|
How to Use RefManager to Enable
Live Nesting in Multiple Sheet Files.
By Greg McKinney, Senior Customer
Trainer, Axiom
CLEARWATER, FLORIDA, USA —
In this how-to, I will go over how to enable live nesting
(displaying references of references) in multiple reference
files without having to change the reference file's attachment
settings one file at a time.
When a new reference file is attached to an existing set of
drawings, many hours can be spent attaching, scaling, clipping
and rotating the reference file in each design file —
not to mention time spent modifying level display, locks,
logical names and descriptions. Since you have already done
this once in the design phase, there is no need to do it again
when preparing sheet files for plotting at the end of the
project.
Enabling live nesting in one design file is not particularly
challenging, but doing so in hundreds of design files can
be a time-consuming and tedious process.
For this exercise, we will use a sheet file (master design
file) that includes a section of a base map as a reference
file. Our task is to enable the display of a third design
file (one that contains topographic data) that is itself a
reference file to the base map design file. This exercise
assumes that the topographic data has already been referenced
(although you can use RefManager to attach the file if it
hasn't).
The Process
1. Open the base map design file and ensure that the topographic
file is referenced.
2. Close the file and open up the first sheet file. For our
example we are using Sheet_File1.dgn. Notice that the sheet
file has two references: Border.dgn and Project_SectionA.dgn
(a clipped section of the base map file). Also, notice that
the nesting setting (red box) is set to "No Nesting".
3. Open RefManager from the Axiom menu.
4. Open the Edit File List dialog box
by clicking on the <Select> button next to the Design
Files field.
5. Add all the sheet files you want to process by selecting
them from the Available Files menu or by using a wildcard
string to add all files with a filename that matches the string.
In our case, all our sheet files have a similar name. Usually,
sheet files will have a project number in the name, which
makes the file selection process easier. In that case, in
the "Select files by Extended File Specification"
field, you can type in "Sheet_File*.dgn" and all
files beginning with "Sheet_File" will be added
to the list. The "*" is a wildcard character. When
done, click <OK>.
6. Select "Modify Reference File Attachments" from
the Mode drop down menu.
7. Under the Vector Settings category, select Live Nesting
from the Nested Attachments drop-down menu. Also, set the
Depth to "1". The depth number represents the number
of "references of references" that live nesting
will display. For example, by setting the depth to "1",
only the references of the references will show. If the depth
is set to "2", then the references of the references
of the references will show up. Click on <Close> when
done.
8. In order to only change the nesting preferences in all
sheet files containing a referenced section of Project_Section.dgn,
we have to filter out any other references, like the Border.dgn
for instance. To do so, click on the <Filter> button
next to the Mode drop-down menu.
9. In the "Filter Reference File Attachments By…"
dialog box, select the File Name category, and in the string
field, type in a string that will only include the base map
attachments. In this example, we want to only process all
reference file attachments that begin with "Project"
in their name. Click on <Close> when done.
10. Click on <Start> on RefManager's main dialog
and watch it go! When you are done you will get a dialog box
that looks like so.
Call now!
To schedule a one-on-one online demonstration
about how RefManager
can help your site increase their productivity and save
time while working in MicroStation, contact an Axiom MicroStation
Consultant today! Call 727-442-7774 extension 9538, or e-mail,
9538@AxiomInt.com.
« Back
|
