MicroStation Special
Special points of interest:
Volume 8 Issue 1
• New CADD Class
Spring 2008
• Saved View
• Multi-snap and Setting Priority
• MicroStation V8 tips
MicroStation Special
Happy New Year and welcome to the first 2008 issue of the North Carolina De‐
partment of Transportation CADD News. The biggest problem with creating
GY
any newsletter is coming up with “news/information” to put in it. Previous is‐
sues of the CADD News generally had a variety of items dealing with MicroSta‐
NOLO
tion, GEOPAK and other odds and ends. This first of the year issue will be de‐
CH
E
T
voted to a Single Topic—MicroStation V8 Hints and Tips.
N
O
CADD Services has always provided a Basic MicroStation class. While the
length of the class has shrunk over the past few years (from four days to the
ATI
current two days) the stuff it covers has remained basically the same. One of
RM
O
the things we have always wanted to do is to provide some additional Micro‐
F
N
Station classes but due to various reasons they have never come to fruition.
I
ON
S So It is my hope that this issue of the CADD News will
show you some new features that you might have
TI
A
missed, and hopefully get you to explore the many fac‐
T
R
ets of MicroStation V8.
O
P
TRANS
CADD and the NCDOT
F
The NCDOT has been using CADD (MicroStation,
GEOPAK, InterPlot etc.) for over 15 years. One would
NT O
E
think that by now it is as much a part of the organization
M
as asphalt. But is it? When you need to look at a plan
T
Inside this issue:
sheet do you call it up on your computer screen? Or do
Training Corner
2
PAR
you scurry around looking for a printed plan sheet to
look at? CADD should place this information basically at Saved View Preview
3
your finger tips, does it? If it does can you use it? Can
you find it? Can the people above you use it? These are
NA DE
Multisnaps
4
questions that really need to be asked and answered.
PDFs and MicroStation
5
With the current push through out the Department to
ROLI
transform our organization and make it more respon‐
MicroStation and OLE
6
CA
sive, productive and efficient CADD should be at the
H
forefront . What do you think? Drop me a line at
MicroStation View Rotation
7
T
R
rjrobinson@dot.state.nc.us and let me know.
O
Last Word
8
N
CADD NEW
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The Training Corner – MicroStation for Civil Engineers
This 2‐day entry level training class is designed to teach the basic MicroStation functions to users who will utilize MicroSta‐
tion in creating NCDOT design projects. Students learn basic concepts of a design file and how to place, modify and ma‐
nipulate elements and text in a graphic environment. At the completion of this course, students will be able to complete
simple drafting assignments. Managers completing this course would be able to review plans using MicroStation.
Training Topics:
1. Working with multiple views and
6. Measurements
12. Reference files
view controls
7. Placing and manipulating text
13. Dimensioning
2. Basic MicroStation tools
8. MicroStation's levels
14. Iplot
3. AccuDraw and coordinate values
9. Fence manipulation
4. Element Modification/ manipula‐
10. Working with cells, complex
tion
shapes, chains, and regions
5. Smartline
11. Patterning
Prerequisites: Familiarity with Windows operating system and use of the mouse.
Please note that this is the NCDOT's BASIC MiicroStation class. It replaces Essential Microstation Part 1
and Part 2 (COM 126 & COM 127) and the much older Basic and Advanced MicroStation Classes which
CADD Services previously offered.
New Training Class
CADD Services will be hosting a half-day first come, first serve class/workshop on Display Manipulation Techniques in Mi-
croStation and GEOPAK. The class will be held on Friday, March 28 from 8:30 am to Noon. This training will highlight ad-
vanced uses of panning/zooming, filters/levels, named groups, displaysets, saved views and more! The first 12 students
to sign up are in. Additional classes will be considered depending upon interest.
To reserve your slot in the class, please email Tim Merrill at tkmerrill@dot.state.nc.us
How to get CADD Training
With each new version of software comes the never ending
Ed Williams
activity of learning how the program’s great new features
Engineering Application Services
work and which old ones don’t . The introduction of Micro‐
1597 Mail Service Center
Station V8 and its associated programs are no exception.
Raleigh, NC 27699‐1597
The additions of unlimited named levels, models and a slew
CADD Services will get you into the next available class pro‐
of user interface enhancements can make one’s first at‐
vided there is no waiting list.
tempt to use V8 a bit over whelming. If you need training
Remember that it is not necessary to continue to fill out
for a new employee or feel you need a refresher course in
requests if a request is on record. If in doubt email Ed at
any of our CADD products, all you need to do is go to the
elwilliams@dot.state.nc.us
CADD Support Website at:
Also, when making a request, check off all the classes that
http://www.ncdot.org/~cadd
you wish to take. (i.e. It's not necessary to complete Micro‐
Then select Training from the main menu. From the Train‐
station before you can request GEOPAK). Once we receive
ing page download and fill out the CADD request Training
and enter a request our database keeps up with them.
form and mail the form to:
VOLUME 8 ISSUE 1
Page 3
MicroStation ‐ Saved View Preview
Did you know you can tell MicroStation V8 what image to display as the thumbnail in the MicroStation Manager? Just
create a saved view called PREVIEW and MicroStation will use it as the source view.
In addition if you create a PREVIEW saved view then Windows 2000/XP can display the thumbnail image (of the Pre-
view saved view) in Windows Explorer.
Thumbnail in MicroStation Manager
With a little fore thought you can use this tip to visually help
organize your design files to make things a bit easier to find
Thumbnail in Windows explorer/my computer
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MicroStation ‐ Multi‐snap and Setting Priority
Multi-snap is an extension of AccuSnap allowing the user to use more then one snap at a time. For example Keypoint,
Nearest, and Intersection snap can run simultaneously. This will save time of changing to different snap modes. There is
an order of how the Multi-snaps are processed this order can be changed from the Multi-snaps settings dialog.
Set Multi-snap
1. Open the Button Bar toolbox Settings > Snaps > Button Bar
2. Double click the Multi-snap 1 button on the Snap Button Bar toolbox. The Multi-snap 1 will be highlighted and shown
as speckled gray.
Set Priority Multi-snap 1
1. To open the settings for Multi-Snap Settings > Snaps > Multi-snaps
Multi-Snap priority is set top to bottom with Intersection having the higher priority over Keypoint.
2. To change the priority Left click and hold Keypoint then drag to the top of the dialog.
Drag by holding down
the data button and
Keypoint is now the first
moving Keypoint to top
snap that MicroStation
of the list
will look for.
MicroStation - Tips and Things
TIP 1: If a dialog box gets stuck with its title bar hidden behind the main menu, place your cursor along the side of the
dialog until you get a double headed arrow. Press the Shift key while dragging the dialog away.
TIP 2: If you have "lost" a tool box or dialog box, open the menu option Window. Near the bottom is a horizontal divider
bar, and below that is a list of open windows. Click on the desired item and it will be brought to the front.
TIP 3: Not a fan of the AccuDraw tool in MicroStation?? Then turn off the AutoLoad by selecting SETTINGS > AccuDraw
and disable the feature. NOTE: you will still need to close out the AccuDraw Dialog box before you exit MicroStation. The
next time you go into a file it should not load automatically.
TIP 4: Help! I can't slide the Level Display dialog box outside the edge of the application window!! Right click in the gray
area immediately below the dialog box's title bar. Select the resulting "Properties" button. Disable "Allow Dock-
ing." Then close the Level Display dialog box and then exit out of MicroStation. The next time you go into a file, you
should be able to drag the Level Display box out of the way!
VOLUME 8 ISSUE 1
Page 5
MicroStation Tip— Moving an Element to a new elevation
While we don’t spend as much time using the 3D side of MicroStation as we might, here is a tip that might come in handy
someday. New to MicroStation 8.5 2004 Edition is the ability to use relative values with a "#". When using the XY= key‐in you
can type # and the value will not change. What this means is that now you can change the elevation of an element to and ab‐
solute value while keeping its XY location the same.
In this example we need to move the building pad to elevation 602. Currently the building pad is at 2,147,483.6480
1. Select the Move command.
2. Tentative or AccuSnap to the corner and
accept.
3. With focus with AccuDraw use the
shortcut key‐in "M" (place multiple
points). The Data Point Key‐in dialog will
appear.
4. From the drop down list select
"Absolute (xy=)"
5. Key‐in the field: #,#,602 This will keep
the building pad at the same xy coordi‐
nate but move it to the elevation 602.
Hit the enter key on the keyboard to accept. Snap into the corner to verify the elevation is 602.the elevation is 602.
MicroStation Tip ‐ Embedded PDFs
Here is something I just discovered you
This will bring up the
could do with The current version of Mi‐
following Dialog box.
croStation V8 (08.05.01.25 or > ) that we are
running—that is INSERT A PDF file into
The method here is set
your DGN files. It really pretty simple
to By corners so select
process. From within a MicroStation De‐
one corner in your drawing and then the other to place
sign file select the Insert Object command
the PDF.
from the Edit pull‐down (Edit > Insert Ob‐
ject). Which will bring up the following
dialog.
Click on
OK and
select the
PDF file
you wish
to place
in the
drawing.
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MicroStation - Object Linking and Embedding
MicroStation can import files from external application
Importing Options:
such as Microsoft Word and Excel.
There are three ways to import the source files as pictures,
Link an Excel Sheet to MicroStation:
embedded files, or linked files.
1. Open the Excel file and Select the amount of data you
• A picture is a screen capture of the application. The
want to copy.
image is static and is not updated when changes are
2. From the Excel pulldown Edit > Copy. The data is cop‐
made to the source.
ied to the clipboard.
• An embedded file is imported and saved into the DGN
3. Open the MicroStation file you want to paste the Excel
file. Edits made to the embedded file are saved in the
Sheet in to.
DGN file.
From the MicroStation pulldown Edit > Paste Special. The
• A linked file is imported to the DGN file but still resides
Paste Special dialog appears.
in the original application. Edits are made to the source
file and can be updated using the MicroStation Update
link tool.
MicroStation Viewing:
When viewing a linked or embedded file in MicroStation it
may appear shaded. This is due to the source application,
Excel, being currently opened and its worksheet edited (see
screen shot below). Once the source application is saved
and closed the shading will not be seen in MicroStation.
∙
5. From the list of Data Type select "Linked Microsoft Excel
Worksheet"
6. Select the Paste icon.
7. In the Paste OLE Tool Settings dialog set the Method to
By Size and set the appropriate scale.
OLE Updating:
After changes are made to the source application the data
stored in the DGN file will need updating. OLE data can be
updated from the MicroStation pulldown menu Edit > Up‐
date Links.
8. Place a data point in the view to place the linked excel
sheet.
VOLUME 8 ISSUE 1
Page 7
MicroStation V8 –Align Tool
MicroStation V8 –Snap Divisor
The Align tool will help you align elements and text to an
Here are three methods to change the Key Point snap divisor
edge of an existing element
setting.
1. the first way is the traditional
way by changing it on the Snap
1. Open the Manipulate toolbox from the Main tool frame.
section of the Locks dialog box
(Settings>Locks>Full)
2. The second button from the end is the Align tool, select
the button.
2. The second way may be a bit
quicker for you key board artist
which is to use the key‐in browser
dialog and use the key‐in com‐
mand KY=2
3. From the Tool Settings dialog select the alignment option
from the drop down list. For this example the "Left" option
will be used.
Note: Other alignment options include Top, Bottom, Right,
3. The third way to set the snap divisor is for those accu‐
Horizontal Center, Vertical Center, and Both Centers.
draw users out there. The AccuDraw shortcut “K” will
4. Following
open up the Key Point Divisor dialog where the user can
the prompts
either type a value or select one from the drop down list.
in the lower
left hand cor-
ner of Micro-
Station select
the base ele-
ment for
alignment.
MicroStation V8 –View Rotation
5. Follow-
In MicroStation J
ing the
there was a dialog
prompts in
you could open
the lower
from the 3D View
left hand
Control tool bar
corner of
MicroSta-
that would allow
tion select
you better control
the ele-
of view rotation
ments to
utilizing angle incre‐
align.
ments. In V8 the 2D
and 3D View control
toolbars were com‐
bined and the View
6. After selecting the elements to align reset (right click) out
Rotation dialog was removed.
of the command.
To open the ‘J’ style dialog in V8,use this key‐in:
“dialog viewcontrol.”
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Plotting Note – from Dee Wilcox
I have heard that the Timeout Setting to 1 Minute or more has not helped. I have another setting on the
plotter to try for this problem. Under the Job Management icon, set the Processing option (when to start
printing) from Optimized to After Processing. Also Queueing should be On and Nesting Off. (HP 4500
only).
MicroStation Tip – Double-Click on text
Double‐Click on any Text In a MicroStation drawing using the Element Selection tool, and it can edited Directly.
North Carolina Depa rtment of
The Last Word— Some Quotes to think about
Transportation Infor mation Te chn ology
NCDOT
Information Technology
Engineering Technology Systems
“The city's central computer told you? R2D2, you know better than to trust a strange computer!”
Engineering Applications Service
CADD Services
‐ C3PO
http://www.ncdot.org/~cadd
Computers are useless. They can only give you answers.”
Century Center Complex Bldg. A
‐ Pablo Picasso,
1597 Mail Service Center (Mail)
"The most likely way for the world to be destroyed, most experts agree, is by accident. That's where we
come in; we're computer professionals. We cause accidents."
Raleigh, NC 27699-1597
‐ Nathaniel Borenstein
Phone: 919.250.4249
"A computer will do what you tell it to do, but that may be much different from what you had in mind."
‐ Joseph Weizenbaum,
“A computer lets you make more mistakes faster than any invention in human history ‐ with the possible
exceptions of handguns and tequila.”
‐ Mitch Ratcliffe
IT West
“Man is the lowest‐cost, 150‐pound, nonlinear, all‐purpose computer system which can be mass‐produced
Room 123 CVCC East Campus
by unskilled labor.”
HWY. 70 S.E.
‐NASA in 1965
Hickory, NC 28602
“The first rule of any technology used in a business is that automation applied to an efficient operation will
magnify the efficiency. The second is that automation applied to an inefficient operation will magnify the
inefficiency.”
‐ Bill Gates
Phone: 828.326.0771
