Hi all,

I'm trying to stencil some very long linestrings/chains onto a 3d mesh and am finding the results are many individual lines. They are being draped successfully, but is there any reason why the linestrings/chains are being dropped to lines? There are so many that is not very practical.

I'm using MicroStation CE U12/OpenRoads Designer U7, but see the same behaviour in v8i.

Regards,

Mark

Can I use Autodesk® object enablers?

Yes...
Object enablers can be downloaded from their respective vendors and installed.

When you are downloading object enablers from Autodesk or other sources, download the Autodesk® RealDWG^TM 64-bit version. When you are prompted for a host application, select Bentley CONNECT Edition - Autodesk® RealDWG^TM.

Can I use 64 bit object enablers?

See also

Other language sources

Overview

Option has been added to DWG Save options that allows for setting how a sheet model is saved to DWG with the desired level display state.

Background

In past versions of MicroStation levels display in DWG file create from DGN  could be control by level display settings in Save As DWG/DXF Options. If set to Global, the AutoCAD layers visibility is controlled from the global setting, and the levels that are turned off on a per-view basis are turned on in the AutoCAD file. If set to one of the eight views, the AutoCAD layers are not visible if they are turned off either globally or in that view. Although MicroStation allows you to turn on and turn off levels either globally or on a per-view basis, AutoCAD allows only global control.

While DWG does not support per view based level display, in addition to globally frozen layers such viewport can have a list of frozen layers. When a source view is selected for DWG save, the view level display may be applied to Viewport Freeze, with following options:

• Viewports & Global Layers
• Viewport Only
• Force Global Layer Display

The first two options are essentially holdovers from MicroStation V8i.

 1. Viewports & Global Layers = Use Level Display For Viewport Freeze Only turned OFF in previous versions

 2. Viewports Only = Use Level Display For Viewport turned ON in previous version

 3. Force Global Layer Display =Turns all layers on globally

Option #3 applies source view level display to viewport freeze. Additionally, it also globally thaws all the levels. Following is the impact of the setting on different DWG features

• Global layers - all levels are unconditionally turned on
• Viewport entities - levels that are turned off in the selected source view are frozen in the output viewport. A viewport entity is saved from a self-reference attachment of the default model into a sheet model
• Layout model - levels that are turned off in a sheet model per view level display become frozen layers in the layout. A layout is saved from a sheet model. All elements in the sheet model become entities in a layout. The layout has a viewport and this "overall viewport" can be turned off based on the level display of the sheet model.

Use option #3 if you want to ensure your sheet model to have correct level display in the DWG layout and care less about level display in the default model.  In an instance where global display for a level is turned off in the DGN, the level will be turned on in the DWG file.  The significance of that is to give the full control of level display to a layout model.  This gives more of a "What You See Is What Get" (WYSIWYG) appearance in the layout model.

i.e. If you had a sheet model with a design model attached with the same level name(s), there was no way of differentiating the levels when saving to DWG format. AutoCAD does not have a separate viewport layer and layout layer although it does support viewport freeze. So if the level is turned on or off in the sheet model the and the reference level had a different setting the DWG file could not show this.

You can now have the same display for the layout and viewport in AutoCAD as it would appear in MicroStation, but the layers would all be globally turned on.

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Español

Overview

Option has been added to DWG Save options that allows for creating DGN underlay in DWG file

Background

In AutoCAD underlays are references that are similar to attached raster images in that they provide visual content but also support object snapping and clipping. Unlike external references, underlays cannot be bound or merged into the drawing. You reference and place underlay files in drawing files the same as you do raster image files; they are not actually part of the drawing file. Like raster files, the underlay is linked to the drawing file through a path name.

An option has been added in MicroStation Connect to save DGN underlay in a DWG file. Underlays are essentially raster references. Following is the behavior of underlays in MicroStation:

• DGN underlay in a DWG file - When you open a DGN underlay, it becomes a DGN reference attachment with the logical name "DGN Underlay" followed by a numerical index.

When you save a DWG file, a DGN reference attachment with logical name that has the prefix "DGN Underlay" becomes a DGN underlay.

You can also create DGN underlays when you Save As a DWG file. In the Save As DWG/DXF Options dialog References tab, select "DGN Underlay" for the External Attachment setting. All externally attached DGN files will become DGN underlays.

• PDF underlay - A PDF underlay in a DWG file becomes a PDF raster attachment. It is supported to the extent of the raster manager's capability of attaching a PDF file.

• DWF underlay - DWF underlays are not supported in MicroStation.

  Note: In non-Bentley products, there are limitations to what you can do with DGN underlays. Hence, an xReference is recommended over a DGN underlay.

You can also overlay an xref (xreference)on your drawing. Unlike an attached xref, an overlaid xref is not included when the drawing is itself attached or overlaid as an xref to another drawing. Overlaid xrefs are designed for data sharing in a network environment. By overlaying an xref, you can see how your drawing relates to the drawings of other groups without changing your drawing by attaching an xref.

Merge Viewport

There has been an option merge viewport graphics when converting from DGN to DWG. In previous version of MicroStation you could merge all reference files but there would still be a reference attachment for each viewport in the sheet model. Now all files can be merged resulting in a DWG file with no attachments included.

If on, and if the Self Attachments option is set to Merge or Merge to Cell, all viewport attachments will be merged into sheet models

If off, self attachments of the default model into a sheet model will become a viewport entity when saved as DWG. This is the default behavior and in this case the Self Attachment option has no effect on the attachment.

Many times, when merging viewports into sheet models, you may also want to turn on Merge Displayed Levels Only to retain the same visibility of the sheet model in the saved DWG file.

Merge Visible Edges

If on, a 3D reference file attachment will have its visible edge representation merged into the master file. To check the effect of this setting refer to the example in "Merging References into the Active Model" section in MicroStation Help. If on, this setting overrides all attachment settings above it.

This setting affects all references except the ones that display wireframe geometry. This option is useful when using Dynamic Views because target formats such as DWG and V7 DGN do not support the dynamic view display options.

When you turn on this check box, a Visible Edges Settings icon appears next to it. Clicking this icon opens the Visible Edges Settings dialog. The changes made in Visible Edges Settings dialog, when accessed from here, are saved in DWG settings, such that the next time you do a Save As DWG and have the Merge Visible Edges of 3D Attachments check box turned on, your previous visible edges settings are restored.

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Overview

MicroStation now supports functionality for AutoCAD multileaders in MicroStation CONNECT

Background

MicroStation has had a concept of multileaders for quite some time. But now MicroStation supports multileaders placed with AutoCAD dimension tools.A DWG multileader  is composed of a multiline text and one or more leader lines on one side of the text becomes a note element with multiple leader dimensions.

These can now be edited in MicroStation CONNECT, previously these elements were locked and could only be view in the DWG file. This does come with some caveats:

Annotative Objects

Annotative objects such as text, notes and dimensions in model space become annotative elements when a DWG file is opened in MicroStation. You can edit these elements and/or change the model's annotation scale. This will change the size of the annotative objects.

To access Annotation scale settings to Utilities>Drawing Scale ribbon

•Non-annotative objects, require a fixed size or scale that is calculated based on the scale used to plot the drawing

•Annotative objects automatically adjust to display uniformly at the same size or scale regardless of the scale of the view

Block Attributes as Tags
A special item type library "DWG Attribute Definitions" is created and used exclusively for DWG attribute definitions. Additionally, you will observe the following behavior when the setting is off:

If an attribute is of MTEXT type their value will be shown in the Properties dialog, however changes to these properties will not be reflected in the text nodes, neither will they be saved back to DWG. If there are no changes made, the text nodes will be round-tripped back to DWG as multi-line attributes.

When a text field linked to a valid item type property is edited, for example, by adding an additional line of text after the field, and when you save the file as DWG, the whole text node will be saved as an mtext entity, and not an attribute entity.

In case you wonder why the difference – this is because a multiline attribute is no longer a field therefore there is nothing to break.  A single line attribute is a field, therefore adding a non-field text breaks it up.

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Issue:

Tools provided in the 3D Warehouse utilities are not linking to the newly redesigned SketchUp web pages. Therefore the capability to open or import SketchUp models directly through these tools is no longer available.

Description:

This impacts Bentley products built with MicroStation technology (e.g. AECOsim, Building Designer, Bentley Map, Bentley View, etc.) which include the 3D Warehouse utilities. Affected versions include those beginning with the V8 XM Edition. The cause has been identified as a change to the operation of the SketchUp website, where the APIs on which this feature was originally based are no longer supported.

Work Around:

The capability to download the SketchUp models is still available.

1. Access the Google 3D Warehouse site as normal  
   
   MicroStation: Utilities > 3D Warehouse > Place as Cell  ( alternatively open the browse outside of MicroStation using the same url to access Google 3D Warehouse )
   
   
2. Search and select the required SketchUp model
   
   
3. Download the selected supported SketchUp model (i.e. *.skp) and store locally 
   
   In MicroStation V8i SELECTseries 3, SketchUp version 5, 6, 7, and 8 files can be imported or referenced, check the help for supported versions
   
   
4. Import the downloaded SketchUp model (*.skp) into the design 
   
   MicroStation: File > Import > Cad Files, change 'Files of type' to 'SketchUp Files (*.skp)'

To put the downloaded skp file as cell into a cell library remember that you can drag-and-drop:

1. Open the cel library as file in microStation, and open the models dialog.

2. Open the folder with the downloaded model(s) in Windows Explorer side by side.

3. (If you want to use the filename as name for the cell: Click the filename (like for renaming and copy the filename Ctrl+C into the clipboard)

4. Drag-And-Drop the skp file from the Windows Explorer into microStations Models dialog and rename the modelname (paste the clipboard)

Note:

Microstation SS3 version 08.09.11.459 running on Windows 8.1 with any of the following updates will crash:

“Security Update for Microsoft Windows (KB3006226)”

“Update for Microsoft Windows (KB3000850)”

“Update for Microsoft Windows (KB3020338)”

Why use an i-model?

• An i-model is precise
• An i-model is a secure “container” for rich component data - read-only, supports digital rights and digital signatures
  • Geometrically and geospatially
• An i-model includes its provenance
  • Source, date, scope, purpose, history
• The contents of an i-model are self-describing
  • No application knowledge is required to interpret an i-model
• An i-model is portable and open
  • Accessible in the field via Bentley apps
  • Free iWare plugins and interfaces for viewing, publishing, query and integration
  • SDK available for 3rd parties and users

• Effective and efficient sharing and distribution of information is critical to the success of every project and when done well, this can demonstrably reduce errors, compress the project schedule, and reduce project costs.

• Sharing and distributing information across a distributed project enterprise is difficult given the diverse data sources and formats that are required to complete a project.

• i-models and the supporting tools and technology were created to facilitate the sharing and distribution of information regardless of the source and format of the information, enabling users to provide the information mobility required by their projects

I cannot find a configuration variable to turn compress file one exit "on" by default for new and existing users.  Does one exist or doe sit have to be manually activated?

Good afternoon,

We have a couple of DGNs with the attached XWMS for reference (aerials and quad maps) and have been using it successfully with V8i for awhile now. When we try to attach those same DGNs in Connect Edition, it works within some DGNs, but not others. I can't find any common link between the files it works and the ones where it does not. When it does not work, it doesn't give me any errors, it just doesn't show up. Sometimes when the server isn't responding, it will at least show the outline of the image and I can zoom to extents with it filling the view. When it isn't working now, the outline doesn't show up and it will say no elements found when zooming to extents.

Any ideas?

Thanks,
Ken

PowerDraft 10.10.00.23

Problem Description

User would like to convert a DGN file to DWG with the current levels turned off.

They need to have the same levels OFF when converting to DWG.

Steps to Resolve

In saving a specific view, AutoCAD does not recognize levels turned OFF in one view, and ON in another View.

Please ensure the levels are OFF in all Views using 'View Display'.

 Levels need to be turned off Globally (all views ) or Freeze ( all views ) using the Level Display dialog or Level manager dialog.

See also

Other language sources

Problem Description

Issue converting a master file (with references) to a single merged DWG file. Microstation SS2 freezes and has to be closed.

Reason

Reference files need to be 'Merged into Master' prior to saving master file as DWG.

Steps to Resolve

Open Reference manager and select reference file. Select 'Merge into Master'

Select File> Save as DWG

Additional Information on this issue:

When a file is saved as (DGN, DWG, V7, etc), the ‘Merge the Reference File’ application starts first, and
completes the selected reference file merge options.

This merging process is all done in memory, no temp files are created.

Once the merge is done, the actual save application starts up. It takes in the memory data, and saves that to the destination.

It could also be recommended to manually merge reference files prior to saving as a DWG file so that
the user can have a chance to inspect the merged result that will be converted
to a new format. This helps diagnose problems should there be any.

See also

AskInga - Merging Files

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This Client Server article is republished in its entirety from 2004 for reference purposes.

By Bentley Technical Support Group
02 January 2004 Modified: 12 January 2005

Re-Mapping ByLevel Color

Have you ever had trouble re-mapping ByLevel color when saving to DWG? If so, this article will guide you through that task.

Whenever the Levels Mapping table is used for ByLevel color, the mapping of the color will come from the original file.

For example, look at the process of saving a DGN file to a DWG file. If the ByLevel color of Level 1 is set to "3" in the DGN file, and the ByLevel color in the Level Mapping table is set to "1", the color will be re-mapped to blue (MicroStation Color 1)- not to the red (AutoCAD Color 1) that was expected. The blue color is coming from the active MicroStation Color table, which was used in the DGN file.

In the .csv file you will need to use two of the eight tabs: Levels and Colors. Here are the steps for setting up the .csv file:

1. In the Levels Mapping table, place the original level name in the Level column. This will be the level name in the DGN drawing file.
2. Place the name of the level for the DWG drawing file in the DWGOutputLayer. This will be the name that you want the DWG drawing file to use.
   
   
3. Fill in the ByLevel columns, leaving the Color column blank. These columns can remain blank if no style and weight are assigned to the level. 
   
    
4. Switch to the Color Mapping table and place a check mark in "Show Optional Columns." By checking this box, you can now use re-mapping qualifiers.
5. Place "%unmapped" in the Color column. "%unmapped" tells the Mapping table that you want to choose any color that is not already mapped.
6. Place the original level name in the Level column, the first column in the Optional Columns. The level name used here is the original level name. This limits this entry in the mapping table so that it only applies to elements on this level.
   
   
7. Place "95" in the ElementType column. This is the element type number for levels. Using Element Type 95 here will mean that that entry in the Mapping table will only apply to Element Type 95 (levels) and not to any other elements.
   
   Note: The combination of the two qualifiers, levels, and element type means that the entry is effecting only level information (Element Type 95) on the level specified in the Level column.
   
   
8. Place the desired color for the ByLevel color in the DWGOutputColor column. Make sure to include the suffix "ac." This will ensure that the AutoCAD color is used. When MicroStation saves files to DWG, by default it maps the color indices in the DGN color table to the closest color in the (fixed) AutoCAD color table. If the DWGOutputColor entry is a color in the file's color table, simply enter the number of the color in the DWGOutputColor column. If a fixed index in the AutoCAD color table is desired (i.e. if you do not want the color matching to be applied), enter the AutoCAD color number with the suffix "ac" (e.g. "15ac").
9. Add "%unmapped" in the level column and "%ByLevel" in the DWGOutputLayer to have the elements use the ByLevel settings.
10. Repeat steps 4-8 for each of the levels needed.
    
    

By using the re-mapping qualifiers, we are able to assign an AutoCAD color to the Mapping table and have it map to the correct AutoCAD color. We do this by selecting a color using a specific Level name and an element type to be mapped to an AutoCAD color.

See also

Other language sources

Overview

As of MicroStation V8i (SELECTseries 1), the DWG files created by MicroStation are saved using Autodesk-authored code that is called RealDWG. Because of this the files are accepted as "trusted" by AutoCAD. Therefore, you can open in AutoCAD a DWG file created or modified in MicroStation and you will not see an alert message saying that the DWG file is "Foreign" because it was saved in a non-Autodesk program.

Note: This document describes MicroStation functionality. However, Bentley V8i (SELECTseries 1) - Autodesk^® RealDWG^tm 2010 works with other V8i (SELECTseries 1) products. See the ReadMe for a complete list. 

When a DGN file containing DGN-specific entities not understood by AutoCAD is saved in MicroStation as a DWG file, these entities are automatically converted to DWG-compatible entities so that they can be displayed properly in AutoCAD.
 
MicroStation supports all DWG entity types and objects from AutoCAD 2006 and earlier. The following AutoCAD entities and objects introduced in AutoCAD versions 2007 through 2016 are supported as read-only:
· annotative objects
· multi-leaders
· multi-line attributes
· layer viewport overrides
· column mtexts 

Note: The DXF file format is an ASCII text representation of the DWG format. DXF is an interchange format historically used to exchange data between AutoCAD and other applications. You work with DXF data in MicroStation in the same manner as DWG data. DWG is preferable because its compact binary representation results in smaller files. For the remainder of this document, the term DWG refers to both DWG and DXF files.

RealDWG and Object Enablers

An object enabler is a program that is required to interpret custom objects in a DWG file. If the object enabler is missing, some information in the DWG file might not display correctly. Prior to V8i (SELECTseries 1), MicroStation supported object enablers that were rewritten with the Open Design Alliance's library, however, there were many object enablers that did not support that library.

As of V8i (SELECTseries 1), MicroStation can directly run object enablers that also run on AutoCAD, so the graphical objects created by these enablers are displayed desirably.
 
When you open a DWG file containing a custom object, and if the enabler is missing, an Alert window appears. The window lists all the missing enablers, some of which may have detailed information such as the provider of the enabler and the website from which you may find and download the needed enablers. Note that an enabler is not required to open a DWG file. When an enabler is missing, the file still opens and its custom objects become proxy objects.
 
Object enablers that are written to conform to the guidelines published by Autodesk can also be used in programs that incorporate the RealDWG libraries. This is advantageous because when you have the object enabler for an entity, you no longer have to ask the person who provided the DWG file to save it with "proxies" enabled. MicroStation can instead use the object enabler to obtain the graphics representation of the custom entity.

Note: The editing and saving of custom objects in DWG files is not supported, whether the objects are enabled or not enabled. This includes custom objects created in products such as Bentley's ProSteel or AutoPLANT products, AutoCAD Architecture, AutoCAD Civil 3D, AutoCAD MEP, etc.

Other advantages of using RealDWG

There are a number of advantages that result from using the RealDWG technology:
· Improved DWG fidelity.
· When opened in AutoCAD, DWG files saved in MicroStation V8i (SELECTseries 1) and later editions will no longer show the alert box that says "This DWG file was saved by an application that was not developed or licensed by Autodesk..."
· AutoCAD's standard SHX fonts are now readily available so you do not have to request them from the provider of the DWG.

Installing object enablers

The object enabler for Autodesk's Architectural Desktop is incorporated into the RealDWG delivery, and you do not have to install it. Other object enablers can be downloaded from their respective vendors and installed. Even if you have previously installed the object enabler to work with AutoCAD, you must go through the object enabler's installation process after you have installed MicroStation, so that it can be found and used by MicroStation.

See Also

Bentley V8i - Autodesk® RealDWG(TM) FAQ

Other language sources

Overview

Bentley Systems, Incorporated has recently become aware of an issue with MicroStation V8i, v08.11.05.17, with regards to behavior while in DWG Workmode while changing display of a level that has an associated reference attachment.

Details

When attaching a reference in DWG Workmode, a level has to be chosen for the reference to be associated to...

Current behavior - In MicroStation, if this level is turned off by any means (Global Display, Global Freeze and/or View Display), the display of the entire reference is disabled.

Desired/Correct behavior - In MicroStation, if this level is turned off by Global Freeze ONLY, the display of the entire reference is disabled.

What to do

This issue has been identified will be corrected in the next release of MicroStation V8i. In the meantime, if the current behavior is causing a problem with workflow or is not acceptable until the release with the correction is available, please contact Bentley Technical Support via the Service Ticket Manager for further action.

See also

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Document Information

Document Type: TechNote 

Legacy Document Number:  8235

Overview

MicroStation V8 includes the ability for live nesting of reference files in a manner very similar to AutoCAD. Essentially this means that referencing a file causes its children (and potentially their children) to be automatically referenced as well.

MicroStation allows two separate settings that control whether live nesting occurs. The first setting controls whether an attachment is displayed as a nested file. This setting is controlled through the "Ignore Attachment When Live Nesting" checkbox on the attachment settings dialog. AutoCAD has an identical concept except that it refers to attachments of this type (ignored during live nesting) as an "Overlay". Except for the difference in nomenclature there is no difference in this setting or how it is used in the two programs.

The second setting is subtly different than the "Ignore/Overlay" setting discussed above and is supported only by MicroStation. This setting controls whether children of a reference file are displayed at all and if they are displayed, the depth to which the children are nested. The difference is that the parent attachment controls whether the children are displayed rather than the children themselves controlling their nested display. In MicroStation, a nested attachment is displayed only if the child does not have its "Ignore When Live Nesting" setting on AND the parent has live nesting enabled.

The lack of control for reference nesting from the parent attachment can cause some confusion when a set of DGN drawings is converted to AutoCAD format. As AutoCAD interprets every attachment as implicitly displaying its children (unless they are overlays) converting a DGN file to DWG implicitly enables live nesting in the converted file.

At a quick glance it would seem that it would be possible to simulate MicroStation's parental control of nest depth by creating Overlays whenever a parent attachment disables live nesting. Unfortunately this is not possible. Consider the example below.

A MicroStation design file, a.dgn has a single reference, b.dgn that is attached as a standard attachment (not an overlay). In MicroStation it is possible to attach a.dgn as a reference and include the display of b.dgn (as in c.dgn) or to disable the display of children by turning off live nesting (as in d.dgn).

In AutoCAD there is no way to create the set of files above. If reference b.dwg is attached to a.dwg as an overlay then it will not appear in c.dwg. If b.dwg is not attached as an overlay then it will appear in d.dwg when it should not.

The only completely accurate method for resolving this inconsistency is to turn on live nesting (with a high depth value) and to use the "Ignore When Live Nesting" control exclusively to control reference nesting. This usage is enforced when DWG workmode is enabled.

In order to address the somewhat common special case where the no live nesting is used, in version 08.00.02.02 an additional control has been added to the "Advanced" tab of the "Save As" DWG Options dialog. If the "Create Overlays for Reference Attachments" checkbox is selected, then ALL reference attachments are created as overlays - whether or not their "Ignore When Live Nesting" setting is on. This effectively disables live nesting in the DWG output file. This can be useful for a file where live nesting is turned off for all attachments. As Version 7 of MicroStation did not support live nesting, this setting is appropriate for Version 7 files that have not had Live Nesting enabled.

See also

Other language sources

Document Information

Document Type: TechNote 

Legacy Document Number:  8328

Process: Design Models and Sheet Models

With the introduction of MicroStation V8, the concept of Models was introduced to aide with interoperability and to extend the capabilities of MicroStation into the future.

Models allow MicroStation users to create multiple design models and sheet (plot) models for any one DGN drawing.

Models setup (design or sheet) is done via the models icon on the Primary toolbar.

Models Icon

In the Models dialog, click on the furthest left button: "Create Model"

Create Models Button

In the Create Model dialog:

Create Model Dialog

1. From "TYPE" choose "SHEET" and then 3D
2. Enter name of the reference e.g. Plot 1:100
3. A description e.g. General Arrangement for Project X
4. Reference Logical name
5. Uncheck "DISPLAY SHEET LAYOUT"
6. Options: Cell Properties (this allows the drawing to be placed as a cell in the future)
7. Click OK

Alternatively ¹:

1. "DISPLAY SHEET LAYOUT" is checked
2. Choose a size of layout from the jump box
3. Options: Cell Properties (this allows the drawing to be placed as a cell in the future)
4. Click OK

AutoCAD paperspace layout

Your new model will automatically be converted to an AutoCAD paperspace layout when you save it to DWG. 

Now we have a design (modelspace) model and a sheet (paperspace) model.

To attach a border to this sheet model:

1. Inside your sheet model, click on References and then on Attach. Then navigate to C:\Program Files\Bentley\Workspace\examples\borders\ISO\A0.
2. Select the scale of the border you are going to attach from the Model jump box and then click OK.
3. The reference attaches at the scale specified to the blank sheet model.
4. Using References again, click Attach and navigate to your drawings. Attach either single or multiple drawings and click OK.
5. Manipulate the drawings so that they are placed correctly inside your border file. This can be done by highlighting the reference in question and then using the icons for Move, Copy, Rotate, Scale, and Mirror from the Reference dialog.
6. With 3D drawings, a single drawing can be placed in plan and elevation without the necessity of multiple attachments of the same file. By highlighting the reference and then selecting the Copy/Fold Reference option in the Reference dialog, a user can easily place and orientate references via horizontal or vertical copying.

Attaching border to a sheet model

Alternatively ²:

1. Inside your new sheet model, click on the Model icon again. Highlight this new model and select Edit Model Properties. 
2. The Model Properties dialog will open. Select the Sheet Properties section and check the Display Sheet Layout option, ON. Then click on the Size jump box and choose from one of the industry standard layouts listed (custom sizes can also be readily made).
3. You will notice that a highlighted boundary is now represented in your sheet model.
4. Select References and attach your border and then your drawing at the scale you require.
5. With the persistent fence boundary in MicroStation there is no need to place around the area desired to be printed.
6. MicroStation will only allow one persistent boundary per model.

Model Properties dialog

Now that you have your design model and your sheet model set up, you can save to a different format.

1. Go to File and Save As.
2. Click on the Save As A Type jump box and choose DWG.
3. Navigate to where you wish the data to be saved and then click Save.
4. MicroStation will now save the DGN to DWG format, and then open that new formatted file in your session of MicroStation where you can check and view it.

Save As dialog

Alternatively:

1. Go to File and select Export.
2. Choose the DGN, DWG, and DXF option and then navigate to where you want the file saved.
3. Click OK.

The Export option in MicroStation will allow you to remain in your DGN session. It saves the file to the location given, with full compatibility with AutoCAD.

¹ = MicroStation V8 2004 Edition
² = MicroStation V8 2004 Edition

Comments: 

 1. Sheet configuration:

Make sure that the lower left corner of your sheet has the coordinates 0,0. Either move the sheet to this coordinates or use the command "GO=0,0" to reset the coordinates of the lower left corner of the sheet.

The best thing to do next is set 0,0 to the bottom left corner of the border. Do this by keying in "GO=0,0" and selecting the corner of the border. This resets the co-ordinates of that point to be 0,0 but doesn't affect the real world location of the model information. Save Settings at this stage to ensure the co-ordinate changes are saved.

MicroStation in a DWG World
EYC Nigel Davies, 01/01/04
http://www.eatyourcad.com/article.php?incat_id=140&category_id=10

2. Define a Viewport 

Clip your references in the sheet by an element. Place this element on a dedicated level for this purpose. Disable plotting for this level in level manager.

Now clip the file to suit with a shape. Draw the shape on a designated non plotting level.
The shape can be stretched with the modify tool to change the clip boundary of your reference file. It's like a window through to your model space. Moving the shape around will show different parts of your model. You can use one shape to clip multiple references if you like. (Note: this shape converts to a Viewport in AutoCAD paperspace).

When you move the reference untick Move Boundary with Reference. This means you can move the reference just like inside an AutoCAD viewport - the boundary stays stationary.

Sheet Setup for DWG Workmode
EYC Karen Fugle, 01/05/07
http://www.eatyourcad.com/article.php?incat_id=1525&category_id=2

DWG Viewports
EYC, 17/09/07
http://www.eatyourcad.com/article.php?incat_id=1689&category_id=7

3. Set up the DWG seedfile you will use for translation with the sheet definitions, you are using in MicroStation

The MicroStation default is "seed.dwg" in the "//workspace/system/seed" folder. Place your own version of this seed file in the "//workspace/standards/seed" folder.

MicroStation will convert the geometry of your file correctly without that, however the sheet area will not be displayed correctly until your MicroStation sheet definition will correspond to the sheet definition and and a named page setup for the DWG sheet model.  Make sure that the spelling of the sheet definitions names and the values for the definitions are identical. For an example of such files see:

Converting MicroStation Sheets to DWG Layouts
http://communities.bentley.com/Products/MicroStation/MicroStation_V8_XM_Edition/MicroStation_V8_XM_Edition_DWG/f/157/t/18266.aspx

 HTH

Gunnar Gantzhorn 

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Document Information

Document Type: TechNote 

Legacy Document Number:  8237

Overview

Note: For purposes of this document the terms "Shared Cell Instance" and "AutoCAD Block Insert" are interchangeable, the same is true for the terms Levels and Layers or "Default Level" and "Layer 0".

In versions of MicroStation prior to V8, the level of a shared cell instance was significant only for Point Cells, or cells that were placed as Relative. For Point Cells, the shared cell level is used to override the level of components, for cells placed in Relative mode, the levels of the components are determined relative to the shared cell level.

For AutoCAD and MicroStation V8, the level of the shared cell instances is also used when a component of the cell is placed on the "Default" (AutoCAD Layer"0") level the component will inherit the level of the shared cell instance. This is a long-time AutoCAD concept that can also be useful in a purely DGN environment. It allows the creator of a cell to combine components that inherit the active level (and symbology) as in a point cell with components that have fixed levels and symbologies.

In MicroStation V8 versions (prior to 08.00.02.02) the shared cell instance was only set to the active level for Point Cells and when Relative placement mode was selected, otherwise the instance level was somewhat arbitrarily set to the lowest component level within the cell. This is undesirable because it makes it impossible to control the level that the Default (Layer 0) components inherit. Furthermore DWG Blocks are implicitly graphics cells and Relative Placement mode is not supported under DWG workmode, so the only way to control shared cell instance level is to place the cell and then change the instance level from the Element Information dialog.

In 08.00.02.02 and beyond we will change the behavior for placing shared cell instances such that the instance always receives the active level (as it already does for Point and Relatively placed cells). This should cause no apparent change for shared cells placed from existing cell libraries, but will enable the efficient use of DWG Blocks or cells created in V8 with components on the default level.

Note: Another more subtle use of the Shared Cell Instance Level has to do with the handling of levels with the Frozen attribute set. Shared Cell Instances on a Frozen layer will be omitted completely even if the levels for the components are neither frozen or off. This differs from a level with display off as the shared cell components may still display even if a shared cell's level is turned off.

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Document Information

Document Type: TechNote 

Legacy Document Number:  8325

Overview

Note: This information is also available in the MicroStation V8.5 help system.

The table lists AutoCAD key-ins that you can use in MicroStation, a brief description, and similar (not necessarily identical) MicroStation key-ins or commands. The table shows the AutoCAD commands with the DWG prefix. Alternatively, you can use a command prefix or a command prefix plus an alias from a PGP file to define shortcuts to these commands.

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Problem Description

Unable to save foot tick mark in dimension unit settings. Problem occurs when creating dimension style in DWG file that have the units set to "Decimal" and the "Main Suffix" set to the foot tick mark (') under the Primary Units settings.

1. Go to Element>Dimension Style

2. Click on the Units tab

3. Set Unit to "Decimal"

4. Under Primary Unit set the Main Suffix to a tick mark (')

5. Save the dimension style

6. Place dimension using newly saved style

7. Save DWG file.

Steps to Resolve

1. Go to the Dimension Style>Advance tab

2. Go to Symbol>Suffix

3. Set the Font setting to desired font

4. Set the Character by typing ' in value field

5. Save dimension style.

You can update the existing style to apply dimension already place or create new dimensions.

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This Client Server article is republished in its entirety from 2002 for reference purposes.

By Bentley Technical Support Group
14 October 2002

DWG Work Mode

While testing or working in Microstation V8, did you ever come across the term "Work Mode?" Did you wonder what it means and how it is used? In this article, I will describe the features of the DWG Work Mode in MicroStation V8.

MicroStation V8 supports the following workmodes:

• DGN Capacity-In the default DGN Capacity ("DGN") mode, full MicroStation V8 functionality is enabled.
• DWG Restriction-In DWG Restriction ("DWG") mode, certain functionality is disabled by default in order to restrict MicroStation V8 to create only information that can be stored in DWG format.

Figure 1. The blue cross hair icon tells you that you are in DWG mode.

Figure 2. An information box also lets you know you are in DWG mode.

When you open a DWG file, you are automatically in DWG workmode. You can easily find out that you are in DWG mode by checking the blue cross hair icon on the status bar.

If you click on the icon, you get an information box, which tells you that you are in DWG mode.

You will find that while working in DWG Workmode, certain MicroStation functionalities are disabled. This happens so that the file will be compatible with the format and the types of entities, which are supported by AutoCAD.

Here's a listing of some of these restricted features:

Line style
Line styles 1-7 are disabled and only custom line styles are allowed.

References
The active model cannot be self-referenced.

Tags
Tag elements can be attached only to shared cells. Microstation normally allows tags to be attached to any element.

Cells
Only shared cells are allowed. When library cells are used, they are placed as shared cells only. DWG files do not support unshared MicroStation cells.

Colors
The DWG color palette is the only color table loaded; no other color tables can be loaded.

Dimensioning
The following dimensioning settings and capabilities are not supported:

• Custom prefixes and suffixes
• Dimension line level
• Dimensioning at an arbitrary position
• Terminator-specific symbology
• Terminator character symbol
• First and joint terminator types for consecutive dimensions
• Unit formats and free labelling (only x'-x" is allowed when master units are inches)
• Unit separation at thousandth and millionth
• Secondary dimension-specific leading/trailing zeros
• Alternate labelling
• Arc symbol above text displayed at an angle
• Arc-length format for angular dimension
• Cell terminator-specific width and height
• Underline text
• Curve for ball and chain text alignment

Text Fonts
MicroStation fonts from the default font resource file are disabled. You can only use DWG-compatible and TrueType fonts.

Levels

Level Symbology is disabled.

View Groups

Creating, deleting and modifying properties of View Groups are disabled.

Area patterning

AutoCAD pre-defined hatching replaces area patterning. The pattern area settings window's pattern field is a combination box that lists the patterns in the areapat.pat DWG pattern file by default. This file contains DWG pattern definitions for each pattern cell in the supplied cell library, areapat.cel.

View window background color

The Black Background -> White setting in the View Options category of the Preferences dialog box (Workspace > Preferences) is disabled. To change the display for models and layouts of DWG files, select the color in the DWG Open Options dialog box.

See the MicroStation Administrator's Guide for more information and a complete list of restrictions. Also, the online MicroStation V8 Help File contains a wealth of information regarding this topic.

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