Other Enhancements

This topic highlights the remaining enhancements in MicroStation V8.1.

Level management

MicroStation V8.0 introduced a new level system. The topics that follow describe enhancements to this system for V8.1.

Copying levels

In the Level Manager dialog box (Settings > Level > Manager), right-clicking a level opens a pop-up menu that enables you to cut, copy, and paste levels. Using the items in this menu makes performing many level management tasks much easier. One such task is copying levels between the open DGN file and other DGN files that contain models that are attached as references to the open file. You can also copy level specifications in this manner to another applications, such as a spreadsheet for documentation purposes.

Filter groups

Using the Filter Groups dialog box, you can define a filter as the intersection or difference between previously defined filters as well as the union.

Deleting unused library levels

To keep the DGNLIB UPDATE LEVELS key-in from deleting all unused library levels, set the configuration variable MS_UPDATE_KEEP_UNUSED_LIBRARY_LEVELS to 1.

Cells

The DELETE SCDEFS <ALL | ANONYMOUS | NAMED> key-in enables you to delete unused shared cell definitions from the open DGN file.

See also:
Cell Library dialog box

References

Display colors

You can adjust the brightness and contrast with which the colors of elements in an attached reference are displayed, using the Adjust Reference Colors dialog box. This capability is a simpler alternative to level symbology for differentiating elements in attached references from elements in the open DGN file.

To open the Adjust Reference Colors dialog box, select the reference(s) whose colors you want to adjust in the References dialog box (File > Reference) and choose Adjust Colors from the dialog box's Settings menu.

Live nesting

MicroStation V8.1 enables you to "flatten" live nested references into direct attachments.

Drawing

This topic covers drawing enhancements in MicroStation V8.1.

Extend tool

You can use the Extend tool (formerly Extend Line) to extend arcs.

Drop Element tool

Using the Drop Element tool, you can drop dimension elements to dimension segments or primitive elements.

Pattern Area tool

A True Scale option is available for the Pattern Area tool. This option, like the True Scale option for Place Active Cell, provides the means to adjust for differences between the units of models in which cells were created and the units of the active model.

Printing

This topic covers printing enhancements for MicroStation V8.1.

OLE object support

Bentley printer drivers that generate raster output — for example, "hpglrtl.plt" — support OLE objects.

Specifying page layout

Operation of MicroStation V8.1 with regard to its page model, including drawing orientation, is consistent with that of MicroStation/J (v7).

Text styles

During text placement with Place Text or Place Note, you have the option of applying to previously placed text any changes you have made in the Tool Settings window to the active text style or attributes.

See also:
Text Styles

Dimension styles

Text styles are fully integrated into dimension styles. To associate a text style with a dimension style, use the Text Style drop-down list box in the Text category of the Dimension Settings dialog box (Element > Dimensions).

Dimension terminators

When using cells as dimension terminators, you can uniformly scale both the width and height of cell terminators. This capability is particularly useful when preparing to save a DGN file as a DWG file.

Managing raster files

Raster Manager has numerous enhancements.

Live nesting of raster references

With Version 8.1 MicroStation extends its support for live nested references to raster references. Nested raster references are optionally listed in the Raster Manager dialog box.

Using the Update Sequence dialog box, you can reorder raster images attached through DGN references or secondary models with raster references from the master model.

Raster references and 3D models

You can display raster references in 3D views with perspective. Furthermore, you can modify a raster reference in views other than Top and apply those modifications even when the setting Apply Rotation and Affinity to Raster is off.

Also, you can adjust the elevation (Z) for raster references in 3D models.

Bentley Descartes V8 output support

It is possible to display transparency and color masks created with Bentley Descartes V8.

GeoTIFF file support

Raster Manager supports GeoTIFF files associated with a “world file”. A world or sister file, which typically has a .TFW file extension, allows file placement for images that do not have georeference information in their headers. The location information in the world file can override the one included in the GeoTIFF header. Use the key-in RASTER SETCONFIG USEGEOTIFFSISTERFILEON to activate this option.

MrSID, Intergraph TIFF, and RLC file support

Raster Manager supports MrSID, Intergraph TIFF, and RLC files in read-only mode.

Save to JPG

The Batch Converter utility can save monochrome .BMP files to .JPG files.

Design history

Design history capabilities were new in MicroStation V8.0. In V8.1, these capabilities are significantly enhanced. The following topics highlight these enhancements.

Reference history

In the Design History dialog box, along with the history of the open DGN file you can list the history of attached references that reside in external files in which history is recorded.

Adjusting revision numbers

Using the HISTORY SETVERSION key-in, you can set the major version number assigned to new revisions subsequently created in design history.

Applying filtering to Save As operations

When creating a new file with a Save As operation, you can filter the data written to the new file, whether that file be a MicroStation V8, V7, DWG, or DXF file, by excluding one or more of the following types of data:

specific models
selected elements
the fence contents as determined by the fence selection mode.
auxiliary coordinate systems
saved views
shared cell instances
unused shared cell definitions
named groups

See also:
Save As Options Filter tab

Save 3D as 2D

When saving a 3D DGN file as a 2D file, there is an option to ignore the rotation of the selected view. Turning on this option preserves the X-Y coordinates of geometry and discards only the Z information. The 2D file is created as if the selected view is a Top view.

See also:
Save 3D as 2D dialog box

Using multiple screens

There is a command line interface for moving view windows and dialog boxes between MicroStation application windows.

See also:
WINDOW CHANGESCREEN key-in

Unit specification for Parasolid XMT export

When you export DGN data to Parasolid XMT export, you have the option to specify the units applied for solids transformation.

User interface

This release includes a number of usability enhancements.

Right-click pop-up menus

In text input fields throughout MicroStation, right-clicking opens a pop-up menu that enables you to copy, move, or delete selected text or select all text.

File list icons

Turning on Show File Icons in the New dialog box (File > New), the Open dialog box (File > Open), or the MicroStation Manager dialog box causes icons to display next to MicroStation filenames in the Files list box.

Esc key

The preference Allow ESC key to stop current command, if turned on, enables you to press <Esc> to stop operation of the selected tool. This preference is in the Input category of the Preferences dialog box.

Key-in window

Right-clicking the Key-in window opens the Key-in Settings dialog box, which is used to set preferences relating to the appearance and operation of the Key-in window.

Menu changes

The following sections list changes in the menu structure for MicroStation V8.1. The Element, Settings, Workspace, Window, and Help menus are unchanged.

File menu

The Protection sub-menu provides access to file protection functionality.

Edit menu

Selecting an overlapped element and choosing Bring to Front brings that element to the “front” of the view display. That is, it will overlap the element(s) that previously overlapped it, making it easier to select or snap to.

Tools menu

Choosing Digital Signatures opens the Digital Signatures tool box, which provides access to digital signatures functionality.

Utilities menu

Choosing Named Groups opens the Named Groups dialog box, which is used to manage named groups.

Level filter selection

In the Attributes tool box, there is a new control, Active Level Filter, which, like Active Element Class, is hidden by default. The new control is used to set the active level filter. If you use level filters, consider showing this control in the tool box to save the overhead and screen space associated with opening the Level Manager dialog box.

Raster Manager dialog box entry

In the Primary Tools tool box, clicking the Raster Manager tool icon opens the Raster Manager dialog box. This icon, like Models and Level Manager, is hidden in the tool box, as delivered.

Visualization

The following topics contain information about visualization enhancements in MicroStation V8.1.

Interactive brightness control

You can interactively adjust the brightness of the most recently rendered radiosity or particle-traced image. The brightness control is in the Render settings window.

Adjusting the brightness of an image

See also:
Render tool

Piranesi EPix format support

You can save images and panoramas in Piranesi Epix format. These images can then be brought into Piranesi, a 3D paint application which enables you to paint over the rendered image or panorama, being sensitive to the 3D surfaces which you are painting.

Selecting light sources

In the Define Light settings window, while Mode is set to Create, if the Name control has an associated drop-down list box, indicated by the presence of a downward-pointing triangle, you can select a pre-defined light source without keying its name.

OLE DB connectivity

OLE DB is Microsoft's interface for open data access; it uses a standard set of COM interfaces for accessing and manipulating many types of data. MicroStation V8.1 enables you to connect to an OLE DB data source. Once connected, you can use the same database interface tools available for the ODBC and Oracle database interfaces.

Online help

Directional arrows embedded in the top margin of the Help window's righthand frame enable you to linearly navigate forward and backward through the document content with ease. Embedded in this eye-pleasing margin is the title of the guide or top-level topic that contains the displayed topic.