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More on MicroStation XM improvements:
What's in a name?
By Mike Arroyo, Axiom Product Manager
CLEARWATER, FLORIDA, USA — Naming something allows
us to easily identify it from others. Such is the case with
people, animals and computer files. By having a clear and
unique name associated with an object, we can identify it
better and even recall it faster. Naming things makes it easier
to recognize its purpose and function.
What if specific MicroStation settings could named and activated
by calling that name? Would that increase your productivity?
Bentley thinks it would, and to prove it, MicroStation XM
introduces several new tools that exploit the power of a name.
Element templates
Consider the new innovation called "element templates".
An element template is a set of attributes saved under a name
that can be applied to new or existing elements.
Named templates may be organized in hierarchical groups for
easy organization. For example, multiple element templates
defining attributes for interior objects - such as desk, chair
and cabinet - may all reside under the label "furniture".
Each element template is created and modified inside the Customize
dialog box (Workspace | Customize, "Templates" tab).
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| Create and customize element templates in the Customize
dialog box (Workspace | Customize). |
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| Select a template by opening the Element Templates drop-down
list. |
When an element referencing the template is placed the first
time in the design, the template definition is added to the
opened DGN file. Element templates may also be stored in DGNLIB
files.
What if the template is modified? The changes will propagate
throughout all elements placed with that template instantaneously.
Splendid!
Project Explorer
Another new feature that uses names is the Project Explorer.
The Project Explorer is a Windows-Explorer-looking window,
accessible from File | Project Explorer, that allows XM users
to easily group project information. To manage project information,
a "Project Index" is created in the Project Explorer.
The Project Index includes a link to all the files that have
been added to a specific project. Links to related project
data, such as Microsoft Office documents, PDF and plot files,
can also be included in the Project Index. Also, specific
models and even saved views can be individually linked to
in a Project Index. All the links in the Project Index can
be reorganized into hierarchical folders for easy access.
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| The Project Explorer allows you to organize entire projects
and open any file by right-clicking on the file's name
and selecting Open. |
MicroStation XM provides the option to "Create Project
Index Link" to any available projects that have been
set up in the Project Explorer, whenever a new model is created.
In other words, whenever a new model is created, you can include
that new model in any existing project. This provides a quick
way to organize and access project files and models. All this
leads to better management of project assets. Astounding!
Named fences
For the first time, named fences are available in MicroStation.
The location of a fence is saved - with a specific name and
description - and may be restored by selecting it from the
Tool Settings box when using tools such as Copy Fence or Move
Fence.
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| Create and select named fences from the Place Fence
dialog box. |
With XM, multiple named fences may be displayed simultaneously,
while allowing you to dynamically choose which one is active.
Use named fences for preparing plots or attaching references,
all without having to recreate the fence. Fascinating!
Moving forward
All these new features allow managers to assign names to settings,
store them in DGNLIB files and improve the support of CAD
standards. Productivity now has many names, all of which are
found inside MicroStation XM.
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