is a useful tool when you are working on a largedrawing that includes many enter_data fields and you want assure that you will notskip over or miss addressing one of them when you return to the drawing to entertext into the fields.




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When using Auto Fill In Enter_Data Fields, MicroStation selects each empty enter_data fieldin your view one at a time, and in the order in which they were created. Just enter the text forone data field and the next data field is automatically selected.

Let’s complete a flowchart in to see how these tools work.

Exercise: Setting text node attributes

1 Open flowchart.dgn.

2 Open the View Attributes dialog box ( Settings > View Attributes ) and enablethe Text Nodes check box.

3 Click Apply .

Text Node numbers and symbols appear in the file.

You will place a text node for the a new department into the blankdiamond shape at the middle of the flowchart. The correct text attributesmust be active as you place the node, so they will be correct when theactual text is added. The department titles in this flowchart are the dept textstyle.

4 Open the Text Styles dialog box (Element > Text Styles) to set the active textstyle.

flowchart.dgn




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5 Set the active text style to dept in the Text Styles dialog box by highlightingdept in the list of text styles on the left.

6 Minimize the Text Styles dialog box.

Exercise: Placing a text node

1 Continuing in flowchart.dgn , select Place Text Node with the following toolsettings:

View Independent : Disabled

Active Angle : 0

2 Enter the text node origin by moving the pointer to the center of thediamond containing the Location number 1 and entering a data point.

A text node symbol (+) and the number of the text node are now visible,marking the location of the text node origin point.

Select the dept text style

Entering the text node origin




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Notes:

The new department has been named Health & Safety. Let’s enter this name intothe chart.

Exercise: Filling the empty text node with text elements

1 Continuing in flowchart.dgn , enable the Text Node lock.

2 Select the Edit Text tool.

This will ensure that you only place text into a previously placed text node.

3 Click once on the text node you just placed.

The text editor appears.

4 Enter HEALTH & SAFETY into the text editor on two lines.

5 Enter a data point anywhere in the view.

Health & Safety appears on the text node.

Enabling the text node lock

Enter the words HEALTH &SAFETY into the text editor




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The text node symbol still displays with the text.

6 Return to the View Attributes dialog box, disable the Text Nodes display, andselect Apply . The text node symbol disappears.

7 Dismiss the View Attributes box.

Notes:

Text nodes are useful when you need to defer the placement of an entire string oftext. Sometimes, though, you only need to defer a portion of a text string. This is when enter_data fields are a better choice.

Next you will place enter_data fields into the flowchart to represent departmentbudget codes. You will enter the code numbers later when you receive them from

your client.

Exercise: Placing enter_data fields

1 Continuing in flowchart.dgn, turn the Text Node Lock is off .

2 Open the View Attributes dialog and enable the check box for Data Fields.

3 Click Apply , then close the dialog box.


Method : By Origin

Text Style : code

5 Enter the letters PRD then three underscores then the letters MGR (nospaces) into the text editor. The string should look like this: PRD___MGR.

Your text dynamically moves with the pointer.

6 Move the pointer near Location 2 and enter a data point to place the textcontaining the enter_data field. Try not to interfere with the other items inthe block.

7 Continue to place text for three more enter_data fields as follows:

Enter_Data field




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Location 3, HTH___AID

Location 4, INV___YDS

Location 5, INV___HSE

Suppose now that you have received department budget code numbers. Let’s enter

them into the waiting enter_data fields.

Exercise: Filling enter_data fields

1 Continuing in flowchart.dgn , select Fill in Single Enter-Data Field .

2 Move the pointer to Location 2 and identify the underscores in theenter_data field with one data point.

MicroStation highlights the entire string (text and underscores) and places ahighlighted box around the enter_data field (the underscores that reserve characterspace).

3 Enter 1A1 in the text editor and press Enter.

The text is now visible in the data field. The box surrounding the new dataremains highlighted.

4 Reset.

Exercise: Automatically fill the remaining enter data fields

1 Continuing in flowchart.dgn , select Auto Fill in Enter_Data Fields .

2 Check the status bar.

You are prompted to select a view to complete the procedure in.

Enter_Data fi eld highlighted

Enter 1A1 in the text edi tor and

press Ente r




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3 Enter a data point anywhere in the View to select it.

MicroStation selects and highlights the enter_data field at Location 3 for your dataentry.

4 Enter 1A2 into the text editor and press Enter.

While you were placing text into the enter_data field at Location 10, MicroStationautomatically searched the drawing for, selected, and highlighted the next emptyenter_data field.

5 Continue placing text in the remaining enter_data fields as follows:

Location 4: 1B2

Location 5: 1B3

If necessary, you can re-select enter_data fields that already contain text andoverwrite their contents.

Before we continue: When would you want to use the enter_data field featurevs. the text node tool?

If you were entering text into numerous enter_data fields ,which of the two enter_data field tools would you selectand why?

Other Enter_Data Field tools

Before leaving the subject of enter_data fields , there are a couple of other tools

associated with their care and feeding.

Enter_Data field highlighted




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More Ways to Modify and Place Text Elements


Copy Enter_Data Field

This tool lets you select an enter_data field that you have already filled and copy itscontents into subsequent enter_data fields. This can prove handy when you have apart number or call-out that is used multiple times in a drawing.

Copy Enter_Data Field and Copy and Increment Enter_Data Field will only copyenter_data fields and not regular text elements.

Copy and Increment Enter_Data Field

This tool increments a numeric value contained in an enter_data field and placesthe new value into another enter_data field. This is handy when identifying a seriesof assemblies or sequenced call-outs.

These tools are fun to use and very helpful in producing finished drawings.


Find/Replace Text

This feature lets you search a MicroStation file for (all or portions of) a text string.Once the tool finds the text, you can replace the text with a different text string andthen search for the next occurrence of the string. This lets you make global textupdates or quickly locate a label or number in a complex drawing.

Let’s return to the SLIC drawing to update any labels beginning with lower caseletters to upper case.




8/7/03 15-321



Exercise: Global text editing

1 Open SLIC.dgn .

2 Select Find/Replace Text from the Edit menu.

The Replace Text dialog box appears.

You have been asked to change all occurrences of “gate” and “fence” to“Gate” and “Fence,” respectively.

3 Key gate into the Find field.

4 Press the Find button and MicroStation will show the first occurrence of “gate” inthe file.

You see that this file does contain the labels in lower case. You can to fixthis error.

SLIC.dgn

The Find/Replace Text tool on

MicroStati on’s Edit Menu




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5 Verify that the Change option is set to Replace and key Gate into the With field.

This tool lets us find and replace text. Its Append and Prepend options alsolet us add a text string to the beginning or end of the text strings we searchfor.

6 Enable Match Case and Whole Words and disable all other options. This willfocus the search.

7 Press the Change All button to update the whole file.

8 Next, find fence and use the same procedure to replace it with Fence .

9 Press Find once to verify the change occurred.

10 Fit the View.

11 Press Find again.

12 Fit the View.

Notes:

Import Text

Your workplace may have typists create lengthy engineering notes that relate to adrawing with a word processor. MicroStation can import the ASCII text files generated bypopular word processing program. Select Import > Text from the File menu to bring the text

file into a MicroStation drawing. Let’s pull in a publisher’s note and place it onto our drawing.

If you want to import a whole file into your MicroStation document, the file mustbe saved ASCII or Text format. Most word processing applications let you save filesin these formats. MicroStation V8 lets you copy a section of text from a wordprocessing document and paste it into a MicroStation file.




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Exercise: Importing a text file

1 Continuing in SLIC.dgn , select File > Import > Text .

The Include Text File dialog box appears.

2 Locate the file slic.txt , highlight the file and click OK.

The publisher’s note appears on the pointer.

3 Place the text above the upper left corner of the sheet.

You must change the note’s justification to Left Bottom .

4 Select Change Text Attributes from the Text tool box. and expand the toolsettings.

5 Disable all attributes and enable Justification .

6 Click on the publisher’s note.

Locate the file slic.txt




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The note’s justification changes.

7 Use the Move tool to move the note to align with the drawing’s left border.

8 Reset.

The Place Note tool

Many drawings require some form of annotation. Previously you may have used atext tool to place the note’s text component and then the Place Line tool to createthe leader. MicroStation’s Place Note tool lets you place both the text and the leader in a singleoperation.

Place Note places a dimension element in the design file, so dimension attributescontribute to the tool’s operation. We will cover dimensions and their attributes in alater chapter of this book so the dimension settings will not be covered in too muchdepth now.

Your SLIC drawing includes several tracks that continue to the next page of thecatalog. You want to annotate this continuation. Let’s use the Place Note tool to doso.

Exercise: Placing notes

1 Continuing in SLIC.dgn, select Place Note from the Text tool box.

2 Use the downward arrow to expand these tool settings and set thefollowing:

Generate Leader: Enabled

Height and Width : .06

3 Click inside of the text editor to give it focus.

4 Key in To Wystien.

The expanded Place Note tool

settings Note that Text Styles and

Dimension styles can be applied




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5 Place a note pointing to the continuing end of siding 0250 by entering adata point and then dragging the leader line and note to a suitable location.

Notes:


7 Key To Josten’s into the text editor.

8 Place a note pointing to the continuing end of siding 0330.

9 Choose File > Save Settings .

10 File > Close.

The Place Note tool uses Dimension settings to help

define certain attributes

Here, the leader line and arrow head attributes are

determined by Dimension settings

Another annotation placed with

the Place Note tool

The completed SLIC bookwith text, notes, and

imported text




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Different Styles of Text Editor


Different Styles of Text Editor

MicroStation provides different styles of text editor. The default in MicroStation V8.1is the Word Processor text editor. However, you may change this to a different style.

To change the text editor preference:

1 Select Preferences from the Workspace menu.

2 Select the Text Category.

3 Change the Text Editor Style from Word Processor to the desired style.

4 Select OK.

Changing this preferencewill change the text editor

to a different type




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16 Modifying Elements

One of the benefits of computer aided design is the ability to quickly modify data. The Modify Element tool in MicroStation is one of the best examples of this. However, thereare other tools that are quite impressive. This lesson will introduce some of the modificationtools including:

• Modify Element

• Partial Delete

• Trim Elements

• Extend

• IntelliTrim

• Construct Circular Fillet

• Construct Chamfer

The Element Modifiers

The tools for modifying graphic elements in MicroStation tools are located in the Modify tool box.

The Modify toolbox opened fromthe Modify element tool in the

Main tool frame




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Modify Element

This tool can be used to do the following:

Move a vertex or segment of a line, line string, multi-line, curve, B-spline controlpolygon, shape, complex chain, or complex shape.

Scale a block about the opposite vertex.

Modify rounded segments of complex chains and complex shapes created with thePlace SmartLine tool while preserving their tangency.

Change rounded segments of complex chains and complex shapes to sharp and vice-versa.

Scale a circular arc while maintaining its sweep angle.

Change a circle's radius or the length of one axis of an ellipse.

Move dimension text or modify the extension line length of a dimension element.

Modify Element changes an element’s coordinate values (spatial attributes). As yousee, it can perform many types of changes. The type of change made depends onthe type of element you select. This table summarizes these changes (with theSmartLine Modification option enabled) for the most common types of elements.

Once identified, the element can then be dynamically modified as described.

Element Effect (with SmartLine Modifications Enabled)

Line Nearest endpoint can be relocated to a new location.

Line string Nearest vertex can re relocated.

Circle/Arc Diameter/radius can be changed.

Shape Vertex Position of corner vertex along with adjacent elements can be changed.

Shape Line Position of line along with adjacent elements can be changed.




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The SmartLine Modifications

When you select Modify Element , the tool settings display an arrow in the lowerright corner which, when selected, displays the SmartLine Modification Settings .

These settings are:

• Enable SmartLine Modifications (by default this is On)

• Enable segment selection (by default this is On)

• Minimize number of linear elements

• Convert selected round or chamfer to segment

• Vertex Settings: From Element to Last Used

Enable SmartLine Modifications

If you disable this setting, Modify Element will only permit relocating the vertex. Ifthis setting is disabled, the rest of the settings in the Modify Element tool settingsbecome inaccessible (grayed out), as these settings pertain only to SmartLine stylemodifications.

Enable Segment Selection

Lets Modify Element select and manipulate a linear element either by segment (two vertices) or by a single vertex.

Minimize Number of Linear Elements

Instructs Modify Element to either reduce the number of component elements in acomplex chain or shape, or leave the elements uncompacted.

Convert Selected Round or Chamfer To Segment

Instructs Modify Element to convert a selected rounded or chamfered vertex to anarc or linear segment so that it can be modified. This only applies to the selectedround or chamfer, and not to the whole chain or shape. After the modification, thecomponent will not be treated as a round or chamfer.

SmartLine settings




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Vertex Settings: From Element or Last Used

Instructs Modify Element to use the element’s settings or the last used settings todetermine whether the vertex being modified is to be treated as a shape, rounded,or chamfered, and what is its radius or chamfer offset.

Partial Delete

Use Partial Delete to remove unwanted portions of an element. This tool’soperation varies slightly with the type of element selected. The table explains thedifferences.

Do not use Partial Delete to remove ends of elements. Unnoticeable small elementsegments may result when you use Partial Delete in this manner. The preferredtools for such a change are Extend or Trim Elements , the next two tools discussed.

Trim Elements

Use Trim Elements , like Partial Delete, to remove unwanted portions of elements ina drawing. Trim Element uses a separate element to act as a blade to perform the

cut. Trim Element trims the targeted elements to the intersection between thecutting element and the target element.

Extend

Similar in concept to the Trim Elements tool, Extend lets you adjust a linearelement’s endpoint dynamically. It does this while maintaining the element’sdirection, and you can use it to extend as well as shorten the length of the segment.

Extend Element lets you explicitly enter a distance value to extend the selected

element. Entering a negative value results in a trim operation while a positivenumber extends the segment.

Use Procedure

On LinearElements

The first data point identifies both the element and the start point forpartial delete, while the second data point identifies the endpoint ofpartial delete.

On Shape

Elements

The first data point identifies both the element and the start point for

partial delete, the second data point establishes a direction for partialdelete, and the third data point identifies the endpoint of partial delete.




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Before we continue: What sets Delete Element apart from the othermodification tools?

When using Partial Delete on a shape, how does itsoperation differ from using the tool on a line?

Use modification tools to modify a floor plan

In these exercises, a simple floor plan of a house is presented, containing a varietyof elements representing furniture. As part of these exercises, you will use theelement modification tools to change the house’s contents.

Exercise: Using Modify Element

1 Open house.dgn.

Let’s reduce the size of the coffee table using Modify Element .

The subject of the next several lessons. Youwill be rearranging the furniture andmaking some changes to the contents of

this drawing




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2 Make sure the Active Snap Mode is Keypoint

Remember, one way to change the active snap mode to Keypoint is to holddown the shift key while choosing Keypoint from the status bar’s Active

Snap menu.

3 Select Modify Element .

The Modify Element tool settings appear.

4 Identify the green coffee table shape with a data point at location 9.

MicroStation highlights the block shape.

5 Move the pointer to Location 10 and enter a data point to set the new size.

6 Reset.

Because the Orthogonal check box was checked in the tool settings, bothpoints defining the line at the top of the table move.

Set the active snap to

Keypoint

Modify coffee table




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7 Identify the coffee table at Location 11 and set its new corner at Location 12.

8 Reset.

Because the identified element is a block shape (and Orthogonal ischecked), Modify Element maintains the block’s original shape (i.e., 90degree orientation).

During the next exercise, you will create a four foot wide entry way from the livingroom onto the patio. To do this, you will use Partial Delete on the living room wall.

Exercise: Making an entry way with Partial Delete

1 Continuing in house.dgn , start AccuDraw if it is not already enabled.

2 Select Partial Delete .

3 Change the snap mode to Nearest .

4 Select the start point for the partial delete by identifying the living room wall at Location 13 with a data point.

5 Move the pointer to the left (towards Location 14).

MicroStation responds by dynamically showing the space you are making in theselected element.

6 Key in 4 (this will automatically appear in the AccuDraw window).7 Enter a data point to accept.

When working on a shape, you need an additional data point to identify theportion of the element you wish to remove. Let’s try this on the hexagonal table

Modifying the cof fee table once again

Delete part of the living room wall




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near the living room wall you just modified. In this exercise, you will remove partof the table on each side.

Disable AccuDraw for this next exercise so you will be able to see the tool’s actionmore clearly.

Exercise: Partially deleting the table shape

1 Continuing in house.dgn , select Partial Delete .

2 Select the hexagonal shape at Location 15 as the start point.

MicroStation highlights the shape. The status bar prompts for the direction of thepartial delete

3 To indicate the direction of the partial delete, move the pointer just belowthe first data point (to Location 16) and enter a data point.

4 To indicate the end point of the partial delete, move the pointer furtherdown to Location 17 and enter a third data point.

The important concept to remember here is the “from-through-to” rule. When you partially delete a closed object, MicroStation erases that component thatgoes “from” your first data point, “through” your second data point and “to” thethird data point. This establishes the portion of the shape you wish to delete. As youmove the pointer, the portions of the shape that pass through this second data point

are erased.

5 Repeat the partial delete for the right half of the table.

Because you “cut” the shape in the last exercise, the remaining partial delete onlyrequires two data points (one above, one below the text string). This is because theelement has not been considered a shape since you performed the first partialdelete. At that point it became a Line String.

During the next exercise, you will use Trim Elements to trim the door swing of thefront door (an arc) so it stops at the front wall.

Exercise: Trimming an element1 Continuing in house.dgn , select Trim Element .

First, you identify the cutting element.

Partial delete shape




8/7/03 16-335



2 In this case, identify the line representing the front wall of the building(Location 18), with a data point.

MicroStation highlights the wall.

Next you identify the element to trim.

3 Enter a data point on the arc that represents the door swing. Always selectthis point on the portion of the element you wish to eliminate (here, at

Location 19).

MicroStation shows the arc as it will appear when you accept.

4 Enter a data point to accept the change.

If you enter the second data point with the pointer inside of the circle atLocation 18, instead of on the unwanted portion of the arc at Location 19,the line of the threshold within the circle will disappear.

Trimming Methods

You can also trim an element by using two cutting elements simultaneously. Toillustrate this, you will use the Trim Element tool to finish the throw rug locatednext to the coffee table you modified earlier.

In this exercise, the intent is to take the elements that comprise the rough “sketch”of the throw rug (image on the left) and modify them to make the finished border

The door swing before

The door swing after Trim




8/7/03 16-336



of the rug (image on the right). This is best accomplished by using the ElementSelection tool in combination with the Trim Elements tool.

Exercise: Trimming multiple elements with one cutting element

1 Continuing in house.dgn , select the Trim Element tool.

2 Enter a data point on the inner rectangle of the rug at Location 20. Enteranother data point to accept.

This is the cutting element you will use.

3 Identify the one of the diagonal lines that comprise the center of the rug(Location 21).

Be sure to identify the line near its end point as this is the portion you wantto erase.

4 Enter a data point on the next diagonal element which is overlapping thecutting element to accept the first element trim and to trim this secondelement.

Throw rug before and after

Trim Element

Throw rug before using Trim

Element

Identify the part of the diagonallines which are outside of thecutting rectangle




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5 Move to Location 22 and click a data point on each of these elements inturn (outside of the cutting element) to trim them.

6 Move to the last untidy corner and trim these lines with successive datapoints.

7 After the end of the last line disappears, one last data point accepts that trimand ends the operation.

The previous steps leave you a clean appearance at the corners. However, youmust open the ends of the “X.” This can be done by reversing the previous processand choosing four cutting elements (the four diagonal lines) then identifying therectangular shape.

Exercise: Trimming one element with multiple cutting elements

1 Continuing in house.dgn , select the Element Selection tool.

2 Holding down the Ctrl key, identify each of the four diagonal lines with adata point.

The selection set is identified by the highlighted lines. These will become

your cutting elements.3 Select Trim Element .

4 Identify the inside rectangle at one of its corners (Location 22).

Trim Elements erases the portion of the chosen corner bordered by thediagonal lines.

The lines outside the center of

the rug are trimmed

The inside rectangle is openedbetween the two cutting elements




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5 Continue selecting the rectangle’s corners until all are cleaned up.

This results in a pleasant pattern using a minimum number of mouse clicks.

6 To add a special touch, use the combination of the Element Selection tooland the Trim Element tool to neaten the center of the “X” portion of the rugpattern.

The Extend tool

Trim Elements is very effective in shortening an element. There are times, however, when you may want to extend an element. For this, you need to use the Extend tool.

During this exercise, you will extend one of the walls in the floor plan beyond itscurrent endpoint. Look at the floor plan and note the short stub wall between thekitchen area and the sitting area (where chairs 1 and 2 were located). To maintainsymmetry you must extend the right side wall to match the left stub wall.

Exercise: Use the Extend too to extend a wall

1 Continuing in house.dgn, select the Extend tool

2 Identify the element to be extended by selecting the wall at Location 23 with a data point.

Be sure to identify the wall closest to the end you want to extend. MicroStationresponds by dynamically stretching or shrinking the chosen element as you move thepointer.

All four corners cleaned up

Extend Element tool tolengthen line




8/7/03 16-339



3 Move the pointer to Location 24 to extend the wall about the same length asthe left side kitchen wall (just above and right of the dining room table andchairs).

4 Enter a data point to accept the wall’s location.

Your floor plan should now look similar to this example.

As an alternative to estimating the length, you can specify the exact the length ofthe extension by enabling the Distance option in the tool settings and entering aprecise distance to extend or shorten. When you shorten an element by a setdistance, remember to place a negative sign in front of the distance value.

The Extend tool can be used on linear element types (lines, line strings or multi-lines), and it can also be used on arcs.

IntelliTrim

IntelliTrim lets you trim or extend one or more elements to the intersection of oneor more identified elements in one, single, operation. In addition, you can change

Result of using Extend Element

tool to lengthen line

Example of thecompleted exercise




8/7/03 16-340



which portion of the targeted element gets trimmed before accepting the trimoperation. You can do all this with a minimal number of mouse clicks.

The cutting element

A fundamental IntelliTrim concept is the use of the cutting element, similar to the Trim Element tool. This includes one or more elements that, when selected,become the trim or extend limits of the elements being trimmed. You can use eitheropen or closed elements as cutting elements. When you select a closed element,you have the option to adjust what portion of the element to be operated on isdeleted.

Quick and Advanced modes

IntelliTrim works in one of two distinct modes: Quick and Advanced . In the Quick mode, you can quickly identify a single cutting element followed by a selection ofelements to be trimmed. The selection method used is similar to the

PowerSelector’s Line method of selecting elements where you identify elements bydragging a line across some portion of the desired elements.

Exercise: Trim and extend using Quick mode

1 Open airplane.dgn.

Select IntelliTrim with the following tool settings:

Mode : Quick

Operation : Trim

2 Move the pointer over the lower green horizontal line (the bottom of thefuselage) and when it highlights, accept it with a data point.

This is the cutting element you will trim to.

Airplane.dgn is the

subject of the next several

exercises




8/7/03 16-341



3 Enter a data point to the left of the two vertical yellow line, below thecutting element, and move the end of the selection line across the left two vertical yellow lines with a data point.

The yellow lines trim back to the cutting element.

The portion to be cut is the place to select. If you had selected the linesabove the cutting element, the top portion would have been cut.

4 Repeat for the other two yellow lines, then reset.

5 Change the Operation to Extend in the tool settings.

6 Select the top green angled line as your cutting element.

7 By dragging the selection line across them, select the right two yellow vertical lines

8 Reset.

The lines now extend to the top green line.

The third operation is Cut , which lets you draw a line across any elements in the

design file. Elements crossing this imaginary cut line will be divided into two ormore elements along the cut line.

Use this operation with care because it literally cuts in half any element you cross with the cut line.

Advanced mode

Instead of a single cutting element, the advanced mode allows you to choosemultiple elements for both the cutting elements and the elements that will beoperated upon. You can choose which order you wish to identify the elements in.In addition, this mode works in conjunction with an active selection set so you can

preselect the elements to either be trimmed or to be the cutting elements.

Once you have identified the cutting elements and the elements which will beoperated upon, you can fine-tune the final results by placing strategic data pointson the portions of individual elements you wish to keep after the elements aretrimmed.

Top green angled line

becomes the cutting element




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Airplane.dgn includes several diagonal and vertical lines that were created usingCopy Parallel to generate braces in the fuselage. The problem is that they don’tterminate properly with other elements in the design. Let’s use the IntelliTrim andits Advanced mode to correct this situation.

Optional Exercise: Trimming elements using the Advanced mode

1 Continuing in airplane.dgn , select PowerSelector .

2 Use the Line option to select the red vertical and diagonal lines (crossbraces) in the drawing.

3 Select IntelliTrim .

The mode automatically changes to Advanced whenever a selection set ispresent.

4 Set the following tool settings:

Operation : Trim

Select Cutting Elements : Enabled (This indicates what you will select withthe next action.)

Selection Set : Elements to Trim (This indicates how the set, alreadyselected, will be used.)

Next you will select the cutting element.

5 With a data point, identify the top AND bottom green lines as cuttingelements.

The locations of the cuts are indicated with a heavy line.

6 Reset to complete the step of selecting cutting elements.

The interior lines have partially disappeared. The next steps will bring themback.

Advanced IntelliTrim tool

settings

Top and Bottom green lines




8/7/03 16-343



The status bar prompts Enter points near portions to keep, reset to completecommand .

7 Place a data point in the interior area of the plane near where the crossbraces should be.

The cross braces near the data point will appear, trimmed to the cutting

line.

8 Place another data point near other unseen cross braces.

The cross braces near the data point will appear, trimmed to the cuttingline.

9 Once you see all of the cross braces, reset to complete the command.

All of the cross brace lines are now properly trimmed to the edge of thefuselage.

If you look closely at the airplane design, you’ll note there are lines runningthrough the location of the wing. You can correct these easily with IntelliTrim .

Optional Exercise: Clear out the wing root area using IntelliTrim

1 Continuing in airplane.dgn , use the PowerSelector to identify the crossbrace lines again (the yellow lines) within the wing.

2 Select IntelliTrim .

3 Select the orange wing root brace.

The thick lines appear where the cuts will be.

4 Reset.

If you inadvertently select the green wing shape, select Undo last data point from the Edit menu and try again.

The interior portion of the yellow lines are highlighted in the wing and theportions outside the wing have disappeared.

The status bar reads Enter points near portions to keep, reset to completecommand.

5 Enter a data point inside the wing

6 Reset to complete the step.

Cross braces




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If you don’t complete steps 6 and 7, the original yellow lines will return.

You can continue to clean up this design using any combination of the Quick and Advanced modes. Try fixing up the tail and nose sections in a similar manner to thesteps just completed.

Note how you have full control over the selection process for both the cuttingelements and the elements you need trimmed. This tool has been designed tominimize unnecessary data points by eliminating the data point to accept/reject inmost instances.

Construct Circular Fillet

Use Construct Circular Fillet to place a tangent radius between two elements. Youspecify a truncation option and a fillet radius in the tool settings. The fillet createduses the currently active symbology. You can place fillets between arcs and circlesas well as between lines.

There are three possible truncation scenarios:

• Both, which means both elements truncate

• None, in which case neither element truncates

• First, only the first element truncates

Construct Chamfer

Construct Chamfer places a straight line element between two elements creating a

beveled edge. The chamfer is defined by specifying two distances. These distanceslocate the end points of the new beveled edge element, relative to the intersectionpoint of the two modified lines.The chamfer created utilizes the current activesymbology.

Notes:




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Before we continue: Describe the three Truncate options for Place Fillet.

What two values are entered when using Place Chamfer?

How do these values relate to the selected elements?

Adding Fillets and Chamfers

The object in this drawing is in need of a few finishing touches. Let’s add a fewfillets and chamfers to complete the drawing.

Exercise: Constructing circular fillets

1 Open circ_fillet.dgn.

Notes:

2 Select the Construct Circular Fillet tool with the following tool settings:

Radius: 0.1875

Truncate: Both

3 Change the Color to green (2) in the Attributes tool bar.

The Fillet and Chamfer exercisecompleted

Circular Fillet tool settings




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10 Select the first and second line segments by entering data points atLocations 5 and 6.


In this instance, MicroStation constructs the fillet and performs no truncationat all.

Now you will place a chamfer on the stock bracket.

Constructing a Chamfer1 Continuing in circ_fillet.dgn , select Construct Chamfer with the following

tool settings:

Distance 1: 0.1875

Distance 2: 0.375

Distance 1 chamfer value applies to the first selected chamfer segment andthe Distance 2 value applies to the second selected chamfer segment.

Let’s place a chamfer in the upper right bracket area.

2 Select the first and second chamfer segments by entering data points at

Locations 7 and 8 respectively.

MicroStation highlights the lines and replaces the sharp corner with abeveled one.

3 Enter a data point to accept the construction.

Location 5 and 6 Neither element

is modified but a fillet is placed in

between

Construction chamfer toolsettings

Location 7 and 8 chamfered




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CLEAN UP THE ROADWAY INTERSECTION (plt_fillet.dgn)

1 Use Construct Circular Fillet and Construct Chamfer to complete the roadway intersection.

Chamfer 20, 20

R 50

R 25

R 8

R 30

R 20

R 2




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COMPLETE THE MOUNTING PLATE DRAWING (plt_mod.dgn)

1 Trim and extend the necessary elements to complete the drawing of the inner part profile.

2 Use Partial Delete, Extend Element, and Modify Element .

3 The finished part appears on the right.




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17 Working with Cells

As project drawings are created, you often have to place multiple instances ofspecific symbols into these drawings. For example, you may want to place severalsection call-out symbols, plumbing fixtures, furniture items, valves, or even drawingsheet borders. MicroStation allows you to store such symbols and recall them asyou need them. These symbols are called Cells and MicroStation stores them in celllibraries.

This lesson will introduce the following tools and methods used when working

with cells:

• Inserting cells into a drawing

• Creating cells

• Manipulating cells

Inserting Cells Into a Drawing

You insert cells into a drawing in much the same way as you insert other MicroStation

elements. You can specify a size (scale) and rotation angle for the insertion. To place a cellinto a drawing, you must:

• Attach a cell library

• Select a cell

• Make the cell active

• Select a cell placement tool

• Adjust the scale and rotation of the cell as needed

• Identify a location for the cell

Since cells are an integral part of designing with MicroStation, many companiesdesign applications that automate many of these steps and make using cells evenmore efficient.

Let’s walk through an example of placing cells into a drawing. In the next severalexercises you will use cells to help you design the layout of a computer operations




8/7/03 17-351



The Attach Cell Library dialog box appears.

4 Locate and select the cell library file named cells.cel in the class directory.

5 Click OK.

Notes:

You have attached the cell library to your design file. Now you can use any of thecells stored in this library to place in the drawing.

Exercise: Placing a cell

1 Continuing in Operations.dgn , select the cell named CHAIR1 from the list ofcells in the Cell Library dialog box.

A preview of the selected cell appears.

2 Select the Placement button at the bottom of the Cell Library dialog box.

This makes the selected cell active.

Locate and attach the cell

library cells.cel




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3 Minimize the Cell Library dialog box to move it out of the way of yourdrawing.

4 Select Place Active Cell from the Main tool frame.

Set the following tool settings:

Active Angle : 90

X and Y Scale : 1

You can access the Cell Library dialog box from the magnifying glass icon inthe Place Active Cell tool settings.

5 AccuSnap to the center of the circle at Location 1 and enter a data point toplace the chair.

6 Set the Active Angle to 270 in the Place Active Cell tool settings, so the chairfaces the other side of the room.

The Place Cell tool in the

Main tool frame

CHAIR1 placed at the

center of the location circle




8/7/03 17-353



7 Enter a data point to place a chair at Location 2.

8 Reset.

Notes:

Scaling Cells

When you place a cell into a drawing, the cell’s size may not be appropriate for thatdrawing. However, when placing a cell you can use one of two methods to alterthe cell’s size and rotation to make it fit. You can do this either by entering scalefactors and an angle value in the tool settings or by choosing relative points.

Let’s place a threshold in the doorway at the lower left corner of the OperationsRoom. The threshold cell in the library was created 2’ long and 1” wide. Thedoorway is bigger than this. By using the Interactive method for choosing points

you can stretch the threshold while you place it.

Exercise: Placing a door cell interactively

1 Continuing in Operations.dgn , select Place Active Cell .

2 Select the Magnifying Glass icon in the Place Active Cell tool settings andopen the Cell Library dialog box.

3 Select threshold from the list of cells.

4 Select the Placement option button to activate the cell.

The name of the active cell is indicated next to the Placement button.

5 Minimize the Cell Library dialog box.6 Change the Active Angle to 0 in the Place Active Cell tool settings.

CHAIR1 placed at the centerof the location circle




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7 Select the down arrow on the right side of the tool settings and enable theInteractive option.

Watch the status bar. The status bar prompts for the Cell Origin . The cell was created with its origin at the lower left corner.

8 AccuSnap to and then enter a data point at the lower left side of thedoorway at Location 3.

The status bar prompts Enter Scale or Corner Point .

9 To enter the corner point, AccuSnap to the upper right side of the doorwayat Location 5.

Next, the status bar prompts for a Rotation Angle or Point. As you move thepointer, the threshold rotates about its origin.

10 AccuSnap to the lower right side of the doorway at Location 4 and enter adata point to establish the rotation of the threshold.

11 Reset.

Placing cells containing Enter_Data Fields

Let’s try another way to place cells in a drawing. This time the cells containenter_data fields to allow you to later enter part numbers, or identification numbersfor component parts of an assembled system.

Down arrow to access more option

Interactive option

Origin at lower left side of

opening

Corner Point at upper right sideof opening

Rotation Point at lower left

side of opening




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Exercise: Adding parts with identification labels

1 Open IDLabels.dgn .

Notes:

2 Press F8 to display the location labels needed for this exercise.

3 Select Cells from the Element menu to open the Cell Library dialog box.

4 Attach the cell library pni.cel .

5 Select the cell IDVALV .

6 Select the Placement button to make IDVALV the active cell.

Cell Library dialog box with

library pni.cel attached




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7 Select Place Active Cell from the Main tool frame with the following toolsettings:

Active Angle : 0

X and Y Scale : 1.5Relative : Disabled

Interactive : Disabled

8 Place the IDVALV cell at Locations 1, 2 and 3.

9 Reset.

To enter the data into the fields contained within the cells, you will use Fill inSingle Enter_Data Field from the Text tool box. If Data Fields are not enabled in theView Attributes dialog box, enable them now.

Exercise: Entering valve identifier data within a cell

1 Continuing in Operations.dgn, select Fill in Single Enter_Data Field from theText tool box.

The text editor appears.

2 Identify the enter_data field in the cell above Location 1.

3 Type CV-17 into the text editor and press Enter.

IDVALV

Enter_Data field




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5 Type CV-16 and press Enter.


7 Type CV-15 and press Enter.

The data fields within these valve cells have been populated.

True Scale

When placing a cell that was created in a model that used different units than theactive model, (for example, a converted MicroStation J cell library) you can “softscale” the cell to adjust it to the units and unit type of the active model. To enablethese adjustments, turn on the Place Active Cell setting True Scale.

Placing cells relative to levels

When placing a cell, you can assign it to a level in more than one way. The Place Active Cell tool settings includes a Relative option. This determines how the cell isassigned to a drawing level.

Identify the enter_data field inthe cell above Location 2

True Scale option enabled in thePlace Active Cell tool settings




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Types of cells


If the Relative option is disabled, MicroStation places the cell on the same levels on which it was created. For instance, if a cell is created with elements from levels 17,18 and 23, then the cell is placed on those levels.

If Relative is enabled, the cell is placed on levels relative to the Active Level . If the Active Level is 6, then the same cell is placed on levels 6, 7 and 12.

If one of the new levels does not exist, the cell will not be placed.

Other cell placement methods

Cell matrix

The Cells tool box includes several tools for placing cells into a drawing. You donot have to place cells one at a time. Place Active Cell Matrix is a convenient way toplace multiple copies of a cell at evenly spaced intervals in rows and columns.

Place Active Line Terminator

MicroStation provides an easy way to place a cell at the end of an element. The tool places thecell at the end of the chosen element and it also rotates the cell to match the angle of theelement. Do this by using Place Active Line Terminator to place the cell as a “line terminator.” When using this tool, you just need to select the element to terminate. MicroStation does therest. The appropriately rotated cell is placed at the end of the element by its defined origin.

Types of cells

MicroStation includes two major types of cells.

First, there are graphic cells like the CHAIR1 and threshold cells you saw inprevious exercises. These are stored with symbology settings. A graphic cell isalways placed with its original attributes. In addition, you can snap to any elementin the cell once it has been placed.

A point cell takes on the symbology that is active when the cell is placed. For

example, if color 53 is the active color when you place the cell, the cell takes oncolor 53, as well as the currently active line style, weight, and level. A point cell,includes only one point that you can snap to and that is the cell’s origin. Forexample, terminators are point cells. You will use terminators later in the chapter.




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Creating cells


Notes:

Active Points

MicroStation includes a feature called an Active Point , which can be a character, a zero-lengthline, or as just described, a cell.

The Cell Library dialog box includes a button labeled Point. When you choose acell and then click Point , that cell becomes the element that is placed with thePlace Active Point tool, which is found on the Main tool frame.

Creating cells

The previous exercises used pre-existing cell libraries containing already definedcells. In the real world, you will be called upon to create cells, and then use themin your project work. Creating a cell includes five steps:

• Attach a cell library or create a new cell library

• Draw the elements that will comprise the cell

• Select the elements to be included in the cell

• Define the cell origin

• Create the cell

The Place Active Point tool in the Main tool frame




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Creating cells


Notes:

In the next exercise, you will create cells that include information from existingdrawing features. You will also create a new cell library to store these cells.Creating a new cell library is very similar to creating a new design file.

Notes:

Exercise: Creating a cell library file

1 Open Operations.dgn .

2 Press F8 to turn off the display of the location markers.

3 Open the Cell Library dialog box ( Element > Cells ), or select the magnifyingglass icon in the Place Active Cell tool settings.

4 Select New from the File menu in the Cell Library dialog box.

The Create Cell Library dialog box displays.

5 Navigate to a directory where you want to create the cell library.

6 Enter newcells in the Files field.

7 Select OK to create the cell library.

A .cel extension is appended to the file name and the cell library filenewcells.cel is created. The cell library is automatically attached to yourcurrent design file.

Naming the new

cell library




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Creating cells


Exercise: Creating a cell

1 Continuing in Operations.dgn , use Element Selection to select all of theelements that make up the E Size Plotter, except for the text.

Notes:

Once you select the elements, you must select a location where this cell willappear relative to the pointer at placement time. Remember, this is the cell’sorigin .

2 Select Define Cell Origin from the Cells tool box.

3 AccuSnap to the midpoint of the bottom edge of the plotter and enter a datapoint to define the origin.

4 Reset.

A + symbol appears at the point chosen as the origin.

Each data point you place shifts the origin. Resetting ends the origin

placement command.5 Open the Cell Library dialog box, if it is not already open.

6 Select the Create button in the Cell Library dialog box.

The Create New Cell dialog box appears on the screen.

The E Size plotter

Cell Origin




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Shared cells


7 Type plotter into the Name field and press Tab.

8 Enter Graphic Plotter in the Description field and press Tab.

9 Select the Create button in the Create New Cell dialog box.

The dialog box closes and the plotter cell is added to the cell library.

Optional Exercise: Create three computer cells

1 Continuing in Operations.dgn , follow the same steps you used to create the plotter cell to create three more cells named Terminal , PC, and Printer .

Select the computer hardware symbols labeled SysOp#4, Ed’s PC, and

Desktop Printers, respectively, for these cells. Don’t include the elements ofthe tables on which the hardware rests. Create the PC cell so it is aligned with one of the axes. Include only one of the two printers in the cellPrinter .

Shared cells

A cell that shares information with other occurrences of the same cell in a designfile is called a shared cell . When placing a cell, you can place it as a shared cell oras a normal cell by enabling or disabling the Use Shared Cells check box in the Cell

Library dialog box. An advantage to using shared cells is that you can update alloccurrences of the cell in the drawing collectively. Shared cells also help minimizethe size of the design file by sharing information instead of having each cell containa complete set of information, which is the case with normal cells.

Creating the new plotter cell




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Shared cells


Notes:

Before we continue: Where are cells stored?

What are some of the benefits of using cells?

How many cell libraries can you have attached to yourdrawing at one time?

Exercise: Creating a column cell

1 Open Columngrid.dgn .

2 Press F8 to see the location labels needed for this exercise.

3 Open the Cell Library dialog box.

4 Create a new cell library named Coltemp.

5 Select Place Fence .

The design file

Columngrid.dgn




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Shared cells


6 Place a fence around the column symbol shown next to Location 1 (don’tinclude the numeral 1).

7 Select Define Cell Origin .

8 Define the cell origin at the center of this column symbol.

Be sure to define the cell origin at the exact center of the object.

9 Select Create in the Cell Library dialog box and enter the following in theCreate New Cell dialog box:

Name : column1

Description : 1x1 support column

Type : Graphic

10 Select Create .

Exercise: Placing column cells using a matrix

1 Continuing in Columngrid.dgn, activate the Column1 cell by selectingPlacement in the Cell Library dialog box.

2 To see the whole design file, select the Fit View view control for View 1.

3 Select Place Active Cell Matrix from the Cells tool box with the followingtool settings:

Rows : 3

Columns : 4

Row Spacing : 20

Column Spacing : 20

The Fence around the column

Set the Origin at center of the column

Create the column1 cell




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Replacing cells in a drawing


4 AccuSnap to the intersection at Location 4 to place the cell matrix.

The active cell repeats at even intervals, creating the desired cell matrix.


Replace Cells is designed to replace single or multiple cells in a design file, or toupdate cells in a design file with cells from the active cell library which have the

same name.

Notes:

Method: Sets the method for replacing or updating cells.

Columns placed in a matrix

Location 4

Expanded Replace Cells tool setting s




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Update - replaces the identified cell with the cell of the same name from theactive cell library. This is the same method used by the Replace Cell (singular)tool.

Replace - replaces single or multiple cells by identifying the cell and thenidentifying its replacement cell.

Mode : Sets the method by which cells are replaced, when Method is set to Replace .

Single - replaces individual cells.

Global - replaces all cells of the same name with the replacement cell.

Use Active Cell : When Method is set to Replace and Active Cell is enabled, selectedcells are replaced with the Active Cell entered in the text field.

All user data (such as tags and database attributes) associated with a cell arereplaced by the new cell’s user data, when enabled and when Method is set toReplace .

Use Fence : Sets the method by which fence contents are manipulated.

Inside - if Mode is set to Single , all cells inside the fence are replaced. If Mode isset to Global, all cells inside the fence, as well as cells outside the fence withthe same name as those inside the fence, are replaced.

Overlap - if Mode is set to Single , all cells inside and overlapping the fence arereplaced. If Mode is set to Global , all cells inside and overlapping the fence, arereplaced.

Void - if Mode is set to Single , all cells outside the fence are replaced. If Mode isset to Global, all cells outside the fence, as well as cells inside the fence withthe same name as those outside the fence, are replaced.

Void Overlap - if Mode is set to Single , all cells outside and overlapping thefence are replaced. If Mode is set to Global , all cells outside and overlapping thefence, as well as cells inside the fence with the same name as those outside andoverlapping the fence, are replaced.

The columns you created and placed earlier are not quite right for the design of thisbuilding. In the next exercise, you will replace some of the existing columns withcolumns from a different cell library.

Exercise: Replacing columns

First, you will attach the cell library that contains the new replacement

column cells.

1 Continuing in the design file Columngrid.dgn, open the Cell Library dialogbox.

2 In the Cell Library dialog box, go to File > Attach and select Columns.cel from the list.




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3 Select each of the cells to view the graphic picture.


Now, you will place one of each of the column cells to be used for thereplacing steps.

5Choose Place Active Cell with the following tool settings: Active Cell : col2conc

Active Angle : 0

X and Y Scale : 1

Relative : Disabled

Interactive : Disabled

6 Place a data point next to Location 2 to place the square concrete column.

7 Make Col3steel the active cell and place the round steel column next toLocation 3.

8 Reset.

Exercise: Replacing a cell individually

1 Continuing in Columngrid.dgn , select Replace Cells with the following toolsettings:

Method : Replace

Mode : Single

Use Active Cell: disabled

All other options: Disabled

2 Identify one of the existing Column1 cells from the bottom row of thematrix with a data point.

3 Identify the square concrete column Col2conc cell with a data point andaccept.

The original column1 column is replaced with the large concrete column.

Column1, previously

created

Col2conc

Col3steel




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To change the active cell to Col2conc , select the magnifying glass icon nextto the Use Active Cell option and select the Col2conc cell from the list, thenselect the Placement option to activate the cell.

2 Close the Cell Library dialog box.

The status bar prompts you to identify the cell.

3 To identify the cell to be replaced, enter a data point on one of the existingColumn1 cells.

4 Accept with a data point.

An Alert dialog box appears to confirm the replacement of all of the cells with the same name as the identified cell.

5 Select Yes in the Alert dialog box.

Your new floor plan will look similar to the following illustration.

Before we continue: How do you open the Cell Library dialog box?

What happens when you place a cell “Relative?”

What is the process to create a cell?




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Using the Active Line Terminator



MicroStation provides an easy way to place a cell at the end of an element. As noted earlier,the tool places the cell at the end of the chosen element and it also rotates the cell to matchthe angle of the element. Do this by using the Place Active Line Terminator tool to place the cell

as a line terminator.

When using this tool, you only need to select the element to terminate. The rotatedcell is placed at the end of the element by its defined origin.

Let’s use this tool to place drainage structures at the ends of some existing stormdrainage pipes.

Exercise: Placing the drainage structures

1 Open drainage.dgn .

The file contains a roadway intersection with storm drainage pipes. You willplace a catch basin at each end of the drainage pipe crossing the road, anda headwall at the end of the pipe in the lake.

2 In the Cell Library dialog box, attach the cell library drain.cel .

3 Select the catch basin cell CB and select the Terminator button.

CB is now the active line terminator.




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4 Select Place Active Line Terminator from the Cells tool box.

These cells are point cells and they will be placed with the activesymbology.Change the active color before placing if necessary.Do not snap to the elements to terminate.

5 Set the scale to 1 in the Place Active Line Terminator tool settings.

6 Identify the drainage pipe with a data point near Location 1 and accept.

The catch basin is placed and rotated to match the drainage pipe. Let’splace another one.

Notes:

7 Identify the drainage pipe near Location 2 and accept.

The other catch basin is placed. Now let’s place the headwall.

8 Select the Magnifying Glass icon in the Place Active Line Terminator toolsettings.

9 Select the HDWALL cell and select Terminator in the Cell Library dialogbox.

10 Close the Cell Library dialog box.

HDWALL becomes the active line terminator.

11 Identify the drainage pipe near Location 3 and accept.

The headwall is placed.

Place ACtive Line Terminator tool

Catch Basin (CB)terminator at Location 1

Headwall (HDWALL)terminator at Location 1




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Breaking up cells


Next, let’s add arrowheads to the label lines.

Exercise: Adding arrowheads

1 Continuing in drainage.dgn , select the cell ARROW and make it a Terminator.

2 Terminate each label line with an arrowhead.

Line terminators also worked on the arc elements.

Notes:

Breaking up cells

There are times when you may need to modify a single occurrence of a cell.Normally, you cannot do this unless you explode the cell into its componentelements. This is the purpose of the Drop Element tool in the Groups tool box. It isused to reduce a cell to the geometric components from which it was created.

Terminate the label lines with the arrow cell




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1 Attach cell library PIDSYM.cel .

2 Create each cell shown on left using name provided. Select an appropriate origin point foreach. Also, consider orientation of resulting cells and their intended use. Modify elementsprior to cell creation in appropriate symbol (hint: look closely at the actuators).

3 Create a simple P&ID drawing with cells as shown on right. Embellish as desired.

CREATE P&ID CELLS (PIDcell.dgn)




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DEVELOP THE HOUSE PLAN AND ELEVATION (plan.dgn)

1 Create and place the plan and elevation cells of the door and window graphics usingthe placement location markers (1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6) as the cell origins.

2 Create cells for the plan markers, door and window symbols, including the enter datafields. Place in the design file and fill in the enter data fields as noted.




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18 Design Problem 2

The Problem

You have been assigned to complete an electrical schematic drawing based on acircuit sketch. This schematic contains several standard electrical components andinterconnections.

Design Parameters

Scope of work

Starting with a blank sheet file, create the schematic diagram from the sketcheddrawing provided (see next page). Include all text annotation if time permits.

Design Specifications

• Use lab3.dgn as your starting file.

• Attach the cell library electron.cel for the component and connection symbols.

• Use the text styles “0.075 Text Left”, “0.075 Text Right” and “0.075 Text Center”

as needed.

• Place all symbols and line interconnections on a 0.1 grid.

Suggested tools

• Place SmartLine

• Place Cell

• Place Text

• Auto Fill in Enter_Data Fields




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Design Procedures


Your completed plan should look something like this:

Notes:

Design Procedures

Suggested steps:

1 Open lab3.dgn .

2 Verify that a grid of 0.1 is in effect along with grid lock. All design workshould be performed on this grid.

3 Attach electron.cel . Use the cell preview to identify the symbols you willuse.

4 Place the electronic symbols for the upper portion of the drawing.




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Design Procedures


Start by placing the symbols for the upper left portion of the drawing. Aportion of the circuit can be duplicated to create the bottom portion of thedrawing.

Create the interconnections for the upper portion of the drawing

1 Once you have placed the first circuit portion and the IC191cell, useSmartLine to place the line strings that interconnect the symbols.

2 Use Modify Element to manipulate the interconnections for best fit. Thisshows off the move segment versus the move vertex capability of this tool.

Place the text for the upper portion of the drawing

Place only the text that will be part of the circuit duplication. Ignore for themoment all symbol reference designators (the text starting with R, C, or U).

Duplicate the upper circuit to the lower part of the drawing

1 Use Place Fence to identify the portion of the circuit to duplicate.

2 Copy fence contents to the lower portion of the drawing.

Modify and add final interconnection linework

The copied circuit will include a few lines that you must correct to clear the titleblock. Also, you need a few additional lines to connect to the 74HC191 symbol (acell found in the cell library).

Add final text

1 Use Place Text to place the U , R , and C text strings.

2 Use Auto Fill in Enter_Data Fields to add the pin number text to all of thesymbols.

3 Add text to title block if time permits.

Helpful Hints

• Look for symmetry or duplicate design elements that will let you copy parts ofthe drawing instead of creating the entire design from scratch. Include a closelook at what text you can duplicate.

• Place the cells for the symbols first. Use the Cell dialog box to attach the celllibrary ( electron.cel ) and identify the cells to be placed.

• TURN OFF the Shared Cells option so each enter_data field is placed in thedesign file as a component of a cell.

• Draw the interconnections between the cells using SmartLine .




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Alternate Exercise 1:



COMPLETE THE OFFICE FLOORPLAN (pa26.dgn)

1 Attach the Cell Library pa26.cel and review the cells contained in it.

2 Place cells in the drawing to finish the office floor plan. You will have to place some ofthe cells with varied active angle settings, while others will be placed and modified using Element Manipulation tools.

3 Insert the door number “100” for the President’s Office door using Fill in Single Enter_Data Field . Use Copy and Increment Enter_Data Field to number the remaining doors.

4 Use Place Text to add the room names to complete the drawing.




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COMPLETE THE GUARDRAIL PLACEMENT (pc26.dgn)

Guardrail Post Type A

Guardrail Post Type B

Guardrail Post Type C

A B

C

A A B B B B B

B

1 Create the Cell Library pc26.cel and create the cells post_a , post_b , and post_c using thelocation labels 1, 2 and 3.

2 Complete the reference grids using Manipulate Fence Contents and AccuDraw .

3 Place the cells based on the reference grids, dimension and angle data.

4 Complete the Guardrail design using Manipulate Fence Contents .




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COMPLETE THE MODIFICATIONS TO THE TAPE DRIVE (pm26.dgn)

R = 0.17 typical

No. 8 Screw, typical of 4

No. 8 Screw,Bezel

Logo

1 Review the cells provided in the Cell Library pm26.cel .

2 Modify the elements in the top view based on the radius dimension.

3 Place the No. 8 screw cells (top and side views) based on the reference grids.

4 Replace the bezel and logo with the cells provided in the library.




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19 Grouping the Elements

MicroStation provides several tools for creating groups of elements. You have seenhow grouping elements together allows you to manipulate them as a single unit.Not only can several elements can be combined together in a group, multipleelement definitions can also be chained together to form one complex element.

This chapter will examine the following tools for grouping (and un-grouping)elements:

• Create Complex Chain

• Create Complex Shape

• Create Region

• Add to Graphic Group

• Drop Element

These tools are located in the Groups tool box:

Creating Complex Chains & Shapes

Use Create Complex Chain to group previously created elements into a single opencomplex element. After creating the chain, you can treat it as a single element. Ifyou enable the Simplify Geometry option before creating a complex chain from aseries of individual lines, MicroStation will create a simple line string.

The tool settings offer you two ways to create the complex chain. The Manual method lets you identify the elements you want in the new chain with data points.

When using the Automatic method, MicroStation uses the first element selected as astarting point to search for additional touching elements, and then converts all thefound elements into a complex chain.

Groups tool box




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Notes:

Create Complex Shape is very similar to the complex chain tool in that it groupspreviously created elements together to form a complex shape. The differencebetween the two tools is that this new complex shape is closed. You can create acomplex shape using the same two methods you use to create a complex chain.

As with polygons or circles, you can set Fill Color and Fill Type by selecting theappropriate options. If you check the Simplify Geometry option before creating acomplex shape from a series of individual lines or linestrings, MicroStation willcreate a simple shape.

Create Region creates a complex shape from two or more existing elements. CreateRegion generates a new shape by comparing the relationship between two or more

elements. There are four Method options:

Keep Original is an important option. When enabled, this option lets you create anew shape while leaving the original elements in place. Without this option,MicroStation deletes the elements were used as components in creating the newshape.

Before we continue: Complex chains and shapes can be created using themanual or automatic method. Explain the differencebetween the two methods.

What are the four methods available for creating a region?

Method Description

Intersection The exact area overlapping between the identified elements is used tocreate the new shape.

Union The exact perimeters of the identif ied elements combined to create thenew shape.

Difference The new shape is created by subtracting the area and perimeter of thesecond element from the first element.

Flood The exact perimeter of an ident ified enclosed area defines the new shape. An interior shape may be excluded from the region. If the Dynamic Area option is enabled, the area will highlight as the pointer moves across theshape.




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Notes:

During the following exercises, you will create complex chains, shapes, andregions.

Exercise: Creating a complex chain

1 Open complex.dgn.

MicroStation displays a file containing the plans for a subdivision.

A series of elements runs down the center of Hayden Drive. We will convertthese elements into a complex chain so that the length of the roadway canbe accurately measured.

2 Select Window Area to window in on the entire length of Hayden Drive.

Hayden Drive extends from Location 1 to Location 2.

Select the Create Complex Chain tool with the following tool settings:

Method : Manual

Simplify geometry: Enabled

3 Set the Color to blue (1) and the line weight to 2 in the Attributes tool bar.

4 Starting near Location 1, identify the elements with data points, one at atime in succession, until you have identified all elements along Hayden

Hayden Drive

Create Complex Chain tool settings




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Drive (if the wrong element highlights, reset and another element willhighlight).

Notes:

5 Enter a final data point to accept the complex chain and then reset.

When the final data point is entered, all the elements are grouped into acomplex chain with the active element attributes, color blue and line weight2.

6 Select Measure Length from the Measure tool box and measure the lengthof the roadway. How long is Hayden Drive?

Notes:

Exercise: Calculating gap

1 Continuing in complex.dgn , use Edit > Undo or Ctrl + Z to undo the chainyou have just created.

2 Select Create Complex Chain and change the Method to Automatic

3 Identify the roadway element at Location 1.

Starting point for selecting

the elements to create a chain

Create Complex Chain set toautomatic.




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4 To continue automatically, move the pointer away from any other elementsand begin to enter data points to automatically accept successive elements.

Notice that with the default gap setting of .01, the chain stops after 2segments. You must set the appropriate gap size for this chain.

5Use Edit > Undo or Ctrl + Z to undo the chain you have just created.

6 Window into the gap in the green lines just above Lot 17.

7 Select Measure Distance set to Between Points . Measure the length of thegap.

8 Window in to Location 1.

9 Select Create Complex Chain and set Max Gap to 5.0.

10 Identify the roadway element at Location 1 again, and move the pointeraway from any other elements to begin entering data points to automaticallyaccept successive elements.

This time, the chain should continue automatically to the end of theroadway.

Exercise: Creating a Complex Shape

1 Continuing in cmplex.dgn, Zoom In on the largest lot, marked Location 3.

Let’s make a shape using the property boundary lines.

2 Select Create Complex Shape with the following tool settings:

Method : Automatic

Simplify geometry: Enabled

Area : Solid

Fill Type : None

Create Complex Chain tool box with

Max Gap set to 5.0

Lot at Location 3




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3 Identify the line at Location 5.

4 To create a shape around the lot, move the pointer away from any otherelements and begin to enter data points to automatically accept successiveelements.

Move around the property clockwise. If the wrong element highlights, reset

to automatically pick the next element. You can reset multiple times.

Notes:

5 After the last element is highlighted, enter a final data point to accept theshape creation.

The shape appears blue with a weight of 2.

6 Select Measure Area with the Method set to Element and measure the areaof the lot. How large is the lot?

Identify line at Location 5

Shape with a weight of 2 and color 1




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Returning Elements to their Simple Existence


6 In the tool settings, change the Method to Union and disable Keep Original.

This lets you combine two or more shapes into one.

7 Identify the shape for lot 14 with a data point on the edge of the shape.

The property line highlights.

8 In the same manner, identify lots 15 and 16.

9 Enter one more data point to accept the union and press reset.

A shape is created around the three lots. Again, it is now easy to measurethe combined area of the lots.

Notes:


You have just created complex elements from different types of existing elements.Remember that those elements were grouped together to form complex chains andcomplex shapes. At some time, though, you may need to reverse that process. Let’s

explore returning complex elements to a more simple, primitive existence using theDrop Element tool.

Create Region with Union adds

existing closed areas together




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Notes:

The Drop Element tool

Use Drop Element to break up a complex elements into simple primitive elements.

Select one of these tool settings according to the type of complex element you wishto drop.

Before we continue: What types of elements are dropped when you use theDrop Element tool?

In general terms, explain what happens when a complexelement is dropped.

What advantage is gained by dropping a complexelement?

Tool Setting Description

Complex Complex elements such as cells, complex chains and shapes, text nodes,surfaces, and solids are dropped into individual components.

Dimensions Complex dimension elements are dropped into individual dimension

components such as extension lines, dimension lines, arrow lines, andtext.

Line Strings/Shapes

Elements drawn with line string tools and shape tools are dropped intoindividual linear components.

Multi-lines Complex multi-line elements are dropped into individual linearcomponents.

Shared Cells Shared cells are dropped. The To Geometry option drops shared cells into their components. The To Normal Cell option converts shared cells to unshared cells.

Text Text characters in text elements are dropped into the individual linearcomponents used to draw the characters.




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Notes:

The next exercises will use Drop Element to convert complex elements to primitivecomponents so you can modify them.

Exercise: Dropping a complex element

1 Open drdetail.dgn.

A door frame detail drawing is displayed. At this point, the entire detail is asingle, complex element (a cell) that you might find after placing a standarddetail from a cell library.

2 Select Drop Element .

3 Verify in the tool settings that the Complex option is enabled and that allother options are off.

4 Identify the Detail (the cell) with a data point anywhere on the element.

MicroStation highlights the entire detail.

drdetail.dgn

Drop Element tool and tool

settings




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Individual elements within the detail may now be modified or manipulated.

Exercise: Dropping a complex line string

1 Continuing in drdetail.dgn , enable the Line Strings /Shapes option in the

Drop Element tool settings.

2 Identify the complex element at Location 1.

MicroStation highlights the line string.


You can now manipulate individual components of the string.

Other tools for dropping grouped elements

More tools for dropping grouped elements can be accessed from Drop tool box(Tools > Drop).

In addition to the tools included in the Drop tool box, other options include:

Drop Complex Status

Drop Line String/Shape Status

Drop Text

Drop Association

Drop from Graphic GroupDrop Line Style

Drop Associative Pattern

Drop Multi Line

Identify complex element at Location 1

Drop Tool Box




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Graphic Groups


Drop Dimension Element

Each of these tools works simply to break the targeted grouping into its componentelements.

Notes:

Graphic Groups

Using a fence, a selection set, or Edit > Grouping a selection set are temporary waysto group elements for one time procedures. Creating a cell or a complex element isa formal way to associate a number of elements. Sometimes, though, you may want

to group elements in a more flexible relationship. For example, you may want togroup all the notes in a drawing so you can move them together, but still be able toedit them individually. MicroStation provides Graphic Groups , which give you thisoption.

The following exercise uses a piping diagram to show you how to create a GraphicGroup. You will create a group from the components that make up a vessel, so thatif one of them is manipulated, all the elements belonging to the group are alsomanipulated. However, you will also be able to access any component of the groupindividually if you need to.




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Graphic Groups


Exercise: Creating a Graphic Group

1 Open ggroup.dgn.

The vessel, V-43, is made up of four light blue line strings and arcs. To seethis you can select the Move tool and move one or two components of the vessel.

If you actually move any parts of the tank, Undo to restore them.

2 Select the Add to Graphic Group tool from the Groups tool box.

The prompt in the status bar reads Identify Element .3 Enter a data point at location 1.

The selected element is highlighted and the status bar reads Accept/Reject(select next input).

4 Enter a data point on each of the light blue elements that constitute the vessel symbol.

5 After selecting all the elements in the vessel, move the pointer away fromany element and enter a data point.

6 Reset.

The first component of the

vessel will be added to the

Graphic Group




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Graphic Groups


The elements that comprise the V-43 vessel are now part of a graphicgroup.

Let’s see what this does.

Exercise: Manipulating a Graphic Group

1 Continuing in ggroup.dgn , select the Copy tool from the Main tool frame.

2 Enter a data point on the V-43 vessel at Location 1.

3 Copy the vessel to Location 2.

The entire vessel is copied to the new location.

This grouping is similar to a Selection Set . However, if you leave this design file andthen return, this graphic grouping will still be in effect.

If you wish to operate upon components that make up the vessel symbol withouthaving to break up the Graphic Group, that can also be done.

Exercise: The Graphic Group lock

1 Continuing in ggroup.dgn , move the pointer to the lock symbol in the statusbar and click on it.

The Locks menu appears.

In this file, the Graphic Group lock was already enabled. The GraphicGroup lock ensures that elements that are part of a graphic group acttogether.

2 Click on Graphic Group in the Locks menu to turn off the lock.

3 Now select the Copy, or Move , tool and then select part of the V-43 vessel.

The component moves independently.

4 Turn the Graphic Group lock back on.

5 Select the Copy or Move tool, and then part of the V-43 vessel again.

The vessel moves as one unit.

Click on the GraphicGroup entry and un-check it




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Graphic Groups


Components will remain members of a Graphic Group until the Graphic Group isdropped. However, they can also be handled separately if desired, depending upon whether the Graphic Group lock is on or off.




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Graphic Groups





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20 Design Problem 3

The Problem

You are an engineer working on an experimental project for an automobilemanufacturer. You’ve been assigned to design a drive shaft bearing rest which willbe used in part testing.

Scope of work

Complete the drawing in the file lab4.dgn , which contains a drawing borderappropriate for this project. You must set your working units to fit the designspecifications given below. Draw three orthographic views of the bearing rest.

Design Parameters

The drawing below is one that was created for a bearing test using a different sizedrive shaft. The bearing surface radii for your bearing rest will be different. Allother dimensions will remain the same. Use this drawing as a reference for your

drawing and apply the following information:

• Bearing surface radius values for your bearing rest will be:

Radius 15/16 changes to 13/16.

Radius 1 1/8 changes to 1 3/8.

• Create the design drawing using English units (inches) and set up so that it maybe easily changed to Metric working units.

• The bearing rest is symmetrical.




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Design Parameters


.

Helpful Hints

• Verify that your drawing border is large enough to fit the completed drawing.

• Use AccuDraw to help place and move elements.

• Copy elements from one orthogonal view to another.

• Use Measure Distance to check your drawing.

• Do not include dimensions or text in your final drawing.

Suggested Tools

• Place Line

• Place Arc

• SmartLine

• Copy Parallel• Mirror




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Design Procedures


Design Procedures

These are the suggested steps for completing Design Problem 4.

1 Open lab4.dgn .

2 Set working units appropriate for this design (These are suggested settingsonly):

• MU = in

• SU = th

• th per in = 1000

• PU per th = 2540

3 Scale the drawing border to fit the whole drawing. Measure it after setting working units.

Draw Top View

1 Draw Center line.

2 Draw the base shape, using AccuDraw , SmartLine , given radius, and length values.

3 Draw top view of the bearing cutout (offset) and use AccuDraw to placemounting holes.

You may want to draw half of the part and mirror it across the Center line.

Draw Front View

1Copy base line from top view (use AccuDraw or Copy Parallel to keep views aligned).

2 Draw Center line (or extend center line from top view).

3 Draw the outer profile.

4 Draw mounting holes.

5 Use AccuDraw to create profile of front edge.




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DRAW THE CONCRETE MASONRY UNITS AND PATTERN ELEVATIONS(pa30.dgn)

1 Develop the concrete masonry units based on the location markers (1, 2 and 3) and thedimension data provided above.

2 Use AccuDraw and Smartline to help you create the shapes. Do not include dimensions in

your drawing.3 Use SmartLine and Construct Array to complete the drawing by creating the elevations at

location markers 4 and 5 (hint, the masonry joints are 3/8'' thick).




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COMPLETE A P&ID LAYOUT (pp30.dgn)

I l l u s t r a t i o n 1


( l e f t h a l f )

S e e n e x t p a g e f o r i n s t r u c t i o n s




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Alternate Exercise 2 continued:

COMPLETE A P&ID LAYOUT continued

1

D r a w i n g r e p r e s e n t s a w o r k i n p r o g r e s s ( i l l u s t r a t i o n 1 ) . Y o u r j o b i s t o c o m

p l e t e t h e i m a g e a s s h o w n

i n i l l u s t r a t i o n 2 ( l e f t a n d r i g h t h a l v e s

) .

2

U s e f e n c e c o p y a n d o t h e r m u l t i p l e e

l e m e n t m a n i p u l a t i o n s t o a d d n e w f e

a t u r e s t o d r a w i n g .

3

U s e F i l l i n S i n g l e E n t e r_ D a t a F i e l d t o c h a n g e / c o m p l e t e v a r i o u s n o m e n c l a t u r e s .


( r i g h t h a l f )




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COMPLETE THE BOULEVARD EXTENSION BASED ON THE PROPOSEDALIGNMENT(pc30.dgn)

Dimension data

Radius data, chamfer Right of Way lines at 45 feet in the X and Ydirection

Clean up pavementstriping

Clean up center medianand pavement striping

PROPOSEDALIGNMENT

1 Use the dimension data and the tools in the Modify and Manipulate tool boxes to construct

the proposed boulevard based on the proposed alignment line.

2 Make sure that you match the element attributes used for the existing road whenconstructing the boulevard.




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21 References and Models - An

Overview

Designers are often asked to use an existing drawing as a backdrop as they createnew drawings. Existing drawings are taped on to the drafting table, and a cleansheet of mylar is placed on top.

Thinking in MicroStation terms, they now have a clean sheet of mylar (new designfile) on top of an existing drawing underneath it (a reference or references). Work

could start by drawing new items relative to existing items on the other sheets, andtracing existing items onto the clean sheet. Let’s see how this time-saver translatesinto working with MicroStation.

Introduction to References

Generally, individual members of a project team share electronic data files. Whenyou use a design file that was created by someone else, you usually want to look atit without actually modifying it. You may need to compare their design file with thedesign file you are working on, to make sure that their contents fit together.

The creation of an architectural floor plan is an example of this technique in action. The plan includes of many types of information such as interior and exterior walls,plumbing, electrical, structural, and HVAC. Several companies may be involved inproducing the plan. Design files will be passed back and forth between all teammembers and all the pieces of the puzzle must fit together.




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Introduction to References


Assume you are responsible for the electrical portion of the plan. Since you willneed to run wiring to the fixtures, lights, and outlets, you will need to know wherethese elements are located. In this case, you must be able to see the structural floorplan in the background as a reference while you design the electrical plan.MicroStation lets you do this with References .

Designing a new roadway to replace an existing one is another example of usingreferences. When designing the new roadway, you must make sure that you do notroute it through a building, utility poles, a group of trees, or other site feature. One way to simplify placement of the new road would be to include a design file of anexisting site as a reference. The reference would include information on thelocations of site features. You could then lay your road out to avoid conflicts withother features. An picture of the location might also be a helpful aid.

Partial floor plan




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Using references to divide a drawing



Many design projects require you to create a set of documents that include severalsheets. Each of the plan sheets may show a different portion of the same design. This may be because the scale required for finished sheets does not allow the

whole design to fit onto a single sheet. Or, you may need to show larger scale“close-up” details of specific portions of the design, in addition to the whole design.

Consider the architectural floor plan mentioned above. The plan includes severalrooms. You might want to create three separate plan sheets — one sheet each forthe master bedroom, the kitchen, and the loft. On each sheet, you only want to seethe room itself, without any surrounding information. You must somehow removethe information on surrounding areas from the display.

Instead of actually deleting any information, you can bring the plan into a drawingas a reference. Then you can place a fence around the information you want to seeand tell MicroStation to “turn off ” the unwanted information.

After that step, you can add a title block and sheet border around the room. Afterrepeating this process for the remaining two rooms, you will have four separatedesign files. One is the original file of the entire floor plan, sometimes called the“base sheet,” and the other three are the individual room plan sheets, or “sheetfiles.”




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Base Sheet

Master Bedroom Kitchen

Loft

Sheet Files




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Introducing Raster Manager files


Introducing Raster Manager files

The picture of an existing site mentioned earlier might be an aerial photograph thathas been converted into digital format. This digital format is known as a raster image file. To this point our course has only dealt with vector design files. The

lines, arcs, circles, etc. that you place into a design file with MicroStation tools areall vector elements.

A raster line differs from a vector line in that it is not just an element that connectstwo points. Instead, a raster line is made up of many small objects called pixels.From a distance a raster line looks like a vector line but up close the differencebecomes quite apparent.

You can reference a raster file under a vector design file. This ability lets you attachan aerial photograph image to your design file as a reference and then design ontop of it.

Zoomed out view of buildings Close-up of building

Raster and vector file referenced together




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Models Overview


were created with the option to be placed as cells are visible and ready forplacement in the Cells dialog box.

Sheet models allow references to be attached to them to create a drawing within adesign file.

The two additional types of Models are Design From Seed and Sheet From Seed .

When one of these options is chosen, the option to create cells from these Model’scontents is not available. Also, the Seed Model option becomes available in theCreate Model dialog box.

Clicking the magnifying glass icon next to the Seed Model field opens the Select FileContaining Seed Model dialog box. The file that contains the seed Model you wishto use is selected from this dialog box.

Once the file is selected, the Select Models dialog box appears. From this dialogbox, select the existing Model that will be the seed for the new Model.

Using Design From Seed , a design Model is created using the set of eight views andserves as a container for the geometry forming the Model, the same as a regularDesign Model. However, in this case the Model’s attributes are taken from thechosen seed Model.

Similarly, using Sheet From Seed , a sheet Model is created from the selected seedfile. This Model uses the seed Model’s attributes, and it includes any Referencesattached to the seed Model.

Notes:




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Models Overview





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22 Working with References and

Models

Working with References

MicroStation provides a way to share information among multiple design files. Thisfeature, called References , allows you to overlap design files, or join them together,to form a continuous design that is larger than any of its component parts. The firstpart of this chapter covers the tools and techniques available for working withreferences files:

• Attaching References

• Tools for working with References

• Reference Settings

• References and Levels

• Live Nesting

You can attach references to a design file and then display them, plot them, or usethem as a guide for drawing construction. Although you cannot modify referenceelements, you can snap to them, measure them, and even copy all or part of areference into the active design file. You can also use references to incorporate

design files that use different measuring systems.

MicroStation includes tools that were developed specifically for reference work. You can usethese tools to control a reference’s location and how it is viewed in the active design file.MicroStation also includes several settings that are specific to references.

Attaching a Reference

Attaching a reference requires a series of steps.

Select a design to attach.

Enter a logical name for the design.

Enter a description for the design.




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Choose a orientation for the design (Coincident, a Standard view, or a Saved View).

Enter a scale ratio for the design (if needed).

Enter a Nesting Reference setting.

Some of these steps are optional, depending upon your specific workflow.

Multiple Disciplines in a design environment

In the example used in this chapter, you are a site designer for DesignTechConsulting. You project includes designing a site plan for a client’s new facility.

DesignTech Consulting is the prime consultant for the project, and you havecontracted two other sub-consultants to provide the necessary designs for theproject. Transit & Associates, your surveyor, has provided a site plan of the projectarea, and Facility Architects has provided floor plans of the new building.

Rather than working directly in the design files supplied by the sub-consultants,you will attach them to your own design files as references. You will use referencesin this way to simplify revisions to the project work. If a consult firm makes arevision on its design file, you can replace the old reference with the updatedreference to give you a current set of project data.

You will create your design in a design file that only includes the DesignTech titleblock and sheet border — otherwise the file is empty. Next you will attach the sub-consultants’ site plan and floor plan design files as references.

Last, you will manipulate the design file and references to cut out the areas you will

need for your finished sheet. You will also create an enlarged area plan.

Let’s start by viewing the reference files that the sub-consultants furnished.




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Exercise: Viewing the sub-consultants’ design files

1 Open areaplan.dgn .

The file contains a site plan that contains buildings and parking lots. This isthe main file that will be our guide in this design. Its working units are feetand tenths ( Settings > Design File > Working Units).

A Typical site plan with building footprints, r oads, and parking lots




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2 Open arch.dgn.

The file contains an architectural floor plan that includes building systemssuch as ductwork and beams. Its working units are meters and millimeters. You will attach this file as a reference to your main file twice:

Once for the main site plan.

Once for a enlarged plan on the same sheet.

A typical

architectural layout

with structural,mechanical and fire

protection plans




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3 Open designtech.dgn .

This file is empty except for DesignTech’s title block and sheet border. Thisis the file you will actually create your design in.

In this case, the title block is a physical element in your design file. Manyusers choose to reference the title block. Either choice can work well.

Let’s attach the site plan as a reference.

Exercise: Attach the Site Plan

1 Continuing in designtech.dgn, select the References icon from the PrimaryTools tool box to open the References dialog box.

You can do the same thing by selecting the File > Reference from the mainmenu bar.

Start with an empty border in thedesign file designtech.dgn




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2 Select the Attach icon in the dialog box or select Attach from the Tools menu.

The Attach Reference dialog box appears.

3 Select areaplan.dgn from the class folder.4 Click OK.

The Attach Reference Settings dialog box appears to display attachmentoptions.

5 Key site into Logical Name field.

The Logical Name is a brief name you can choose to represent the referencebeing attached. Using the Logical Name is optional if you are only attachingthe file once. You must use a Logical Name if you plan to attach the filemultiple times. A Logical Name can contain as many as 512 characters.

6 Key Site Plan from the Surveyor into the Description field.

Attach Reference

dialog box

Attach Refer ence Settings

dialog box




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A Description can include as many as 512 characters. Using a Description isoptional.

Orientation , Scale, and Nesting settings will be discussed later in thischapter.

7 Click OK.

The Attach Reference Settings dialog box closes, and part of the site plandisplays in View 1.

Notes:

View controls work the same for references as they do for the active design. Theone exception is Fit View , which includes a few options specifically for referencefiles. Let’s use the view controls to adjust our view.

Using Fit View to see the site plan

1 Continuing in designtech.dgn , with areaplan.dgn attached, select Fit View in View 1.

The view updates. The tool settings show the All option.

2 Choose the Active option in the tool settings.




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The title block (the active design file) is fit in the view.

4 Choose the Reference option in the tool settings.


The reference is fit to the view.

6 Choose the All option in the tool settings.

The Fit View tool will retain whichever option was selected last. By settingthis option to All, you are assured that when you choose Fit Vieweverything in the design file will be fitted.

Fitting the reference




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Both the active design and the reference are fit in the view.

Because the title block and the site plan are not in alignment after you attached thesite plan, you must now line up the designs.

This ia a question for debate. Do you move the background reference to the title

block, or move the title block to the reference.

• In a mechanical environment, where coordinates are not tied to a structure or alatitude/longitude, it is probably easier to move the design.

• If you are working in a civil environment, we recommend that you move thetitle block.

For this example, you will move the reference. Consult with your site administratorto determine your firm’s standard practice.

Fitting both

references and theactive design.




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Exercise: Putting the site plan in place

1 Continuing in designtech.dgn , select the Move tool from the References dialog box, or select Move from its Tools menu.

2 Follow the status bar prompts and move the site plan into the upper portionof the sheet.

Repeat the Move process until the site plan is located just where you want

it. The outline of the selected reference file is attached to your pointer to help with placement.

3 Select Fit View for View 1.

You must also attach contours to the site plan. You will use a different method toattach this reference.

Exercise: Use drag & drop to attach the contour map

1 Minimize MicroStation and open Windows Explorer. Navigate to the class\dgn folder.

2 Locate areaplan_contours.dgn.

3 Restore MicroStation’s window and then use Alt + Tab to bring the Explorer window to the front.

Reference file ismoved to

accommodate the

border location.




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4 Select areaplan_countours.dgn from the Explorer window, and drag it intothe MicroStation’s References dialog box.

The Attach Reference Settings dialog box appears with

areaplan_contours.dgn selected for attachment.

5 Close the Windows Explorer window.

You can also use this drag and drop method to open the active design file.If you drag a file icon from Windows Explorer into the MicroStationapplication window, that file becomes the active design file.

6 Enter contours into the Logical Name field.

7 Enter Contour map for site plan into the Description field.

8 Click OK.

9 Use Move Reference to move the contour file into place, if needed. Use theoutline of the new facility as a guide when moving the reference.

Using references with different units

MicroStation is intended for use by people who come from different disciplines and work all over the world. This means that MicroStation must accommodate severaldifferent systems of measurement. You learned earlier in the course thatMicroStation addresses these systems in Working Units .

As you work on your project files, you will generally expect that the Working Units

will remain the same for all design files and references. Sometimes, though, this willnot be the case. When these differences are present, you must determine therelationships between the files and then scale the references accordingly.

Files can be dragged

and dropped on to theReferences dialog box from Windows Explorer




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A MicroStation feature called True Scale helps you make these adjustments. WhenTrue Scale is enabled, MicroStation will automatically make these adjustments foryou.

Exercise: Using references with different units

1 Continuing in designtech.dgn , attach arch.dgn from the class folder andselect OK.

2 Enter arch as the logical name.

3 Enter Architectural floor plan as the description.

4 DO NOT enable True Scale at this time. Make sure True Scale is notchecked.

5 Select OK.

6 Use Fit All to fit the design.

Reference Settings dialogbox without True Scaleenabled

After fitting the file,the sheet is located here

at the proper scale

After fitting th e file, the floor plan is

located here at the improper scale.




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What happened? The floor plan was referenced, but at the wrong scale.Remember: the site plan is in Imperial units (feet and inches) and the floorplan is in Metric units (meters and millimeters.) You did not use True Scale to let MicroStation rectify the units for you.

Let’s detach the file and use True Scale to re-reference it.

7 Highlight arch.plan in the Reference s dialog box and select the Detach icon.

Detaching is the opposite of attaching. It disconnects the ‘link’ betweenyour design and the reference.

8 Re-attach arch.dgn, this time enabling the True Scale option on the Attachment dialog box.

9 Select OK.

Now the file is referenced at the proper scale, but it is not in the proper location,nor does it have the proper rotation. This is a common occurrence.

You will move it into the proper location and rotation. First, you will open a second view window so you can see both the reference’s current location and itsdestination.

Enable the TrueScale option




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Exercise: Put the floor plan into the proper location

1 Continuing in designtech.dgn , open View 2 and Tile the views on yourscreen.

2 Use the view controls to Zoom In on the upper left hand portion of thefloor plan in View 1 and on the new building footprint in View 2.

Using two views lets us easily see both the reference’s current location andits destination.

3 With the arch.dgn plan highlighted in the Reference s dialog box, select the Move Reference icon.

4 Snap to the upper left corner of the upper left yellow column in View 1.

Zoom In on the reference in view 1 and the destination for the reference in view 2




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5 Move your pointer across to the upper right corner of the red buildingfootprint in View 2.


The reference is in the proper location. Now you must manipulate the file into theproper rotation. You will do this with the Rotate Reference tool.

Exercise: Put the floor plan into the proper rotation

1 Continuing in designtech.dgn, select the arch reference file entry and thenselect Rotate Reference from the References dialog box.

Select By Points from the Tools Settings menu. (The other option is Angle , which lets you specify a specific angle of rotation.)

By Points lets us specify:

• The pivot point for the operation

• A point to start the rotation

• An amount of rotation

MicroStation prompts you to Enter pivot point for reference rotation in thestatus bar.

2 Snap to the upper right corner of the red building footprint.

This point coincides with the reference file’s rotation point. It is easier topick this point than try to snap to the element in the reference file.

Next, you are prompted to Enter point to define start of rotation . This is the

angle from the first point, at which you will rotate.3 Select a point at a 180 degree angle from the tentative point.

4 Move your pointer straight down from the point you just selected andaccept.

You are prompted to Enter point to define amount of rotation .

The outline of the

reference is shown

as a dot-dash line




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Live Nesting of References


5 Snap to the upper left corner of the red building footprint.

6 Select OK.

Your reference now has the proper rotation.

Looking at floor plan, you notice that all the structural, ductwork, and otherinformation you saw in the Attach Reference dialog box thumbnail did not show up when you attached the floor plan. The reason is that the other information wasactually contained in other reference files attached to the arch.dgn plan.

Instead of referencing each of those plans individually and then moving androtating them into place, we will use Live Nesting .


Referencing is one of MicroStation’s most useful features. However, users needtools to track the relationships among the different references. For example, File Bis referenced to File A. If you reference File A to File C, File B can now follow. Thisconcept is called nesting .

AccuSnap showsthe x when you

snap to the proper point onthe red building

outline




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When you attach a reference, you have three options for the Nesting settings:

No Nesting : References attached to the attached design are not recognized in theactive design.

Live Nesting : References attached to the attached design are recognized in theactive design.

Copy Attachments : References attached to the attached design are copied intothe active design.

Live Nesting’s two major benefits are:

Any changes to the reference attachments of a file are dynamically updated inany file to which it is attached.

Any references attached to a reference aren’t attached to the main design. Theyreside at a ‘level’ below the normal reference.

Let’s try this. When you first attached the floor plan, you did not enable Live Nesting . In this exercise, you will attach another instance of the floor plan with LiveNesting. enabled. Later, you will change the Live Nesting setting in the first instanceto see how Live Nesting affects our design.

Exercise: Enabling Live Nesting

1 Continuing in designtech.dgn, open the References dialog box.

2 Attach arch.dgn from the class folder and click OK.

3 Enter arch1 for the logical name, and second arch plan for the descriptionin the Attach Reference Settings dialog box.

Reference Settings dialog box

with the Nested Attachment

settings shown




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4 Change the Nested Attachments setting from No Nesting to Live Nesting .

5 Select OK.

6 Fit the design.

Another attachment of the floor plan should appear in the middle of yoursheet, and it should show more information.

7 Window Area around the floor plan.

8 Return to the Reference Settings dialog box, and click on the file option list

in the upper left corner.

This shows a ‘sub’ listing for the reference you just attached.

9 Select arch1, arch.dgn from the file option list.

Here, you find the list of references that are attached to arch.dgn . Do youremember when you opened arch.dgn at the beginning of this chapter? All

Changing the nest attachment setting

The floor plan showing the updated nesting setting

Because you attached the second

arch.dgn with Live Nesting enabled, itappears in the file option list

After changing the file list to see the arch.dgn file, you see that ther e are four des igns attached to

arch.dgn. By enabling Live Nesting, you can seethem in your file




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of the building system information you saw, like the ductwork and thereflected ceiling plan, are referenced designs.

Exercise: The results of live nesting

1 Open arch.dgn.

2 Open the References dialog box.

3 Highlight all references except framing.dgn. ( Press the Ctrl key whileselecting the files.)

4 Disable the Display option in the right side of the box.

This turns off the display of those reference files inside of arch.dgn

5 Open designtech.dgn.

6 Window in on the second arch.dgn attachment.

The files you turned off in arch.dgn are now turned off in designtech.dgn. The Live Nesting feature allowed those settings to ‘pass through’ to our

design.

This is also true when attaching or detaching references.

Live nested attachments to direct attachments

MicroStation Version 8.1 enables you to "flatten" live nested references into directattachments.

That is, once you attach a nested reference, you can make it into a directattachment. You do this by changing the Nested Attachments setting for the parent

file in its Attachment Settings to Copy Attachments , as shown:

Nested Attachments for the par ent file set to Copy Attachments, at a

nesting depth of 1




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Or, this operation can be accomplished by right clicking the nested file’s entry inthe References dialog box and choosing Make Direct Attachment .

This method makes the nested attachment(s) redundant with the newly created

direct attachment. That means the original nested file will be attached twice. This isindicated by the double quotes in the Display , Snap and Locate columns for thenested attachment in the References dialog box.

The tool settings offer the option to include any references that are nested beneaththe first nested reference in the flatten process as well.

Exercise: Flatten two nested references

1 Continuing in designtech.dgn, select arch1, arch.dgn from the file optionlist at the upper left of the References dialog box.

2 Highlight the files framing.dgn and lighting.dgn in the list of files.

3 Right click and select Make Direct Attachment from the pop-up menu.

In the tool settings Use References Dialog List is enabled so you can selectthe desired files from there, rather than by identifying them in the designitself.

arch1, arch.dgn selected in the file option

list shows its references

Selecting Make Direct from the pop-up

menu will make lighting.dgn into a directattachment instead of a nested

attachment

With the reference arch1, arch.dgn

selected in the file list, the originalinstance of the nested file

lighting.dgn is shown with “ditto”

Display, Snap and Locate settings

Make Direct Attachment tool settings indi catinguse of the References dialog list of files and including

references nested under the first nested reference




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Working with Attached References


Do not enable the other option, Include Nested References . If enabled thisoption will include any references that were nested under framing.dgn orlighting.dgn in the flatten process as well.

4 The status bar prompts you to Accept or Reject the process.

5 Enter a data point any where in the view to accept.

The files are now directly attached and the Display , Snap, and Locate columns display the ditto marks.

6 To fix the redundancy, return to designtech.dgn in the file option list.

7 Highlight the second attachment of arch.dgn (logical name arch1 ) and go

to Settings > Attachment .

8 Change the Nested Attachments setting to No Nesting in the AttachmentSettings dialog box.

Now none of the nested references are seen. Another option would be toleave the Nested Attachments setting as it is for arch1 and click off theDisplay of the redundant files.

You can open the Attachment Settings for the newly direct files and changethem if desired.

9 Detach the second instance of arch.dgn ( arch1 ) as well as framing.dgn and

lighting.dgn .


Reference Clipping

The design components you have been working on are in place. Now you mustdecide whether you want to display the entire site plan. If not, how can you

eliminate the portions you don’t want to show?

You can do this by using a Clipping function on the references. Clipping lets us usea boundary, such as a fence, to determine an area to clip. Clipping can hideeverything outside of the boundary ( Clip Boundary ) or everything inside of theboundary ( Clip Mask ).




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Exercise: Clip a boundary around the building footprint

1 Continuing in designtech.dgn, place a fence around a portion of the siteplan that includes the red building and the parking lot to the right of thebuilding.

2 Highlight all references in the References dialog box.

3 Select Clip Reference from the References dialog box.

4 Enter a data point in the design file to accept the action.

5 Dismiss the fence by choosing Place Fence .

Portions of the site plan and the contour map disappear. The missinginformation still exists; it is just not visible.

Notes:

6 Use the Move Reference tool to move the three selected references to theupper left part of the sheet.

You are moving these to the left side of the sheet so you can attach the site planonce again. As you have seen briefly, MicroStation lets you attach the samereference file as many times as you like, as long as you give each instance a uniquelogical name.

You also want to place the site plan on the right side of this plan sheet. Rather thancopying the elements, you will attach the plan a second time and you will scale ittwice the size for effect.

Exercise: Attach the same design at a different scale

1 Continuing in designtech.dgn, select Attach Reference from the References

dialog box.

2 Select the areaplan.dgn file and click OK.

3 In the Attachment Settings dialog box set the following:

Logical Name : Site2

Description : Enlarged Site Plan

Scale 2:1

4 Select OK.

Changing the scale settings in the AttachReference Settings dialog box




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The plan appears as before, in the upper right part of the file. You will clipthe file, and then move it into place.

5 Place a fence around the building and the parking lot.

6 Verify that the second instance of areaplan.dgn is highlighted in theReferences dialog box, and then select Clip Reference .

7 Accept this by entering a data point in the View.

8 Use Move Reference to move the file into place on the right side of thesheet.

References and Levels

MicroStation gives you full display control of all levels to all references. You canturn off or on any level of any reference in any view. You can do all this from theLevel Display dialog box.

Exercise: Turning off the minor contours

1Continuing in designtech.dgn, open the Level Display dialog from thePrimary Tools tool bar.

2 Select areaplan_contours from the Target list.

Clipped reference

showing detailed area




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3 Click on TOPO2 to turn these contours off.

4 The labels and outlines turn off.

5 Dismiss the Level Display dialog box.

Modifying Attachment settings

As you have seen, attachment settings let you:

Level Display dialog boxshowing levels in

areaplan_contours

File with theTOPO2 level

turned ON

File with the

TOPO2 level

turned OFF




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Change the Nesting Depth.

Replace an attached reference file with a different one by entering a new designfile name.

Change the Logical Name.

Change the Description.

Let’s fix the attached architectural floor plan by changing the nesting depth settingso the rest of the design information for the building will display in the file.

Exercise: Changing the Nesting Depth

1 Continuing in designtech.dgn , open the References dialog box.

2 Highlight the file name arch.dgn .

3 Select Attachment from the Settings menu, or right click and select Settings .

The Attachment Settings dialog box appears.

4 Change the Nested Attachment settings from No Nesting to Live Nesting.

The Depth changes from 0 to 1.

5 Select OK.

Attachment Settings dialog boxwith Nested Attachment settings

changing to Live Nesting




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By changing the nesting attachment to Live Nesting, you see once again thatarch.dgn has many references attached to it, and they follow to designtech.dgn.

Alternate files using the same reference settings

Let’s replace the site design file that contains one parking lot design with a differentfile that has a different parking lot design.

Exercise: Changing the parking plan file

1 Continuing in designtech.dgn, zoom in on the parking lot in the site plan.


3 Select site from the file list.

4 Select Attachment from the Settings menu.


The architectural floor plan has been updated toshow all the references

attached to it

Live Nesting allows the

references to follow intoany other file




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5 Click the Browse button and select areaplan_alternate.dgn from the classdirectory, then click OK.

6 Click OK in the Attachment Settings dialog box.

Examine the new site plan. Note that you didn’t have to move thearchitectural plan or clip its contours.

Site.dgn changed toareaplan_alternate.dgn in the

Attachment Se ttings dialog box

The new file attachment

comes in at the correct

location




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Notes:

Detaching References

Let’s assume that you have been asked to remove the contours from the designaltogether. What is the easiest method of doing so?

Exercise: Detach the contours

1 Continuing in designtech.dgn, Fit the design.

2 Select the areaplan_contours.dgn entry in the References dialog box.

3 Select the Detach Reference tool or select Detach from the Tools menu.

An Alert dialog box appears.4 Since you really do want to detach this file, click OK.

The reference file is detached and the contours are gone.

Be sure you want to detach a reference file before you do so. The scale, rotation,location, etc., of the reference file are not saved when you detach the file. You willhave to specify these settings again if you decide to re-attach the reference file.

This completes the drawing of the site plan. However, there are still a few moreitems to discuss.

Notes:

Reloading reference files

Reference files are set up to allow more than one person to access the same filesimultaneously. For example, while you worked on the sheet in the design filedesigntech.dgn , someone else could have been modifying the original site plan

areaplan.dgn which you had attached as a reference file.

This issue is especially important in a networked environment where everyone hasaccess to the same files.




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MicroStation considers this method of operation, and includes a way for you to see the latestchanges to your reference files without leaving the active design file.

You can select Reload from the Tools menu in the References dialog box and have MicroStationupdate the specified reference file with its latest version. The location, scale, rotation, etc. ofthe reference file remain intact.

Before we continue: How much space does a reference file take up in youractive file?

Can you modify elements in a reference file?

Can you copy elements from a reference file into youractive file?

What are some of the benefits of using reference files?

Display, Snap, and Locate settings

These three settings control the display of the reference file and determine whetherthe reference file’s elements can be identified.

Display : Enables/disables the display of the reference file.Snap: Enables/disables your ability to snap to reference file elements.

Locate : Enables/disables your ability to identify reference file elements.

These settings are presented as columns in the References dialog box. You can setDisplay , Snap, and Locate individually for each attached reference file by clicking inthe column for the desired attribute, with the desired reference’s row highlighted.

Display, Snap and Locate settings turned off for arch.dgn

Display, Snap and Locate are on for both references




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Selecting multiple files

You can select multiple reference file entries for operation at once in the References

dialog box by selecting the desired name with a data point, the holding down theCtrl key and selecting other file names. You can also drag the pointer acrossmultiple files to select them.

Level Symbology

Level Symbology is an attribute that can be applied by enabling the LevelSymbology check box in the View Attributes dialog box. If on, the level symbology(the color, numbered line style, and line weight) associated with each Leveldisplays in the view, instead of the color, line style, and/or weight of the elements.

Using level symbology can help you differentiate between elements in the activedesign file and elements in references.

Adjusting Reference display colors

You can adjust the brightness and contrast with which the colors of elements in anattached reference are displayed, using the Adjust Reference Colors dialog box. Thisis a simple alternative to using Level Symbology for differentiating between theelements in attached references and elements in the active design file.

To open the Adjust Reference Colors dialog box, select the reference(s) whosecolors you want to adjust in the References dialog box and choose Adjust Colors from the dialog box's Settings menu.

The Print Adjusted Colors check box allows the adjusted reference color display tobe printed.

Adjust Colors fr om theReferences dialog box’s

Settings menu, and the Adjust Refer ence Colorsdialog box




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Working with Models


Notes:

Working with Models

This part of the chapter is dedicated to familiarizing you with working with Models. The following topics will be presented:

• Types of Models

• View Groups and Models

• Models and Cells

Instead of one master modeling plane on which everything in your design fileresides, you can create several separate Models. Each Model has its own coordinatedefinition and other unique characteristics, while still being part of the design file asa whole.

Before going into the details of how models work and interact with one another,let’s first learn a bit about them, and learn how to create multiple models within asingle design file.

There are four types of Models. There are Design models and Sheet models, andalso Design models created from seed files and Sheet models created from seedfiles.

Design Models

A Design model has its own set of eight views and serves as a “container” fordrawing elements within a design file. Design models can be either 2D or 3D.

When creating Design models, the Create Model dialog allows the option Can be placed as a cell . That means that this .dgn file can be attached to another .dgn fileand this model may be used as a cell, even though the file does not have theextension .cel. Once the .dgn file is attached as a cell library, all the models that were created with the option to be placed as cells are visible and ready for

placement in the Cells dialog box.

When the Model type Design From Seed is chosen, the option to create cells fromthis Model’s contents is not available. Also, the Seed Model option becomesavailable in the Create Model dialog box.




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Working with Models


Clicking the magnifying glass icon next to the Seed Model field opens the Select FileContaining Seed Model dialog box. The file that contains the seed Model you wishto use is selected from this dialog box. Once the file is selected, the Select Models dialog box appears. From this dialog box, select the existing Model that will be theseed for the new Model.

Using Design From Seed , a design Model is created using the set of eight views andserves as a container for the geometry forming the Model, the same as a regularDesign Model. However, in this case the Model’s attributes are taken from thechosen seed Model.

Let’s add a Design model to a design file. In most instances, a newly created designfile will contain a single Default model. However, it is very easy to add moremodels.

Exercise: Create Additional Models

1 Open the design file CityPark.dgn.

CityPark.dgn

2 Go to File > Models.

The Models dialog box opens.

3 Select the Create a New Model icon.

4 Set the following model values:

Type: Design; 2D

Name: Test Model

Description : Test




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Working with Models


Create a View Group: Enabled

5 Click OK to create the new model.

Note the change to your view. The elements you saw previously are not in the new‘Test Model’.

This is one indication that you have traversed from the Default model to the newlycreated model named ‘Test Model’. The view is blank because all of the elementsyou were looking at previously were placed in the Default model. The new modeldoes not yet contain any elements, so you have a blank view.

Exercise: Add elements to the new model

1 Continuing in CityPark.dgn , and in the ‘Test Model’, use Place Block andother simple element placement tools to place a few graphic elements inthe new model.

Don’t worry about accuracy or content. The only purpose here is to

illustrate how the two models are truly independent.2 In the Models dialog box, double-click on the Default model.

The elements in the original model appear. Let’s verify that the elementsyou placed in the previous exercise are nowhere to be found in the defaultmodel.

3 Perform a Fit View .

Note how the elements you added in step one do not appear in this modelalthough the active level remained the same.

Level definitions are shared between all models within a design file.

View Groups and Models

View groups and models are closely associated to one another. When the Create aView Group check box is enabled in the Create Model dialog box, a View Group iscreated for the model.

Exercise: Activate the Test Model View Group

1 Continuing in CityPark.dgn , open the View Groups dialog box if it is notcurrently visible at the lower left of the MicroStation application window

(Window >Views >Dialog).Default Views should be the current view group.

2 From the View Groups dialog box, select Test Model Views.




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Working with Models


The view updates to show the elements you placed in the test model. IfModel Manager is still open, note how it automatically switched to the ‘TestModel’ model.

Switching view groups automatically switches to the model associated with thecurrent view group.

Exercise: Delete an unneeded model

1 Continuing in CityPark.dgn, select the model ‘Test Model’ and click theDelete Model icon.

An Alert dialog appears to confirm the delete.

2 Click OK to delete the ‘Test Model’.

Sheet Models

Sheet models allow references to be attached to them to create a drawing within adesign file.

When the Model type Sheet From Seed is chosen, the option to create cells from thisModel’s contents is not available either. The Seed Model option becomes available

in the Create Model dialog box.

Click the magnifying glass icon next to the Seed Model field to open the Select FileContaining Seed Model dialog box. The file that contains the seed Model you wishto use is selected from this dialog box. Once the file is selected, the Select Models dialog box appears. From this dialog box, select the existing Model that will be theseed for the new Model.

In the next exercise you will use a regular sheet model to construct a plan. Somenew little league fields are going to be added to the facilities at City Park. Using aSheet model, you will create the layout of the new facility.

Exercise: Create a Sheet Model

1 Continuing in CityPark.dgn , select the Create New Model icon from theModels dialog box.

2 Set the following new model values:




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Working with Models


Type: Sheet, 2D

Name: Border Sheet

Description: border

Create a View Group: Enabled

3 Click OK to create the Model.

Next, you will attach a blank border file as a reference to the new sheet model.

Exercise: Attach a Standard Title Block (as a reference)

1 Continuing in the ‘Border Sheet’ model of CityPark.dgn , go to File >Reference.

The References dialog appears.

2 Select the Attach Reference icon.

The Attach Reference dialog box appears.

3 Navigate to the class folder and select border_D.dgn .

4 Click OK.

5 Set the following in the Attach Reference Settings dialog box:

Model: DefaultLogical Name: borderDescription: border fileOrientation: TopScale: 1 : 1True Scale: Enabled

Notes:

6 Click OK.

7 Enter a data point to place the border in the model.

8 Fit the view.

You now have a blank drawing sheet in the ‘Border Sheet’ model. This is the model

you are going to use to create the layout of the new little league park. To create thelayout, you will use the Attach Reference tool several more times.




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Working with Models


Exercise: Attach the design model to the sheet

1 Continuing in the ‘Border Sheet’ model of CityPark.dgn , select AttachReference from the References dialog.

2 From Attach Reference dialog’s File menu, select CityPark.dgn.

The current design file is always listed in the Attach Reference dialog’s Filemenu, so it is easy to attach.

3 Set the following Attach Reference Settings:

Model: Field 1Logical Name: Senior fieldDescription: Senior fieldOrientation: TopScale (Master:Ref): 1.5 : 1True Scale: On

4 Click OK.

5 Enter a data point to place the reference within the border.

Place the Senior ball field in the sheet model

6 Click the Attach Reference icon and select CityPark.dgn again.


Model: Field 1Logical Name: Junior fieldDescription: Junior field

Orientation: TopScale (Master:Ref): 1.25 : 1True Scale: On

8 Click OK, and enter a data point to place this reference within the border.

9 Select the Attach Reference icon once again and select CityPark.dgn again.




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Working with Models



Model: Field 1Logical Name: Youth fieldDescription: Youth fieldOrientation: Top

Scale (Master:Ref): 1 : 1True Scale: On

11 Click OK, and enter a data point to place this reference within the border.

At this point, your drawing should look similar to the one shown below.

The Senior, Junior and Youth ball fields placed in the sheet model

To finish the plan, let’s use some of the Reference tools.

Exercise: Putting references in place

1 Continuing in CityPark.dgn, the ‘Border Sheet’ model, make sure that Snap and Locate are enabled for all of the reference files in the References dialogbox.

2 Highlight the Junior field entry.

A dash-dot boundary around that reference is highlighted.

3 Select the Rotate Reference icon.

4 Set the following Rotate Reference tool settings:

Method: By Points

Use References Dialog List : Enabled

Notes:




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Working with Models


5 Identify a point behind home plate in the reference to be the pivot point.

6 Move the pointer to the left and enter a data point to define the start of therotation.

7 Spin the Junior ball field until its outfield is facing away from the Seniorfield.

The rotated Junior field

8 Enter a data point when it is in place.

9 Select the Move References icon.

10 Enter a data point on the Junior reference and move it away from the Senior

field.

The Senior and Junior fields positioned in the sheet model




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Working with Models


The City Council has decided to build two Junior fields because of the number ofteens enrolled in the league. You can place the additional Junior field in the model without performing another Reference > Attach .

Exercise: Manipulating references

1 Continuing in CityPark.dgn , and still in the ‘Border Sheet’ model, select theCopy Reference icon from the References dialog box.

(The Junior Field reference should still be selected in the Referencesdialog.)

Since Use References Dialog List is enabled in the tool settings, you can godirectly to the model to perform the copy operation.

2 Enter a data point on the Junior field in the model.

A dynamic outline of the reference is attached to the pointer.

3 Place the copy below the other Junior field.

Another Slot is added in the References dialog with the Logical Name Ref. This is the copied reference.

4 Select the copied reference in the References dialog (Logical name Ref).

5 Use Rotate Reference and Move Reference to move it into position betweenthe Senior field and the original Junior field.

6 Use the tools to position the youth field so that its outfield faces away fromthe others.

The finished plan should appear similar to the image below.

The completed sheet model

Now that the sheet model is complete, take a moment to look at the models in theCityPark.dgn file.




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Working with Models


Exercise: Examine the Models

1 Continuing in CityPark.dgn , in the Models dialog click on the ‘Default’model.

The detailed view of the ball field is displayed.

2Click on the ‘Field 1’ model that you used to create the ‘Border Sheet’model.

3 Last, return to the Border Sheet model.

These three models exist independently, but in the same CityPark designfile.

Models and Cells

When creating Design and Sheet Models, the option Can be placed as a cell isavailable. That means that this .dgn file can be attached to another .dgn file as a cell

library, even though the file does not have the extension .cel. Any Models created with this option enabled may be placed as a cells. Once the .dgn file is attached asa cell library, all the Models that were created with the option to be placed as cellsare visible and ready for placement in the Cells dialog box.

Exercise: Placing a Model as a Cell

1 Open the file CityPark_layout2.dgn .

2 Select Element > Cells and open the Cell Library dialog box.

3 Select Attach from the Cell Library dialog box’s File menu.

4 Attach the file CityPark.dgn as a cell library.

Change the List Files of Type filter to .dgn.

5 Double click on the Field1 cell to make it active for placement, and set thefollowing tool settings:

Active Angle : 30

X and Y Scale : .75

All other options: Disabled




8/7/03 22-455

Working with Models


6 Place the cell into the file to finish the alternate plan with a youth field.




8/7/03 22-456

Working with Models





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23 Raster Tools

This chapter covers the tools used to attach and manipulate raster files. MicroStationhas introduced Raster Manager for this purpose. Raster Manager lets you displayand manipulate raster files in any MicroStation design view. This chapter coversRaster Manager functions including:

• Attaching raster files

• Modifying raster files

• The raster tools

• Live nesting of raster references

Raster Manager

Using Raster Manager you can open and display images of various formats, frommonochrome to full color. Single images, or groups of images, can be set to displayin one or more DGN file Views. When you display a raster image file in a DGN file,it is attached in a Raster Reference Attachment. When a raster attachment ismodified with Raster Manager, no changes are made to the original file, just to itsattachment information in the DGN file.

The Raster Manager dialog list box displays a list of all attached image files. You canmodify the location, display order, and various other settings of attached rasterimage files. Changes can be made using the Attachment Settings dialog box, theModify tool, or the attachment information section of the Raster Manager dialogbox. Additionally, the Warp tool lets you fit (warp) a raster image to a particularshape.

MicroStation's drawing and annotation tools still can be used in views that displayraster images.




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Raster Manager


Attaching Raster Data

This procedure for attaching raster references is similar to that of attaching vectorReferences. Once the file is attached, you use tools specifically designed tomanipulate the location and appearance of the raster file.

Let’s begin by attaching a raster file.

Exercise: Attaching the raster file

1 Open raster.dgn .

This drawing shows design data in vector (MicroStation elements) format.

2 Select View 5 from the Window menu.

View 5 appears on top of the other four views. This view includes lines andtext, as well as a border file. The border is referenced.

raster.dgn

3 Select Raster Manager from the File menu.




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Raster Manager


The Raster Manager dialog box appears.

4 Select Attach from the File menu.

The Attach Raster Reference File dialog box appears.

Notes:

5 Select background.tif from the \image folder with the following attachmentsettings:

Logical Name: Base

Description: Raster Background Image

Place Interactively: Enabled

Notes:

6 Click OK.

Raster Manager dialog box




8/7/03 23-458

Raster Manager


The status bar prompts you to Enter origin .

Since the Interactive attachment method was selected, you must identifytwo points in the design file to orient the raster file.

7 Enter a data point near Location 1 in View 5.

This point identifies the lower left corner of the raster file. You do not needto be accurate with this point. You will perform other steps in a fewmoments to make this attachment more precise.

The status bar prompts you to Enter corner .

Enter a data pointnear Location 1 inView 5




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Raster Manager


8 Enter a data point near Location 2 in View 5.

This point identifies the upper right corner of the raster file.

Notes:

The raster file displays when the loading process is complete.

Enter a data point

near Location 2 inView 5

The raster file appears when the attachment is complete




8/7/03 23-460

Raster Manager


Adding Photos

Having a current photo of an existing site can be just as helpful to a designer asa background raster file. Incorporating a raster file of a logo rather than tracingit to create a vector version can also be useful.

Since digital cameras have become common and are widely used inengineering, MicroStation includes tools that let you incorporate digital photosinto your designs.

Exercise: Add a site photo

1 Continuing in raster.dgn , select Fit View for View 5.

2 Select Attach from the Raster Manager dialog box’s File menu.

3 Select site.jpg with the following attachment settings:

Logical Name : site photo

Place Interactively : Enabled

4 Click OK.

5 Enter a data point at Location 4 for the origin of the photo.

6 Enter a data point at Location 5 for the opposite corner of the photo.

When you do contract work, clients frequently provide their own logo to beplaced into the title block. In the past, tracing a raster logo and turning it into a vector element was a common process. Raster Manager lets you incorporate thelogo in its native file format.

Exercise: Adding a corporate logo

1 Continuing in raster.dgn , Window Area in on the left hand side of the titleblock area.

2 Select Attach from the Raster Manager ’s File menu.

3 Select the file bentley.jpg with the following attachment settings:

Logical Name: Bentley Logo

Place Interactively : Enabled

4 Enter a data point at Location 6 for the photo’s origin.

5 Enter a data point near Location 7 for the photo’s opposite corner.

6 Fit View in View 5.




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Raster Manager


Resizing a Raster File

Comparing the background raster file to the vector elements in View 5, you willnotice that the raster file must be enlarged to more closely fit the design fileelements. Let’s resize the raster file.

Exercise: Modifying the size of a raster file

1 Continuing in raster.dgn , select background.tif in the Raster Manager dialogbox.

Be careful to select the desired file in the dialog box. Otherwise, you maymodify the wrong raster file.

2 Select Modify from the Raster Manager dialog box’ Edit menu.

When this tool is selected, MicroStation identifies each vertex and themidpoint of each side of your raster file with a handle, as well as an originindicator.

The status bar prompts you to Select a Handle .

3 Enter a data point at Location 2 in View 5.

The status bar prompts you to Enter new corner point.

4 Enter a data point at Location 3 in View 5.

5 Reset to accept.

Enter a data point atLocation 2 in View 5




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Raster Manager


The raster file is enlarged.

Moving a Raster File

Next, you must relocate the raster file to coincide with the active design fileelements.

Exercise: Moving raster files

1 Continuing in raster.dgn, use Window Area to enlarge the lower left cornerof the raster file in View 5.

2 You will see the raster file’s BM27 marker in View 5. If not, adjust the viewuntil you do.

3Click the View 3 title bar to bring it to the front (on top of View 5).

The enlarged raster

appears.

Windowed in on the BM27

marker




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Raster Manager


You will see the active design file’s BM27 marker in View 3. Now that the view windows are set up, you can easily move the raster file.

4 Select Modify from the Raster Manager dialog box’s Edit menu.

Raster Manager also uses the Modify tool to change the selected raster file’ssize and position.

Although you prompted to select a handle, you don’t need to.

5 Identify a point close to the BM27 cross mark on the raster file in View 5.

6 Identify the next point close to the BM27 cross mark on the active designfile vector marker in View 3.

The raster file is moved on top of the design elements.

7 Reset.

Warping the Raster File

Raster files often contain data that corresponds to elements in a design file.Sometimes, when you use Raster Manager to reference in raster files, the raster datadoesn’t align with the vector data. When this happens, you must transform or“warp” the raster data to make it properly coincide with the vector data.

As a policy, it is better to warp the image to match the vector elements than tomove the vector elements to match the image. Check before moving any elementsto match a raster image.

View windows arranged so that both

raster and vector markers can be seen




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Raster Manager


Notes:

Warping a raster file is a process of first identifying points on the raster file, andthen identifying their corresponding points in the vector file. MicroStation supportsthree methods of warping raster files: Align , Similitude , and Affine.

Exercise: Warp the Raster file

1 Continuing in raster.dgn , click the title bars of Views 1, 2, and 4 to bringthem to the front.

2 Use the View Controls to set the content of the Views so that the blue vectormarkers and the raster markers are visible, as in the preceding image.

Method Requirements

Align (Move, Scale) requires two points

Similitude (Move, Scale, Rotate) minimum of two points

Affine (Move, Scale, Rotate, Skew) minimum of three points




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Raster Manager


3 With background.tif highlighted in the Raster Manager dialog box, select Edit > Warp.

4 Select the Affine mode from the Warp tool settings.

The status bar prompts you to Enter image point .

5 Place a data point at the raster file’s BM23 cross mark in View 1.

The status bar prompts you to Enter monument point .

6 Snap to the center of the blue monument (circle with x) to locate BM23 inthe design file.

As you move your pointer to the monument, you will see a dynamic linethat indicates you are stretching the point in the raster file to the pointselected in the vector file.

7 Repeat the previous two steps for the benchmarks in the other three Views.Remember: you must identify the point in the raster file first, then thecorresponding point in the vector file.

8 Select Reset when finished.

The raster file is now aligned with the elements in the active design file. Theaccuracy of the alignment depends on how accurately you defined the rasterpoints and monuments. How did you do?

Clipping Rasters

When working with raster files, you often have more of the image than youreally need. Use Clip to “crop” and “mask” your images. Let’s try this with yourraster file.

Warp tool settings set

to Affine

BM23 enlarged




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Raster Manager


Exercise: Clipping raster files

1 Continuing in raster.dgn, toggle off button 5, then toggle it back on in theView Groups dialog box to bring View 5 to the top.

View 5 now appears on top of the other views.

2 To see the entire drawing, select Fit View for View 5. You may want tomaximize the view window.

3 Select Place Fence and place a fence around the area by the buildings asshown in the following image.

4 Select Clip from the Raster Manager ’s Edit menu, with the following toolsettings:

Method : Fence

Mode : Clip Boundary

This sets the tool to seek your active fence and perform a Clip Boundary function rather than a Clip Mask function.

5 Enter a data point in the file to accept the operation.

Place a fence around thearea by the buildings




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Raster Manager


6 When the operation is complete, the view updates showing the results.

MicroStation clips the raster file similar to the way it clips a normal design file.Because of this, you can use the Raster Manager ’s Unclip tool to reverse any clip.

Clip Mask works similarly. Instead of clipping the edges of the raster image, it letsyou mask out specific areas of the raster image.

References rasters can be clipped using clipping polygons. The operations are thesame as for vector references, using the tools found in the References dialog box.

Update sequence for raster references

A key feature for raster references is the ability to use the Update Sequence dialogbox to reorder raster images attached through design file references, or throughsecondary Models with raster reference attachments from the master model.

Go to Settings > Update Sequence in the Raster Manager dialog box to open theUpdate Sequence dialog box.

The clipped boundary




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Raster Tools Tool Boxes


In the File Name column of the Update Sequence dialog box, Raster References includes all referenced raster files. Their position in the sequence can only beadjusted as a group, and they must occupy the first or last position.

Setting the Raster References item to update first or update last in the update

sequence will determine if the rasters display in front of, or behind, the vectorelements found in their respective files. Files are updated in the order in which theyare listed, so the Last entry is updated last, and consequently displays on top.

Raster Tools Tool Boxes

Raster tool boxes are also available. Find them under Tools > Raster . The tool boxesare as follows.

The Raster Main tool box, consists of two tools which change depending upon which tool was selected last from the Raster Display tool box and the Raster Controltool box. These two tool boxes may be pulled away from the Raster Main tool box.

The Raster Display tool box contains tools to change the display order ofoverlapping raster images, fit images to a view, display images at 1:1 resolution, orchange their contrast/brightness settings. It may be opened separately by selecting

Tools > Raster > Display .

The Raster Control tool box contains tools to open the Raster Manager dialog box;to attach, select, modify or mirror images, and to clip, modify or remove a clippingpolygon for a raster image. It may be opened separately by selecting Tools > Raster> Control .

The Update Sequencedialog box with Raster

References positioned to

update First

The Raster Main tool box

shown with the Raster Displayand Raster Control tool boxes




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Live nesting of raster references



MicroStation now supports raster reference files as live nested references.

Exercise: Display a nested raster reference

1 Open the file main.dgn .

2 Open the Raster Manager and scroll through the attached raster references.

Note that main.bmp is the raster reference that is directly attached tomain.dgn. The references shown in gray are raster references attached toref1.dgn and ref2.dgn, respectively.


4 Highlight ref1.dgn, right click and go to Settings in the pop-up menu.


5 In the Attachment Settings dialog box, change the setting for Nested

Attachments from No Nesting to Live Nesting and leave the Depth set to 1.

6 Click OK.

The raster and vector playing card components of the file nestedref1.dgnappear.

7 Select ref1.dgn from the file option list at the upper left of the References dialog box.

The nested raster reference nestedref1.dgn is listed in the body of the dialogbox.

8 Open the Raster Manager if it is not still open, and scroll down the list offile names.

Note the addition of the image nestedref1.bp which is the image of theplaying card that is attached to nestedref1.dgn.

The nested reference nestedref1.dgn shown in

the References dialog box and its raster

reference rasterref1.bp shown in the Raster Manager




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9 Back in the References dialog box, return to main.dgn in the file option list.

10 Select ref1.dgn in the body of the dialog box.

11 Go to Settings > Attachment .

12 Change the setting for Nested Attachments to Copy Attachments . Leave theDepth at 1 and click OK.

The file ref.dgn is made into a direct attachment. The file’s raster referenceis listed in the Raster Manager dialog box as a reference to the now directlyattached .dgn file.

Nestedref1.dgn shown in theReferences dialog box as a direct

attachment, and its raster reference

nestedref1.bp is shown in theRaster Manager dialog box as a

direct reference to it




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24 Design Problem 4

The Problem

This design problem includes two phases. Complete Phase I before starting onPhase II.

Notes:

Design Parameters Phase I

Design scenario

You have been given a roadway plan that was designed by your highwaydepartment. As a civil engineering technician, you have been assigned to create a

set of construction plans for the roadway. The road must be divided into severalsections to create individual sheets for a set of plans.

Scope of work

• Create a plan sheet for each of the three sections of road.

• Include a title block border in each sheet.

• Fill in the sheet number in the title block.

There should be no overlapping of road sections on the plan sheets.

Design specifications

These files have been provided:

• lab5.dgn - The roadway design

• l5tb.dgn - The title block border




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Design Procedure


• 5sh1.dgn - A blank design file to be used for Section 1

Design Procedure

You must create two more files: 5sh2.dgn and 5sh3.dgn to contain the remainingroad sections.

Roadway Design showingmatch lines.

Title block border




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Design Procedure


.

Suggested tools

• Attach Reference

• Place Fence Shape

• Clip Boundary

• Move Reference

Helpful hints

• Clip the referenced roadway sections along the match lines.

• Fully complete one plan sheet by attaching the title block and roadway asreferences, and clipping out part of the roadway. Copy this completed sheet tomake the other two sheets.

Completed Sheet 1




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Design Parameters Phase II


Design Parameters Phase II

Notes:

Design Procedure

Add a 20 foot wide median to separate the opposing lanes for the entire roadway.Center it on the center line of the roadway. Use this element symbology for themedian:

• Level: 10

• Color: 6

• Style: 2

• Weight: 0

When completed, view the three sheets you created in Phase I.




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GENERATE DETAIL PLANS FROM AN OVERALL FLOOR PLAN (pa34.dgn)

Plan .dgn file Logical Description Rotate Scale Levels

Sheet Border sb34.dgn border sheet border No Yes (2:1) 1

Stair Tower oa34.dgn stair typical stair tower No No 10, 12, 15, 20, 25 & 26

Elevator Core oa34.dgn elevator elevator core No No 10, 12, 15, 19 & 23

Toilet Rooms oa34.dgn toilet toilet rooms Yes (270) No 12, 15, 18, 23, 25, 26, 30, 31& 35

Entry Canopy oa34.dgn canopy entry canopy No No 9, 10, 12, 15, 25 & 39

Structural Canopy oa34.dgn stcanopy structural canopy No No 10, 12, 13 & 39

Stair Tower Toilet Rooms Elevator Core

Entry Canopy Structural Canopy Sheet Border

1 Use the Reference tools to attach, clip, move, scale and adjust layer settings to create the detail plansfor an office building.




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COMPLETE THE ASSEMBLY DRAWING (pm34.dgn)

Move the r eferenced jig into place.

1 Using as few References as you can, create the finished part assembly drawing.

2 The top jig is stored in the file jigp.dgn .

3 Scale the jig drawing down by a factor of 10 to make it fit the mounting plate.

4 Use the Reference tools as necessary.

1 Using a reference, add the drawing sheet border ( brdr.dgn ).

The correct, completed assembly drawing is shown above.

COMPLETE THE ASSEMBLY DRAWING




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ASSEMBLE THE COMPOSITE MAP (pc34.dgn)

Design FileLogicalName

Description Scale RotateMirrorHorizontal

Mirror Vertical

mp01.dgn map 1 plate 1 Yes, 0.5 No No No

mp02.dgn map 2 plate 2 No Yes, 45 degrees No No

mp03.dgn map 3 plate 3 Yes, 2.0 No No No

mp04.dgn map 4 plate 4 No No Yes No

mp05.dgn map 5 plate 5 No No No Yes

mp06.dgn map 6 plate 6 Yes, 5.0 Yes, 15 degrees No No

1 Use the Reference tools and table data to attach and position the map sections.

2 Start by attaching the design file mp01.dgn, clip bound, scale and move the reference toLocation 1.

3 Complete the drawing by attaching and manipulating the remaining design files.




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25 Patterning an Area

Patterning adds texture and material identity to elements and helps to express therole and function of various drawing components. Whatever your discipline,patterning can play an important role in making your drawings more clear. Forexample, architectural wall sections must show insulation batten and concretematerial. Maps must define marsh lands and wooded areas. Drawings must identifythe construction materials of mechanical machine parts, such as brass or steel.

This chapter covers the following Patterning tools and methods:

• Hatch, Crosshatch, and Pattern Area

• Pattern tool settings

• Creating holes in patterns

• Working with associative patterns

Tools For Patterning

These tools are found in the Patterns tool box, which can be accessed from the Main tool frame.

Hatch Area

The first tool in the Patterns tool box is Hatch Area . This tool lets you place hatchlines at a specified spacing and angle.

Crosshatch Area

Use Crosshatch Area to place “crossed” hatch lines which run in two directions. This tool offers all of the same tool settings as the Hatch Area tool with twoadditional fields to enter the spacing and angle of the second set of hatch lines.

The Patterns tool box




8/7/03 25-480



If you leave the additional fields blank, MicroStation defaults to placing the secondhatch at a right angle to the first hatch.

Pattern Area

Pattern Area lets you pattern an area by repeating a cell at defined intervals. The values you enter in the Scale , Row Spacing , and Column Spacing fieldsdetermine the number of times the cell placement is repeated in the designatedarea.

Pattern tool settings

Six tool settings are associated with patterning.

Other options include:

Snappable Pattern : When enabled the Snappable Pattern option allows you to useMicroStation’s standard snap modes to snap to the resulting pattern elements.

Associative Pattern : When enabled, Associative Pattern places pattern and hatchelements in association with the original elements of the item being patterned. Thismeans the pattern automatically updates whenever you modify the originalelement. You can create associative patterns from:

• Elements in the Active DGN file

• Elements in references, including nested reference and self references

• A combination of elements from the active file and references.

Whether an element is from the active file or a reference, the associated patterningupdates.

Setting Description

Pattern Cell The name of the cell containing the desired pattern, i.e., SWAMP. You can

browse cell library contents by clicking the magnifying glass icon next to thePattern Cell field.

Scale The factor by which the pattern is scaled; a number greater than zero; 0.25renders a quarter-size pattern.

Row Spacing The interval between each row of pattern cells (keep same as spacing).

Column Spacing The interval between (pattern cells along a row) columns.

Spacing The distance between each pattern/hatch line (same as row spacing forconsistency).

Angle The angle, relative to the view, of pattern cell rows/instances or hatch lines.

Tolerance Maximum distance between a curved element and the line segments of a patternor hatch.




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True Scale: When using the Pattern Area tool a True Scale option is available. Thisoption, like the True scale option for placing cells, provides the means to adjust fordifferences between the units in which patterns were created and the units of theactive file.

Pattern Methods

To control the patterning process, we use one of seven pattern methods from the Method option menu in the tool settings.

When you pattern with the Flood , Union , Intersection, or Difference method, a single associative pattern region can consist of many disjointedsub-regions.

Special Flood parameters

When you select the Flood method, you can access additional options by clickingon the downward arrow on the right side of the tool settings.

Method Description of Area

Element The interior of a closed shape, ellipse, closed B-spline curve, or between multi-

line components.

Fence The interior of the current fence.

Intersection The common interior of two or more selected closed elements.

Union The total interior occupied by two or more selected closed e lements.

Difference The interior area of the first selected closed element minus the common area ofadditional selected closed elements.

Flood The area enclosed by several elements. Closed shape not required for thismethod.

Points The area defined by a series of data points representing the vertices of atemporary shape.

Pattern Area tool settings Flood Method additional options




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Creating Holes in a Pattern


Locate Interior Shapes : If enabled, selected interior shapes will remain un-patternedinside of a patterned area.

Locate Text: This setting allows an area around text within the patterned area toremain un-patterned.

Dynamic Area : Areas selected to be patterned are dynamically displayed prior topatterning.

Alternating Area: This option is available with Locate Interior Shapes on andDynamic Area off. If on, alternating areas are patterned where shapes are nestedinside one another.

Max Gap: This parameter’s value identifies the largest gap that can exist betweenelements that constitute an area to be patterned. When you exceed this distance,MicroStation does not consider the area to be enclosed, which can lead patternsappearing in unintended areas.

Creating Holes in a Pattern

You may need to leave voids, or holes, in the body of the pattern. A drill hole in amechanical design might be such a situation. You can use MicroStation’s patterntools to accomplish this in one of two ways.

The Difference method

In this first method, keep holes kept clear of patterning by choosing the Difference

pattern method. Using this method, identify the main shape to be patterned andthen discretely identify all intrusions into this shape. The result is a non-associativepattern that stays clear of the identified elements.

The Hole element attribute

The second method for identifying voids uses an element attribute called Area . Thisis either set to Solid (the default) or Hole . When you set an element to Hole, thepatterning process keeps this element clear of pattern when it occurs inside of thetarget pattern object. Use Change to Active Area in the Change Attributes tool boxto set this attribute.




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Other Pattern Tools


Other Pattern Tools

Show Pattern Attributes

Use this tool to identify the attributes of a previously placed pattern element. The

identified attributes include:• The type of element that received the pattern

• The type of elements within the pattern

• The drawing level of the elements

• The type of pattern, i.e., cell or hatch

• The name of the pattern cell

• The pattern angle and pattern scale

MicroStation displays this information in the status bar.

Match Active Pattern

Use this tool to change the Pattern tool settings to match those of a previouslypatterned element.

Before we continue: What is the difference between Hatch and Crosshatch?

Name some of the different methods for hatching.

How do the attributes of Hole and Solid affect elementswhen patterning?

In the next exercises you’ll use the Pattern tools, the Difference method and theHole element attribute to create patterns with holes in patterns.




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Other Pattern Tools


Exercise: Hatching an element

1 Open file hatchhole.dgn .

2 Select the Hatch Area tool with the following tool settings:

Spacing: 0.25

Angle: 120 degrees

Tolerance: 0.0

Method: Element

Turn off all other options.

3 Identify the element at Location 1.

4 Enter a second data point to accept the hatch pattern.

As you can see, the hatch pattern did not recognize a void where the hole was supposed to be.

5 Select the Delete Pattern tool, then identify the shape to remove theincorrect hatch pattern.

You can also select Undo Hatch Area from the Edit menu or select the Undo

icon from the Standard tool bar to remove a pattern.

hatchhole.dgn

The Hatched shape with

no void




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Other Pattern Tools


Exercise: Hatch the element using the Difference method

1 Continuing in hatchhole.dgn , select Hatch Area and set the Method toDifference in the tool settings.

Leave all other settings as they are.

2 Identify the shape element at Location 1.

3 Identify the circle at Location2.

4 Enter a data point away from any elements.

5 Press reset to accept the hatch pattern.

Should you need to cancel the patterning process at this point, just selectanother tool or reselect Hatch Area .

As you can see, the hatch pattern recognized the difference between the shape andthe circle, and patterned the area accordingly.

Exercise: Creating a hole with the Hole element attribute

1 Continuing in hatchhole.dgn , select Change to Active Area from the Change Attributes tool box with the following tool setting:

Area: Hole


3 Enter a second data point to accept the active area change.

4 Select Hatch Area and change the Method to Element in the tool settings.

Hatched Shape with void

created using the Difference

method




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Other Pattern Tools



6 Enter a second data point to accept the hatch pattern.

The hole element is recognized, and the area is hatched accordingly.

You can apply the Hole attribute to an element at any time, including when youinitially place the element. When patterning objects with several voids, the Holeattribute is more efficient than using the Difference method.

In the following exercises you will use all three patterning tools.

Exercise: Create an area hatch pattern

1 Open brake.dgn .

MicroStation displays a brake rotor drawing.

2 Select Hatch Area with the following tool settings:

Method: Element

Spacing: 0.1875

Angl e: 120 degrees

Tolerance: 0.0

Hatched shape with hole using the hole

element attribute

brake.dgn




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Other Pattern Tools


Disable all other options.

3 Move the pointer to Location 1 and enter a data point to identify the area tobe hatched.

The identified circle highlights.

4Move the pointer away from Location 1 and enter a second data point toaccept the hatch area pattern.

This hatching pattern is known in mechanical drafting as representing asection cut through cast iron.

Exercise: Creating a rough-cut knurled chamfer with Crosshatch Area

1 Continuing in brake.dgn, select Crosshatch Area with the following toolsettings:

Method: Difference

Spacing: 0.0938 — 0.0938

Angle: 60 degrees — 150 degreesTolerance: 0.0

2 Move the pointer to the circle which intersects Location 2 and enter a datapoint on the circle to identify the first element.

Do not enter a data point on the location marker circle.

3 Use a data point to identify the second element on the circle whichintersects Location 3.

The elements are highlighted.

4 Enter a third data point to accept the difference between the identified

elements.

The brake rotor patternedwith the hatch pattern




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Other Pattern Tools


5 Reset to complete the crosshatch pattern.

You have used Delete Pattern to delete patterning already. Unlike Undo, it can beused to delete a pattern while restoring the original element components that wereused to create the pattern.

Exercise: Deleting a pattern

1 Continuing in brake.dgn , select Delete Pattern .

2 Move the pointer over the line work of the pattern in the rotor until one linehighlights.

3 Enter a data point to accept the pattern for deletion.

The pattern disappears.

Before continuing be sure that the rotor is clear of any hatch patterns from previousexercises.

Exercise: Pattern the sectioned rotor using a cell

1 Continuing in brake.dgn, attach the cell library mechpatt.cel from the classdirectory.

There are six pattern cells in this cell library.

2 Select Pattern Area with the following tool settings:

Method: Element

Pattern Cell: steel

Scale: 0.5

Row Spacing: 0.25

Column Spacing: 0.0 Angle: 60

Tolerance: 0.0

Disable all other options.

Crosshatching a rough-cut

knurled chamfer




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Working with Associative Patterns


3 Move the pointer to Location 4 and enter a data point to identify theelement to be patterned.

Once again MicroStation highlights the circle.

4 Enter a second data point to accept the area pattern.

In mechanical drafting, this hatching pattern represents a section cut

through steel.

5 For additional practice, use Delete Pattern to delete this pattern and then tryother settings for this tool and see their effect.


In the following exercises you will place an associative pattern on the side view ofthe brake rotor. Then you will modify the underlying shape to illustrate howassociativity works.

Exercise: Patterning the rotor

1 Continuing in brake.dgn, select the Hatch Area tool with the following toolsettings:

Method: Element

Spacing : 0.1

Angl e: 45 degrees

Tolerance: 0.0

Associative Pattern: On

2 In the drawing, identify the rotor’s shape in the side view with a data point.

3 Enter a data point to accept the hatch area pattern.

Rotor patterned with steel pattern




8/7/03 25-490



A 45 degree hatch pattern appears inside the rotor’s shape.

4 Select Modify Element .

5 Identify any part of the patterned shape with a data point.

6 Enter a second data point to modify the body of the shape.

The pattern automatically updates to reflect the new shape.

7 Try this on other parts of the shape.

Side view of the hatched Rotor

Horizontal line of Rotor section

identified

Horizontal line of Rotor section

modified




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PATTERN THE MAP TO DESIGNATE LAND USE AREAS (landpattern.dgn)

Attributes Hatch Crosshatch Pattern Area

Category Color Style Spacing Angle Spacing Angle Cell Scale

Wetlands 0 0 n/a n/a n/a n/a wetlnd 1.0

Water 1 0 n/a n/a n/a n/a water 2.0

Recreation Areas 2 2 n/a n/a 20.0, 20.0 45, 135 n/a n/a

Pedestrian Walkways 0 0 10.0 45 n/a n/a n/a n/a

Recreation Areas Pedestrian Walkways

Recreation AreasWater Wetlands

1 Attach the Cell Library landpatt.cel .

2 Use the Hatch, Crosshatch and Pattern Area tools to complete the land use plan.




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ADD POUCHE PATTERNS TO THE WALL & FOUNDATIONSECTION (detailpattern.dgn)

Brick pattern, 1” spacing at 45

degrees.

Insulation pattern, 1/2” by 1/2”

spacing at 45 and 135 degrees.

Batten insulation pattern, snap to

base of wood stud.

1 Attach the Cell Library detailpatt.cel and review the patterning cells.

2 Use the Hatch, Crosshatch, Pattern Area and Group Hole tools to complete the drawing.




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26 Dimensions

Not everyone has access to a computer which will let them access design files andmeasure drawing elements. Therefore they must have another way to determineelement sizes and relationships. Dimensioning drawings can provide this necessarydata. This chapter introduces MicroStation’s dimensioning features.

MicroStation provides a full range of tools and settings for dimensioning a drawing. This lesson covers:

• The Dimension tools

• The Dimension Settings dialog box

• Changing and modifying Dimension elements

• Creating Dimension Styles

• Alternate Labels

• Editing Dimension text

Dimensions are critical when it comes to building the work that is depicted in adrawing. A wrong or misplaced dimension could lead to a costly job site mistake.Use of MicroStation’s many dimensioning capabilities can help avoid errors.

Dimension Tools

The Dimension Element tool

Use Dimension Element, the first tool in the Dimensions tool box, to dimensionseveral types of elements including:

• Lines

• Line strings

• Multi-lines

• Shapes

• Arcs




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Dimension Tools


• Circles

After selecting an element to dimension with this tool, you can choose from amongseveral dimension types by clicking the Next button in the Dimension Element toolsettings, or by pressing Enter.

Exercise: Dimensioning an element

1 Open dim1.dgn .

You will use this design file in the next several exercises.

2 Select Dimension Element .

You will see a Style option list in the Dimension Element tool settings.

The magnifying glass icon accesses the Dimension Settings dialog box which is used to set parameters for dimensions. These can then be saved asDimension Styles , which will be discussed later in the chapter.

3 Enter a data point on the line that passes through Location 1, then enter a

second data point at Location 2.

If you enter the data point on the location marker circle, the dimensioningtool will try to dimension the location marker circle.

Element Type Cycles Through These Tools

Line, line string, shape, ormulti-line

Dimension Size with Arrow Dimension Size with StrokeLabel LineDimension Size Perpendicular to Line

Ellipse (including circles) Dimension RadialDiameter modeDimension RadialDiameter Extended mode

Dimension Diameter ParallelDimension Diameter PerpendicularDimension RadialRadius modeDimension RadialRadius Extended mode

Arc Dimension RadialRadius modeDimension RadialRadius Extended modeDimension Arc SizeDimension Arc Sizecomplementary angle

The Dimension tool box




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Dimension Tools


You have created a dimension that shows the length of the line.

4 Enter a data point on the circle that passes through Location 3, then enter asecond data point at Location 4.

The same tool placed a dimension that shows the circle’s diameter.

5 Enter a data point on the arc that passes through Location 5, then enter asecond data point at Location 6.

This dimension indicates the radius of the fillet arc between the two lines.

6 Enter a data point on the line that passes through Location 7, then enter asecond data point at Location 8.

Dimension Element tool settings options

Now that you have placed a few dimensions, let’s take a look at the Dimension Element tool settings.

Dimensioned line

Dimensions showing

length of the line

Dimensionshowing diameter

of a circle

Dimension showingradius of arc

Dimension

showing length of the line




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Dimension Tools


Alignment

The Dimension Element tool settings options let you change the way the tooloperates while you are working.

The Alignment options in the tool settings control the alignment of lineardimensions.

Alignment Illustration Aligns linear dimensions

View Parallel to the view x- or y-axis — useful when dimensioning 3D reference files with dimensions parallel to the viewingplane. (“X v ” denotes the view x-axis.)

Drawing Parallel to the design plane x- or y- axis. The design’s rotation determines thealignment axis for a particular dimension.(“X d” denotes the design plane x-axis.)

True Parallel to the element beingdimensioned. The extension lines are at

right angles to the dimension line.

Arbitrary (2Donly)

Parallel to the element beingdimensioned. The extension lines are notconstrained to be at right angles to thedimension line. This is useful when

dimensioning elements in 2D “iso”drawings. Iso Lock must be On toaccomplish this.

Dimension Element Alignment options




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Dimension Tools


Let’s try changing the alignment as you place some dimensions to see how thistool works.

Exercise: Placing Dimensions with different alignments

1 Continuing in dim1.dgn , open View 2.

2 Select Dimension Element .

3 Set the Alignment option to View in the Dimension Element tool settings.

4 Enter a data point on the line that passes through Location 1; then enter asecond data point at Location 2.

Note that even though the line is rotated at an angle, the dimension is not.It continues to be aligned with the view’s Y axis.

5 Change the Alignment option to Drawing .

6 Enter a data point on the line that passes through Location 3; then a secondat Location 4.

Even though this dimension looks just like the first dimension you placed,its alignment is different. If you were looking at a rotated view, thedimension would have appeared rotated, instead of being aligned with the view.

To see the difference between the view alignment and drawing alignment,rotate the view of the design file, then place the two dimensions again.

7 Change the Alignment option to True .

8 Enter a data point on the line that passes through Location 5, then a secondat Location 6.

This dimension is aligned with the element that is being dimensioned.9 Change the Alignment option to Arbitrary .

10 Enter a data point on the line that passes through Location 7.

Note how the dimension now follows the pointer, with the extension linesrotating to follow. This alignment setting lets you choose how thedimension will be placed.




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Dimension Tools



Associated Dimensions

The other Dimension Element tool setting is the Association Lock. This settingappears for all the dimension tools, and is an important feature. Its purpose is to“associate” the dimension you are placing with the points in the drawing that itdimensions. This feature assures that if an element with an associated dimension ismodified, the dimension is automatically updated to a new value that correspondsto the change. For instance, if you alter the length of a line you have dimensioned,

the dimension changes to reflect the alteration. This is the same as modifying anelement that was patterned with an associative pattern.

You must enable the Association Lock in the Locks area of the status bar to createassociations to elements. The Association Lock MUST be enabled to placeassociated dimensions. Let’s try it out.

Drawing View

True

Arbitrary

Dimensioning Alignment options




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Dimension Tools


Exercise: Placing Associated Dimensions


2 Click the Lock icon in the status bar and enable the Association lock in thepop-up menu.

3 Select Dimension Element with the following tool settings:

Alignment : View

Association: Enabled

4 Enter a data point on the line that passes through Location 1, and then asecond at Location 2.

Next, you will place an un-associated dimension.

5 Disable the Association check box in the Dimension Element tool settings.

6 Enter a data point on the line that passes through Location 3, and then asecond at Location 4.

Now let’s modify the lines you have dimensioned to show associativity.7 Select Modify Element from the Modify tool box.

8 Enter a data point near Location 1, on the line that you dimensioned.

9 Move the pointer to the right, and place the end of the line about where thecenter of the line used to be.

Note how the associated dimension responded when you placed the newend point.

10 Modify the length of the second line the same way.

Enable the Associa tion lock from the

status bar Locks menu




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Dimension Tools


The non-associated dimension has not updated to reflect the change.

Association points are created when you place a dimension with the Associationlock enabled. Any time you enter a data point, you create an association pointbetween the element and the dimension. Changing any of the association pointsupdates the attached dimensions.

It is a good idea to place all the dimensions in a drawing using the same Association tool setting. Otherwise, if you change your drawing, you’ll find thatsome of the dimensions have been updated, and that you must edit othersmanually.

The Dimension Size with Arrow tool

Use Dimension Size with Arrows to dimension the linear distance between twopoints. You can quickly create a string of dimensions with this tool by identifyingadditional points.

Placing a string of dimensions


2 Select the Dimension Size with Arrow tool from the Dimension tool box.

Watch the status bar. It will prompt for what is required next.

3 To select the start of the dimension, move the pointer over the intersectionat Location 1.

4 Enter a data point when the AccuSnap icon appears.

5 To define the length of the extension line, enter a data point at Location 2.

6 For the dimension endpoint, use AccuSnap to enter a data point at theintersection at Location 3.

7 For the next endpoint, use AccuSnap to enter a data point at the intersectionat Location 4.

8 For the next endpoint, use AccuSnap to enter a data point at Location 5.

The associated dimensionat the top is modified with

the line. The non- associated dimension is

shown at the bottom




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Dimension Tools


9 Reset twice.

MicroStation offers many options for placing dimensions. It can adapt thedimension itself as you work, so that it appears the way you want it. Let’s try thisout.

Exercise: Placing stacked dimensions

1 Continuing in View 4 of dim1.dgn, select Dimension Size with Arrow .

2 Use AccuSnap and enter a data point at the intersection at Location 6.



Notice that the dimension changes as you move the pointer away fromLocation 5, towards the top of the screen. If the dimension text does not fitbetween the extension lines, MicroStation will relocate it outside of theextension lines.


Notice where the dimension text was placed. MicroStation created a stackeddimension to compensate for the lack of space for dimension text along the

original dimension line.

6 Reset twice.

Dimensioned Size with

Arrow

Stacked Dimensions




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Dimension Tools


The dimensioning tool automatically starts the next dimension perpendicular to thelast dimension placed. Resetting twice, resets the tool from the beginning.

The Dimension Angle Between Lines tool

Use this tool to place an angular dimension between two lines, two segments of a line string,or two sides of a shape.

Exercise: Placing angular dimensions

1 Open dim2.dgn .

2 Select Dimension Angle Between Lines from the Dimension tool box.

Again, watch the status bar for instructions about what to do next.

3 Enter a data point at Location 1 to select the first line (the right side of the triangle).

4 Enter a data point at Location 2 to select the second line (the bottom line of the

octagon).5 Enter a data point at Location 3 to identify where the dimension will be placed.

Keep watching the status bar.

6 Enter data points at Locations 4, 5, and 6 for the next dimension.

7 Enter data points at Locations 7, 8, and 9 for the next dimension.

8 Enter data points at Locations 10, 11 and 12.

Angular Dimensions




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Dimension Tools


The Dimension Radial tool

Use Dimension Radial to dimension arcs and circles. This tool lets you dimension either theradius or diameter of the selected element. You can use this tool to place a center mark.

Exercise: Placing Radial and Angular Dimensions

1 Open View 2 in dim2.dgn.

2 Select Dimension Radial from the Dimension tool box and set the Mode toCenter Mark

3 Identify the element by entering a data point on the arc that passes throughLocation 1.

4 The Center Mark appears at the center of the circle.

5 Set the Mode to Radius and enter data points at Locations 3 and 4.

If the location circle highlights, reset to select the arc.

6 Set the Mode to Radius Extended and enter data points at Locations 5 and 6.

7 Set the Mode to Diameter and enter data points at Locations 7 and 8.

Center Mark




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Dimension Tools


8 Set the Mode to Diameter Extended and enter data points at Locations 9 and10.

The Dimension Ordinates tool

Use Dimension Ordinates to label distances along an axis from an origin (datum)along the ordinate axis (the line that the distances are measured along).

Exercise: Placing Ordinate Dimensions


2 Select Dimension Ordinates from the Dimension tool box.

3

AccuSnap to and then enter data points at Locations 1 (origin), 2 (ordinateaxis), 3 (place “zero” dimension) and 4 (place ordinate dimension).

Radius

Radius

Extended

Diameter

Extended

Radius

Diameter




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The Dimension Settings dialog box


4 Continue by AccuSnapping to and placing data points at Locations 5, 6, 7, 8and 9 to place the remaining ordinate dimensions.


Many settings are associated with the dimensioning tools. You probably will not usemost of these unless your drawing requires very customized dimensions. Lets begin with a few of the basic settings that control the most commonly changed dimensionfeatures.

Dimension settings are found in two places. The tool settings for each dimensiontool shows a few parameters you can quickly change. However, most of the

Ordinate

Dimensioning




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dimension controls reside in the Dimension Settings dialog box ( Element >Dimensions ).

So you can better understand the different settings, let’s take a quick look at thecomponents of a dimension element.

The Dimension Settings dialog box includes several categories of parameters. They

are arranged on the basis of the part of a dimension they affect. For instance, theDimension Lines category includes settings for the attributes of the dimension’slines. These settings affect the dimension lines of any dimension that you create,regardless of which tool you use.

Category Includes settings that:

Custom Symbols Include custom symbols in dimension text.

Dimension Line Determine the characteristics of dimension lines.

Dimension With Leader Determine the characteristics of the dimension leader

Extension Line Determine the characteristics of extension lines.

Placement Affect the dimension Alignment, dimension textLocation, and the placement of dimensions in general.

Terminators Determine the characteristics of terminators.

Terminator Symbols Use custom terminators in dimensions.

Text Determine the characteristics of dimension text.

Tolerance Control the generation of toleranced dimensions.

Tool Settings Affect how a particular dimensioning tool operates.

The Dimension Settings dialog

box

Extension Line

Dimension Line

Terminator (arrow)

Dimension Text




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In the Tool Settings category, the parameters are arranged by specific dimensioning

tools, and affect only the dimensions placed with the selected tool.

Notes:

Next you will take a look at a some of the changes commonly made to dimensions.

Exercise: Changing Units and Tool Settings dimension settings

1 Open dim3.dgn .

2 Select Dimension Size with Arrow from the Dimension tool box.

3 To select the start of the dimension, AccuSnap to the line at Location 1 andenter a data point

4 Enter a data point at Location 2, then AccuSnap to the end of the line atLocation 3.

The dimension string appears. The actual distance between the two lines is1.75 meters. Note that the 2 meter dimension is actually rounded off to thenearest meter.

5 Reset twice.

6 Select Element > Dimensions to open the Dimension Settings dialog box.

7 In the Dimension Settings dialog box select the Units category and set thefollowing:

Disable Use Working Units

Units Define the units of measurement in dimensions.

Unit Format Affect the unit display format in dimension text.

Category Includes settings that:




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Change the Accuracy to 0.12

8 Minimize the Dimension Settings dialog box.

9 AccuSnap to the line at Location 4, and enter a data point.


11 AccuSnap to the line at Location 6 and enter a data point.

The dimension string appears. The actual distance between these two linesis 1.75 meters also. Observe the exact readout.

12 Reset twice.

13 In the Dimension Settings dialog box select the Tool Settings category andset the following:

Change the Right Terminator to Stroke




Right terminator set to Stroke




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17 Reset twice.

Note the terminators.

Changing Dimensions

Now that you have placed the dimension, can you change the settings of theexisting dimension or must you delete it and start over? Of course, the answer isthat you can change it.

To do so, first change the active dimension settings, and then change the existingdimension to take on the new active settings

Exercise: Changing the active dimension settings

1 Continuing in dim3.dgn, in the Dimension Settings dialog box, Tool Settings category, change Left Terminator to Stroke .

2Choose Change Dimension from the Dimension tool box.

3 Identify the last dimension placed with a data point.

The left dimension terminator changes from an arrow to a stroke.

4 Now, change the left and right terminators back to arrows.

Dimension Size with

Arrows Accuracy set to 0.12 Right terminator set to

stroke

Left and Right terminators set to

stroke




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Let’s look at some of the other settings you can set in the Dimension Settings dialogbox.

Exercise: Change Dimension Units, Text font and Orientation

1 Open View 2 in dim3.dgn .

2 In the Dimension Settings dialog box select Units and set the following:

Change the Label to MU (Master Units)

Change the Accuracy to 0.12

3 Select Dimension Size with Arrow and AccuSnap to the line at Location 1,then enter a data point.



6 Reset twice.

7In the Dimension Settings dialog box, select Text and change the following:Orientation : In Line

Font : Arial

8 AccuSnap to the line at Location 4, then enter a data point.



Exercise: Changing Dimension Location Settings

1 Continuing in dim3.dgn, select the Placement category in the DimensionSettings dialog box and change the Location to Manual .

2 Snap to the line at Location 7 and enter a data point.


4 AccuSnap to the line at Location 9, and enter a data point.

Units set to two

decimal places, Text font Arial and

placed in line




8/7/03 26-511



5 To place the dimension text, enter a data point at Location 10.

6 In the Placement category, change the Location back to Automatic .

MicroStation’s dimension settings let you set attributes for the level, color, weight,font, text height, and text width for the text components of dimension elements. Ifenabled, these attribute settings override the current active settings in the design file when you place dimension elements.

Text Styles are also supported for dimensions. If you wish to use a text style for a

dimension, select it from the Text Styles option list. The Magnifying glass next tothe option list allows you to access the Text Styles dialog box. Note that if theattributes check boxes for color, weight, font, etc. are enabled in the DimensionSettings dialog box, they will override the features of a text style.

Before modifying dimension settings consult your Administrator, as manyorganizations already have standard dimension settings for you to use.

Exercise: Changing Dimension Text Orientation and Attributes settings

1 Open View 3 in dim3.dgn .

2 In the Dimension Settings dialog box select Text and set the following:

Orientation : Horizontal

Font : Times New Roman

Manual placement

allows you to choose

the dimension textlocation

The Dimension Settingsdialog box, Text category, in

a file which has availableText Styles




8/7/03 26-512



3 Use Dimension Size with Arrow and AccuSnap to the line at Location 1 andenter a data point.



6 Reset twice.

The dimension text is horizontal and the font has changed to Times NewRoman.

7 Select the Unit Format category and under Primary enable Trailing Zeros inthe Dimension Settings dialog box.

8 To start the next dimension, AccuSnap to the line at Locations 4 and enter adata point



11Reset twice. Although the actual measured distance is 1.5, one trailing zero has beenadded to fill the accuracy of two decimal places.

Exercise: Changing the Dimension Lines

1 Continuing in View 3 of dim3.dgn , in the Dimension Setting s dialog boxselect Dimension Lines and change the following:

Level: Enabled

Set the level to Level 50

2 Select Text, and change the following:

Height and Width to 0:4Color : 6

This overrides the normal text settings and active level used by other texttools.




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Modifying Existing Dimension Elements


Height and Width have a padlock over to the right side. You can enter adata point on this padlock to cause it to lock or unlock. If it is locked, youonly have to enter a value in one field and the other field automaticallyupdates. If you leave the padlock unlocked, you can then enter different values for each parameter. As you have seen, this padlock also is present with other tools.

3 To start the dimension, AccuSnap to the line at Location 7 and enter a datapoint.



6 Reset twice.

This dimension string is in level 50, the text height and width are now 4”and the color is orange.

Before we continue: Where can you define the dimension settings?

What is the function of the Association Lock whendimensioning?

How do you access the different dimensioning tools whenselecting Dimension Element?


Placing dimensions in your design is a simple affair. Just select the appropriatedimension tool and then identify the elements you need to dimension. Once youhave placed dimensions, you can modify them easily with the element modificationtools. You can modify dimension elements to:




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• Add an extension line

• Remove an extension line

• Modify the length of an extension line

• Move an extension line

• Move the dimension line with respect to the dimensioned object

• Relocate the dimension text along the dimension line

• Edit the text component in a dimension element

In this exercise series you will modify existing dimension elements in the Floor Plandrawing. You will use the tools in the Modify tool box to modify the dimensions.

The Modify tool box

The table below lists the MicroStation dimension modification that can enhance and

clarify your drawings. As you work with these tools you will see the flexibility ofdimension elements. Not only in initial placement, but also the ease with which youcan modify them.

Tools > Dimensioning > Miscellaneous . There are tools in this box that work thesame as the modify tools.

Task MicroStation tool

Add an extension line Insert vertex

Remove an extension line Delete vertex

Move an extension line Modify

Modify length of an extension line Modify

Move dimension text Modify

Edit text in a dimension element Edit text




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Exercise: Modifying the length of an extension line

1 Open floorplan.dgn.

floorplan.dgn

Some dimensions have already been placed in this drawing. You will addsome new dimensions and modify an existing one.

2 Select Modify from the Modify tool box

Watch the status bar.

3 To identify the element to be modified, move the pointer over the

dimension line that spans the Training room.

Place the pointer over the dimension line (not over the text). You aremodifying both the extension line length and dimension line location.


5 Move the pointer up and down and you will see that the dimension linemoves along with it.




8/7/03 26-516



6 When the dimension line is positioned just above the Training room label,enter a data point to place it in that location.

7 Reset.

You will move the extension line at the right side of the string to make themeasurement correct and so you can insert a new dimension into the string.

Exercise: Moving an extension line

1 Continuing in floorplan.dgn , select the Modify tool from the Modify toolbox.

2 Place the pointer over the extension line at the right side of the 1m-99.9cmdimension and enter a data point to select it.

As you move the pointer right you will see the extension line move and thedimension text change accordingly.

Before (left) and after modifying the dimension

The extension line




8/7/03 26-517



3 Move the pointer to the right and snap to the inner face of the wall.

4 Enter a data point to accept the new location.

5 Reset.

The extension line is moved and the dimension updates to reflect the new value.

Next you will add an extension line and split the existing dimension into two. You will do this by inserting a vertex into the dimension string.

Exercise: Add a dimension and extension line to an existing string

1 Continuing in floorplan.dgn , select Insert Vertex from the Modify tool box.

2 Click on the dimension line where you want to insert the new extensionline, next to the 2-71 dimension text.

A new extension appears, its end attached to the pointer.

3 Move the pointer up and AccuSnap to the corner of the wall section above(cell SMTSCT).

4 When you see the AccuSnap icon, enter a data point to accept that location.

The new dimension is added and the original recalculated and expressed.

There are two dimensions across the Training Room and an unnecessary extension

line. You can remove the extension line with the Delete Vertex tool and leave onlyone dimension for the Training Room’s width.

Moved to th e inner face of

the wall

An additional dimension isinserted




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Exercise: Removing an extension line

1 Continuing in floorplan.dgn , select Delete Vertex from the Modify tool box.

Move to the Training room.

2 Move the pointer over the unnecessary extension line in the middle of the

room.3 Enter a data point, and a second data point to accept this element.

The extension line disappears and the dimension across the training room isrecalculated and expressed.

4 Zoom Out to see all of the dimension strings in the drawing.

Updating Dimension elements

Once you place a dimension element you can alter its appearance by changing itsattributes to the active settings. Notice that the dimension string you have been working on looks different than the rest. The other dimension strings use thickhatch marks as terminators instead of thin. Let’s make this string to match theothers.

MicroStation makes this is an easy task. You can use Match Dimension Settings andthen update the dimension with Change Dimension .

Exercise: Matching and Updating Dimension elements

Before you match and change, let’s determine the current settings.

1 Continuing in floorplan.dgn , select Element > Dimensions.

The Dimension Settings dialog box appears.

2 Look at the Text options, Height and Width .

3 Look at the Terminator options, Geometry and Weight .

4 Leave the Dimension Settings dialog box open, but move it out of your way.

5 Select Match Dimension Settings from the Dimension tool box.

Single dimension forwidth of the Training

room




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6 Click on the dimension string you want to match, in this case, one of theother dimension strings that you have not been working with.

Notice that the Geometry and Weight options change. Check the Text Height and Width options, too. The dimension settings have changed to match thestring you just chose.

7 To change the dimension string through the Training Room, select theChange Dimension tool.

8 Click the dimension string you want to change and accept.

The Text Height and Width changes and the terminators change to matchthe others.

More Dimension Modifications

Exercise: Relocating Dimension text

1 Continuing in floorplan.dgn , select Modify from the Modify tool box.2 Click on the 48 (cm) dimension text above the Copy room.

3 Move the pointer until the text is in a better place.

4 Enter a data point to accept the location.

5 Reset.

Allow Dimension with Leader is enabled in the current dimension settings.

6 Relocate the 16 (cm) dimension text to the other side of the wall and up, toutilize the leader.

The relocated 48 cmmeasurement

16 cm dimension text

placed using the leader




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Creating Dimension Styles



A Dimension Style is a saved set of dimension settings. You can define DimensionStyles and apply them to dimension elements during placement. You can createDimension Styles, customize them, and save them for easy recall. They can be

stored in either the DGN file or an external library.

The dimensions you just used in the floor plan reflect the standard settings for thisproject. Let’s save these settings as a style to use in other drawings.

Exercise: Creating a new Dimension Style

1 Continuing in floorplan.dgn , open the Dimension Settings dialog box if it isnot already open.

2 Create a Dimension Style by clicking the Create Dimension Style icon in theDimension Settings dialog box.

3 Name the style Style1 and enter into the description field Arial.

4 Now click the Save Style icon on the Dimension Settings dialog box to savethese settings to Style1.

If a Dimension Style changes in a Dimension Style library, Dimension Styles placedin DGN files prior to the change are not automatically updated in the DGN files.

You can modify, delete, and restore Dimension Styles. While working in a designfile, if you modify the style and re-save it, any dimension already placed with thatstyle also changes to those settings.

Let’s add another dimension string to the f loor plan using the dimension style

Style1.

Exercise: Place Dimensions with stroke terminators

1 Continuing in floorplan.dgn , select Place Dimension with Stroke from theDimensions tool box.

Use Place Dimension with Stroke to create dimension strings with hatchmarks as terminators rather than arrows.

Let’s dimension the opening between the Copy room and the Open Officearea. Watch the status bar.




8/7/03 26-521



2 To select the start of the dimension, move the pointer until you identify theoutside corner of the Copy room.

3 Enter a data point to accept this location.

4 To define the length of the dimension line, move the pointer straight down.


6 Move the pointer over the lower corner of the right side of the opening andenter a data point when you see the AccuSnap icon.

The dimension text is attached to the pointer and the status bar reads Place

dimensioning text. 7 Move the text above the dimension line and enter a data point to place the

dimension text.

8 Move the pointer over the lower corner of the left side of the opening andenter a data point when you see the AccuSnap icon.

The dimension text is attached to the pointer and the status bar reads Placedimensioning text.

9 Place the text.

The Dimension Setting Placement category allows the location of thedimension text to be set semi-automatically. If the dimension text does notfit between the extension lines, you indicate with a data point where toplace the dimension text.

10 Reset.

Outside corner of the Copy room

Place the text




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Alternate Labels


Alternate Labels

Another option is to define alternate dimension labels based upon criteria of yourchoice. For example, you can dimension in sub-units below a certain value and inmaster units greater than or equal to that value.

Let’s dimension the Breakroom millwork.

Exercise: Setting Alternate Label definitions

1 Continuing in floorplan.dgn , first create a new Dimension Style .

2 Open the Dimension Settings dialog box.

3 In the Text category, change the Height and Width of the text to 0.2.

4 In the Placement options, set the location to Automatic .

5 In the Units category, enable the Alternate Label and enter these settings:

If distance is <= 3:0 MU Accuracy: 0.1

Label: SU label

6 Select the Create New Style icon.

7 Name the new dimension style Millwork and describe it as 3” Arial.

8 Click OK.

9 Click the Save Style icon.

The new style is now in the list of styles along with Style1.

10 Zoom in or Window in on the millwork in the Breakroom.11 Select Dimension With Stroke from the Dimension tool box.




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Editing a Dimension’s Text


you delete or replace the asterisk, then the text displayed in the dimensionelement will be whatever you keyed into the field.

If you delete the asterisk when editing dimension text you can restore thedimension text by editing the dimension and reinserting the asterisk.

Although the text you enter with Text Editor is not associative (it won’tautomatically update), the automatically generated value (the Asterisk) can

and does remain associative. This lets you enter a suffix (“TYP” or “VIF” forexample) and still have an associative dimension value.

4 Try editing the text by adding suffix or prefix text or overwriting theasterisk.

W Think carefully before you decide to change dimension text instead of correctingyour drawing’s graphics. Other members of your project team may see yourupdated dimension text, assume your graphics are correct, and then takemeasurements from your graphics for use in calculations. Using the shortcut ofediting dimension text can cause problems later in the project.

Automatic value replaced with a static

value (* removed from Text Editor)

Prefix TYP added to the automatic

value

The automatic dimension value

represented by the asterisk




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Additional Exercise


Additional Exercise

DIMENSION THE OFFICE BUILDING FLOORPLAN (building.dgn)

1 Use the Dimension tools to dimension the office building. Note, do not forget to place thecenter mark for the canopy radius.




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Additional Exercise





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27 Design Problem 5

The Problem

You are a design technician for a mechanical engineering firm which specializes inmachine part production. The company is ready to produce a part called a step pulley . The design of the part is complete, the drawing for it is not. You must detailthe part.

Scope of work

Your task is to complete the design file by detailing the design drawing. Thisincludes patterning the sectional view, adding general notes, and dimensioning thepart.




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Design Parameters


Design Parameters

• The design subject is made of steel.

• Pay close attention to the cutting plane line used for defining the section.

• Place finish marks around the patterned section of the drawing.

• Recommended text height: 0.18, font: 1 or 3.

• Dimension both views of the pulley with a combination of radial and lineardimensions. Measure the keyway and called out the measurement with a note.

• Dimensions should be in decimals.

• Number these notes and insert them into the drawing:

MATERIAL CAST STEEL, SAE 1040

MILL HUB SURFACE

REAM HUB DIAMETER TO H8/f7 FIT

BROACH KEYWAY FOR STANDARD FLAT STOCK KEY

ALL FILLETS AND ROUNDS 3.175mm

• Use standard abbreviations in the notes (see the following table).

Table of Abbreviations:

Design Procedure

These are suggested steps for completing Design Problem 5.

1 Open file lab6.dgn .

2 Pattern the section view.

3 Set up the text parameters before placing the notes and dimensions.

Pay close attention to both the text height/width and the line spacing values.

Word Abbreviation Word Abbreviation

material MATL cast steel CS

ground GRD surface SUR

ream RM broach BRO

keyway KWY standard STDfillet FIL round RD

flat F stock STK

key K diameter DIA




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Design Procedure


4 Place the notes, using abbreviations as needed to fit the notes on thedrawing.

5 Dimension the front view using radial dimensions.

6 Measure and label the key slot in the front view.

7 Dimension the right side view using linear dimensions.




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Alternate Exercise


Alternate Exercise

COMPLETE THE EAVE, HEAD AND SILL DETAILS (pa38.dgn)

1 Use the patterning, annotation and dimensioning tools to complete the partial building section. The cell library pa38.cel is provided.




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28 Printing Overview

“No job is finished until the paperwork is complete.” This is a very fitting statementabout computer generated drawings. The final step of the design process is creatinghard copy output of the drawing. This output, which is called a print, can be sent toa variety of printing devices.

These devices, plotters and printers, support a number of paper sizes andorientations, and for some, colors. There are two times when you should beconcerned with printing, before and after a drawing is created.

The “before creation” concerns deal with the size of certain drawing elements andhow they will appear on the final print.

The “after creation” concerns deal with the settings used to create the print andsend it to an output device.

The final print scale — an early consideration

Although printing is usually the last step of the design process, you must consider itduring the beginning stages. The final print scale you will use when printing thedrawing must be a key consideration when you are creating the drawing. Certaindrawing elements are greatly affected by the final print scale. Text, cells, anddimensions must be legible on the final print, so you must place these elements inthe drawing at the appropriate size. If they are not sized properly for the final printscale, they will be too small or too large on the print and you will have to re-size




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The final print scale — an early consideration


them later. This is a time consuming process, and you can avoid it with a littleplanning.

MicroStation does not have a set formula for calculating the size for text, cells anddimensions as they relate to the final print scale. Many client agencies have theirown standards that govern the size of the drawing labels in relation to the finalprint scale.

Text just right

Text too large Text too small




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Specifying the area to plot


Notes:


Another consideration when printing is the area of the drawing you want to print.Do you want to print everything that is displayed on the screen, or only a portionof it? MicroStation lets you do both by printing the contents of a specific view window, or the contents of a fence placed around the area to be printed.

Using a title block border to define print area

Many drawings, especially ones intended to be used in sets of construction plansand details, have include a title block border. This title block serves severalpurposes.

• It provides a place to enter data specific to the drawing; sheet number, scale,project name, etc.

• It also serves as a border within which your drawing, or portion of the drawing,must be contained.

• Directly related to printing, the title block’s outer boundary provides us with a

consistent guide enclosing the area to print through a fence.

Title Block Example




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A word on scales (What does it mean?)

How do you fit an entire building or roadway, drawn at actual 1:1 scale, onto asheet of paper that measures only 22” x 34?” You must scale it. This doesn’t meanthat you go into the design file and use the Scale tool on all the elements. If you didthis, the elements would no longer be at a 1:1 scale. For example, if you scale adesign file by 50 percent, a line that originally measured 20 units long would onlymeasure 10.

Instead, you specify the scale of the drawing and the size of paper at the time ofplotting. This lets your design file remain at actual scale.

In a typical scenario you might be plotting a set of construction plans for a roadwayproject. Suppose the project standards call for a final print scale of 1”=40.’

The first question is “How much of the roadway will fit on a 22” x 34” sheet at therequired? To find out, you place a border in our design file that represents the

printable area of a 22” x 34” sheet at the required scale. Do this by using a borderspecifically created for a 1”=40’ scale drawing, or by using a border created at a 1:1scale, and scaled up 480 times. Then, to create the print, you place a fence alongthe title block border, specify a print scale of 1”=40,’ and then create the print.

The following chapter on printing will cover the general printing process, along with the tools you will need to create a hard copy output of a drawing. It will coverthe basic features of MicroStation’s Print dialog box and introduce you to someadvanced features.




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29 Tools For Creating Printed

Output

The Print dialog box provides many ways for us to enhance the final appearance ofour designs. One key Print dialog box feature is that it can preview the print beforesending it to the plotter or printer. This chapter will cover the preview functionalityalong with other items specific to the print process:

• Using the Print dialog box

• Previewing prints

• Sending prints to the output device

• InterPlot

Controlling the printed output

MicroStation supports a variety of printing and plotting devices for obtaining hardcopy output. To specify an output device, you must select the appropriate plotterdriver file in the Print dialog box. Once you select an output device, you can thenset a number of parameters to control the appearance of your print output. Theseparameters include: page size, print scale, and orientation.

Using the Print dialog box

Let’s step through the procedure of creating a print, reviewing the different printsettings along the way.




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Exercise: Setting up the print

1 Open print.dgn .

print.dgn

This file consists of elements in the active design file and a referenced titleblock. The final print scale has been chosen as 1" = 5'. The title blockborder represents a 22” x 34” sheet of paper. You want to define the printarea by placing a fence exactly on top of the outer border.

2 Place a fence along the outer border by snapping to two opposite diagonalcorners.

3 Select Print from the File menu.

The Print dialog box appears.

The dialog box includes several icons. Let’s see what they do.

The Print dialog box

showing the print preview




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4 Pause your pointer on each of the Print dialog box icons and reveal theirTool Tips .

The tools you’ll find are:

Print

Preview

Maximum Print Size

Print Attributes

Sync to View

Preview

Select Printer Driver

Configure Windows Printer

You will also find these tools as menu items available from the Print dialog box’s

menus.




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Exercise: Set print settings in the Print dialog box

1 Continuing in print.dgn , select the Select Printer Driver icon.

The Select Plotter Driver File dialog box appears. Next, let’s select thehp650c driver.

2 Choose hp650c.plt from the file list and then click OK.

The dialog box closes. The name of the new printer appears in the Print dialog box title bar. Now let’s specify the page size.

3 The Paper option should be set to E in the Printer and Paper Size portion ofthe dialog box.

4 Set the Scale , in the Print Size/Scale area to 5 (5.00 mu to 1 IN) and thenpress Tab.

Notes:

The Select Printer Driver dialog box

The set up Print dialog box




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5 Click the Print Attributes icon.

The Print Attributes dialog box appears.

The two attributes we can set are Fence Boundary and Print Border .

If enabled, the Fence Boundary option prints an outline representing thefence used to define the print area. Since your fence was placed on top of aborder which will be printed, you should disable this option.

If enabled, the Print Border option plots an outline representing theboundary of the view from which the print was created. The Print Borderoption lets you enter a description in the Border Comment field. Thiscomment appears at the lower left corner of the print.

These two options are not necessary in our case because our design fileincludes the title block border. Let’s disable both options.

6 Disable the Fence Boundary and Print Border options.


The Print Attributes dialog box




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Notes:

Previewing prints

Exercise: Previewing the print

1 Continuing in print.dgn , select the Preview icon in the upper left of thePrint dialog box.

The Print Preview dialog box appears showing a preview of the print.

Let’s test the print preview facility’s immediate response by deleting anelement from our design file.

2 Move the Print Preview and the Print dialog boxes to the bottom of yourscreen so you can see the elements in View 1.

3 Delete the circle to the left of the building.

4 Drag the Print Preview dialog box back into view.

5 Select the Preview Refresh icon in the Print Preview dialog box.

The preview updates and the circle is gone.

6 Close the Print Preview dialog box.

The Print Preview dialog box




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Exercise: Creating a print file

1 Continuing in the Print dialog box in print.dgn , select the Print icon.

The Save Print As dialog box appears. The default extension for a print fileis .000.

2 Accept the default by selecting OK.

A print file named print.000 is created and stored in the default printdirectory on the disk.

3 Close the Print dialog box.

Sending your print data to the printer/plotter

Now you must direct MicroStation to send the print file to the plotter. How you

should do this depends on your hardware/software setup.

Notes:

To send a print file to the output device, enter: copy /b <plot_file_name> <port> at the system command line.

<plot_file_name> is the name of the print file to be sent to the printing device.

<port> is the name of the port on your system, e.g. lpt1 or lpt2 .

The Save Print As dialog box




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InterPlot


Notes:

To send a print to a printing device without creating a print file, enter the name ofthe port to which the printing device is connected in place of the print file name inthe Save As… dialog box. In the above exercise, entering the name lpt1 instead of print.000 would have sent the file to a device connected to the lpt1 port.

Notes:

InterPlot

InterPlot is a separate plotting option, not native to MicroStation. The InterPlotClient is the client component of InterPlot, a network production plotting system. Itis designed to submit plots and plot sets to a plot server for printing and/orarchiving. These plots and plot sets can consist of MicroStation design files, AutoCAD drawing files, Digital Archive data, and many types of raster data.

Once the IPlot client is installed with MicroStation, the IPLOT - Main dialog box canbe invoked inside MicroStation from the File menu ( File > IPLOT ). This dialog box

is the simple to use interface for InterPlot. The IPlot - Main dialog box contains allthe most common choices for plotting; a graphical representation of the plot area, astatus bar, and a menu bar that provides access to less frequently used commands.It is used similarly to the MicroStation Print dialog, to create a plot request file.




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InterPlot


IPLOT is easy to use. The first step in the plotting process is creating the plot job. When you preview or plot from the IPLOT - Main dialog box, IPLOT creates a plotjob. By default, the plot job contains the same name as the design file.

You can also create a plot job from the IPLOT File menu by clicking the Save orSave As command.

When you create the plot job, you specify the design file you want to plot. Youthen specify settings for the plot, such as the area to be plotted, the size, rotation,and plot orientation.




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InterPlot





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30 Design Problem - The Production

Line

The Problem

Your client wants to design a production line on which he will mass-produce Yo Yo’s. The building layout and existing walls are given. Your job is to place theequipment in the appropriate order of production with the correct number ofmachines to balance production. The engineer has specified the types and quantityof machines.

The machinery supplied in the design problem files are for use in first two stages ofthe manufacturing process, melting the raw pelleted plastic and piping it to themolding machine.

Your plan should

look similar to thisone when finished.




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Design Parameters


Design Parameters

• Maintain 90cm spacing between the machines whenever possible.

• Use the symbology key that is provided. Use Match Element to set yoursymbology when you place elements.

• Label the areas as shown.

• Connect all machines with 30cm wide conveyors. Represent these withrectangles.

• Make the final conveyor leading to the palletizing area 60cm wide and label itas being located overhead near the bathrooms.

Design Procedure

Include the floor plan, column grid tags, and border in your design by referencingthem in. Use these tools to complete this part of the exercise:

• Reference file under File > Reference

• Move Reference file

• Scale Reference file

You will need these files:

• arch_lab.dgn

• e_border.dgn

• column_grid.dgn

• walls.dgn

1 Open Arch_LAB.dgn and begin by attaching column_grid.dgn andwalls.dgn as references.

2 Attach e_border.dgn changing the Scale(Master:Ref) to 4.000:1.000 in theattachment settings so that it is the correct size for an E-sized border. Theuse Move Reference to move it into place.

3 Place all the machinery in the design file. All the machines needed for theproduction line are in the cell library archlab.cel . The machines provided inthe design file are a starting point for creating your layout.

You will be able to match elements in the key of the design file and this willreduce the time needed to set the symbology for each element.

When placing the machines in the layout remember to allow enough spacebetween the machines for a person to walk. Maintain a minimum of 90cmbetween machines. All conveyors are 30cm wide except the final set of




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Design Procedure


conveyors at the end of the line. This a 60cm wide conveyor. Drawrectangles with Place Block to represent the conveyors.

Production Line Step 1: Place and label Moulding and de-burring machines. The moulding machines are equipped with an outfeed

which leads to the de-burring / polishers. Connect the moulding machines and the de-burring / polishers with a conveyor.




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Design Procedure


Production Line Step 2: Place the assembly machine. Run a conveyor over the top inputs as shown above and place atote bin at the end of the conveyor. Also don’t forget the split conveyor which feeds the assembly machine.




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Design Procedure


Production line Step 3: Set up the packaging line with a 60cm wide conveyor between the two packaging machine

rows.




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Design Procedure


The design file includes text styles for all the labels. Use 2.0 height and weight textfor large text and 1.0 text for small text.

Production line Step 4: Run a conveyor betweenthe production line and the opposite side of thebuilding. Label this conveyor as an OverheadConveyor. This conveyor should pass in front of

the bathrooms on the plan but when installed itwill be well above everyone’s heads.

Production line Step 5: Set the palletization chute near the pallet storage area and connect it to the conveyor coming

from the pr oduction line.




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Design Procedure


You must also finish the office, break area, and bathrooms.

Place all the furniture shown below in the offices and break areas.

Each cubicle contains:

• 1 chair• 1 layout table

• 1 file cabinet

The bathroom stalls are already laid out, so you will only need to place

• Toilets

• Hand dryers

• Sinks




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Design Procedure





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31 Design Problem - New Site and

Parking Plan

The Problem

Your client wants to design a new headquarters building with a parking lot. Thelayout of the area, including existing buildings, existing right of way, existing roadand new road are given.

Design Parameters

Your job is to:

• place the footprint of the new building and the parking area in the area as laidout by the engineer

• provide a enlarged parking plan on the sheet

• create a table of building owners and their telephone numbers to use incontacting them during construction.

Your other tasks include:

• hatching the Proposed Building

• creating a new cell library

• creating a cell for your North Arrow

• creating a cell for your Magnetic North Arrow

• creating a cell for your Property Owner Marker

• dimensioning the Parking Plan

• labeling the plan as required

The supplied references include:

File Name File Content

civil_topo design with the existing topography and buildings

civil_exrow design with the existing Right of Way information




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Design Parameters


civil_align design with the existing road alignment information

civil_horizontal design with the existing horizontal alignment information

civil_sewer design with the existing sewer information

A0_border design with the necessary border

File Name File Content

This is a finished plan.Your plan should look similar to this when finished.




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Design Parameters


Enlarged fin ished design - Area Plan a t a scale of 1:1000




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Design Parameters


Enlarged finish design - Parking Plan at a scale of 1:250. Use the dimension s as provided he re as your guide in creating the desi gn.

NOTE: the dimensions text s ize in this sket ch are doubled in size for clarity purposes.

Finished Property Owner Table with Property Owner Markers




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Design Procedure


• Maintain a 10 m setback between the edge of the parking lot and the PropertyLine.

• Use the symbology key provided. Use Match Element to set your symbology when you place elements.

• Label the areas as shown.

Design Procedure

Include the existing topography and buildings, Right of Way, vertical profile,horizontal alignment, and sewer information

Use these tools to complete this part of the exercise:

• Attach Reference

• Clip Boundary

You will need these files:

• ci vil_align.dgn

• ci vil_exrow.dgn

• civil_horizontal.dgn

• ci vil_sewer.dgn

• ci vil_topo.dgn

Finished North Arrow and Magnetic North Arrow cells




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Design Procedure


Start by opening the file civil_sheet.dgn and referencing the files listed above. Afterreferencing these files, place a fence around the area required for the completedsheet use Clip Boundary on all the references.

Reference a0_border.dgn in last and then scale it up to 1mm = 1000 mm. Theborder is an standard ISO A0 border and has a finished size that measures 1189 mm

x 841 mm.

Note: You must scale the border up 1000 times.

• A Standard A0 border is 1189mm x 841 mm.

• This border was drawn to 1:1.

• The Plotted scale of this design file is 1mm = 1000 mm.

Multiply the scale factor to make a border that will be the correct size when drawnat full scale. Now that your references are all in the same units you can see thatevery 1 mm on the drawing represents 1000mm of actual space, so you must set the

scale factor to 1000 when you bring in the border.

Alternately: in this file, you can attach the model 1:1000 with A0_border.dgn file, setyour Nest Depth to 1, enable Live Nesting , and you will not have to scale anything:the model is pre-scaled.

Showing the five background files and the border referenced in civil_sheet.dgn

Our Building Footprint and Parking Plan will go into this area




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Design Procedure


4 Place all the elements to make up the building footprint AND the parkingplan in the design file.

You have three options as to where to place these new design elements. You can:

• enter the new information directly into civil_sheet.dgn the currently-active file

• make the reference file civil_topo.dgn active and enter the new information intoit

• create a new reference file called civil_new_parking.dgn and enter the newinformation into the new file.

It’s your choice. For purposes of this manual, though, we will insert the newinformation into the current file, civil_sheet.dgn. Check with your site administratorto determine your company’s standard procedure for use in such situations.

The civil_sheet.dgn file has a key that you can use to match when creatingelements.

It also has two text styles: Notes and Titles .

• Notes : General Notes, Dimension text and Property owner Callouts

• Titles : Plan Titles and Large Callouts

Remember to maintain a 10 m spacing between the edge of the parking area andthe Property Lines.

Use Place Note to enter notes as shown below.

Associative Hatch the Building footprint with 45 degree hatch and a 3 meterspacing.

Create a cell library for our design. Create a cell to identify property owners. Makethis cell an Octagon with a Enter_Data Field. The EDF should use the Note s textstyle.

Use this key to help you in creating the site plan




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Design Procedure


.

Maintain a 10

meter distance

between eachedge and

property lines

Place notation as

needed

Create Property Marker Cell and place

as shown

Use the above graphic to help you place the elements for our building footprint and parking lot. All measurements arein meters.




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Design Procedure


Use the Titles text style to create this plan marker and place it below the site area

Window in on the upper right hand portion of the sheet and create the PropertyOwner Table. Use the Notes text style.

Self Reference civil_sheet.dgn . Set your Nest Depth to 0. Scale your reference 4:1.Clip the reference so only our site area is seen. Move the reference to the righthand side of the sheet.

Use the Notes text style with line segments. Place the cell markers outside the table to match.

Use these attachment

settings for your selfreferenced plan.




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Design Procedure


Use Dimension Size with Arrow to dimension the plan using the Parking Plan dimension style. Place title notes and large callout as shown.

By self referencing the file, changes made at one

place are se en in both the active and the reference.




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Design Procedure


Create the cells for the Magnetic North Arrow and the True North Arrow. Placethem in the upper right hand corner of the sheet. Use Titles as the text style forthese cells.

Place Border text in the border area. Use Titles as the text style.

Use this image inas a guide to help

you place your

dimensions.

Place notes as

shown to the left.




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Design Procedure


Your finished plan should look similar to this.

You can either place

this text as a plainText Node, or as a

Text Node with 3

Enter_Data Fields, 3separate lines of single

line text, or 3 separate Enter_Data fields.



AccuDraw Shortcuts

essms6thed_ben.pdf

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