Bentley BASH MicroStation V8i SS2 User Update. Morning Session with Sam Hendrick

Transcription

1 Bentley BASH 2011 MicroStation V8i SS2 User Update Morning Session with Sam Hendrick

2 User Interface Update Agenda Overview Navigate the application window layout Navigate and identify changes to menus Identify changes to dialogs Use drag and drop with Project Explorer, models, and saved views Use Display Styles, View Attributes and Clip Volumes Identify additional format support Enhancements to Text Work with placeholder fields Compare text styles Use new Word Processor text editor features Use new text tool features Project Explorer Review Project Explorer Explore projects New Link Types Create links Project Explorer and its application to Dynamic Views

3 References and Raster Edit a reference in place Make a reference's annotations use the active model's annotation scale Attach raster from Web Map Servers Configure raster display to utilize independent process Customization Create tasks and menus and add tools Printing Output Identify Print dialog enhancements for single sheet printing Navigate the Print Organizer dialog Create and populate print sets Set print definition settings Work with Print Organizer and Project Explorer Apply print styles

4 User Interface Update Module Overview This module presents enhancements to the user interface, including those to menus and dialogs along with the functionality they provide. Module Prerequisites Experience with MicroStation V8 XM Edition Knowledge about MicroStation s user interface Module Objectives After completing this module, you will be able to: Navigate the application window layout Navigate and identify changes to menus Identify changes to dialogs Use drag and drop with Project Explorer, models, and saved views Use Display Styles, View Attributes and Clip Volumes Identify additional format support Aug-10 1 User Interface Update

5 Introductory Knowledge Introductory Knowledge Before you begin this module, let's define what you already know. Questions 1 What is a task based user interface? 2 What is the purpose of the View Attributes dialog? 3 What is the purpose of the User Preferences dialog? Answers 1 A task is a set of tools grouped to facilitate a particular workflow. By defining and grouping tasks, you can create a task-based user interface. The tools grouped into a task can be standard MicroStation tools, custom tools, or a combination of both types. 2 It is where you set view attributes that affect how certain types and classes of elements display, and whether certain drawing aids display. 3 It is a dialog in which you set options that customize MicroStation to your system and desired mode of operation. User preferences are workstation specific. Installation The SELECTseries 2 installer for lets you Install Over the SELECTseries 1 product installation. It can also embed specified extensions/utility products along with its product installation. When you Install Over, the following occur. The new file set will overwrite the previous file set. All the file versions will be new. Old shortcuts will be removed and new shortcuts will be delivered. Only shortcuts we installed will be recognized. Add\Remove information will be updated. All patches will be removed User Interface Update 2 Aug-10

6 Application Window If no SELECTseries 1 product is on the system, behavior remains unchanged from SELECTseries 1. If one exists, when you click Install, you see a warning message asking if you want to upgrade or not. This is the last place you can cancel the installation and choose to Multi-Install, or not to install SELECTseries 2. Application Window The Tasks dialog is the default task navigation interface. It is docked on left side of the application window. The Main toolbox is embedded at the top. The Main toolbox is at the top of the Tasks dialog Here, the Drawing tasks are active Tasks dialog By default, the Tasks dialog is docked on the left side of the application window and the active task is the Drawing task. Other available tasks are shown as tabs. Clicking the arrow next to Tasks, at the top of the dialog, opens a menu that lists all tasks in a hierarchical tree. Clicking a task in the tree makes it the root task, hiding the other tasks. Using this mode, you can see all the tools in the sub-tasks. Aug-10 3 User Interface Update

7 Application Window Once a subordinate task has replaced Tasks as the root task, clicking the arrow opens a menu that displays all of its tasks in a hierarchical tree. Drawing tasks replace top level tasks Clicking Tasks at the top of the hierarchical tree resets Tasks as the root task. Task tabs Clicking the downward arrow on a task s tab expands the tab so you can see the tasks and tools in it. Clicking the upward arrow collapses the tab. User Interface Update 4 Aug-10

8 Application Window The task tabs have icons that let you change the way tools are presented. The default layout mode is the Panel layout. You can click the icons to view the tools in Icon layout mode or List layout mode. The Drawing Composition s Drawing tasks shown in Panel, Icon, and List modes Panel layout mode shows the tool icons and the keyboard shortcuts. In Icon layout mode, tasks appear most like traditional toolboxes. List layout mode provides the most information because the tool name is included. The icon belonging to the first tool in a task is displayed on the task's tab. You can select a different icon for the task by editing the correct DGN library in the Customize dialog. Pop-up task menu The Pop-up Task menu lets you change the layout and tool display of the Task dialog, as well as other things. How to change the layout of the Task dialog: First, right click a task s tab to open the pop-up menu. Then, select Layout Mode and choose a different mode of display. Set as Task Root sets the selected task becomes the root task, which moves it to the top of the Tasks dialog and hides the other tasks. Clear Task Root will reset the task so that is no longer the root task. Aug-10 5 User Interface Update

9 Application Window Click Layout Modes and then select the desired layout mode from the menu. Apply Layout Mode to All applies the current task s layout mode to all tasks. Open as Toolbox opens the selected task as a toolbox. To use Open in new Dialog, the task must be part of a workflow and must have child tasks in it in order to open it in a separate dialog. Show/Hide Tools lets you show or hide individual tools, all tools or open a list to choose which tools to show or hide. Workflow tasks A workflow can consist of one or more tasks. In most cases, a workflow consists of a collection of tasks organized in the order that you will use them to complete a project or job. Each task contains the tools you need to complete the task. Workflows have a Workflow icon on their tab. An example for building a town is given in the General project. Changing the presentation preferences The size of the icons in the Tasks dialog can be set in the Task Navigation category of the Preferences dialog. A check box lets you show or hide the Main toolbox that is part of the Tasks dialog. You can also change the layout back to the V8 XM Edition default. Note: If you hide tools while viewing tasks in the Task Navigation toolbox or in views, these tools will be hidden in the Tasks dialog. User Interface Update 6 Aug-10

10 Application Window How to change the layout back to the V8 XM Edition default: First, select Workspace > Preferences, and then select the Task Navigation category. From the Presentation option menu, select Tool Box and click OK. Then, drag the Main toolbox by its title bar and dock it on the left side of the application window. Drag the Task Navigation toolbox by its title bar and dock it on the right side of the application window. Drawing Composition workflow task The Drawing Composition workflow task is made up of tasks organized in a logical order for working with drawing composition and dynamic views. Dynamic views is a name that encompasses related MicroStation features that make model analysis more interactive and intuitive. There are Organize (Project Explorer, link set, Select Elements with Links), Drawing, Design Composition (create a new file or model, attach references), Create Views (manage levels, clip volumes, saved views and view attributes), Aug-10 7 User Interface Update

11 Application Window Sheet Composition (create sheet models and define sheet boundaries, attach references), and Annotate tasks. Open a task in the workflow by clicking its tab. The status bar Right click in the status bar, away from the Message Center area, to open a menu that lets you select the sections of the status bar you want to display. User Interface Update 8 Aug-10

12 Application Window If you display the Running Coordinates section of the status bar, as you move the pointer, the coordinates of the current position display, related to the active snap mode. Coordinates of the intersection If you left click in the area, a menu opens. The Delta modes show the X, Y, and Z displacement from the last data point. The Distance modes show the distance and direction from the last data point. If you left click the Running Coordinates section then the following menu appears. Left click in any section of the status bar to see a menu of options related to that section. Left click in the Fence section to change the fence mode, or in the Element Selection section to change selection criteria. Left click the Locks icon and select Full to open the Locks dialog (or Settings > Locks > Full). Docking Docking indicators appear on the screen when you begin to move a dockable dialog. When you drag it over one of the docking indicators, it highlights an available docking region where the dialog will be placed along the corresponding Aug-10 9 User Interface Update

13 Application Window edge of the application window. Release the mouse button when you like the position, and the dialog becomes docked there. Dock to the left or right: Tool Settings window Element Information Project Explorer Link Sets dialog Tasks dialog Item browser Feature Manager Dock to the top or bottom: References dialog Raster Manager Models dialog Saved Views dialog Level Manager Top, the indicator for the top docking region Below, the center docking indicator Dock to the left, right, top, or bottom: Markups dialog Details dialog Level Display dialog How to dock a dockable dialog: Select a dockable dialog's title bar. As soon as you begin to drag a dockable dialog, a transparent block representing the dialog is attached to the pointer, and moves with the pointer until you release the mouse button. User Interface Update 10 Aug-10

14 Menu Changes Drag the dialog over one of the docking indicators that appears in the center of the screen or along the edges of the application window. Pause the pointer over one of the docking indicators. This highlights the available docking region along the corresponding edge of the application window. Release the mouse button when the dialog is where you want it. The dialog is docked within the selected docking region, and is displayed in its entirety. To display the dialogs as tabs at the edge of the window, click the vertical pushpin at a dialog s upper right. The tabbed dialog will unfurl when you mouse over it. To restore the docked dialog, click the tabbed dialog s horizontal pushpin. Menu Changes The following sections list changes in the menu structure of MicroStation V8i. File menu Following are changes to the menu structure. Item Browser This dialog has been added to let you view all the non-graphical business items contained in a DGN. A DGN file contains both graphics and business data. You see the graphics displayed in the drawing and the business data appears in the Items dialog. Business data is the real world information associated with the items Aug User Interface Update

15 Menu Changes represented by the graphics in the drawing. Open the dialog by adding the tool to the Primary Tools toolbox. Point Clouds Selecting File > Point Clouds opens the Point Clouds dialog. The Point Clouds tools allow you to import, control, visualize and manipulate point cloud images. You can import a point cloud into a DGN and use it as a visual reference. The Point Cloud dialog, along with the Point Cloud toolbox (Tools > Point Cloud or from the Primary tools toolbox), lets you control all aspects of attaching and manipulating point cloud image files. A point cloud is treated as any standard element and can be part of a model or level. Publish i-model Selecting File > Publish i-model opens the Publish i-model dialog. Use it to create an i-model, which is a DGN-based format used for project information exchange. An i-model is read-only and has a.i.dgn file extension. The file contains both graphics and properties from the source DGN, but it optimizes the graphics, for fast loading and decreased file size. The process of converting a DGN or DWG file into an i-model is called publishing. Exercise: Publish a file 1 Set the following in the File Open dialog: User: examples User Interface Update 12 Aug-10

16 Menu Changes Project: Building 2 In the \Designs folder, open Design-Composition.dgn. 3 Note the file contents. 4 Open the references dialog and take note of the references listed. 5 Select File > Publish i-model. 6 In the Publish i-model dialog, enable the Force republishing of all files check box. 7 Click OK. The files are processed. 8 Select File > Close. 9 Delete all the.i.dgn files except the package Design- Composition.dgn.i.dgn. 10 Open Design-Composition.dgn.i.dgn. 11 Note the file contents. 12 Open the references dialog and take note of the references listed. Import The referenced files are.i.dgn files. Even though the actual files were deleted, the package file contains the data. Selecting File > Import > CAD Files opens the Import dialog. You can select from many types of design formats. Export Selecting Export > SVG opens the Export SVG dialog so you can export to Scalable Vector Graphics. Aug User Interface Update

17 Menu Changes Scalable Vector Graphics (SVG) is a text-based graphics language that describes images with vector shapes, text, and embedded raster graphics. SVG files are compact and provide high-quality graphics on the Web, in print, and on hand held devices. In some cases there will be problems mapping the text. If the Stroke Text check box is enabled, text elements will be converted to line or line string elements before exporting the text into a SVG file. If this check box is disabled, the text in the resulting SVG file may look different in size and shape from the text elements in original DGN file. Selecting Export > OBJ opens the OBJ Export Settings dialog. OBJ is an open geometry definition file format. The file format can be imported/exported from MeshLab, Misfit Model 3D, 3D Studio Max, and others. It represents 3D geometry alone; the position of each vertex, the texture coordinate associated with a vertex, the normal at each vertex, and the faces that make each polygon. In the OBJ Export Settings dialog, Stroke Tolerance (Meters) sets the tolerance for the mesh elements of the exported geometry. If the Convert Undisplayed Levels check box is enabled, geometry on undisplayed levels is included in the export. Print Organizer Batch Print has been replaced by Print Organizer. Select the option to open the Print Organizer dialog. Print Organizer is a utility for printing and reprinting sets of models that are stored in a print set (.pset) file. A print set is a collection of print definitions and folders. You can compose print sets interactively by dragging and dropping files from Windows Explorer, you can preview, set individual print definition settings, create hierarchical organized print sets, edit definitions in-place and in groups, create User Interface Update 14 Aug-10

18 Menu Changes PDF output that preserves the hierarchy defined in the print set, integrate with Project Explorer, and use print styles. Element menu Detailing Symbol Styles Detailing Symbol Settings have been replaced by Detailing Symbol Styles. In the Define Detailing Symbol Styles dialog, you can create and edit detailing symbols. Element Templates Selecting Element > Element Templates opens the Define Element Templates dialog. Previously templates were created and maintained in the Customize dialog. Now you use the Customize dialog expressly for creating and managing custom toolboxes, tools, and tasks, and customizing menus, context menus, and icons. Settings menu Display Styles Selecting Display Styles opens the Display Styles dialog. In MicroStation V8i, you apply a display style to each view that encompasses the display mode and the settings, plus optional overrides. You can also apply these using the View Display Mode view control, available in 3D models. Depth lock removed The functionality of the Locks > Depth Lock is replaced by the Auxiliary Coordinate System lock. Active Depth is no longer used, with the location of unsnapped points controlled by the ACS for a view. Instead of Depth Lock, you now can enable ACS Plane Snap to force unsnapped points to fall on the plane of the ACS. Aug User Interface Update

19 Menu Changes Rendering Select Settings > Rendering > Settings to open the Render Settings dialog, rather than Rendering > General. Selecting Settings > Rendering > Materials to open the Material Editor dialog to create materials or modify a material palette. Selecting Settings > Rendering > Light Manager to open the Light Manager dialog. Rendering > Light Setup is removed, and the Light Setups and Light Manager dialogs have been consolidated. Snaps Snaps > Tangent From has been renamed Tangent Point. Snaps > Perpendicular From has been renamed Perpendicular Point. Tools menu All toolboxes are accessible from the Tools menu. Each tool appears in only one toolbox. You can select tools and view controls directly from the menu. For example to select the Scale tool, select Tools > Manipulate > Scale. To open the Manipulate toolbox, select Tools > Manipulate > Open as ToolBox. The Geographic tools are for Geographic Coordinate System support, and the Google Earth tools reside here. The Geographic Coordinate System support lets you specify the position of design contents on the earth s surface. Once that position is established, the design can be easily coordinated with other data for which the geographic location is known. The Saved View toolbox has been added. To open it, select Tools > View > Saved View > Open as Toolbox. The Clash Detection menu item provides access to the Clash Detections toolbox. The Point Clouds menu item provides access to the Point Cloud toolbox. The Point Clouds tools allow you to attach and view point clouds, retrieve information about point clouds, clip their display, snap to and measure distance in point cloud data, and treat each point cloud as a separate element. User Interface Update 16 Aug-10

20 Menu Changes Utilities menu Render The Render submenus are Luxology, Fly Through, Solar Study, and Animation. Use Display Styles to apply display modes. Named Expressions V8 XM Edition and current Render menus Selecting Named Expressions opens the Named Expressions dialog. Named Expressions can be used by administrators to define programmed customizations. For example, if an administrator is defining a menu item that will be visible only while the open file is in DWG format, they would need to define a named expression to test the format of the open file. Generate Section removed Sections show interior detail that is too complex to see clearly in an ordinary wireframe view. The Generate Section menu item was removed from the Utilities menu. Find tools for generating section geometry on the Tools menu s Solids and Surfaces entries. DWG > Audit and Recover removed These tools are no longer useful with Real DWG technology. DWG files created by MicroStation are written using Autodesk-authored code that is called RealDWG. Help menu Selecting Help > Quick Start Guide (PDF) opens the MicroStation Quick Start Guide. This short guide can help new users to quickly get started with MicroStation. Aug User Interface Update

21 Tool Enhancements Tool Enhancements Primary Tools toolbox This toolbox contains the Point Clouds tool. View Controls The icons for Window Area, Fit View, and Rotate View have been updated. 2D view toolbox Clip Volume toolbox The Place Fitted Clip Volume and Place Fitted Section tools have been removed and Show or Hide Clip Volume and Clear Clip Volume tools have been added. Apply or Modify Clip Volume tool The Show or Hide Clip Volume and Clear Clip Volume icons are tools in the Clip Volume toolbox. A new icon, Apply Fitted Clip Volume, has been added. You can place fitted sections by using the Apply Clip Volume tool's settings. Change Attributes Enhancements to the Change Attributes tool make it easier to select attributes from an existing element to apply to another. User Interface Update 18 Aug-10

22 Tool Enhancements Use the Match element attributes by selection dropper icon to match the element attributes in the tool settings to those of a selected element in the model. The Change Entire Element option will, for example, change the color for a text style to green, where the existing text color is red and the underline color blue. If Change Entire Element is off, only the text will change color. If Change Entire Element is on, both the text and the underline will change to the new color. How to match the element attributes to a selected element and set active attributes: First, in the Change Element Attributes tool settings, enable the Use Active Attributes check box. Then, click the dropper icon. The status bar prompts you to identify the element to match. When you do, the active file attributes change. If the Change Entire Element option is enabled, the attributes for an entire complex element are changed, not just the portion you identify. Element Selection Enhancements to selection include additional options on the Element Selection tool and drag support during the use of manipulation tools. The Shift key is a toggle that changes an inside selection to an overlap, or an overlap to an inside. Aug User Interface Update

23 Tool Enhancements Five attributes tabs, hidden by default, are added to the Element Selection tool. To display them right click on the attributes tabs in the tool settings and turn on the desired attributes. These new attributes are Text Styles Dimension Styles Multi-line Styles Transparency and Display Priority. After selecting a manipulation tool, you can select multiple elements by dragging a shape around them. How to select elements by dragging a shape: First, select a manipulation tool, such as Copy Element. Then, enter a data point at the start point, drag until you enclose all of the elements you want to manipulate. The elements are selected. After the manipulation, reset to end the command and release the elements. User Interface Update 20 Aug-10

24 Tool Enhancements If you move the pointer to the left, the shape is dashed. This produces an overlap selection window. When in the area selection mode, pressing the Alt key invokes a linear selection mode. Measure Distance The Measure Distance tool is used to measure distances in 2D and 3D models. Additional information about measurements is now provided. Distance has been renamed to Method. Mode has been renamed to About. The Start, End, and Delta Point coordinates are displayed. If you select About: Global Z in a 3D model, the X, Y, and Z coordinates are displayed. In a 2D model only the X and Y coordinates are displayed. The coordinates are always reported from the active model and not from a reference file attachment. Modify tools The Trim Element tool has been renamed Trim Multiple, and Trim, Extend, and Trim and Extend modes have been added to the tool settings. Trim is the default mode and works basically the same as the old Trim Element tool. Extend mode is borrowed from the IntelliTrim tool. Aug User Interface Update

25 Tool Enhancements Trim and Extend is a new mode altogether which lets you trim and extend one or more elements at their intersection with the cutting element. Regardless of which mode you are in, after you select the cutting element, the enhanced Trim Multiple tool lets you select multiple elements by dragging a selection line across them, so you can simultaneously trim, extend, or trim and extend them at their intersection with the cutting element. The Extend Element to Intersection tool has been renamed Extend To Element. The default behavior of the enhanced Extend To Element tool remains the same as before. However, a new tool setting has been added which lets you invert the element identification behavior, so that the first element you identify is now the cutting element, and the second element you identify is the element that gets extended or shortened. When this tool setting is on, after you select the cutting element, you can select multiple elements by dragging a selection line across them to simultaneously extend and/or shorten them. The Extend Two Elements to Intersection tool has been renamed Extend To Intersection, and has been enhanced to let you extend or shorten two elements of any type to their intersection. Detailing symbols When you place a Section, Detail, or Elevation marker, if you enable the Create Section, Detail, or Elevation View check box, a new saved view is created. You define the area of the view by identifying the model in which you want to create the saved view, and then enter two data points to place the marker. A dashed box defines the clip area in a sheet model or the clip volume in the design model. Clicking the detailing symbol toggles the display of the dashed box. User Interface Update 22 Aug-10

26 Tool Enhancements Multiple section markers can be linked to the same saved view. If two designers have a plan view of the same building and both want to place a section marker at the same location, they can both link to the same saved view. Select Element with Links This tool will highlight all elements that have a Project Explorer link attached to them, making the linked elements easier to find. Found by selecting Tools > Project Navigation > Links. Visualization The Visualization tools are reorganized into six toolboxes that are accessed from the Visualization toolbox. Render: Tools to render a view, save images to disk, save panoramas, query illumination, or create render set-ups. Lights: Tools to place lights or sky openings, manage lights, or create light setups. Cameras: Tools to set up a view camera, or view, or to match a view to a photograph. Materials: Tools to define, apply, manipulate, query, or preview materials, and to manage environment maps. Material Projections: Tools to attach, manipulate, or remove, material projections. RPC tools: Tools to place or edit ArchVision RPC cells. Align Views The Align (view) key-in aligns the contents of an entire view so that it displays the same area as the selected source view. Aug User Interface Update

27 Dialogs How to align two views: First, open the key-in browser and type ALIGN. Next, select the source view. Then, select the views to align with the source view. The second view displays the same area as the source view. The orientation of the second view remains the same. Drop Element Drop Element has a new tool setting, Application Elements, which is used to drop lightweight, non-intelligent, geometry or geometry that does not support data binding. Lightweight geometry is used in some applications to reduce file size as it can t store features that are more complex. Dialogs Additions and modifications to dialogs provide more functionality. File Open The MicroStation Manager is renamed File Open. Clip volumes A clip volume encloses a space. You can create a clip volume to focus on certain parts of a model and hide the rest. When a clip volume is applied to a view, only elements that are located within the clip volume will display. The most common clip is called a section clip. A section clip is often associated to a section callout. The area outside the volume is called outside. A clip volume has a section plane passing through it. Material inside the volume that is behind the section plane is backward, while material that is in front of the section plane is forward. Section graphics are produced wherever the section plane intersects material inside the clip volume. User Interface Update 24 Aug-10

28 Dialogs Creating a clip volume To create one, in the active view's view controls, click the Clip Volume tool, select Apply or Modify Clip Volume and set the tool settings. The clip volume produces section graphics along the cut plane. The term section graphics refers to the lines, arcs, and curves displayed in a view after you create a clip volume that cuts through a solid, surface, or mesh. Curves are defined by the intersection between the clip volume faces and the original elements. You can modify the depths and clipping parameters of the clip volume by selecting the clip volume. The green arrow edit handle lets you move the clip plane laterally and flip the clip direction. The side edit handles allow you to move the side clip distances and turn off the clipping of one or more sides. You can control the display of each category of geometry separately by assigning different display styles to each category in the Clip Volume Settings section of the View Attributes dialog. Each category has its own viewing symbology, can be turned on or off, and can be made locatable or not. Display styles are created and managed in the Display Styles dialog. Aug User Interface Update

29 Dialogs Saved views dialog The Saved Views dialog can be opened from the Primary Tools toolbox. The Saved Views dialog's Apply Options section has been moved to a new tool settings window called Apply Saved View. Set the tool settings and enter a data point in the desired view or choose to display in all views. When the Show column in the Saved View dialog is enabled for a saved view, graphics display the parameters of the view. The saved view graphics can be selected with the Element Selection tool, or by a fence, and manipulated like a regular element. Picture frame graphics in the corners, help you to a Saved View, if the View Attribute Boundary Display is turned on. User Interface Update 26 Aug-10

30 Dialogs Saved views can be used from the Active File, or the Link Sets in any available DGN libraries. Creating a saved view After creating a clip volume, the next step is to capture it in a saved view so that you can place the saved view on a sheet. Saved Views are created in the Saved Views dialog. How to create a saved view from a clip volume: 1. In the Saved Views dialog, click Create Saved View. 2. Then, set the method for capturing the saved view, either from the active view s range (From View) or by specifying two points (From 2-Points) and select a View Type. To capture the previously created clip volume, select the Clip Volume option From View, then follow the status bar prompts. 3. Enable the Associative Clip Volume check box to associate multiple saved views to the same clip volume. How to manipulate a saved view and its clip volume: The first step is to display the saved view boundary by clicking the Show column to create a check mark. The saved view is now enclosed in a block. When you select the block, you can use the edit handles to manipulate the volume. Aug User Interface Update

31 Dialogs How to modify a saved view: In the Saved Views dialog, click in the Show column to create a check mark. Next, use Element Selection to select the saved view graphics and use the handles to modify the saved view. If you create a section view, elevation view, or detail view, you can right click it in the Saved Views dialog and select Generate Callout. You are prompted to identify the drawing to which it will be associated. You can only use this option when you are in the model in which you created the detail symbol. The option is not available otherwise. When saved views are added to a sheet, existing section markers that have empty fields are updated with relevant information. A link between the section marker and the drawing view is created so you can easily navigate between sheets. Exercise: Use the Saved View functionality 1 Set the following in the File Open dialog: Project: Geospatial 2 From the Sheets folder, open BSI200-M06-Wards.dgn. 3 Select Apply or Modify Clip Volume with the following tool settings: Method: Apply Clip Volume By 2 points. User Interface Update 28 Aug-10

32 Dialogs 4 Enter data points to surround the Otonabee Ward at the lower left. 5 In the Clip Volume tool settings, click the Expand arrow to show extended settings. 6 In the Clip Volume tool settings, click Save and name the clip volume Otonabee Ward. 7 Window Area around the clip volume so it is centered in the view. 8 In the Saved View dialog, click Create Saved View, use the method From View, Associative Clip Volume enabled, and name the saved view Otonabee. 9 Enter a data point in the view to create the Saved View. 10 In the Saved View dialog right click on a column name and select Show All form the pop-up menu. In the Clip Volume column, you see the clip volume Otonabee Ward. There is a check mark in the Associate Clip Volume column. Exercise: Manipulate views with modification tools 1 Continuing in BSI200-M06-Wards.dgn, open View 8. 2 In the Saved Views dialog, click in the Show column. 3 Apply the Otonabee saved view to View 8. Aug User Interface Update

33 Dialogs 4 Select Element Selection. 5 Select the frame of the saved view and use the handles to adjust the size. 6 Select File > Close. Design File Settings The Angle Readout setting was removed from the Working Units category and moved to a separate category named Angle Readout. It includes a Custom Azimuth setting and a graphic preview of the Angle setting The angle indicates the change of the degrees from the Easterly direction to the new reference angle. Eg when it says North 90 degrees this actually means that zero degrees has been rotated 90 degrees to make North the start angle. View Attributes dialog Separate sections let you set global brightness, apply a saved view to a model, and view the clip volume. User Interface Update 30 Aug-10

34 Dialogs In the Presentation section, you can choose a display style. A display style consists of a shading mode plus other settings that you can specify. You can adjust the global brightness in this section too. You can also choose to show the Presentation in Icon mode or List mode. The Global Brightness slider lets you adjust the brightness of the elements. It is only available with Display Styles of Shaded and above. The View Setup section lets you recall a saved view and to select the model to which the settings are applied. The Clip Volume Settings lets you view different clip volume areas. If a clip volume is present, the Clip Volume Settings section lets you view the Forward, Back, Cut and Outside area of the clip volume. Options let you apply display styles to the clip volume. The menu lists available display styles. You can also click the magnifying glass icon to open the Display Styles dialog. Exercise: Using the new View Attributes functions 1 Move up one level and open \Designs\BSI200-R02-Land Acquisition.dgn. 2 Open Views 2 through 4. 3 Select Window > Tile. 4 Open the View Attributes dialog. Aug User Interface Update

35 Dialogs 5 Expand the View Setup section at the bottom of the dialog. 6 At the top of the dialog, change the View Number to 2. 7 In the View Setup section, select the Landuse model. The model s contents appear in the view. 8 Change the View Number to 3. 9 In the View Setup section, select the Parks model. The model s contents appear in the view. 10 Change the View Number to In the View Setup section, select the Limit model. 12 Fit all views. Color Book Editor Use this dialog to create and maintain color books. Select Settings > Color Books to open it. The color book name selector lists all color books stored in the open DGN library. Define Detailing Symbol Styles dialog Detailing Symbol attributes are controlled by styles. The Define Detailing Symbol Styles dialog (Element > Detailing Symbol Styles) is where they are defined. Styles let an administrator define standards in a DGN library and they can be updated User Interface Update 32 Aug-10

36 Dialogs after placement. When an administrator changes a setting in the style, the change is propagated to all detailing symbols using that style. Note: You can create custom cells of any shape and size and use them as bubbles in callouts. All the detailing symbol tools now use the same active detailing symbol style, which is the detailing symbol style used by the previously placed detailing symbol. Level Manager and Level Display dialogs There is a Jump to Active Level item on the right click menu that opens from the right frame of the Level Manager dialog, or the level list in the Level Display dialog. Select it and the active level is highlighted in the dialog. This is useful when working with a large number of levels because it eliminates scrolling to find the active level. Aug User Interface Update

37 Dialogs The level system keeps track of level numbers that are auto or system generated, and levels whose numbers are specifically assigned by the user. Auto generated numbers are not displayed in the Level Manager, by default. The numbers of such levels can now be re-assigned, as needed. Models The enhancements to Models include additional viewing capabilities, Project Explorer integration with the Models dialog and sheet name display in the Models dialog. The first icon in the Models dialog switches between modes. You can view the models in the active file or those contained in the project defined in Project Explorer. If set to Active File, the models listed are in the master file. If set to Link Set, the models listed are contained in the project defined in Project Explorer. Sheet name display The Models dialog has a Sheet Name column to support sheet sequencing. The Sheet Name should match the corresponding sheet link name in Project Explorer. If the two become out of sequence, you can right click and push the new sheet name out from Project Explorer to the model, or pull it from the model back to Project Explorer so they are the same. Names become out of sequence if the User Interface Update 34 Aug-10

38 Dialogs Sheet link name is changed in Project Explorer, or in a model s properties in the Models dialog. Drawing models A new model type called a drawing model is now available.the Drawing model is an intermediate model between the 3d model and the Sheet model. It is the first place one would need to start thinking about annotation and output scale. It is also bigger than a sheet, meaning it is used to layout annotate information or setup design information that spans multiple sheets. It does not contain a border. Some of the important properties of a drawing model are as follows. A drawing model is always a 2D. It does not have a sheet boundary. The default background color of a drawing model is gray. A reference attached to a drawing model is 1:1 coincident. Drawing titles should not be placed in a drawing model because their fields cannot be updated. Annotations can be placed in a drawing model. You can pre-specify the detail scale of a drawing model. When a drawing model is attached to a sheet, the drawing model's annotation scale is used as the attachment's default detail scale. Aug User Interface Update

39 Dialogs Markups dialog You can use MicroStation to view markups made using ProjectWise Navigator. A markup is a notation made in a ProjectWise Navigator file that you can view in MicroStation using the Markups dialog. A markup can be annotation text, freehand redlining, or pen and area highlighting. They are stored in files that have the extension.overlay.open the dialog from the Primary Tools toolbox. Right click the toolbox to add the tool if it is not visible. The Markups dialog is divided into two sections. The top section displays information about the markup. The bottom section shows the comments and reviewer. Double clicking a markup opens a preview window, which displays the model and the markup information. If you use MicroStation to open an *.overlay.dgn file, you can delete a markup or switch to review mode. Markup Settings dialog Use this to set the path to the markup sheet files. The default directory path is set using the configuration variable MS_MARKUPPATH. You can click the Browse icon (magnifying glass) to browse for the path to the overlay files. User Interface Update 36 Aug-10

40 Dialogs User Preferences dialog Additional options give greater flexibility. Operation If Viewing Tools Apply to Active View is disabled, viewing tools invoked from a location other than the View Border and not requiring an additional input, will still prompt for a view and not use the active view. Raster Manager category If Disable Delete Element Tool on Selected Rasters, on the General tab, is enabled, the rasters in the selection set will not be deleted by the Delete Element tool. If Display Raster Using an Independent Process is enabled, rasters are displayed using a process independent of other MicroStation operations. Any new request to display raster will interrupt the previous request, and start the new one. If you do multiple Zoom In operations, only the last operation will be completely processed. In addition, the display engine will use any data already in memory to provide immediate display. The full resolution data will then display as it becomes available. There are three raster border display modes available. When Selected means the borders display only when the rasters are selected. Never means the borders never display and you must check the Raster Manager dialog to know which rasters are selected. Always means the borders of all rasters are always displayed. The Memory tab has options that let you limit memory usage to a certain percentage. You can also determine the raster load mode. Automatic means rasters are loaded in memory until the memory limit is reached; afterward the Standard Aug User Interface Update

41 Dialogs mode is used. Standard means cache files are created if required. RAM means rasters are always loaded in memory (not recommended). Reference category Active Reference Override Color lets you set the color of the active reference to an override color instead of the color stored in the design file. Task Navigation Show Navigation Tools so you to see tools such as history buttons in the Task dialog. View Options category Design model background color lets you set the color used as the design model background color. Drawing model background color lets you set the color used as the design model background color. Sheet model background color lets you set the color used as the sheet model background color. User Interface Update 38 Aug-10

42 Dialogs Element highlight color override lets you set the color used to highlight the active element. Selection set color override lets you set the color used to display the selection set. Drag and drop with Project Explorer You can drag and drop from Project Explorer and the Models and Saved Views dialogs. Drag and drop models from the Project Explorer to Models dialog or to a view in MicroStation, or vice versa if you are in the active DGNLIB. Drag and drop a saved view from the Project Explorer to the Saved View dialog or a view in MicroStation. Drag and drop files and folders from Windows Explorer to the Project Explorer, you must be in the active DGNLIB for this to work. Drag and drop DGN, DWG, and DGN library files from Windows Explorer to the Saved View dialog. Drag and drop links from Project Explorer to Project Explorer or a view in MicroStation. This is a Move function. When dragging and dropping a model, saved view, model link, or saved view link, the corresponding model or saved view is attached to the active file. The Reference Settings dialog opens so you can set annotation scale or other reference settings. The Ctrl and Alt keys have specific effects on drag and drop. Press Ctrl and a drag and drop between the Models dialog and a view window lets you place the model as a cell. Press Alt and a drag and drop between the Models, Project Explorer, or Saved Views dialogs and a view window lets you place a link on an element. Right click context menus MicroStation lets you customize its context menus. Context menus are the menus accessed by clicking the right mouse button, and custom context menus are Aug User Interface Update

43 Dialogs added to the reset popup menu. You can create custom context menus by copying standard menus and menu items or by creating new menus and menu items. When customizing right click context menus and menu items (Workspace > Customize > Context Menus tab), you can show or hide and enable or disable them based on tests created in the Named Expressions dialog. For example, you can create a right click menu that will be available only when you are working on a sheet model by setting the menu's Show/Hide Test property to IsSheetModel and its Enable/Disable Test property to IsSheetModel. Custom context menus are created and stored in DGN libraries. This allows administrators to customize context menus in one place and to distribute the customizations to many users. With this type of customization, only additions and deletions to the MicroStation context menus are stored. Enhanced right click menus Right press menus allow dynamic functionality. The menu changes depending on what element type you right click. To right click on an element, you must put the pointer on the element and hold the right mouse button, reset button, for more than one-sixth of a second. Exercise: Right press menus 1 Open \sheets\bsi200-m06-wards.dgn. 2 Select Element Selection. 3 Right press on the frame around the logo at the upper left. 4 Select Fit to View, and, following the status bar prompt, enter a data point in View 1. 5 Zoom out a bit, if necessary to see the text City of Peterborough. User Interface Update 40 Aug-10

44 Display Styles 6 With Element Selection active, right press on the text and select Edit Text. The text editor opens. 7 Continue to right click on other objects, taking note of the available options. 8 Select File > Close. Display Styles In the MicroStation V8 XM Edition you applied a view display mode with companion settings on a per-view basis. In MicroStation V8i, you apply a Display Style that includes the display mode and other settings, including optional overrides. A display style consists of a shading mode plus other settings and overrides that you can specify. Display styles are created and managed in the Display Styles dialog. They are typically saved as shared resources in DGN libraries. Display styles apply to saved and dynamic views, as well as normal views. Aug User Interface Update

45 Display Styles Open the Display Style dialog by selecting Settings > Display Styles or by clicking the View Display Mode icon in the view controls and selecting Open Display Style Dialog. Shaded, Illustration with Shadows and Transparent display styles applied In addition to the Display mode options Wireframe, Hidden Line, Filled Hidden Line, or Shaded, a display style also has optional settings and overrides. Display settings The default Smooth shaded display style The Display Visible Edges option lets you display visible edges in views to which the selected display style is applied. This is for shaded display styles only. When you enable Override Color you can set the color in which visible edges are displayed. This true color overrides the edges element or ByLevel color. This is for shaded display styles only, with Display Visible Edges on. Weight sets the line weight with which visible edges are displayed in views to which the selected display style is applied. User Interface Update 42 Aug-10

46 Display Styles Hidden Edge Style sets the standard line style, 1 through 7, with which hidden edges are displayed. The Smooth display style with Display Visible Edges enabled and set to color blue, weight 1 and style 1 The Display Shadows option is also for shaded display styles only. If it is enabled, any shadows are displayed. Use File Order for Display is for Wireframe display styles only. If it is enabled, geometry is displayed in the order in which it was created. Overrides settings Overrides take precedence over element and ByLevel attributes. Transparency Element Color Line Style and weight, overrides are applicable for all modes. Note that only Filled Hidden Line display styles can specify an override for fill color and only Shaded display styles can specify an override for materials. Transparency, Element Color, Line Style and weight, and Background Color options all override display for these attributes for the style. Material indicates whether a material (pattern or bump map) is applied to surfaces in views to which the selected display style is applied. Clicking the magnifying glass icon opens the Select Material dialog for setting the Override Material. Or, you can enable the check box to apply a material and select one. Usages settings Indicate whether to apply the display style to a view window and to any clip volume present. If View is enabled the display style is available in the Display Style list in the Presentation section of the View Attributes dialog. You can use the display style for the entire view. Aug User Interface Update

47 Display Styles If clip volume is enabled the display style is available in the Clip Volume Settings section of the View Attributes dialog. You can use the display style for the Forward, Back, Cut, or Outside of the clip volume. Applying display styles To apply a display style to a view, click View Display Mode icon in the view controls of a design or drawing model and select the display style from the menu. The display style is applied to the active view. You can also set the display style in the View Attributes dialog. How to set the display style in the View Attributes dialog: First, open the View Attributes dialog by clicking the icon in the view controls or selecting Settings > View Attributes. Then, select the desired display style from the options at the top of the dialog. Enter a data point in the view to which you want to apply the style. Exercise: Use Display Styles 1 Set the following in the File Open dialog: Project: General 2 Open Graphics Display.dgn. 3 Using Element Selection, right click on the image in the upper left of the Display Styles frame, and select Exchange. 4 Select Fit View. User Interface Update 44 Aug-10

48 Display Styles 5 Click and hold on the View Display Mode icon in the view controls. 6 Try some of the default Display Styles. Exercise: Creating a Display Style 1 Continuing in Graphics Display.dgn, open the Display Styles dialog. 2 At the top of the dialog, click the New icon. 3 Rename Untitled to Illustration - Transparent 4 Set the following. Render Mode section: Display: Shaded Overrides section: Element > Color: Enabled and set to True Color, RGB = 0,0,0 Aug User Interface Update

49 Display Styles Element > Style: Enabled and set to 2 Element > Transparency: Enabled and set to 20 Background Color: Enabled and set to True Color, RGB =255,255,255 Usages section: View: Enabled Clip Volume: Enabled 5 Close the Display Style dialog. 6 Now apply the Display Style Illustration - Transparent. 7 Select File > Close when you are done. Viewing items The Items dialog displays non-graphical business items contained in a DGN file. This information is typically associated with graphical elements, but can also be associated with non-graphical elements. With the Items dialog, you have a tool that organizes the item or component information in a way which lets you view each item's property information as well as the relationships associated with the item. User Interface Update 46 Aug-10

50 Format Interchange Format Interchange Format Interchange enhancements let you import and export files in additional formats. Dynamic views If you print a dynamic view to 3D PDF, or if you export a dynamic view to a 3D export format like SketchUp or OBJ, the results that you see will match the dynamic view. Therefore, if you have a dynamic view that is divided by a section plane so that half of a model is transparent, when you print the dynamic view to 3D, the resulting PDF looks like the dynamic view. Raster You can open raster files the same way that you open DGN files. You cannot have more than one raster file open at a time. If you open a raster file when another one is already open, the first file closes. When a multi-page raster file is opened, all pages of the file are displayed side by side. How to directly open a raster file: From inside MicroStation, select File > Open or open from the File Open dialog. Set Files of type to All Raster Files (*.*). Google Earth Import Google 3D Warehouse (SKP) version 6 format You can bring in SketchUp 6 files using the same methods that you used in previous versions of MicroStation. MicroStation continues to save them as SketchUp 5 files. Aug User Interface Update

51 Format Interchange SketchUp is a 3D modeling tool that lets you create 3D models. SketchUp lets you place models in Google Earth, using real-world coordinates, and lets you share them using the Google 3D Warehouse (Utilities > 3D Warehouse). Retain geographic coordinates If you have defined a Geographic Coordinate System in a model, you can attach SketchUp files that contain location information by using the Geographic AEC Transform and Geographic Reprojected reference orientation modes. You can automatically place SketchUp models that contain location information. After you select the model, a dialog appears in which you can confirm that you want to place the model by geo-coordinates. Export Collada (DAE) The Collada export process is compliant with the Collada standard as implemented by Google Earth and Feeling Software s ColladaMax/ColladaMaya plug-ins, including XML tags describing the geometry contained within the files. COLLADA is a COLLAborative Design Activity. It is the standard 3D interchange format, which makes it easier to translate complex animated 3D models across Google Earth, Google Sketch-Up, Adobe Photoshop, and many other applications. COLLADA integrates 3D geometry, textures, and complex material. Note: Files created from the MicroStation exporter may be incompatible with Collada viewers based on later standards. Import OpenNurbs (Rhino 3DM) format OpenNurbs (Non-Uniform Rational Basis-Splines) is a tool kit for reading and writing models in the 3DM format. It allows other applications to exchange 3D geometry data with Rhino 3D software ( You can import Rhino (3DM) files into MicroStation. Rhino is a stand-alone, commercial NURBS-based 3-D modeling tool, commonly used for industrial design, architecture, marine design, jewelry design, automotive design, CAD / CAM, rapid prototyping, reverse engineering as well as the multimedia and graphic design industries. User Interface Update 48 Aug-10

52 Format Interchange The OpenNurbs File Settings dialog opens when you click Options button after selecting a 3DM file from the Open dialog (File > Open) or Import dialog (File > Import > CAD File). Simplify Geometry If enabled, the converter will try to simplify the output geometry. For example, a linear B-spline may be converted to a line. Shapes that form a cylinder will be converted to a cylinder. Convert Invalid Rhino Objects If enabled, Rhino bodies or surfaces will be converted to a Smart Solid or Smart Surface. If a body fails, the individual faces will be converted to Smart Surfaces B- spline surfaces. All surfaces generated from faces within the same solid will be grouped in a cell. If individual faces cannot be converted, you will receive an error message telling you to fix the model in Rhino. Generate XML Log File If enabled, an XML log file containing information about the conversion will be generated. Convert Failed Output to Rhino Files If enabled, the elements that failed to convert will be output to individual Rhino files. Export OBJ file format You can export to OBJ. The OBJ file is a lightweight 3D file format that supports mesh geometry and simple materials. The file format is a simple data format that represents 3D geometry alone. This means the position of each vertex, the Aug User Interface Update

53 Format Interchange texture coordinate associated with a vertex, the normal at each vertex, and the faces that make each polygon. Stroke Tolerance (Meters) Sets the tolerance for the mesh elements of the exported geometry. Convert Undisplayed Levels If enabled, geometry on undisplayed levels is included in the export. Invert Y and Z Rotates the exported geometry so that Y becomes the upward direction instead of Z. This setting can be useful for translating to OBJ viewers that use Y as the upward vector instead of Z. Scalable Vector Graphics SVG is a language for describing two-dimensional graphics and graphical applications in XML. SVG Basic and SVG Tiny are targeted to resource-limited devices and are part of the 3GPP platform for third generation mobile phones. SVG Print is a set of guidelines to produce final-form documents in XML suitable for archiving and printing. Find out more at Key features include shapes, text, and embedded raster graphics, with many different painting styles. It supports scripting through languages such as ECMAScript and has comprehensive support for animation. You can access the Export tools by selecting File > Export > SVG. User Interface Update 50 Aug-10

54 Bentley DGN IFilter SKP Version 7 Format In this edition you can import, export, and reference SketchUp 7 files using the same methods that you used in previous editions of MicroStation. Bentley DGN IFilter Bentley DGN IFilter is a tool that enables searching text content in DGN files using Windows desktop search or Google Desktop search. It supports all the text-based elements such as text, text nodes, fields, tags, XYZ text, cells, and digital signatures. It also supports overridden dimensions. In addition to DGN files, Bentley DGN IFilter also supports published files such as i.dgn, dgn.i.dgn, and dwg.i.dgn. Installation The Bentley DGN IFilter is installed when you install MicroStationV8i (SELECTseries 2). Once installed, you are set up to use it with Windows Search or Google Desktop to search. In order to use it with Google Desktop, first you must double-click the DGN IFilterReg.exe file, which is stored by default in \Program Files\Common Files\Bentley Shared\DGNIFilter. Using Bentley DGN IFilter The Bentley DGN IFilter does not have a separate user interface. It is used by the Windows Search and Google Desktop tools for identifying the text content in DGN files. The Windows Search utility is available by default on the Windows Vista and Windows 7 operating systems. In Windows XP, you can use the Search Companion to search the text content in DGN files or install the Windows Search separately. To use Windows Search or Google Desktop, the directories that contain the DGN files should be indexed. The files are searched only after their directories are indexed by Windows Search or Goggle Desktop. Refer help of respective application for details on indexing. Aug User Interface Update

55 Module Review When you search for a specific text-based element of a DGN file in Windows Search or Google Desktop, you get the name of that DGN file in the search result. For example, if you search for the term Actor Targets, Windows Search will search the Animation.dgn example file, which contains the text Actor Targets. The Google interface Module Review Now that you have completed this module, let s measure what you have learned. Questions 1 What is the default task navigation interface? 2 When working with tasks, what is a workflow? 3 What happens when the Show column in the Saved View dialog is enabled for a saved view? 4 What can you do if sheet names become out of sequence? 5 What is a display style? User Interface Update 52 Aug-10

56 Enhancements to Text Module Overview This module introduces enhancements to text placement. This includes a placeholder field and the ability to change case by a selection set or fence. Word Processor updates include an insert field, subscript and superscript icons and the ability to change case. Module Prerequisites Knowledge about text placement in MicroStation Module Objectives After completing this module, you will be able to: Work with placeholder fields Compare text styles Use new Word Processor text editor features Use new text tool features Aug Enhancements to Text

57 Introductory Knowledge Introductory Knowledge Before you begin this module, let's define what you already know. Questions 1 What is a text field? 2 How do you open the Word Processor text editor? Answers 1 A field is a container for an element, model, or file property that is derived from the element, model, or file. It is inserted using the Word Processor text editor. 2 It opens when the Place Text or Place Note tool is selected in the Text toolbox, when the Edit Text tool is active and a text element is identified, or when a text element is double clicked using the Element Selection tool. Placeholder Fields A field is a text container for properties that are derived from the element, model, or file. It is inserted using the Word Processor text editor. A placeholder field is a field placed in a model that is created with the Can be placed as a cell option enabled as a target for future population. Fields pointing to the properties of a parent cell: You can insert a placeholder field in a cell or a cell model that displays the origin or other information about the cell. A placeholder field does not evaluate in the cell model, instead, it evaluates only after you place the cell in another model. A placeholder field derived from the origin of a cell will be updated when the cell is placed in another model. Fields pointing to the properties of a parent Digital Signature cell: You can insert a placeholder field in a digital signature cell that displays the signing date or other information about the digital signature. A placeholder field does not evaluate in the cell model, instead, it evaluates only after you place the cell in another model. A placeholder field derived from the date of a digital signature cell will be updated when the cell is placed in another model. Enhancements to Text 54 Aug-10

58 Placeholder Fields Fields pointing to the properties of a link target attached to a parent cell: You can insert a placeholder field in a cell or a cell model whose content is derived from a property of a link target. A placeholder field does not evaluate in the cell model, instead, it evaluates after the cell is placed and the appropriate link is added. A placeholder field derived from the sheet number of a sheet model will be updated after the cell is placed and the appropriate link is added. Placeholder fields can be those pointing to the properties of a regular, not shared, cell and those pointing to the properties of a link target attached to a regular cell. For example, you might create a monument cell that contains a Place Holder Cell Properties field of type Origin. In the cell model, the field displays the field name origin. When the cell is placed in another model and the fields are updated, the field displays the origin of the cell. How to insert a placeholder field: 1. Open a cell library and open the model that contains the cell geometry. 2. Enter desired text, or Edit Text and right click in the Word Processor text editor at the point at which you want to insert the field. 3. Select Insert Field from the pop-up menu. The Field Type dialog lets you select the type you re creating. Along with Element, Model, and File properties, you can select Place Holder Cell, Place Holder Link and Place Holder Digital Signature Cell properties. Note: You can open the Field Type dialog by right clicking in the Word Processor text editor and selecting Insert Field from the pop-up menu, or click the Insert Field icon in the text editor s tools. Aug Enhancements to Text

59 Placeholder Fields Fields based on element attributes are updated to reflect changes whenever a change to the element causes the attribute to change. Fields based on file or model properties are updated when the file is opened. When you insert the field placeholder, you see the field name until a value is inserted. Placeholder link name and cell name placeholders Exercise: Add a file property field 1 Set the following in the File Open dialog: Project: Geospatial 2 Open \Sheets\BSI200-M06-Wards.dgn. 3 Window Area around the lower right of the sheet. 4 With the Drawing tasks active, select Place Text with the following tool settings: Method: By Origin Text Style: Map Coords Large 5 In the Word Processor, right click and select Insert Field > File Properties from the pop-up menu. 6 In the Fields Editor dialog, select File Name. 7 In the File Name Format area, set Path to False. Setting the path to false excludes this information from the text field. You can also toggle display of the root file name, showing only the extension (false), or show only the file name and extension (true). You can select the case in which you want the field to display. There is a preview of the field contents at the bottom left of the dialog. 8 Click OK in the Field Editor dialog. Enhancements to Text 56 Aug-10

60 Placeholder Fields 9 Place the text under the existing title information in the title block. 10 Select File > Save Settings. The string reflects the file name. Placeholder link properties Links in text are like hyperlinks in HTML. Exercise: Create an origin cell 1 Move up two levels to the \cell folder and open Geospatial.CEL. 2 Open the Models dialog. 3 Create a new Model with the following properties: Type: Design and 2D Name: Origin Can be placed as Cell: Enabled Cell Type: Graphic Can be placed as annotation cell: Enabled 4 In the Origin model, select Place Circle. Method: Center Diameter: In the AccuDraw window s X field, type 0, tab to the Y field and type 0, then press Enter. This places the center of the circle at 0,0. Aug Enhancements to Text

61 Placeholder Fields 6 Draw two lines to create a plus sign inside the circle. Exercise: Add a placeholder link field 1 Continuing in Geospatial.CEL, select Element > Text Styles from the main menu bar. 2 Select Style (none) and, on the Spacing tab, change the Line Offset Y to Select Place Text, expand the tool settings, and set the following: Method: By Origin Height: 1 Width: 1 Justification: Center Center 4 In the Word Processor, type Origin. 5 Highlight the text Origin and click the Insert Field icon. 6 In the Field Type dialog, select Place Holder Cell Properties, and then click OK. 7 In the Field Editor, in the Geometry section, select Origin. 8 In the Coordinate Format section, set the Label Format to MU. 9 Click OK to close the Field Editor. 10 Snap to the center of the circle and place the text. 11 Select File > Save Settings. Enhancements to Text 58 Aug-10

62 Placeholder Fields Exercise: Use the Origin cell 1 Open \dgn\sheets\bsi200-m06-wards.dgn. 2 Select Element > Cells to open the Cell Library dialog and attach Geospatial.CEL. 3 Select Place Active Cell with the following tool settings: Active Cell: Origin X Scale: 25 Y Scale: 25 4 Zoom In on the lower left of the design. 5 Snap to the end of one of the routes and place the cell. 6 Open the Key-in browser and type the following: FIELD UPDATE ALL 7 Note the change in the Origin cell field. Aug Enhancements to Text

63 Text Styles Dialog It updates to show the coordinates of the origin. 8 Select File > Close when you are done. Hint: Two ways to open the Key-in browser are to press enter with the pointer in a view or press Esc then Enter on the keyboard. Text Styles Dialog When changes are made, options change color to indicate variations from the saved style. Other enhancements are as follows. Advanced tab Options on the Advanced tab are also arranged in sections, similar to the Element Information dialog. In the Details section, you can see details such as the path to the file from which the style is being read and whether it is a library style. The options that let you compare text styles now let you use Comparison and Difference modes. Comparison mode shows a side by side comparison of the properties of two selected text styles. This can help identify subtle differences. Text Styles dialog in Comparison mode Differences mode shows the differences in the properties of two selected text styles. This shows the attributes that separate, or distinguish, contrasting styles. Text Styles dialog in Differences mode There is also a Miscellaneous section for ACAD Intercharacter Spacing, with True or False options. Enhancements to Text 60 Aug-10

64 Word Processor Text Editor Word Processor Text Editor Word Processor updates include an insert field, subscript and superscript icons and the ability to change case. Note: The WYSISYG text editor is no longer a feature. Subscript, and Superscript Icons let you further define text using superscript and subscript. In the placement tool settings, the Apply changes to all text check box must be disabled to place superscript and subscript text. The Superscript icon lets you create text with superscript. Type in the text, click the superscript icon, and then type in the desired number. The Subscript icon lets you create text with subscript. Type in the text, click the superscript icon, and then type in the desired number. Change case You can change the case of characters in the Word Processor text editor. How to change case: First, highlight the characters you want to change in the Word Processor text editor. Then, right click and select Change Case > Upper Case or Change Case > Lower Case from the pop-up menu. Aug Enhancements to Text

65 Tools Tools Place Text The tool settings no longer contain check boxes to enable or disable the various text attributes such as height and width, font and justification. All attributes are available at all times. Change Case This tool, from the (Tools > Text) Text toolbox only, is used to change the case of a string of text. Case change options include the following. Upper Case: Changes all characters to upper case. Lower Case: Changes all characters to lower case. Title Case: Match the case of the first letter of the first word in the string. If it begins with a capital letter, all words in the string will begin with a capital letter. First Capital: Capitalizes the first letter of the first word in the string. Select the mode, and then click the text. Each successive data point will change the next text string. You can also select the text using Element Selection or using a fence, and then use the tool. Enhancements to Text 62 Aug-10

66 Module Review Edit Text When using Edit Text, from the Text toolbox or the Drawing tasks, the active tool settings are set to those of the text you are editing. The text style, height, width and font are set to match those of the text you identify. Previously, when you terminated the tool, the altered tool settings remained. Tool settings now revert to the previous settings once the tool is terminated. Find/Replace Text Select Edit > Find/Replace Text to open the dialog. The Find/Replace Text tool can find and replace text in enter_data fields. The Zoom Factor slider lets you set the zoom factor used to zoom in or out on the text you are searching for in the model. This factor ranges from 5, zoomed out, to 100, zoomed in. Module Review Now that you have completed this module, let s measure what you have learned. Questions 1 How do you insert a text field? 2 What do you see when you initially insert a field placeholder? 3 True or False: The Apply changes to all text check box must be enabled to place superscript and subscript text. Aug Enhancements to Text

67 Project Explorer Module Overview This module reviews Project Explorer and presents enhancements that simplify workflow. Module Prerequisites Experience with MicroStation V8 XM Edition Knowledge about MicroStation s user interface Some knowledge about Project Explorer is also helpful Module Objectives After completing this module, you will be able to: Review Project Explorer Explore projects New Link Types Create links Project Explorer and its application to Dynamic Views Aug Project Explorer

68 Introductory Knowledge Introductory Knowledge Before you begin this module, let's define what you already know. Questions 1 What is Project Explorer? 2 What is a link set? Answers 1 Project Explorer provides hierarchical storage for information related to design such as DGN and DWG files, models, references, Adobe PDFs, Microsoft Word documents, Microsoft Excel workbooks, and their contents. Think of it as a hyperlinked table of contents to a project. 2 A link set is a group of links to files, models, references, saved views, and supporting documentation. The Link Sets dialog is where you add, copy, rename, delete, and import link sets. Think of it as a set of Internet Explorer Favorites. Project Explorer Review Project Explorer provides hierarchical storage for information related to projects, such as DGN and DWG files, models, references, Adobe PDFs, Microsoft Word documents, and Microsoft Excel workbooks. Use Project Explorer to navigate project data from within MicroStation. Exploring projects Project Explorer supports links to office documents, PDFs, URLs, addresses and MicroStation key-ins, as well as design and sheet models, references and saved views. Project Explorer is a digital table of contents for project data, allowing you to browse easily. Exercise: Explore a project 1 Set the following in the File Open dialog: Project Explorer 66 Aug-10

69 Project Explorer Review Project: Building 2 Move up one level to the \dgnlib folder, set Files of type to All Files (*.*), and open Linksets.dgnlib. 3 Select File > Project Explorer and dock the dialog on top of the Tasks dialog. You see the folders that were created for the Building project. Each one contains links to different project resources. 4 With the Building link set active, expand the node (plus sign) next to Designs. 5 Expand the first link. You see folders that contain links to any saved views and references contained in that design. 6 Right click on the first link. You can add links to this sheet to elements in design files. Do this by selecting Add Link to Element, and then clicking an element in a model to link the element to this model. You can open links using the Open option. 7 Select Open. You are redirected to the design model. The DGN file that contains this model resides in the project s \dgn\designs folder, not the \dgnlib folder. 8 Click Previous Model in the View Groups dialog at the bottom left of the application window to return to Linksets.dgnlib. Exercise: Working with links 1 Continuing in Linksets.dgnlib, collapse the Design node and expand the Sheets node. 2 Right click and open the sheet AE101. Aug Project Explorer

70 Project Explorer Review 3 Zoom In on the Section Callout in the center of the sheet and move the pointer over it. You see a link icon at the pointer. 4 Right click, select Follow Link > and select the destination. You are directed to that model. 5 Click Previous Model to return to Linksets.dgnlib. Link sets A link set is a group of links to files, models, references, saved views, and supporting documentation. Think of it as your Internet Explorer Favorites. The Link Sets dialog is where you add, copy, rename, delete, and import link sets. Within a link set, links can be organized into a hierarchy of folders. Exercise: Selecting a link set 1 Continuing in Linksets.dgnlib, in the Project Explorer dialog, click the Manage Link Sets icon (magnifying glass) to browse for existing link sets. You do not have to be in the file in which a link set was created to access it. You can use the option menu to view link sets from library files, in the active file, or in a selected file. 2 Select Active File (Linksets.dgnlib) from the option list. Project Explorer 68 Aug-10

71 Project Explorer Review The available link sets change from all those identified by the project configuration variable, to only those that are defined in this file. Note: To edit link sets you must be in the file in which they exist. Document links You can link to DOC, PDF, XLS and other file formats. Links can be created to individual Excel worksheets, PDF bookmarks and to individual Heading styles in Word documents. Linking project files to elements When you right click on a link in Project Explorer, you have the option to link it to an element. The link can then be used to redirect to additional data. To create the element link, right click on a linked item in Project Explorer, select Add Link to Element from the pop-up menu, and enter a data point on the element you want to link. Link properties Select Properties from the right click menu to open a dialog where you can view the properties of a folder or link. Folder Properties Link Type Displays the type of file that is the target of the selected link. The possible types are model, reference, file, folder, saved view, drawing title, configuration variable, URL, MicroStation key-in, link set, Microsoft Word bookmark, Microsoft Word heading, Microsoft Excel sheet, and Adobe PDF bookmark links. Link Name Displays the name that appears on the link in the Project Explorer dialog. In the Properties for Link or Folder dialog you can change the name for all link types Aug Project Explorer

72 Project Explorer Review except folder, link set, URL, and key-in. However, even after changing the link name, the link target remains the same. Configuration Variable Displays the name of the configuration variable that is the target of the selected link. You can also add a configuration variable expression such as a file path, file type or file name. Filter Displays the resource filter expression. The resource filter consists of the resource type, followed by an optional subtype. You can only have one Filter per definition. File Properties Additional properties are added for a file. Full Path The location of the file that is the target of the selected link. If the file cannot be located, the link is broken and this is blank. Model Name Displays the name or logical name of the item that is the target of the selected link. You can change the model, saved view, drawing title, logical, or configuration variable folder name by typing the name in the property value column. When you click the Name property row of models, saved views, or references, a drop-down arrow appears on the right side of the property value. Clicking it lists the models, saved views or references in the file. Select the required name from the dropdown list. In the drop-down list for logical name there is an option called <none>, which indicates a reference attachment without a logical name. Address Displays the Web site address, address, or key-in that is the target of the selected link. Project Explorer 70 Aug-10

73 Project Explorer Review Validating links The right click menu for links and models also includes a Validate option. Select this to verify that the file or URL to which the link points still exists. If the data does not exist in that location, the link name and folder name turn red. Details are provided in the Message Center. This will happen if you move, delete or rename the target file. If you try to open the target of the broken link through Project Explorer, you will receive an error message. To validate a single link or all links within a folder, right click on the link or the folder and select Validate from the pop-up menu. To restore an association you must correct any name change or restore the target file to the correct location. Note: Always check with an administrator to determine which files are most up to date or to determine the appropriate file location. Additional link types There are different link types when you click the Create Links button in Project Explorer. Note: The Project Explorer icons are only activated if the Links Sets option is set to Active or Selected File. Link from File Used to create links to files. Opens the Create Links dialog to select the files to which you want to create links. Folder Link Used to create links to Folders. Opens the Browse For Folder dialog to select the folder to which you want to create link. You can create a link to a physical folder Aug Project Explorer

74 Project Explorer Review containing DGN, DWG, DXF and any other files in the folder. This is called a Folder Link. Folders can be dragged from Windows Explorer directly in the Project Explorer dialog or created using the PROJECT CREATE LINK FOLDER [folder-path] key-in to a folder containing DGN, DWG, and any other type of file. Multiple folder paths can be specified using this key-in. Right click the linked folder in Project Explorer and choose Open from the pop-up to open Windows Explorer at the location of the linked folder. Key-in Link Used to create links to key-ins. Opens the Create Link dialog to type the MicroStation key-in to which you want to create link. URL Link Used to create links to Web sites and addresses. Opens the Create Link dialog to type the Web site address or address to which you want to create link. Link to another link set Create a link to another link set in the same project by selecting LinkSet Link from the Create Link options. The Create Link dialog will open with the type set to LinkSet. Then click the LinkSets icon at the right of the input field and select the link set to which you want to link. You can create a copy of a link set or link folder by pressing the Ctrl key and dragging the selected link set or link folder to a new location in Project Explorer. This is the same as right clicking the link set or link folder, then performing copy and paste. Exercise: Link to and external folder 1 Continuing in Linksets.dgnlib, in the Project Explorer dialog, click New Folder. 2 Highlight Untitled and change the name to Cells. 3 Select the folder and click New Link. 4 Select Folder Link from the menu. Project Explorer 72 Aug-10

75 Project Explorer Review 5 Navigate to \WorkSpace\Projects\Examples\Building, select the \cell folder, and then click OK 6 In Project Explorer, expand the Cells folder and the cell/ sub-folder. 7 Expand Building.cel. You can now see and even open the models. Note: Always check with an administrator if you are working with a project s link sets. Configuration variable links A harvested folder displays models or named views that are contained in a set of files. The task of creating variables for harvested folders is usually done by an administrator. Using harvested folders, you can keep track of sheets, views, and drawing titles, because the folders are an up-to-date view of what is in the files. MicroStation generates the contents of a harvested folder by searching for specified resources within a set of files. When resources are added, removed, or renamed, harvested folders can be refreshed to reflect the changes. To create a harvested folder, create a Configuration Variable link by specifying a MicroStation configuration variable, a resource filter, and optionally a configuration variable expression. The configuration variable identifies the set of files to be searched. The filter expression identifies the type of resources to find within those files. A harvested folder can only show one type of resource. To track more than one resource, you need to create a separate folder for each type of resource. Select Configuration Variable Link to open the Create Configuration Variable Link dialog so you can add link to a configuration variable. You can harvest multiple configuration variables expression by separating them with a semicolon. You can also harvest configuration variables expression followed by a folder name. Aug Project Explorer

76 Module Review Each Configuration Variable Link identifies a configuration variable and specifies the type of resource to harvest from the files. Exercise: Configuration variable links 1 Continuing in Linksets.dgnlib, expand another folder in Project Explorer. When project data is organized using Project Explorer, it does not matter to users where files, models, or supporting documents are actually located. It is a catalog of resources such as designs, sheets, plans, elevations, sections, details, etc. When you expanded a folder it was populated by harvesting resources. This is done by creating a configuration variable link that reflects the resources in any files identified by the configuration variable. 2 Select File > Close when you are done. Drag and drop and Project Explorer You can drag and drop files into the view and reference that file into the current file. Using the Alt key, you can drag and drop the file as a link. Using the Ctrl key, you can drag and drop as a cell. Module Review Now that you have completed this module, let s measure what you have learned. Questions 1 What is a link set? 2 To what types of target data can you link? 3 How do you validate a link? Project Explorer 74 Aug-10

77 Reference and Raster Module Overview This module presents enhancements to references that will make your workflow more dynamic. It also discusses changes and enhancements to Raster Manager that are designed to improve performance. Module Prerequisites Knowledge about reference workflows Knowledge about raster workflows Module Objectives After completing this module, you will be able to: Edit a reference in-place Make a reference's annotations use the active model's annotation scale Attach raster from Web Map Servers Configure raster display to utilize independent process Aug Reference and Raster

78 Introductory Knowledge Introductory Knowledge Before you begin this module, let's define what you already know. Questions 1 How would you change the scale of annotations in a reference? 2 True or False: Raster Manager needs Descartes to drape rasters over a digital elevation model. Answers 1 Exchange into the reference and manually scale them. 2 False. Raster Manager no longer needs Descartes to drape rasters over a digital elevation model. Reference Dialog Changes There are changes to the References and Reference Attachment Settings dialogs. References dialog The Activate item on the Tools and right click menus lets you activate the selected reference for in-place editing. The reference elements become available for edit. Use Activate when you need to snap to elements or make minor adjustments to a model. Reference and Raster 76 Aug-10

79 Reference Dialog Changes There is an Activate Status column in the References dialog. When a reference is activated, there is a dot in the column. When a reference is activated, it is locked to other users. If you activate, remember to deactivate when you are done. You can change the orientation of the reference by clicking this cell in the Orientation column. The column turns red if the orientation is not available for the attached model. The clipping and clip mask settings of the previous orientation are saved for the next orientation. These settings are retained until you create a new Orientation setting. The GeoCS column shows the geographic coordinate system identifier if the reference has one. The contents are red if a GCS exists, but the reference was attached without a georeferencing attachment mode. Use Active Annotation Scale makes the reference's annotations use the active model's annotation scale. This column indicates if the option is enabled for the reference. In the Info Panel on the bottom, there is a Georeferenced item. This sets the georeference mode. When a reference is attached in Reprojected mode, the current Reference Reprojection Settings are copied into the reference attachment and stored so every user who opens the master file uses the same reprojection settings and thus, gets the same results. Reference Attachment Settings Detail Scale Detail scale helps you represent the Master:Ref scale in terms of the sheet scale. For example, if your sheet scale (annotation scale) is 1/8 = 1 and you want to place a detail reference of scale 1/4 = 1, simply pick the new scale from the Detail Scale combo box. It automatically computes the Master:Ref scale as 2:1. Level A feature of the DWG workmode is now available in the DGN workmode. The Level option lets you associate a Reference with a level and control display of that reference through Level Display. Aug Reference and Raster

80 Reference Dialog Changes Synchronize with Saved View When you attach a saved view, you can specify that the display of the reference should always be synchronized with the original saved view. In the Reference Attachment Settings dialog, check the Synchronize with Saved View check box. In order to change the appearance of a reference, you have to modify the saved view with which it is synchronized. This is to ensure fidelity of display properties such as view attributes, level masks, clip volume, display styles and others. Drawing Title When attaching a reference on a sheet, you can create a drawing title. A drawing title describes a drawing on a sheet. If there are four references on a sheet (top, front, right, and isometric), you create four drawing titles to identify the four references. This plays a crucial role in automatically linking call-outs across sheets. Properties such as Name, Detail Scale, and Identifier are displayed in the call-outs in the form of fields. Reference detail scale When attaching a design or drawing model reference into a sheet model, the referenced model's annotation scale is applied as the detail scale, and the Reference Scale (Master:Ref Scale) is calculated from the referenced model's annotation scale and the active model's annotation scale. Reference and Raster 78 Aug-10

81 Reference Dialog Changes Activate Reference You can edit a reference from within the active model. When a reference is activated, only operations on the activated reference are permitted. By default, all elements in other references, as well as the active model, are displayed with an override color. You can control whether or not an override color is used, and what the color is, with the Active Reference Override Color preference (Workspace > Preferences Reference category, Active Reference Override Color). In addition, the reference is locked so that it cannot be edited in another session. In summary, Activate means that a reference is activated for editing, and locked for all other users. The activation process will grey out all other references, AND grey out any information in the main file (the file the reference was called from). Deactivating a Reference stops editing of the reference and allows editing of the main file again. However, the reference remains locked to other users so they cannot open it for editing. Undo's are still available for the current lock holder if they choose to re-activate the file. Release the lock on a reference means you cannot undo any more. It also means it is unlocked so other users can once again open it for editing. To edit a reference from within the active model you first must activate the reference. Exercise: Activate a reference for in-place editing 1 Set the following in the File Open dialog: Project: Building 2 Open \Drawings\BSI300-GroundFloorPlan.dgn. 3 Zoom in on the Training Rooms. Aug Reference and Raster

82 Reference Dialog Changes 4 With Element Selection active, right press on the wall between the training rooms and select Activate. Note: Only references that are not open for editing in another session can be activated. All graphics except those in the activated reference are gray. 5 Use Element Selection to select the wall between the training rooms. Reference and Raster 80 Aug-10

83 Reference Dialog Changes 6 You are going to change the thickness of the wall between the training rooms and the three center offices. 7 Hold the Ctrl key and draw a window are around the two handles on the left side of the wall. The handles change color. 8 Select either of the colored handles and, with focus in the AccuDraw window, lock Y and Z at zero. 9 Snap to the corner of the column above to set the distance. Aug Reference and Raster

84 Reference Dialog Changes 10 Enter a data point to accept the new location. To return to editing the active model, you have to deactivate the reference. 11 Right press anywhere in the file, or on the file name in the References dialog, and select Deactivate First Floor - Interior Plan. References that have been activated are not available for editing in another session. This also applies to references that have been deactivated. To release a reference for editing in another session, you must release the lock on it. You can do this by exiting from the file, or by releasing the lock on the referenced file. 12 Right press on the wall between the two training rooms and select Release lock on BSI300I-9-Interior.dgn. Note: If you activate another reference, the currently activated reference is automatically deactivated. Deactivate and Release Lock Important: Deactivate, on the References dialog s pop-up menu and the Reset pop-up menu, and Release Lock, on the Reset pop-up menu, are two different operations. When you activate a reference, you must first open it for write access, blocking any other users from modifying that file while you are working on it. This is called Reference and Raster 82 Aug-10

85 Reference Dialog Changes acquiring the lock for the file. As you activate references, you acquire their locks and hold them until you either release them or exit your session. A single user can hold the lock for multiple files at the same time, which can cause problems with team coordination. The reason that deactivate does not automatically release the lock, is that once the lock is relinquished it is not possible to undo changes. If you are actively working on a set of files using activation, it makes sense to hold the locks until you decide you are ready to release them. References and levels You can attach a reference to a level in the DGN workmode. This option is critical when attaching a saved view as a reference. The reason is that a saved view can only store the reference level setting of a reference attachment. To keep the saved view and reference synchronized, you must choose a level when attaching a saved view as a reference. Exercise: Using saved views, references and levels to synchronize 1 Select File > New and create a new file in the...\dgn\sheets folder. 2 Use...\Workspace\System\seed\seed3d.dgn as the seed file, and name the file Saved View as Reference.dgn. 3 In the Models dialog, create a new model: Type: Sheet 2D Name: Saved View Scale: Full Scale 4 Open the References dialog. 5 Attach \Drawings\BSI300-GroundFloorPlan.dgn with the following attachment settings: Model: Ground Floor Plan Orientation: Saved Views > PlanClip Detail Scale: 1:50 Level: Markup Nested Attachments: Live Nesting Depth: 3 Synchronized with Saved View: Enabled Aug Reference and Raster

86 Reference Dialog Changes Drawing Title > Create: Enabled Drawing Title Name: Corner Plan 6 Place the reference in the center of the sheet. 7 Note the corner column and the detail marker. 8 Open \Drawings\BSI300-GroundFloorPlan.dgn. 9 Zoom in to the lower left corner so you can see the text. If the text is not clear, click the Text Nodes icon in the View Attributes dilaog. 10 Select Utilities > Saved Views. 11 Select PlanClip and click Update Saved View Settings in the Saved Views dialog, with Update Camera Position enabled. in the tool settings. 12 Enter a data point in the view. 13 Return to the sheet model in the new file to see that the referenced saved view has updated. 14 Select File > Close when you are done. References support active model annotation scale You may add annotations to design models that are referenced into sheets, or add annotations directly to a sheet. If the annotations were too small, you would change the model's annotation scale, but that affects only the annotations directly on the sheet. The annotations in a reference are not changed. The only way you could change the annotations was to exchange into the reference and scale them. In this edition, an active model s annotation scale applies to annotations in references also. If you change the scale of the annotations on a sheet, the scale of the annotations in the references changes too. Reference and Raster 84 Aug-10

87 Raster Manager To make a reference's annotations use the active model's annotation scale, you must enable this option. In the References dialog there is a new column named Use Active Annotation Scale. If this column is not visible, right click in the column headings and turn it on. To turn on this option for a reference, click in this column to make a check mark. Note: Existing annotations in a DGN file created with earlier versions of MicroStation cannot be scaled automatically. To make them use their active model's annotation scale, key in ANNOTATIONSCALE ELEMENT SETDYNAMICFLAG. Shapefile referencing A shapefile is a digital vector storage format for storing geometric location and associated attribute information. Shapefiles (*.shp) require at least three files with the same name and with the following extensions in the same directory..shp or shape format. Describes the feature geometry. such as points, polylines, and polygons..shx or shape index format. A positional index of the feature geometry so you can search quickly..dbf or attribute format. Columnar attributes for each shape, in dbase III format. The File Open and Reference Attachment dialogs let you open or attach a Shapefile (*.shp). The files are opened read-only, but you can select File > Save As to save the data to a DGN file. Raster Manager The changes and enhancements to Raster Manager are designed to improve performance of its attachment and manipulation tools and options. Raster Manager interface changes Several menu items have been added. Aug Reference and Raster

88 Raster Manager File menu From the File menu, you can create a new WMS or Image Server, using File > New > WMS or File > New > Image Server. You can also import a Raster Save Set using File > Import > Raster Save Set. A Raster Save Set is an Intergraph format. The RST is a text file that list binary files to be opened and their parameters. Raster Manager does not open this format directly, but when you import the RST, all the listed files will correctly be opened in Raster Manager. Also added is Display > Annotations > Explore, which displays the content of annotations. All the annotation bullets are displayed even if the Show toggle is off. Move the cursor of the Explore annotation tool over the selection region of an annotation, the selection region is highlighted. The annotation content is only visible when a data point is entered into the annotation selection region. Display > Annotations > Show, which will turn on or off the display of annotations bullets. Settings > Annotations, which opens the Annotations Settings dialog to let you set the color to use and the percentage of transparency for the dynamic highlight of annotations. Note: The current version supports only annotations that display text. If you move over an unsupported annotation, it will be highlighted but a message will notify you that this type of annotation is not supported. Utilities menu Utilities > Edit WMS opens the WMS Map Editor dialog, which lets you create or edit a map definition file. Utilities > Layers opens the Layer Display dialog, which lets you access the available layers. Utilities > Coordinate System > Select From Library lets you select a coordinate system from the predefined library supplied with MicroStation. Utilities > Coordinate System > Delete deletes the specified coordinate system. Utilities > Transparency opens the Transparency dialog, which lets you determine the transparency settings for the selected raster. Reference and Raster 86 Aug-10

89 Raster Manager Utilities > File Name opens the File Name dialog allowing you to enter or select a name for the selected raster. itiff64 format support Raster Manager now supports the itiff64 file type. This new format supports raster files larger than 4 GB, up to 18 exabytes. Also, Raster Manager no longer needs Descartes to drape rasters over a digital elevation model. Attach raster from Web Map Servers You can attach raster files from a Web Map Server, or.xwms format. The color mode is 24 bit and there is no compression. Supported header formats are jpg, png, bmp, and gif. To do so, select File > Attach > WMS in the Raster Manager. Using a Web Map Server, maps can be served either from static files or from a database. WMS produces maps of spatially referenced data dynamically from geographic information. A map is a portrayal of geographic information as a digital image file suitable for display on a computer screen. WMS produced maps are generally rendered in a pictorial format such as PNG, GIF or JPEG, or occasionally as vector based graphical elements in Scalable Vector Graphics (SVG) or Web Computer Graphics Metafile (WebCGM) formats. Note: ECW and JPEG 2000 files do not support Rotation and Affinity transformations. How to Attach a Web Map Server: First, select the server from which you want to attach an image in the WMS Map Editor dialog. It opens when you select File > New > WMS. Click the Servers button to see a list of available servers. Select available layers in the upper left frame and click Add to map to compose a map. When you are done, you can save the map or attach it as a Raster Reference immediately. Aug Reference and Raster

90 Raster Manager Servers Manager Use the Servers Manager dialog to select a WMS server. You can type or paste the URL of a known WMS server or select the server in the server list. The Servers Manager dialog makes it possible to mark servers as favorites. The servers options in the Map Editors dialog list the favorite servers before any of the other servers. Reference and Raster 88 Aug-10

91 Raster Manager If the server is changed, all the fields are cleared. A warning message is displayed if a new server is entered before a save. The main pane in the Servers Manager displays columns related to the selected WMS Server. Column Title Description Title Displays the title of the currently selected server. URL Indicates the URL of the currently selected server. Abstract Displays a summary of the WMS Server information. Keywords Lists keywords used to describe the server. Fees Indicates whether there are attached fees. Access Constraints Contact Information Specifies whether there are constraints on accessing the selected server. Displays contact information for the WMS Server. Display rasters using independent process You can display rasters using a process independent of other MicroStation operations. If Display Raster Using an Independent Process is enabled on the General tab of the Preferences dialog, rasters are displayed using a process independent of other MicroStation operations. Any new request to display raster will interrupt the previous request, and start the new one. If a user does multiple zoom operations, only the last operation will be completely processed. The display engine will use any data already in memory to provide immediate display. The full resolution data will then display as it becomes available. Geographic coordinate system support Raster Manager supports the coordinate system defined in MicroStation. You can display rasters from one coordinate system in another. Georeferenced raster images can also be reprojected using different georeferencing and positioning information. Aug Reference and Raster

92 Raster Manager Drape Raster Images Raster Manager no longer needs Descartes to drape rasters over a digital elevation model. Image Draping is an extension to the MicroStation Rendering feature. The draping function is based on a MicroStation Rendering feature called Procedural Materials, which allows the application of a specific behavior to the raster image. This image can be draped over a Digital Terrain Model (DTM) or any 3D object using the DCDRAPE.PAL Procedural Material. In the case of aerial photos or satellite images, the DTM should be used. By using the draping feature, Raster Manager seamlessly integrates any image in the rendering process in combination with 3D elements. It also supports lighting effects, shadows, fog effects, fly through, animations, etc. For detailed information, see the Procedural Materials section in the MicroStation Visualization Guide. Draping basics Raster images are 2D with an X by Y pixel matrix. Raster Manager displays 2D images in the TOP Views with a rotation around the Z-axis. The image draping function lets you drape 2D images over a terrain, which is represented by a 3D surface in MicroStation. A 3D surface is required for Raster Manager images to be rendered. In MicroStation, these 3D surfaces can be represented by any DGN surface (shapes, b-splines, etc.) supported by the rendering engine. These 3D surfaces, which are often Digital Terrain Models, can be generated or imported in MicroStation with a variety of software products. Bentley Descartes Image Draping seamlessly merges with other objects designed in MicroStation. For example, a bridge designer would use the draping function to view a newly designed bridge rendered in conjunction with existing terrain of a draped aerial photo. Lights and shadows would also be needed to render on the terrain to give a realistic view. Supported draping Draping of imagery on a terrain model is available in MicroStation. The first step is to specify the 3D model, typically a set of DGN elements (triangles or polygons), onto which the Raster Manager images should be draped. Those who are familiar with MicroStation rendering will find this process straightforward. Reference and Raster 90 Aug-10

93 Raster Manager How to drape an image on a 3D surface: 1. First, launch MicroStation and select the DGN file representing the 3D model used for the draping and enable Draping in the Draping column of the Raster Manager dialog (right click to add). A raster can also be displayed as undraped by disabling the Draping column. 2. Create the palette that will contain materials for the draping and rendered objects. As a rule of thumb, custom palettes are the preferred way of creating sets of materials for a specific project. 3. Store palettes in a safe location outside the MicroStation directory structure. 4. Once the palette is created, add the required materials to it. Materials are added by opening other palette files, selecting the material and re-opening your custom palette. The properties of the material are recorded in the Define Materials dialog. 5. Name the material and add it to the palette. 6. The next step is to apply the material to a design element. In this case, the 3D model that will be used to project the image and drape it. 7. The last step is to view the draping. Using the Render tool, enter a data point in the view displaying the images where the draping is intended. Usually, the isometric. This allows a better view angle in order to visualize the 3D effects on the draped image. Place interactive by three points It is now possible to attach a raster reference interactively in any orientation. This new feature will also support AccuDraw. Raster Reference PDF GeoPDF files, georeferenced PDFs, are supported as an input format in Raster Manager. PDF files that have any restrictions (printing, document assembly, content copying, content, copying for accessibility, page extraction, commenting, etc.) cannot be attached by Raster Manager. MicroStation respects the author s wishes so a situation where protection is compromised cannot occur. Aug Reference and Raster

94 Module Review Module Review Now that you have completed this module, let s measure what you have learned. Questions 1 True or False: You can activate references that are open for editing in another session. 2 References that have been activated or deactivated are not available for editing in another session. How can you release a reference for editing in another session? Reference and Raster 92 Aug-10

95 Customization Module Overview In this module, you will use MicroStation s Customize utility to customize the user interface. You will also discover the processes needed to use legacy customizations. Module Prerequisites Experience with MicroStation V8 XM Edition Knowledge about MicroStation V8i user interface Familiarity with the Customize dialog Module Objectives After completing this module, you will be able to: Create tasks and menus and add tools Introductory Knowledge Before you begin this module, let's define what you already know. Questions 1 What is a design library? 2 What is your current method of applying standardized element attributes? Aug Customization

96 The Customize Dialog Answers 1 A DGN library contains standard definitions for things such as Customizations, levels, text and dimension styles, cells, etc. that are shared throughout files and by members of a workgroup. When you use a definition from a DGN library, it is copied to the active file and is given the same name. You can compare the local resource to the DGN library to see if the DGN library has changed, or if the local resource is out of sync with the DGN library. 2 This is important because it helps define ways in which element templates, tools and tasks can be implemented to help standardize production. The Customize Dialog The Customize dialog has been reorganized. Use it to add custom toolboxes, tools, and tasks as well as to customize menus, context menus, and icons. The dialog has two tabs, Tools and Icons. The Tools tab is where you add and manage custom toolboxes, tools, and tasks and can customize menus and context menus. Click the arrow to expand the desired type of customization. Tools and Tasks Exercise: Note the tasks 1 Set the following in the File Open dialog: Project: Building 2 Open\dgnlib\UI.dgnlib. Customization 120 Aug-10

97 Tools and Tasks 3 Click the arrow next to Tasks in the Tasks dialog. All the tasks defined by MS_GUIDGNLIBLIST are listed, along with the default tasks. Personal DGN libraries When a user creates a new Interface in the File Opendialog, not only is a new ustn.r01 file created, a user specific DGN library is also created. The name of this DGN library is the same as the name of the user interface. Anyone can open this new DGN library and add custom tools, tasks and menus that are unique to themselves. The Primary Search Path category, User Interface DGN Library List variable, MS_GUIDGNLIBLIST, includes the path to DGN libraries in the current user interface folder. Adding tasks and tools Once a task is created, you can add existing tools or tools that you define in the Customize dialog. You can use any MicroStation tool or any existing custom tools you have previously defined in an m01 file. In the following exercise, you will create a new Task and populate it with tools. Exercise: Compose a task 1 Continuing in UI.dgnlib, select Workspace > Customize. 2 Click the File menu in the dialog. Available DGN libraries are listed on the File menu. You can select a listed DGN library, to which to add your customizations. Tools, toolboxes, tasks and menus are defined on the Tools tab of the Customize dialog. 3 On the Tools tab, expand the Tasks tab on the right side of the Customize dialog. Aug Customization

98 Tools and Tasks 4 Expand User Tasks by clicking the +. 5 Select UI.dgnlib, next to the V8 icon. 6 Right click and select New Task. The task list expands and a new task is added. 7 Name the new task Site Construction. A right click menu for each task offers a Rename option as well as options for reordering, creating and deleting tasks. 8 In the left frame, expand Application Tools, then MicroStation. All MicroStation s tools are listed here. 9 Scroll to the Measure tools. 10 Drag the Measure tools to the Site Construction task in the right frame and drop them. You can add entire toolboxes or individual tools. If you make a mistake, Undo works on these drag and drop operations. 11 Scroll to the Modify tools and drag the toolbox to the Site Construction task. 12 Scroll to the Polygons tools and drag the toolbox to the Site Construction task. Editing tasks Once you add a toolbox to a task, you can edit the tools it contains. Exercise: Refine the task 1 Continuing in UI.dgnlib, on the Tools tab of the Customize dialog, expand the Measure tools in the Site Construction task. You will keep only the tools that are relevant to the Site Construction task. 2 Select Measure Volume, Measure Radius and Measure Length and click Delete. 3 Expand the Polygons tools and delete Place Regular Polygon and Place Orthogonal Shape. 4 Edit the Modify tools to include only the first six tools. Customization 122 Aug-10

99 Tools and Tasks Warning: Since tools are referenced into Tasks, changing a tool s function can affect many tasks. Exercise: Reorder the tasks 1 Continuing in UI.dgnlib, use the move up and down arrows, or drag and drop, to arrange the toolboxes in the Site Construction task in the following order: Polygons Measure Modify Workflow tasks A workflow can consist of one or more tasks. In most cases, a workflow consists of a collection of tasks organized in the order that you will use them to complete a project or job. Each task contains the tools you need to complete the task. Workflows have a Workflow icon on their tab. Adding custom tools The following exercise has you create a custom tool and place it in a task. Aug Customization

100 Tools and Tasks Exercise: Create a custom tool 1 Continuing in UI.dgnlib, in the Customize dialog, expand User Tools in the left frame. 2 Select UI.dgnlib. 3 Click New Tool Box. 4 Name the new toolbox Define Area. 5 Select the new toolbox and click New Tool. 6 Name the new tool Boundary. 7 Select the new tool. 8 In the Properties section of the Customize dialog, in the Command Data section, remove null and type the following in the Key-in input field: PLACE REVCLOUD POINTS 9 Change the Balloon Text to Identify Boundary. 10 In the General Settings section, click in the Icon input field, and then click the browse button on the right. In the Define Icon for Tool dialog, you ll be choosing tools from the MicroStation application. 11 Expand the Look for icons in options and select Applications. 12 Expand MicroStation by clicking the +, scroll to the Cells tools and expand them. 13 Select Place Active Cell Matrix and click OK. The icon displays in the icon field. You can display a tool s icon, or label, or both by setting the Tool Presentation. 14 Set Tool Presentation to Icon Only. 15 Drag the new toolbox to the Site Construction task in the right frame. General settings for user tools Tool Type These options specify the behavior of the tool. Standard makes the tool active until you select another tool. A Push Button will not start a new command and does not interrupt a current placement command. Use this to send immediate Customization 124 Aug-10

101 Tools and Tasks command key-ins. For example, the key-in CO=1;LV=Landscaping would set the active color and level. Dimension These options determine whether a tool will be available when working in 2D DGN files, 3D DGN files, or both. Command data settings for tools Key-ins Since you can use any MicroStation key-in as the command string, you can predetermine tool settings or open documents. You can also link to a web site. You can use % to link to any document. For example, %C:\temp\CADstandards.doc. or % Also,! C:\temp\Lot_Design.txt opens the text document in the application associated with the.txt extension. Associating element templates The Associate Template setting sets the status of the Active Element Template tool in the Attributes toolbox when a tool is used. When Always is selected, the icon is available. Never makes it unavailable. Use Current Setting does not change the status of the icon. If the icon is available and a template is defined, elements that users place with the tool will be placed with the template settings. If you right click in the Associate Template field, there is an Add Default Template option. If you set one, when the tool is used, the default template s properties are applied to the element. If a template property is specified in both templates, the associated template takes precedence. Aug Customization

102 Adding and Editing Menus Additional tool properties You can also access available tool properties if you right click on a new tool and select Add from the pop-up menu. Expand the options on this menu to add design file settings such as the active snap mode or an active angle. Fence modes can be set. Use the Locks options so that the tool uses the graphic group lock or the annotation scale lock. You can also apply fence settings such as clip or overlap. The command data sub-menu lets you add a field so you can define a default template. Adding and Editing Menus You can edit and create menus on the Tools tab s MenuBar tab. Exercise: Create a menu 1 Continuing in UI.dgnlib, on the Tools tab of the Customize dialog, expand the MenuBar tab. 2 Click on Main Menu. 3 Click New Menu. 4 Rename the new menu Building. To insert a mnemonic, insert the tilde character before the character you want to be the accelerator. 5 Place the cursor at the beginning of the word Building, and then press Shift and to place the ~ before the B in Building. (~Building) 6 Select the menu and click the up arrow, or drag and drop, to move it above the Help menu. 7 Right click on the Building menu. 8 Select New Menu from the pop-up menu. 9 Name the new menu Tools. Adding tools to a menu Exercise: Add tools to the menu 1 Continuing in UI.dgnlib, expand User Tools in the left frame. Customization 126 Aug-10

103 Adding and Editing Menus 2 Expand UI.dgnlib. 3 Select the Define Area toolbox and drag it to the Tools submenu. The tools are now accessible from the main menu bar. You can also create a menu entry that opens a toolbox. 4 Right click on the Tools submenu and select New Menu Item. 5 Rename the new menu item Modification. 6 In the Properties section of the dialog, Command Data section, type the key-in: CUSTOMIZE OPEN TOOLBOX MODIFY 7 Select Building > Tools > Modification to open the toolbox. Menu items Exercise: Add additional menu items 1 Continuing in UI.dgnlib, in the right frame of the Customize dialog, right click on the Building menu. 2 Select New Menu Separator. 3 Right click on the Building menu and select New Menu Item from the popup menu. 4 Name the new item Dimension Styles. 5 In the Properties section of the dialog, Command Data section, type the key-in: MDL KEYIN DIMSTYLE DIALOG DIMSTYLE OPEN The Dimension Styles dialog will open from the custom menu. 6 Right click on the Building menu and select New Menu Item. 7 Rename the menu item Landscaping. 8 Type the key-in: CUSTOMIZE OPEN TASK Site Construction This entry opens your Site Construction tasks as a toolbox. Aug Customization

104 Adding and Editing Menus Additional menu properties As with tools, the Dimension options determine whether a menu will be available when working in 2D DGN files, 3D DGN files, or both. The Shortcut field for new menu items lets you select shortcut keys to be used when selecting a menu item. If a shortcut is already used, it is dimmed in the list of options and is not available. Context menus MicroStation lets you customize its context menus. Context menus are the menus accessed by clicking the right mouse button, and custom context menus are added to the reset popup menu. You can create custom context menus by copying standard menus and menu items or by creating new menus and menu items. One purpose of this feature is to allow you to add to the standard MicroStation context menus in order to streamline them and to add custom context menus to meet your own needs. Another purpose is to allow CAD managers to add to the standard MicroStation context menus and add custom context menus for their employees. You can add to, copy, and delete MicroStation context menus. You also can copy toolboxes and tools to MicroStation context menus so that you can activate tools from these menus. Custom menus and menu items can be added, moved, copied, reordered, deleted, and renamed inside a context menu. Once you add a custom context menu, you are able to add menus, menu items, toolboxes and tools to the menu. Customization 128 Aug-10

105 Adding and Editing Menus You customize context menus on the Context Menus tab in the Customize dialog (Workspace > Customize). Custom context menus are created and stored in DGN libraries. This allows administrators to customize context menus in one place and to distribute the customizations to many users. With this type of customization, only additions and deletions to the MicroStation context menus are stored. When you open or create a DGN file, you see all the custom context menus in the configured DGN libraries. If several files in the DGN libraries contain context menu customizations, you see a union of the menu changes in these files. As discussed before, if you customize a context menu and do not want to make it available to others, you should save it in a personal DGN library, which is created when you create an interface component from the File Open dialog. When creating Context menus you have to decide the context of the right click menu. Under General Settings, there is a Priority option. Aug Customization

106 Adding and Editing Menus Priority determines where the menu will be place in the right click menu. If an option is selected where user is the first word, then the menu is placed in a custom section above the standard section with the same name. If User is not the first word, then the menu is placed in the standard section of the right click menu. There are 6 standard MicroStation sections of the right click menu: Common Element Specific Selection Clipboard Delete Properties User Common Common Element Specific Selection Exercise: Add tools to the Context Menu 1 Continuing in UI.dgnlib, in the Customize dialog, Tools tab, expand the Context Menus tab. 2 Right click on UI.dgnlib and select New Context. 3 Name the menu Linear. 4 Right click on the new menu and select New Menu Item. 5 Name the item SmartLine. 6 In the Command Data section, enter the key-in PLACE SMARTLINE. 7 Create two more menu items using the following names and key-ins: Construction Line Clipboard Delete Properties PLACE LINE ANGLE Customization 130 Aug-10

107 Icons Tab Multiline PLACE MLINE CONSTRAINED 8 Right press in the view to open the context menu. 9 Select File > Close when you are done. Icons Tab Manage icons on the Icons tab. By default, you will see all the icons that are in the current file. Click the import icon to import icons from MDL resources, such as.ma,.rsc., m01 files, from bitmap (BMP, PNG) or icon (ICO) files, from.dll and.exe files, or from DGN/DNGNLIB files. Aug Customization

108 Module Review Tool icons You can look for icons in several places. MDL resources: This source contains the icons listed under Application Tools in the Customize dialog. It includes all MicroStation tools and MDL application tools. From bitmaps: This is the source to use to import bitmap (BMP) files. From ico files: This is the source to use to import icon (ICO) files. From.dll and.exe files. Design and DGN library files: This is the only source from which you can delete icons. Import/export Use the key-in CUSTOMIZE EXPORT ICONS <path\directory\> to export icons from the open DGN library to a directory. You may want to export icons in order to edit them. Use the key-in CUSTOMIZE IMPORT ICONS <path\directory\> to import icons from a directory to the open DGN library. Warning: When importing icons, imported icon will replace existing icons of the same name. Hint: You can use MicroStation to create geometry then select Utilities > Image > Capture to capture an image. Then, use an image editing application to refine the image. Hint: A good icon editor is Icon Workshop from Module Review Now that you have completed this module, let s measure what you have learned. Customization 132 Aug-10

109 Printed Output Module Overview Print Organizer is a utility for creating, managing, and publishing project deliverables and is a replacement for the Batch Print utility. Additional Printing enhancements include changes in the Print dialog for single sheet printing. Module Prerequisites Familiarity with the options in MicroStation s Print dialog Module Objectives After completing this module, you will be able to: Identify Print dialog enhancements for single sheet printing Navigate the Print Organizer dialog Create and populate print sets Set print definition settings Work with Print Organizer and Project Explorer Apply print styles Aug Printed Output

110 Introductory Knowledge Introductory Knowledge Before you begin this module, let's define what you already know. Questions 1 In the Print dialog, how is the initial print area determined? 2 What is the difference between using the Windows printer and a Bentley printer driver? Answers 1 When the Print dialog is opened, if the active model is a sheet model, the print area is obtained from it. If no sheet definition exists, but there is a fence, the fence defines the print area. If no sheet definition or fence exists, the print area is the first open view window. 2 Selecting Windows driver automatically loads the Windows printer driver configuration file. Bentley drivers are.xml files that supply all the necessary information to create a print or plot, in a particular plotter language format. PLTCFG files should be edited in the Printer Driver Configuration editor. Printing Options Printing can be as simple as setting up a view or placing a fence around the area of interest and clicking the Print icon to open the Print dialog. When you need to produce printed output from sets of design files, models, or Project Explorer links, use Print Organizer. It creates print sets, which are used to identify, save, and print a particular set of files, models, or Project Explorer links. Single Sheet Printing Enhancements have been made to the printing system and the Print dialog for single sheet printing. Printed Output 136 Aug-10

111 Single Sheet Printing Plot files migrated from PLT to PLTCFG The product only delivers default.pltcfg printer driver configuration files into the System\pltcfg directory. Existing.plt files are still supported, but they are no longer delivered. Print Definition files Print definition files have replaced print setup or print configuration text (.ini) files. A print definition (.pset) file is a binary file and has the same file format as Print Organizer's print set file, but it contains only a single print definition. Print definition files are not intended to be edited outside of MicroStation. The Configuration menu on the Print dialog, with its Open, Save, and Save As items, has been removed. The menu has been replaced with Open Print Definition File and Save Print Definition File items under the File menu. The Open Print Definition File menu item brings up the Select Print Definition File dialog that lets you select a print definition file whose extension may be either.pset or.ini. An.ini file is a legacy print configuration file format. A.pset file is the Print Organizer print set file format. The Print dialog can read both.ini and.pset files, but can write only.pset files. Non-rasterized Hidden Line Removal You can now print a view with hidden line display in non-rasterized mode. Previously the presence of a hidden line view would set and disable the Rasterized check box, causing the print to be submitted as raster data. There is also a new menu item on the Print dialog's Settings menu for Hidden Line Removal. The new Hidden Line Removal Settings dialog lets you control settings that affect the hidden line removal process. Additional print attributes The following attributes have been added to Print Attributes dialog: Points: Points placed in the specified area are printed. Aug Printed Output

112 Single Sheet Printing Apply print color mode to raster: By default, the print engine applies the color setting in the Print dialog to raster data. If this is disabled, it does not. Use view background color when rendering: Apply the existing view background color when rendering. If on, the print engine does not change the background color for the print when rendering. The default is unchecked. Print Phong render modes in software: By default, the product's software renderer is used to render Phong view modes and reference presentation states. This generally results in higher quality output, including shadows. If off, the print engine uses the graphics card to render Phong view modes and reference presentation states. PDF driver enhancements Create Georeferenced PDF Setting the Enable Georeferencing printer driver property to On enables you to include a geographic coordinate system in the published PDF document. This lets you display the longitude/latitude values in Acrobat (Reader or Professional) 9.0 or later. Printed Output 138 Aug-10

113 Print Organizer Include Design Links from Project Explorer in PDF When the Enable Links printer driver property is set to On, engineering links and links created with Project Explorer such as Saved View links, Model links, URL links, and Reference links are retained when you publish a DGN to a PDF document. PDF Measuring A new PDF printer driver property called Enable Measuring is now available. If this property is set, you will be able to publish a PDF document and measure the distance, area, and perimeter for both the master file and reference files in model units. Print Organizer Print Organizer is a batch printing utility for printing and reprinting sets of files and models stored in a print set file. The individual files and models within a print set file are referred to as print definitions and can be hierarchically grouped in folders and sub-folders. Print definitions are created when you add files to a print set. Each print definition consists of a reference to a design file to be published, like a sheet model in a design file, along with properties such as size, scale, and form name that determine how the design file will be published within the print set. Assigning the proper values to print definition properties is an essential part of creating a print set; therefore, Print Organizer provides several methods to specify print definition properties and each method is used in a different context. Print Organizer and the Print dialog are similar in several ways. They both use the same printer driver configuration files and the same utility to edit them. They both use the same method for locating printer driver configuration files. They both use the same method for selecting a default printer driver configuration file. They both use the same procedure for determining how the default printer is selected. Aug Printed Output

114 Print Organizer The interface The individual files and models within a print set file are referred to as print definitions and can be hierarchically grouped in folders and sub-folders. Viewing a print set Print Organizer s right frame displays print definitions in a table, where each row is a print definition and each column is a print definition property. Using Print Organizer s in place editing, you can edit individual properties for one or more print definitions. Select the print definitions and double click on the property in a specific column such as scale, rotation, or units to specify the new property value. Some properties require you to type in the property value, while others have option lists. Print Organizer provides several viewing tools to let you display as much or as little information as necessary. Find these options on the View menu. Toolbar: Toggles the display of the toolbar. Status Bar: Toggles the display of the status bar. The status bar displays the printer driver configuration file, the number of print definitions in the print set, and the number of print definitions selected. Show/Hide Columns: Opens a dialog where you can toggle display and arrange columns. List: Displays all print definitions as a list without showing their properties. Similar to Windows Explorer. Printed Output 140 Aug-10

115 Print Organizer Details: Displays all print definitions in tabular form, where each row is a print definition and each column is a print definition property. View all Print Definitions: Displays all print definitions below a selected folder in the right frame, even if they are in sub-folders. Show in Groups: Lets you display all print definitions, showing their corresponding folders or sub-folders, in the right frame. Selecting a printer driver The first step in printing a set of files or models is to select a printer driver configuration file. If you use the Print dialog to select and configure printer driver configuration files, you will find it just as easy to perform the same tasks with Print Organizer. Print Organizer stores the active printer driver configuration file in the user preferences file. When Print Organizer is opened, the most recently used printer driver is selected by default. Just as with the Print dialog, when Print Organizer is first opened, the Bentley Windows printer driver, printer.pltcfg, is selected as the default printer driver configuration file, assuming that this setting has not already been overridden using configuration variables. Print Organizer lets you work with the same printer driver configuration files as the Print dialog. In Print Organizer, when you select the Bentley Windows printer driver you access the Windows printer driver to print directly to the system printer device, create an Enhanced Windows metafile, or save the print to disk for later submission to the printer. Using any other Bentley printer driver you can save the print to disk for later submission to a printer. To select a printer driver, in the Print Organizer dialog, select File > Printer Setup. In the Printer Setup dialog, click Browse; the magnifying glass. In the Select Driver File dialog, select the printer driver configuration file, and then click Open. Aug Printed Output

116 Print Organizer Hierarchical print sets Print Organizer lets you define hierarchical organized print sets that best reflect the ordering of their published output. Print sets consist of a collection of print definitions and folders. Print definitions can be organized inside folders, with subfolders and print definitions inside each folder. Print Organizer preserves the hierarchy defined in the print set as bookmarks when publishing PDF documents. Creating print sets Print Organizer authors print set (.pset) files as a container for print definitions, folders that group print definitions, and global information pertaining to the print set. Each print definition consists of a reference to a design file to be published, like a sheet model in a design file, along with properties, such as size, scale, and form name that determine how the design file will be published within the print set. Print Organizer lets you define hierarchical organized print sets that best reflect the ordering of their published output. To define this type of print set, you first create folders and sub-folders below the root folder. Print definitions, which are created when files are added, are then organized in the folders and sub-folders. Hierarchical organized print set By default, the root folder gets its name from the print set name. When you save the print set with a different name, the root folder name changes accordingly. Exercise: Create a print set with a folder hierarchy 1 Set the following in the File Open dialog: Project: Building 2 Open \Sheets\BSI300GI001-Cover.dgn. 3 Select File > Print Organizer. Printed Output 142 Aug-10

117 Print Organizer 4 In the Print Organizer dialog, select File > Save As. 5 Save the file as BSI300.pset. This becomes the name of the top folder. 6 Select the BSI300 folder. You want the next folder to appear under this folder. 7 Click the Add Folder to Set icon. A New Folder is created. 8 Type the name AE2. Note: Folder names within the same level need to be unique. 9 Select the BSI300 folder, and then click the Add Folder to Set icon. 10 Type the name AE3. Selecting design files and models You drag and drop files from Windows Explorer, Project Explorer, or the Models dialog to add files to Print Organizer. You can also use the Add Files to Set menu item or the Add Files to Set icon. Print definitions are created when you add files or models to a print set file. Each print definition consists of a reference to a DGN file to be published, like a sheet model in a DGN file, along with properties, such as size, scale, and form name that determine how the DGN file will be published within the print set. Exercise: Add files to the sets 1 Continuing in BSI300GI001-Cover.dgn, in the Print Organizer dialog, select the AE2 folder. 2 Click the Add files to Set icon. 3 In the Create Print Definitions dialog, click Add. Now you navigate to the desired directory and select the files you want to add. 4 From the \Sheets folder, select BSI300AE201-Elevations.dgn, and then click Done. You can select multiple files by pressing the Ctrl key. 5 Click OK. Aug Printed Output

118 Print Organizer The Create Print Definitions dialog closes and the files are added to target folder. A status window shows you the progress. 6 Select the AE3 folder. 7 Add \Sheets BSI300AE301-Sections.dgn, and then click Done. 8 Click OK. 9 Click on the AE2 folder, and then click the Print Preview tool. A true graphic representation of the sheet is shown. You can select any print definition in the folder using the option list at the upper right. You can also page through the definitions using the previous and next arrows. 10 Close the preview dialog. Print Organizer and Project Explorer You can drag and drop DGN file, model, or saved view links from Project Explorer into Print Organizer. You can also right click these type items and select Print Organizer to create a new print set. Composing Print Sets You can compose a print set file using Project Explorer and Print Organizer. File, model, or saved view links in Project Explorer can be added to a new or existing print set file. To compose a new print set file, right click a file, model, or saved view link and select Print Organizer from the pop-up menu. If Print Organizer already has a print set file open, you will be asked to save the changes for the existing print set file; otherwise, the Create Print Definitions dialog opens with the selected links displayed in the Input files list box. The Input files list box displays various objects using the following format: DGN file name, model name, saved view name. The Create Print Definitions dialog lets you specify print definition creation options to the objects in the Input files list box. You can specify a print style to apply a collection of print definition creation options, or you can click Manually Specified Options to open the Print Definition Creation Options dialog to specify print definition creation options. Printed Output 144 Aug-10

119 Print Organizer Note: If the object in the Input files list box is a model name, the model selection method in a print style or in the Manually Specified Options is ignored. Also, if the object in the Input files list box is a saved view name, the model selection method and the view name in a print style or in the Manually Specified Options is ignored. You can also drag and drop file, model, and saved view links into an existing print set file. You can create a link to a print set, or individual print definitions. How to compose a new print set file using Project Explorer and Print Organizer: First, select File > Project Explorer to open Project Explorer. The active link set s name is at the top. Select the one you want. Locate and right click the file, model, or saved view link that you want to add, and then select Print Organizer from the pop-up menu. Print Organizer's Create Print Definitions dialog opens with the links listed. You can click Add to add files that are outside Project Explorer. If you are using them, select a Print Style. You can click the Manually Specified Options button to open the Create Print Definitions dialog and specify any options. When you are ready to create the definition, click OK. Then select File > Save As to save the print set file. Exercise: Create a print set with a folder hierarchy 1 Set the following in the File Open dialog: Project: Civil 2 Open \Sheets\BSI400-C01-Cover.dgn. 3 Select File > Project Explorer. 4 Click the Manage Link Sets icon (magnifying glass) and, in the Link Sets dialog, set the option to Selected File. 5 Move up one level, select \dgnlib\civil.dgnlib, and click Open. 6 Close the Link Sets dialog. Aug Printed Output

120 Print Organizer 7 Expand the Civil Print Set. 8 Right click any file link and select Print Organizer. Print Organizer opens with the Civil Print Set.pset file open and the selected sheet highlights. 9 Select File > Printer Setup in Print Organizer. 10 Click Browse (magnifying glass), select pdf.pltcfg, and then click Open. 11 Click OK. 12 Click Add Folder to Set and name the folder Detail Sheets. 13 Select the Civil folder in the left frame, so that the contents show in the right frame. 14 In the right frame, select the last two files and move them into the Detail Sheets folder. Adding files and models You can specify your own options when adding the files or models. Do this by clicking Manually Specified Options to open the Modify Properties dialog. The Main tab is used to specify area, layout, paper, and resymbolization parameters for the selected print definitions. The Advanced tab is where you specify workspace, color and raster options, update from design file, and update print definition name for the selected print definition. On the Fence tab, the model selection and fence creation methods determine how many print definitions are created from each source object in the Input files list box. Printed Output 146 Aug-10

121 Print Organizer If the model selection method is Prefer sheet models, three print definitions will be created; one for each sheet model. If the model selection method is All models, four print definitions will be created; one for each model. The display tab is used to specify various display attributes for the selected print definition. Exercise: Add files to the set 1 Continuing in BSI400-C01-Cover.dgn, in the Print Organizer dialog, create a sub-folder named Profiles under the Civil folder. 2 Select the folder, and then click the Add Files to Set icon. 3 In the Create Print Definitions dialog, click Add. 4 Select BSI400-Plan.Profile.dgn from the \Drawings folder, and then click Done. 5 Click Manually Specified Options. 6 On the Fence tab, set Create Print Definition from Models to All models. 7 On the Main tab, Layout section, set the size and scale to Maximize. 8 On the Advanced tab, set the User workspace to examples and the Project workspace to Civil. 9 On the Display tab, disable the Points and Text nodes check boxes and click OK. 10 Click OK. Six print definitions are added. 11 In the Print Organizer, select File > Save As. 12 Save with the name BSI400.pset. You can navigate the folders and sub-folders of a print set file in Project Explorer to see the individual print definitions. You can also view and print a print set file link using Print Organizer. To view a print set file link, double click it or right click the link and select Print Organizer from the pop-up menu. PDFs with hierarchical bookmarks Print Organizer lets you create PDF output that preserves the hierarchy defined in the print set. This is applicable to only to Print Organizer, and only relevant for Aug Printed Output

122 Print Organizer print sets containing folders. The folder names display in the PDF output as Bookmarks. Exercise: Export to PDF 1 Continuing in BSI400-C01-Cover.dgn, in Print Organizer, right click the BSI400 folder and select Print. 2 In the Print dialog, click Printer Setup. 3 In the Printer Setup dialog, click the Edit (pencil) icon. 4 On the Base Properties tab, expand the Driver Properties section. If Enable Bookmark Hierarchy is on, the bookmarks inside the PDF file reflect the print set hierarchy visible in Print Organizer. If the PDF bookmark property is disabled, only the base print definition names appear in the PDF bookmarks section. 5 Since the default is On, close the dialog without making any changes. 6 Close the Printer Setup dialog. 7 In the Print dialog, enable the Open print file after creation check box and click OK. If you have Adobe Reader or Acrobat available, the file will open. Note: The output is placed in the \WorkSpace\Projects\Examples\Civil\out directory. 8 Close the Adobe application. 9 Select File > Close. Printed Output 148 Aug-10

123 Print Styles Print Styles Print Styles let administrators define and reuse named collections of print definition properties. Print Styles are created using Print Organizer's Define Print Styles option on the Tools menu, and are stored in the open DGN file or in the configured DGN libraries. Print Styles are applied using Print Organizer or the Print dialog. Print Styles are useful if you frequently use the same print definition properties every time you print. For example, if you always print at a particular size with a specific pen table, you can define those print definition properties in a Print Style and have them automatically applied to a print set. This is accomplished by identifying a print style as a default print style, or by assigning a print style to a printer driver configuration file. Administrators can store groups of commonly used print definition properties in a Print Style and then you can reference them on demand. This method of referencing print styles is helpful when you use a group of print definition properties for a specific project or on an occasional basis. Working with Print Styles While you are working in Print Organizer, you can apply a print style to one or more print definitions. After you have selected the print definitions, you can select Tools > Apply Print Style to open the Apply Print Style dialog. This dialog displays the print styles in the open DGN file and in the configured DGN libraries. Print styles that display with bold text reside in the active design file. To apply a print style, select the print style and click OK. Changing definitions using a print style To change print definitions using a print style, in the Print Organizer dialog, select the print definitions and then select Tools > Apply Print Style. Select the Print Style, and then click OK. Aug Printed Output