Guide to Using DWG and Other Formats
Guide to Using DWG and Other Formats
Guide to Using DWG and Other Formats

Linking and Embedding Objects in MicroStation

A linked object is a document that can be viewed from its container application, but it actually exists in its source application. An embedded object is a document that actually becomes part of the container application. When using OLE Container, MicroStation is the container application. To link or embed an object to a DGN file, both the source application and MicroStation must be installed on the same system.

When you want to include the same information in several different DGN files, you should use linking. After you modify a link's source file, you can update linked objects in the DGN files as needed to reflect the modification to the source file.

When the information in the object pertains only to one DGN file, you should use embedding. Although editing an embedded object opens the document in the source application, changes made to the embedded object are only saved in the DGN file in which it is embedded.

To link or embed another application's document by pasting the document by its size
  1. In the source application, select the part of the document to link and then copy it.

  2. In MicroStation, choose Edit > Paste Special.
    The Paste Special dialog box opens.

  3. In the Data Type list box, select one of the following:
    — Linked <object type>
    — Embedded <object type>
    In this example, “Linked Microsoft Excel Worksheet” displays. This item changes dynamically depending on the source application from which you are pasting.

  4. Click Paste.
    The Paste OLE dialog box opens with the selected Data Type in the Paste as field.

  5. From the Method option menu, choose By Size.

  6. Turn on Display as icon if you want the pasted object to appear as an icon in the dgn file.

  7. If By Size is selected in the Method field, key in the scale of the object to be pasted in the Scale field.

  8. Click a data point to define the location of the object to be pasted.

To link or embed another application's document by pasting the document by two corner points
  1. Follow steps 1–4 in the preceding procedure.

  2. From the Method option menu, choose By Corners.

  3. To define one corner, enter a data point.

  4. To define the diagonal corner, enter another data point.

MicroStation only supports TrueType fonts. If the TrueType fonts you are using in your source applications are not currently used in MicroStation, you may want to install them. Otherwise, MicroStation substitutes the Active Font (Element > Text). Because the source application defines the text by the font it is using, substituting another font may give undesirable results.

When linking or embedding a Microsoft Excel worksheet to a DGN file, if the linked object is is truncated, you need to upgrade to Microsoft Excel 2002 or later.