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CAD/BIM Tips & Tricks

MicroStation Key-In Commands Save You Time

80+ Shortcuts for MicroStation, OpenRoads, OpenBridge and GEOPAK

Published 9 November 2023

Updated 5 March 2024

Some folks call them keyboard shortcuts, others refer to them as key-ins. Regardless of what you call them, they’re huge, handy time-savers and are luckily supported in all past and present versions of MicroStation® such as V8i and CONNECT.

Although a graphical interface is great for many things, sometimes it’s faster to use two-letter MicroStation key-ins to adjust settings. For example, to set the active scale to 2.0, you can simply type “as=2” in the key-in browser. MicroStation has quite an extensive list of these two-letter key-ins for setting all manner of things from the active level and color, which just about everyone is familiar with, to saving or activating views.

The following is a helpful list of over 80 two-letter MicroStation key-in commands organized by category. (Do not use a space before the equal sign for these key-ins.)

Download a PDF version of this list.

View Manipulation

Key-In Description
OF=Turn off levels by number
ON=Turn on levels by number
RV=Rotate view(s) about center
WO=Set view origin
SV=Save view
VI=Attach saved view
DV=Delete saved view

Text and Dimensioning

Key-In Description
FT=Active font
DF=Opens font dialog box
TH=Active height
TW=Active width
TX=Active height and width
LL=Active line length
LS=Active line spacing
TB=Tab spacing for importing text
TI=Tag Increment amount
LD=Dimension level
TV=Upper and lower dimension tolerance limits

Settings

Key-In Description
AA=Active angle
AS=Active scale
XS=Active x scale
YS=Active y scale
ZS=Active z scale
GU=Master/Grid
GR=Reference grid
KY=(Snap) Divisor
UR=(Unit Lock) Distance

Set Element and Pattern Attributes

Key-In Description
AP=Active pattern cell
LV=Active level
CO=Active color
PA=Active pattern angle
LC=Active line style
PD=Active pattern spacing
WT=Active line weight
PS=Active pattern scale

Precision Input

Key-In Description
XY=< x,y,z > from origin along design files axes
DI=< distance, direction > from last data or tentative point relative to view axes
DL=< Dx, Dy, Dz > from last data or tentative point in design coordinates
DX=< Dx, Dy, Dz > from last data or tentative point in view coordinates
AX=Distance from Auxiliary Coordinate System (ACS) origin
AD=Distance from last data or tentative point in ACS coordinates

Cells

Key-In Description
AC=Set active cell and select place active cell tool with relative off
AR=Set active cell and select place active cell tool with relative on
CM=Place active cell matrix tool
PT=Active point
LT=Active terminator
TS=Terminator scale
CR=Edit cell information
CD=Delete cell from cell library
CC=Create cell

3D Modeling

Key-In Description
DP=Set the display depth from 0.0 of view’s z-axis
DD=Distance to move display depth from current values
AZ=Set the active depth from 0.0 of the view’s z-axis
DZ=Distance to move active depth from current value
SX=Save ACS
RX=Attach ACS
PX=Delete ACS

File Management

Key-In Description
RD=Open design file
XD=Open design file with active design’s view configuration
RC=Attach cell library
RF=Attach reference file
DR=Displays contents of a text file
CT=Attach color table
AM=Attach and activate menu
AT=Activate tutorial

Database

Key-In Description
AE=Define active entry
DA=Displayable attribute type
DB=Attach control file
DS=Specify fence filter
FI=Set database row as active entity
RA=Set attribute review selection criteria
RS=Name report table

Digitizing

Key-In Description
SD=Active stream delta
ST=Active stream tolerance

User Command

Key-In Description
UC=Activate user command
UCC=Compile user command
UCI=User command index
OXRetrieve user command index

Other

Key-In Description
EL=Create element list file
FF=Copy fence contents to new design file
GO=Global origin
SF=Move fence contents to new design file

We hope this list helps you save a ton of time. To discover more time-saving tools for MicroStation, visit Axiom.com or call 727-442-7774 to chat with a knowledgeable Service Consultant about your specific situation.