MicroStation Training Manual 2D Level 1

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THE
MICROSTATION 10
CONNECT
TRAINING MANUAL
2D LEVEL 1
MicroStation 10 Connect
An Illustrated Guide to Basic Tools and Techniques

For Classroom or Individual Use
Peter A. Mann
MICRO-PRESS.com
THE
MICROSTATION 10
CONNECT
TRAINING MANUAL
2D LEVEL 1
MicroStation Connect
An Illustrated Guide to Basic Tools and Techniques

For Classroom or Individual Use
Peter A. Mann
MICRO-PRESS.com
Design and authoring: Peter A. Mann
2016
24 Pimlico Drive
Dundas
ON
Canada
L9H 6J5
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be

reproduced, in any form or by any means, without
permission in writing from the publisher.
ISBN 978-0-9781310-4-3
Edition: July 25 2016
Current version: MicroStation 10 Connect 10.01.00.13
Contents
Content is referenced by Module and Section Number, not by page. This is a living document
in the sense that additions and improvements are made on a continuous basis in response to
our readers input and page contents will vary between press runs.
Module 1
Introduction
Introduction to the 2D Level 1 Manual.
Previous Skills
Work Habits
Units of Measure
Inclusions
Module 2
Startup and Interface Screen

2.1
2.2
2.3
2.4
2.5
2.6
Module 3
Lines, Circles, and View Controls

3.1
3.2
3.3
3.4
3.5
3.6
3.7
Module 4
Opening a New Design File

Identify and manipulate interface Ribbon features.
Using Settings Boxes and Dialog Boxes
Working with MicroStations Model system
Identify Methods of Saving Design Files.
Set up WorkSpaces and WorkSets
Reopening the Design File

Using the Mouse
Opening Tool Boxes and Selecting Tools
Using the View Control Tools
Help Options
Escape key usage
Other Key/Button combinations
Selecting and Deleting Elements

4.1
4.2
4.3
4.4
4.5
Selecting Single Elements - Element Selection Tool

Multi-Element Selection Sets - Element Selection Tool
Multi-Element Selection Sets - Power Selector
Deleting Elements
Undoing and Redoing Actions
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FM 3
Module 5
Snaps and Tentative Points

5.1
5.2
5.3
5.4
5.5
5.6
5.7
5.8
5.9
5.10
5.11
Module 6
Design Plane, Working Units, and Inputs

6.1
6.2
6.3
Module 7
The Design Plane

Working Units
Entering Precise Dimensions
AccuDraw
7.1
7.2
7.3
7.4
7.5
7.6
7.7
7.8
7.9
7.10
7.11
7.12
Module 8
Setting the Keypoint Snap Mode

Identify Snap Options in the Locks Settings Box
Using AccuSnap to place Tentative Points and Snaps
Element Keypoints Locations and Divisor Setting
Identify All Snap Modes
Manual Tentative Point Placement
Practicing the Snap Override
Cycling Through Snap Points
Tentative Points as Coordinates
Use Shift-Tentative Point for Snap Modes
AccuSnap Setting Options
Activating AccuDraw
AccuDraws Rectangular and Polar Compasses
Drawing Plane Coordinates
Keyboard Shortcuts
Circles and AccuDraw
Recalling Previous Values
Constraining Data Points
Relocating the Compass Origin with O for Origin
Shortcut Snap Modes and Constraints
Unit Roundoff
Using the Popup Calculator
The Complete List of AccuDraw Shortcut Keys
Absolute Coordinates and Grids

8.1
8.2
8.3
8.4
Opening the Precision Key-In Box

Absolute (XY=) Key-In
Delta and Distance Key-ins
Using the Grid
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Module 9
Polygons
9.1
9.2
9.3
9.4
Module 10
Arcs and Ellipses

10.1
10.2
10.3
10.4
10.5
10.6
10.7
10.8
10.9
Module 11
Arc Properties
The Place Arc Tool
Drawing Arcs - Start, Center & Center, Start Methods
Drawing Arcs - Start, Mid, End & Start, End, Mid Methods
Ellipse Tools
Full Ellipse
Placing Half- and Quarter-Ellipses - Arcs Tool Box
Isometric Ellipses
Arc Editing Tools
SmartLine
11.1
11.2
11.3
11.4
11.5
11.6
Module 12
The Place Block Tool

Place Shape
Place Orthogonal Shape
Place Regular Polygon
Setting SmartLine Options

Drawing with SmartLine - Vertex Types
SmartLines Options
Drawing Line Strings - Vertex Types
Drawing with SmartLine - Arcs
SmartLine and Arcs
Element Symbology
12.1
12.2
12.3
12.4
12.5
12.6
12.7
12.8
12.9
12.10
12.11
Adding Color to Elements

Adding Line Style to Elements
Adding Line Weight to Elements
Levels
Setting Construction Class Elements
Setting Fill Color
Apply Element Attributes Quickly
Matching Element Attributes
Modify Line Style Attributes and Change Fill Type
Display Element Information
Modify Custom Line Style
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FM 5
Module 13
Advanced Selection Sets

13.1
13.2
13.3
13.4
13.5
13.6
13.7
13.8
13.9
13.10
13.11
Module 14
Manipulate Tools
14.1
14.2
14.3
14.4
14.5
14.6
14.7
14.8
14.9
14.10
14.11
14.12
Module 15
Building Fences
Copying with a Fence
Moving with Fences
Copying with the Shape Mode
Deleting fence contents.
Changing fence shapes.
Manipulating fence contents
Saving fence boundaries.
Create element groups using the Group Tools.
Select elements using element Attributes as criteria.
Select elements using the Select All option.
Copy and Move Tools with Precision

Move and Copy Through the Windows Clipboard
Moving Quickly
Using the Scale Tool
Using the Rotate Tool
Using the Mirror Tool
Using the Construct Array Tool
Using the Align Elements by Edge Tool.
Using the Stretch Tool
Move Parallel Tool
Move To Contact tool.
Manipulate the contents of a Fence
Modify Tools
15.1
15.2
15.3
15.4
15.5
15.6
15.7
15.8
15.9
15.10
15.11
15.12
Element Selection Tool

Modify Element Tool
Break Element Tool
Extend Tool
Trim to Intersection Tool
Trim to Element Tool
Trim Multiple Tool
Insert Vertex Tool
Delete Vertex Tool
Construct Circular Fillet Tool
Construct Parabolic Fillet Tool
Construct Chamfer Tool
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FM 6
Module 16
Inquiry Tools
16.1
16.2
Element Information
Measurement Tools
Exercises
A collection of drawing exercises to help reinforce the previous instruction

and to provide drawings for use in the next two Modules.
Module 17
Annotation
17.1
17.2
17.3
17.4
17.5
17.6
17.7
17.8
Module 18
Dimensioning
18.1
18.2
18.3
18.4
18.5
18.6
18.7
18.8
18.9
18.10
18.11
18.12
18.13
18.14
18.15
Module 19
Setting Text Attributes

Placing Text
Text Display
Plotting and Text Height
Text Tools
Create Text Styles
Character Mapping
Text Styles
Dimensions and Text Settings

Dimension Settings
Dimension Tools Menu
The Dimension Element Tool
The Dimension Size with Arrow and Stroke Tools
Dealing with Small Dimensions
Changing Existing Dimension Settings
Using the Modify Element Tool
Associative and Non-Associative Dimensions
Editing Dimension Text
Angular Dimension Tools
Radial Dimension Tools
Place Notes Tool
Place multiple dimensions
Additional Dimension Tools
Plotting and Printing

19.1
19.2
19.3
19.4
19.5
19.6
19.7
19.8
19.9
The Basic Process

Preparing the Drawings
Selecting Elements for Plotting
Plot Setup - English Units
Plot Setup - Metric Units
Plot Output
Additional Information - Plotter Driver Files
Additional Information - Drawing Setup
PDF file plotting support.
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FM 7
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FM 8
MICROSTATION Connect
2D LEVEL 1
Module
INTRODUCTION
24 Pimlico Drive
Dundas Ontario Canada
L9H 6J5
Phone 905-628-8237
Module 1 of 19
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Module 1 - Page 1
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MicroStation 10 Connect - 2D Level 1 Module
Copyright 2016 Micro-Press.com
All rights reserved. No parts of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by
any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recorded, or otherwise, without prior permission of the author.
The author and publisher have taken care to ensure the accuracy of the information presented in this book, but make no expressed or
implied warranty of any kind, or assumes any responsibility for errors or omissions. No liability is assumed for incidental or
consequential damages in connection with, or arising from, the use of the information contained herein.
MicroStation is a registered trademark of Bentley Systems, Incorporated. MS-DOS and Windows are registered trademarks of
Microsoft Corporation.
Module Information
Prerequisites:
None
Introduction:
This Module introduces you to the MicroStation 2D Level 1 . It describes the

general content, how you should use this manual, and other pertinent
information.
Time:
This Module should be completed within15 minutes.
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Module 1 - Page 2
DISCUSSION:
Welcome to the 2D Level 1 MicroStation Connect where you will learn the basics of the MicroStation
computer assisted drafting software. You are about to embark on developing your skills in MicroStation
software that will lead you through the basic settings and tool usage to the point where you can produce
relatively complex drawings.
This Module covers some of the questions you may have about the and provides some indication of the
instruction that is provided and the part you will play working with the Manual.
ASSUMPTIONS ABOUT YOU

I have written this Manual based on certain assumption about you, the draftsperson. Those
assumptions are:
Drafting Skills
I must assume that you have at least some basic drafting skills. This is not a drafting
Manual as such, but is really a software usage Manual. I must assume, therefore, that you
know how drawings are constructed, have some knowledge of orthographic projection
(three-view drawings), understand the need for dimensional accuracy, and are familiar with
drafting scales. This does not mean that you must be a brilliant draftsperson, but you do
need the basic skills to fully understand some of the concepts presented. If you have not
been exposed to manual drafting you can still complete the Manual successfully, although I
would strongly suggest either taking a basic drafting course or at least obtaining a basic
drafting book that will assist you in understanding drafting techniques.
CAD Skills
I have assumed that you have little or no previous experience with other CAD software. If
this is the case then there are certain concepts you must understand first. Most important is
the need for accuracy when placing elements in a drawing. A good CAD drawing has all
elements placed with total accuracy; all dimensions are entered exactly and all elements are
connected together precisely. If you do not do this, then when it is time to dimension your
elements you will find that you cannot automatically generate accurate dimensions. The
information in Module 5 - Snaps and Tentative Points and Module 7 - AccuDraw is directly
applicable to creating accurate drawings. The other significant difference of note is that
drawings are always drawn at full scale. In other words, you always draw at full-size;
whatever a dimension is, that is what you enter in the drawing. You will only scale the
drawing when it is time to plot or print the drawing. Scale is a function of the plotting or
printing process, not the drawing process.
However, if you have used other CAD programs you will be able to progress through this
Manual much faster. You will (or should) understand the concepts of CAD drawings and
the general range of tools and command options for drafting and editing elements. Please
remember though, that many of the drafting and editing tools will be different from the
software you already know. Dont expect the responses and inputs to be the same and dont
expect the mouse button usage to be the same either.
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Module 1 - Page 3
ASSUMPTIONS ABOUT MICROSTATION

To work with this Manual you must, of course, have access to a current copy of MicroStation
Connect. If you are a user of previous versions of MicroStation and have acquired this newer
software you will find this Manual of immense help in getting up to speed with the current
version.
The instruction assumes that you have a single copy of MicroStation installed on an individual
computer. If you are working over a network then you may find some operations to be slightly
different:
Individual Computers: If you are using MicroStation out of the box with no customization
then you will find that just about everything in this manual applies directly to you. If your copy
of MicroStation has been customized in any way by another person you may find some
differences in the operation of some tools and some screen displays. You might need to contact
that person and obtain a list of the changes that have been made if they are significant. Slight
customization will not have a significant effect.
Networked Computers: There can be significant differences in the setup of the software on a
network. Most important is whether the network administrator has allowed you to save your
drawing and editing changes on your local computer or whether you must save directly to the
network. Whichever setup you are working under, you must be able save your work
somewhere. MicroStation works on the principle that every drawing or editing operation is
immediately saved to disk, thus ensuring that your drawing file is always current. If you do not
have the ability to save to the network you may not be able to use the software. Please check
with your network administrator or your instructor if you are working in a networked classroom
environment.
SOFTWARE UPDATES
One slight complication is that Bentley Systems Inc., the company behind MicroStation, issues
frequent incremental updates and editions to its products through its Select Services program from
which members can download the latest additions and improvements. If you or your company has
access to Select Services you may see additional tools in your software not covered in this manual.
This manual is revised as soon as updates are available from Bentley. Consequently, if you have an
earlier version you may not see some of the tools discussed in this manual. In general, however, any
incremental updates are relatively small and do not usually affect the overall discussions. Where
there is a significant difference you will find information for previous versions at the end of
modules.
You can check your version number by clicking on Help/About MicroStation. The latest version
covered in this manual can be found on the Copyright page.
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Module 1 - Page 4
YOUR WORK HABITS

You are about to develop a set of new skills that involve quite detailed operations and techniques. It
is very important that you develop certain work habits as you work through this Manual. Perhaps
most important is that you should practice every example and complete every exercise. Nothing
helps to develop skills more than repetition of actions. You should be exploring the full extent of
each tool and technique and should repeat each action until you are comfortable with the required
inputs. You might almost say that you should be playing with the software to experience all that
the program offers. You must certainly never be afraid of experimenting in a drawing; you can
always erase or undo your work! You should also think about real situations where you might apply
particular techniques.
UNITS OF MEASURE
This book is written so that you can work in English units (feet, inches, and fractions) or in metric
units (millimeters or meters.) All metric units are given in millimeters and are shown in parenthesis
( ) after the English units. You will be asked to create a drawing file set to the units of your choice
(this occurs in Module 6) and from that point on you can work in those units. In this manual, to
avoid confusion, English is used as the term for US Customary units and for Imperial units.
WHAT IS and WHAT IS NOT INCLUDED

Clearly, in a manual of this size it is not possible to include every feature, tool, or option that the
software provides. MicroStation is simply too large and complex for that to be feasible. You will
find, however, that all major and significant tools and techniques are covered, along with a wide
range of hints and tips to increase your productivity.
In an effort to increase your understanding of the information presented I have used two techniques
to assist you in working through this Manual:
Steps
Virtually all sequences of actions are described in numbered step-by-step instructions.

In turn, the steps are usually tied to illustrations providing a pictorial guide to the
necessary actions.
Italics Actions or settings are printed in italics to indicate their importance. This is a form of
underlining or highlighting that you might do yourself to accentuate important passages
of the text.
MODULE COMPLETION TIMES

In the Module Information section of each Module you will find a Time allocation. The times for
completion of each Module are based on a user who has reasonable drafting skills and is at least
familiar with another CAD product. If you have minimal drafting skills and have not used any other
CAD product, your Module completion times will be longer. If you have excellent drafting skills
and are very familiar with another CAD product, you will complete the Modules in less time than
suggested.
The total suggested time for completion of all Modules is 45 hours. If you are working as an
individual then you should budget for this time allocation, depending on your skills. If you are
working in a classroom then your instructor will allocate lab time and reading time as necessary.
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Module 1 - Page 5
To the best of my knowledge the information contained in this manual is correct and the instruction
is problem free. This manual is a living document in that it is constantly updated to reflect software
improvements and to correct errors or omissions. However, nothing is ever perfect and your
comments regarding the manual are always welcome. You may respond by writing to:
Peter A. Mann
24 Pimlico Drive
Dundas
Ontario
Canada
L9H 6J5
Or email to: peter_mann@micro-press.com
Or visit my website at www.micro-press.com
Peter A. Mann
Micro-Press.com
Module 1 - Page 6
MICROSTATION Connect
2D LEVEL 1
Module
STARTUP AND SCREEN

INTERFACE
24 Pimlico Drive
L9H 6J5
Phone 905-628-8237
Module 2 of 19
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MicroStation 10 Connect - 2D Level 1 Module
All rights reserved. Not parts of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by
implied warranty of any kind, or assume any responsibility for errors or omissions. No liability is assumed for incidental or
Module Information
Prerequisites:
Module 1 MicroStation - 2D
Introduction:
This module first introduces you to MicroStations design file creation and file
opening dialog box. When you have opened a new file, you will look at the
standard features of the drawing screen and some typical settings and dialog
boxes.
Objective(s):
2.1
2.2
2.3
2.4
2.5
2.6
Time:
This Module should be completed within 1.5 hours.
Create a new subdirectory and design file.

Identify and manipulate interface Ribbon features.
Identify settings/dialog boxes and adjust values.
Identify MicroStations model system.
Identify methods of saving design files and closing the program.
Set up WorkSpaces and WorkSets.
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DISCUSSION:
Remember that you should not be afraid to play with the controls and tools! The more you practice, the
quicker you will learn MicroStation.
2.1 OPENING A NEW DESIGN FILE

When you start MicroStation you are
presented with the MicroStation Recent
Worksets dialog box which should look
similar to the illustration on the right.
You can create new files in this box or
browse for existing files. Normally you
would also select a Workspace and a
Workset, but Im assuming you havent
made any yet. We will do that later.
The Browse or New File box.
OPEN A NEW DESIGN FILE

To start this first session, you will need to make a new folder on your hard drive called Level1 and
then open a new design file called Start in that directory. I am assuming you will make the new
directory in the C: root, but you can make the folder anywhere that is convenient. Do the following:
Step 1
Click on the New File icon.
Now you can change the folder you want to use, set the new drawing file name, select the file type,
and select the Seed file.
Step 2
In the Save in box, navigate up to the C: root directory.
Step 3
Step 4
Step 5
On the top line of the box, select the Create New Folder icon.
Change the New Folder name to Level 1".
Click on the Level 1 folder to set it current.
Now you can name the new file, select its type, and its seed file:
Step 6
Name the file Start, select Save as type to MicroStation DGN Files (.dgn).
As you can see in the File of Types box at the bottom, you can open a MicroStation file (with a .dgn
extension) or an AutoCAD file with a .dwg extension. The .dxf file type is a CAD file that has been
reduced to its basic elements and can be opened by most CAD software. If you expand the File of
Types box you will see a full list of files that can be opened in MicroStation.
Step 7
In the Seed line, click on Browse at the end, and select the 2D Imperial Design.dgn
option.
A seed file is a design file already existing in MicroStation that can be used as a pattern or a
prototype on which to base the new file. The advantage is that your new file will be given all the
attributes and settings of the seed file. This saves you time in setting up your new file to meet your
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Module 2 - Page 3
drawing requirements. You can use any file as a seed, even ones that already contain drawings.
You are starting with a generic Imperial-dimension seed file. Later I will have you also open a
metric design file (although the Imperial file can be changed to metric units).
Step With everything set, click on the Save button.
Your new design file now opens in the drawing interface screen and you can take a preliminary look
at the contents.
2.2
THE INTERFACE SCREEN

Your new file should now be open and you will see the standard MicroStation interface screen
reproduced below. Your screen will have black view backgrounds. Remember that this particular
drawing setup is contained in the seed file and has been transferred to your new file. At this point
you need to take a brief look at the features on the screen. You will work with the features more
directly when you start to draw. Refer to the illustration below as I describe the features.
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Module 2 - Page 4
THE RIBBON
The most obvious item you will immediately notice is the Ribbon at the top of the screen. For most
of this Manual this is where you will select the tools and make the settings you need. Not all tools
are available on the Ribbon and we will look at the extra tools as necessary. What you see on the
Ribbon also depends on your monitor size. In the graphic above I am showing the interface on a 4 x
3 aspect ratio screen so that it better fits the page. I will spend much more time discussing the
Ribbon shortly.
VIEW BACKGROUND COLOR
By default, your views will have a black background color, but I am using a white background for a
better display in this manual. You can also change this to a white background if you prefer. I will
show you how to do this later.
TOOL SETTINGS WINDOW
This is a very important settings box that floats in the window.
The Tool Settings window contains the setting options for each
active tool, so you will be constantly moving your cursor into
this box to make the necessary settings. Each tool you select will
display its own settings in the Tool Settings Window. Currently,
if you havent selected another tool, the Tool Settings window
will display the settings for the Element Selection tool . Try clicking on other tools in the Ribbon
to see how the Tool Setting window changes in response to the active tools requirements. Return to
the Element Selection tool when you are finished.
You can move the box to a new location by clicking and
dragging the heading, and you can change its transparency
by right-clicking the heading and selecting Transparency.
This is helpful if the box is obscuring elements.
TOOL TIP !
You can change the transparency of
most dialog boxes. Right-click on the
heading of a box to see this option.
ACS ICON
The colored symbol in the lower-left of the screen is the ACS icon (Auxiliary
Coordinates System) which shows the current X- and Y-axes orientation of the
view. The standard orientation is as shown but will change if a view is rotated.
ACS settings are covered in the Level 2 manual, so you only need it for view
orientation in this Level.
STATUS BAR
This bar, at the very bottom at running the whole length of the
screen, displays the current status of the designs settings. It
will also display the name of each active tool, and it will prompt
you for input when needed. Again, you will see this in action
later. It is a good idea to constantly monitor the prompts in the
Status Bar.
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TOOL TIP !
If the Status Line is not visible on
your screen, maximize the full
MicroStation screen with the
Program Control maximize box.
Module 2 - Page 5
Displayed from the middle to the right-hand end of the Status Bar are several function boxes. Each
provides information or quick methods of changing drawing settings. Clicking on each box will
pop-up a specific menu. Again, you will work with these settings later. If you right-click on the
Status Bar at the left-hand end you can select the information items displayed (you can right-click
just about anything in MicroStation to change settings).
The line above the Status Bar contains more information and some switches. Most notable right
now are the eight numbered boxes which open eight alternate view windows, and the AccuDraw X
and Y boxes which is where you enter dimensional input.
Lets look at the view window controls:
WINDOWS and VIEWS

The central part of the screen is called the
Window and it can contain up to eight
Views. Currently, your screen likely has
only View 1 open.
When you have more than one view open,
the views can be located anywhere in the
Window or they can be Cascaded or Tiled.
Views may be sized by dragging any of the
four corners of the individual views. The
views may also be moved by clicking-andholding the left mouse button in the top bar
of a view and dragging it to a new position.
Four tiled view windows.
You can quickly open or close views with the

View Toggles bar at the bottom-left of the screen. You may singleclick each view number or drag the cursor over the view numbers to
select multiple views.
Try this: In the View Toggles bar at the bottom-left of the screen turn ON Views 2, 3, and 4. Now
you need to control the views and this is done from the Ribbon:
Step 1
Step 2
Step 3
In the Ribbon, click on the View tab at the top.

At the right end of the Ribbon you will see the Window group (not the View Groups).
Click on the Tile option.
Experiment with the other view arrangement options until you are familiar with the way views can
be arranged.
For most of the Modules in this Manual you are going to work only in View 1, so you need to turn
off all views except View 1. You could do this through one of the two methods discussed above, but
try it this way: Use the standard Windows-style view controls at the top right of each window.
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The three small boxes, from left to right in the illustration, allow you to
minimize, maximize, or close each window. For now, click on the X-box in all
windows except View1 to close them. Then maximize View 1 by clicking on
the box with the squares icon. View 1 should now fill the available screen space. Be absolutely
sure that View 1 is visible.
You may also find that you sometimes need to maximize the
entire MicroStation screen on your desktop. This is
especially true if some features are missing from the screen.
The program controls are located at the top right corner of
the screen at the right-hand end of the MicroStation file
name display line (do not confuse these controls with those
for the views!). Click on the center square box icon to
maximize the MicroStation screen.
TOOL TIP !
Be careful not to close all the view
windows. If you do you might not
recognize that all windows are closed
and wonder why you cannot draw
elements in the view!
In the Tools group of the View tab you will see additional methods of working with view windows.
Click back to the Home tab in the Ribbon.
THE RIBBON - MORE DETAILS

As I mention above, the Ribbon contains most of the tools and settings you will need for Level 1.
Its easy to navigate the Ribbon and you will become proficient very quickly. At this point you only
need to look at the basic categories until we start
working on actual designs.
Start in the Drawing Workflow (top left) and in the
Home tab (immediately below) as shown at the right.
Look at the categories on the bottom of the Ribbon Attributes, Primary, Selection, Placement,
Manipulate, Modify, and Groups. If you are working
on a smaller screen, you may need to click on the small arrows at the end of the Ribbon to see all the
categories.
Just looking at the icons and names tells you what tools are
offered. For example, in the Placement group you can see Line,
Arcs, Ellipse, Polygons, and Text tools. Click on the Line Tools
icon and look at the Tool Settings window in the view. First
notice that the Element Selection tool-settings have been replaced
by the settings for the Place SmartLine tool. Clicking on any of
the other tools in the Placement group will result in different
settings in the Tool Settings window. This is obviously where you
make the necessary settings for most tools.
Click on the small down-arrow that is part of the Line Tools icon. You will see the two available
line tools, Place SmartLine and Place Line. Try this on the other tools to see their available options.
Select other tools to see their setting in the Tool Settings window.
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Note that the name of the currently-selected tool is also displayed in the Status Line at the bottom of
the screen, along with a prompt on how to start using the tool. For example, select the SmartLine
tool and the prompt will ask you to enter the first vertex of the line. Watch the prompts as you datapoint (click) in the view window to define the first vertex, drag and data-point again to place the
second vertex, and so on. To stop the tool, right-click your mouse. After a while you wont need to
look at the prompts unless you are using a tool you havent used before.
Look at the Home/Attributes group at the left of the
Ribbon.
These settings allow you to quickly change the
active element attributes. In other words, what
current Element Templates, Level, Color, Line Style, Line Weight, Transparency, and Priority you
have chosen for the elements you are drawing. (An element is any line, circle, curve, etc., placed in
the drawing.) Right-click anywhere in the bar to see more settings to display.
To see the available selections, simply click on each of the items in turn. A menu will drop down
allowing you to make a selection. Each selection becomes the current attribute. We are initially
interested in the Level, Color, Line Style, and Weight settings. Feel free to experiment drawing
elements with different color, line style, and weight attributes. You will work with element
attributes later, so return the settings to their default values as shown above.
Just about everything in MicroStation is customizable, including the Ribbon. Take a look:
Step 1
Click on the File tab at the top left of the Ribbon.
This takes you to the file Open page, but where you can also access the various program settings.
Step 2
On the left side, click on Settings/User in the blue list.
Now you see a list of the program settings. Click on the Customize Ribbon option.
If you are familiar with Word or Excel, you will recognize the procedure. Items in the left-hand
column can be dragged to the right-hand column to be added to the appropriate Ribbon groups.
Conversely, items can be removed from the right-hand groups. Dont make any changes, but take a
quick look at the tools and setting available on the left-hand list. Close when done.
While you are in the File listings, also take a look at the various options in the blue list. This list
contains general Windows type administrative tools that relate to file management, printing, and
help screens. Take a quick look too, at the other User Settings options on the right (but dont change
anything!) To get back to your design, click the left-pointing arrow at the top left.
Although technically not part of the
Ribbon, the Quick Access toolbar sits at
the top-left of the screen and provides a
few housekeeping tools. Note that
you can customize the contents of the toolbar to suit your requirements.
One thing you should do in the Quick Access tool bar is to click on the down-arrow at the right and
turn ON the Element Selection option. This is a quick method of starting the Element Selection tool,
a tool you will use many times in a design session, but which is not always available when working
in other tool tabs.
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ACCUDRAW SETTINGS BOX

AccuDraw is a very important drawing tool, so much so
that Module 7 is devoted to AccuDraw. Its settings box
is docked at the bottom of the screen.
For the moment all you need to know is that this is mainly where you enter dimensional and angle
information to control the drawing process. You are likely seeing the X and Y axes values displayed
in the box, but it will also display angle and distance values.
DOCKING TOOL BOXES

In addition to the tools in the Ribbon you will often need access to specialized tool boxes on a
constant basis. You will want to have these boxes on the screen all the time, but this takes up
valuable window real estate. A partial answer to this problem is to dock the tool boxes on the top,
bottom, or sides of the screen. A good example is the AccuDraw settings box mentioned above
which is docked at the bottom of the screen.
To undock it, click-and-hold any edge until a four-arrow icon
appears, then drag it upward into the view window.
The box is now undocked from the edge and resizes to a floating
dialog box. To see the full docking effect, drag the box back to the
edge and dock it again in the same place. It returns to its default
shape.
AccuDraw undocked.
Most dialog boxes like this can be docked, not just on that edge, but to the left and right edges and
above. Try docking the Tool Settings window on the left and right sides. Note the small docking
icon that displays as you drag the box. Dropping the box on the icon initiates the docking. See if
you can find how to undock it by looking at the boxs header.
This seems like a very convenient way of accessing tools, but if you are working on a small monitor
be aware that as you dock more and more boxes, the size of the drawing window will shrink giving
you less room to work. The Ribbon takes up enough room as it is. The trick then, is to limit the
docked and floating boxes to an absolute minimum. Close unneeded boxes by dragging them back
onto the screen and clicking on the small X at the top-right corner of each tool box.
In addition too simply dragging a tool box or dialog box to take up space at the screens edges, you
can take advantage of the docking system that pins a tool box or dialog box to an edge, but which
auto-hides the box to a small tab when not in use. Try the following:
Step 1
Step 2
Step 3
Press Ctrl-e to open the Level Display dialog box.

Click-and-hold on the title bar of the box and drag it toward the right edge of the screen.
Drag and drop the cursor holding the box on the right-hand docking icon.
It wont work unless you drop the cursor on the icon.

The dialog box is now docked along the entire depth of the right edge. This may not be too
advantageous since it takes up a lot of screen space.
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However, notice the small pin icon

at the top-right of the box. Click on this to fully dock the
box to a small tab as shown at the left. Screen space is now almost fully restored.
To open the dialog box again just move the cursor over the tab and the box is fully displayed.
Notice that the pin icon is now horizontal indicating that the box is pinned to the edge.
Moving the cursor out of the box causes the box to revert to the small tab. To force the box
to remain open, click on the pin icon.
When the pin is in the horizontal position, it cannot be moved from the edge, but when the
pin is vertical the box and be detached from the edge by double-clicking the boxs title bar.
This is a very efficient method of working and conserving screen space. You often need to
access dialog boxes and it is time consuming to open and close boxes on a regular basis.
Not all dialog boxes can be docked this way. You will find a current list in the Help files if you
index for Dockable. Or, you can simply drag a dialog to see if the docking icons display. If they
dont, you cant dock the box.
VIEW ATTRIBUTES
For each of the open views on your screen you can control how
the view looks and what is displayed in the view. To see the
options do the following:
Step 1
Step 2
In the Ribbon, click on the View tab.

Click on the View Attributes icon in the
Presentation group (or use the smaller
icon in the View Controls on each open view).
The View Attributes settings box is displayed. (You can also

quickly access this settings box by pressing Ctrl-B.)
Generally, you will not need to change the default attributes
shown, but you will be changing one or two of the settings as you
proceed through the Modules.
For example, turn OFF the Grid option in the box. You will not be drawing with the grid for a while
and the grid lines are a distraction in the views. You can also turn OFF the ACS icon which has
minimal use in this Manual and can also be distracting.
Changes to settings are activated immediately. As you can see, at the top of the box you can also
choose which view to apply the settings. Clicking on the Apply To All
button imposes the settings on all open view windows. Do not change
TOOL TIP !
the Display Style setting.
You can apply individual
If you are not working with a new copy of Microstation, the settings in
this box may be different from those shown here. In that case it would
be helpful if you were to make your settings the same as those shown
in the illustration.
As a matter of interest, you can save the attributes and content of a
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attributes to each open view

window. Simply select the
appropriate view number
when applying the
attributes.
view through the View/Saved Views dialog box (later). A Saved View can then be recalled for later
use if you expand the dialog box using the down-pointing arrow at the bottom of the box.
Close the View Attributes box when you are finished and return to the Home tab.
2.3 USING SETTINGS BOXES AND DIALOG BOXES

Since you will be constantly entering values and information in settings and dialog boxes, you need
to look at the way MicroStation accepts these inputs.
In general, a settings box can be left on the screen while you draw or edit, and usually allows you to
change setting and values on-the-fly while using a tool. Dialog boxes on the other hand, usually
require the boxes to be closed before proceeding. The difference between them can be quite subtle,
but once you are used to using them the differences become unimportant.
A good example of a settings box is the Locks settings box.
Do the following: In the Status Line at the bottom of the screen, click
on the Lock symbol. A list of items is displayed which can be clicked on
to lock or unlock. Dont click on any of these
Instead, click on the very small square and arrow at the bottom-right
corner of the list. This is called a Dialog Launcher. You will now see
the settings box shown at the right.
This box contains Check boxes in which you switch a setting ON or
OFF. The check box for Snap Lock should have a T, meaning that
the setting is ON. If you want to try turning it off do so, but be sure to
turn it on again when you are finished.
In the Axis and Unit boxes there are value settings boxes called fields.
There are several ways to change these values, but in each case you
input the new value in the field using the keyboard and accept the new
value with the Enter or Tab key. The value will not be changed unless
you use the Enter or Tab key.
There are four different ways to change the value in a field:
1.
2.
3.
4.
Double-click in the field to highlight the current value.

Type-in the new value.
Click and hold the pointer at the front or the end of the value
and drag (or swipe) the across the value so that it is
highlighted. Type-in the new value.
If you are changing several value boxes in a row, use the
Tab key on the keyboard to tab from field to field. You can
type-in new values as each field highlights.
Put the cursor at the front or end of the existing value and
use either the delete or backspace keys to delete the existing
value. Type-in the new value.
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TOOL TIP !
Most settings boxes can
be left on the screen and
values changed during
drawing or editing
actions.
Settings boxes like the Locks box can be left in the window and its values can be changed at any
time during or between drawing and editing operations. Being able to change settings and values
when you have a tool active makes for very efficient drawing and editing operations. Boxes of this
type are called Non-Modal in MicroStation.
Dialog and settings boxes can be transparent. Right-click on the head of a box and select
Transparency. Adjust the transparency value to suit your screen display.
TOOL TIP !
When some tools are
active, the Tool Settings
window will contain a
three-dot icon. Clicking
on this icon will open the
settings box associated
with this tool.
TOOL TIP !
Some setting boxes
have small arrows at
the bottom-right of the
box. Clicking on the
arrow expands the
box to offer more
options.
TOOL TIP !
Right-clicking in text
input fields will pop-up
a list of editing
options allowing you
to copy, cut, paste, or
delete selected text.
Practice the four methods of changing values in fields right now. Use the Axis/Start Angle field in
the Locks settings box. You are entering an angle in this field, so use numbers such as 50.25, 227,
27.158, etc. When you are finished, be sure to set the value back to its default of zero, and to close
the Locks settings box.
An example of a dialog box is one that you have already used, when you first made and opened the
Start.dgn file you are now working in. This box had to be closed by accepting a file selection before
you could proceed. Values in these boxes are generally chosen from a list or entered as you would
in a settings value box. Boxes of this type are called Modal in MicroStation.
TOOL TIP !
You can control which items display in most tools and settings
windows by right-clicking on the head of a window. Try this in the
boxes you have seen so far and note the available options.
THE DESIGN FILE SETTINGS BOX

For more practice working with settings boxes, open
the Design File settings box from the Ribbon
through File/Settings/File (in the Settings column)
/Design File Settings. The settings in this box are
important in that they control many of the general
settings that define how you draw and edit in the
design you are working on. You will be changing
many of the settings in this box during this Manual.
A list of the available setting options is displayed on
the left of the box, while the specific settings for
each option are displayed on the right. Click on each
option to see the settings window change. All
settings are specific to individual design files and will be recalled as each file is opened. A brief
description of each option is displayed at the bottom of the box when you click in each setting.
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For example, click on the Color option to see the default colors for the Element Highlight Color, the
Drawing Pointer Color, and the Selection Set Color.
If you select the Working Units settings you will see that you current design file has Imperial units.
This was imported from the seed file you used when opened your new design. You will be looking
closely at these settings later.
For the moment, please dont change any setting is this box.
2.4 MICROSTATIONS MODELS

When you start to draw in MicroStation in the next Module, you should be aware of exactly where
you are placing elements. MicroStation uses a system of Models which can be thought of as
individual drawings contained within the actual design file.
Think of it this way: You have opened a new design file called Start. This design file is really a
container for one or more models in which you actually place elements. When you create a new
file as you have done, MicroStation automatically creates a default model called 2D Imperial
Design in the design file. It is this model that you are currently seeing on your screen, and the
model name is confirmed in the title of the view window: View 1, 2D Imperial Design.
You can create as many additional models as you wish and you do this through the Ribbon at
Home/Primary/Models. This facility allows you to isolate different parts of a project in different
models which can be helpful in the design process. Each model can have its own set of attributes,
levels, views, font styles, dimension styles, etc.
There are three types of models: Design models (black background - the one you are in now) that are
intended for the elements and information of a project, and Sheet models (white background) that are
used to assemble the various parts of a project for plotting and printing. Sheet models will be
discussed in the Level 2 Manual when working with References. The third model type is Drawing
which will not be discussed in this Manual.
In this Manual you dont need to worry about the model concept other than to be aware of it. All
your drawings and exercises will be done in the default model and you will not be creating any
others, even though I will be talking about models on occasion. You will use models extensively in
the Level 2 and Level 3 Manuals.
In this Manual I will be using a white background for the screen captures, whereas your design
model views will have a black background. This for greater clarity on the pages.
2.5 SAVING the DESIGN and CLOSING MICROSTATION

SAVING YOUR DESIGN
To see the automatic options that MicroStation provides for saving your design, do the following:
Step 1
From the Ribbon, click on File/Settings/User/Preferences/Operation.
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First look at the Auto-save Design Changes

option. With this option ON, MicroStation
immediately and automatically saves the drawing
changes to disk. In other words, your design file
on disk is always up to date and you do not need
to keep saving your work as you proceed. This is
an important safety feature. Should the power fail
or your machine crash, your design is safe on the
disk, fully up to date. Make sure that the Autosave Design Changes option is ON.
The second important option to look at is to Save
Settings on Exit. The settings saved include the
active settings, Working Units, window
arrangements, etc., that you have set specifically
for each design file. Again, this option should be
ON. If it is not then you will lose the settings as
you exit the design (and its very tedious to keep resetting them!)
The third option to consider is Compress File on Exit. When you
delete elements, MicroStation does not actually remove them from
the file, but saves them in case you may need to undo the deletions.
If you are working on a large file, you will need to compress the
design file occasionally to reduce the file size. For our purposes, set
this option to ON to have this done automatically on close.
TOOL TIP !
If you happen to get lost while
making adjustments to the
screen interface (and any
other setting) you can return
to the default interface by
turning off the Save Settings
on Exit option and reopening
MicroStation. Remember to
turn the setting back on again
after reopening the file!
SAVE-AS FEATURE
You may save the design you are currently working on through the Save As feature under the File
menu. You usually do this to make a second copy of your design for use as a backup or to use as the
seed file for a similar design. The Save As dialog box is similar to the New file box and you may
save the new file to the same or a different directory path.
Caution: If you use this feature to save the file you are working on, and you intend to continue
working in this design in your current drawing session, be aware that MicroStation will switch its
focus to that of the file you just saved. In other words, if you Save-As your current file to a second
drive, MicroStation will now work from that other drive and will attempt to save your design
changes there. This will slow your work considerably if you save to an A: drive. More important,
the main file on the original drive will not be changed. If you want to make backup copies of your
working files, it is best to copy the files using a separate file manager such as Widows Explorer or
use the Backup function discussed below.
MAKING A BACKUP FILE

MicroStation does not automatically make a specific backup file, but you can easily create one. On
the Ribbon go to Home/Primary/More/Key-in.
The Key-in dialog box that opens is where you
enter individual commands to the system. In the top box type backup and press Enter on the
keyboard. Your file will be backed up in the backup folder.
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Where is the backup folder you ask? The default location of the backup folder can be found by
going to File/Settings/Configuration/Configuration Variables. This dialog box displays the
configuration setting for the software (do not experiment here!) Look for and click on the Temp
and Backup Files item on the left side. The path to the default backup location is shown in the
Expansion box. You can change the path to something a little more user friendly by editing the path
in the Expansion box to something like c:\backup\ if you create a c:\backup folder.
EXITING YOUR DESIGN

There are two ways to exit MicroStation:
1.
2.
Click on the X symbol at the top-right of the screen.

Use File/Exit.
Note: If you use the Close option in the File list, you will close all open files and return to the Open
page, therefore not actually closing MicroStation.
Exit MicroStation now.
2.6 WORKSPACE AND WORKSET

As mentioned earlier, MicroStation has a system of Workspaces and Worksets in which to contain
and provide order for large projects. We will not be using either in this Manual, but you should be
aware of this management system, especially if you will be working on large projects. Do the
following:
Step 1
Open MicroStation again.
You are presented with the Open page and you will see one or more Recent Files. It will also note
that there are No WorkSpace and No WorkSet. If you want to set up both, do the following:
Step 2
Step 3
Step 4
Click on the No WorkSpace text.

In the dialog box that displays, click on Create WorkSpace at the bottom.
Enter appropriate information about your project. I will enter Microstation Level 1
Training as the Project Name.
Note the folder paths to the various configuration files that now display in the Folder Locations
section of the box.
Step 5
Step 6
Click OK to close the box, and click on the Create a WorkSet option that now displays.
Enter the information for the new WorkSet.
A WorkSet is a subset of the main Project WorkSpace and usually contains the working drawings
and other documentation for specific parts of the project. In my case I will enter Module 2
Working Drawings so I can store and recall the specific designs and documents relating Module 2.
Large projects need to be compartmentalized like this for easy access by all involved in a project.
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You can have as many WorkSets as necessary in a project WorkSpace. When you want to open a
design, you would first select the WorkSpace and the WorkSet containing your design. All designs
and documents would then display in the Recent Files list for selection and opening.
You can edit an existing WorkSet from the right-hand side of the Open dialog where the current
WorkSet details are displayed.
There is much more information available in the Help pages on this subject. For our purposes in this
Manual, WorkSpaces and WorkSets are an unnecessary complications and wont be discussed
further, but feel free to use them if you feel it would be advantageous.
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MICROSTATION CONNECT
2D LEVEL 1
Module
LINES, CIRCLES, and VIEW

CONTROLS
24 Pimlico Drive
L9H 6J5
Phone 905-628-8237
Module 3 of 19
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MicroStation 10 Connect - 2D Level 1 Modules
Module Information
Prerequisites:
Introduction:
In this Module you become familiar with two of the basic drawing tools.
Drawing accuracy is not important and you will not look very closely at the tool
options. The intention is simply for you to become comfortable with the
general way MicroStation draws and the inputs it requires. You will also use
the view window display tools, and see how the multiple windows option can be
of great advantage when working on complex designs.
Objective(s):
3.1
3.2
3.3
3.4
3.5
3.6
3.7
Time:
Start MicroStation and reopen a file.

Identify, understand, and apply usage of the left and right mouse
buttons.
Open tools from the Ribbon, and select and apply Line and Circle
drawing tools.
Identify View Window Controls and apply the controls to a sample
drawing.
Identify and apply Help facilities.
Escape key usage.
Other Key/Button combinations.
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DISCUSSION:
3.1 REOPENING THE DESIGN FILE
Start MicroStation again. You are presented with the familiar Open screen. As you can see, MicroStation
lists the design files you previously used, on the assumption that you will want to load the same files again.
If you want to reduce this list, right-click on a file and select Remove from list.
Open the Start.dgn file.
3.2 USING THE MOUSE

You used the left mouse button in the previous Module as a pointing or clicking
device. As you start to draw, however, you need to know the other functions the
mouse performs. For the moment you need only be concerned with the left ,
right, and middle (wheel) buttons. In Module 5 you will look at manual snaps
which require the use of two mouse buttons at the same time.
You should be using a wheel-mouse for best functionality in MicroStation,
and the instruction is based on that assumption.
The left and right buttons serve the following functions:

BUTTON
FUNCTION
DESCRIPTION
LEFT button.
Referred to as the
DATA button.
Selection
Selects tools in tool boxes. Selects switches and fields in

settings and dialog boxes. Selects elements in drawing
windows when the Element Selection tool is activated
(discussed later).
Data
When a drawing or editing tool is active, the Data button

places a data point in the design.
Confirmation
Confirms and accepts tool actions in certain

circumstances, particularly when editing elements.
Rejection
Stops the action of a tool.
Step Backward
Steps backward in some tool operations.
Termination
Terminates some input modes.
Tool Pop-up
Pops-up a tool list if held down.
Zoom
Zooms the view.
Pan
Pans the view when pressing the Alt button.
RIGHT button.
Referred to as the
RESET button.
WHEEL button.
Referred to as the
MIDDLE button.
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MOUSE BUTTON SETTINGS

To see how your system is currently set and, if necessary, to reset the button options, you need to
look at the Button Assignments settings box. Do the following:
Step1
Go to File/Settings/User/Button Assignments.
The Button Assignments box displays, showing the current

mouse button and control key assignments. You can
experiment with the assignments on your own, but you are
interested in the Remap Buttons button.
Step 2
Click on Remap Buttons.
The Button Mapping dialog box displays, showing the

current button assignments.
The left column lists the mouse button action while

the right column shows which mouse button invokes
that action. For example, the first line should
indicate that the data-button is invoked by the left
mouse button. You know this already since you have
been using the left mouse button to place data-points.
You need to be sure your settings are the same as
shown at the left (first four lines only).
HOW TO CHANGE THE SETTINGS

TOOL TIP !
Only if you need to change a setting, do the following:

Step 1
Step 2
Step 3
Click on the line to be changed so that it highlights.

Place the cursor arrow in the Button Definition Area at the
bottom of the box.
Press the appropriate mouse button.
When setting the

Button assignments,
your pointer must be
placed in the Button
Definition Area when
you press the button or
button combination.
Note: The Tentative setting requires that you press the left and right
buttons together. The Xbutton 1 requires you to press the wheel (Middle
button).
The setting in the Invoked by column will change to reflect the button combinations you pressed.
Do not change any other settings and click on OK to close the settings box when you are finished.
In addition to the single use of a button there are some keyboard-button combinations that are
important. Rather than look at these combinations now, it makes more sense to use them later in the
Manual when you are in a drawing or editing mode. The same goes for the regular uses for each
button.
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For the rest of this Manual, the left button will be referred to
as the DATA BUTTON and the right button as the RESET
BUTTON. For example, you will be asked to data-point
somewhere in the drawing or on an element. To do this you
will simply left-click with the left mouse button. The wheel
will be referred to either the WHEEL or MIDDLE BUTTON
depending on its function at that time.
TOOL TIP !
The right mouse button cannot be
used as an enter key (as it is used
in other CAD software).
3.3 FINDING AND SELECTING TOOLS

Now that you are familiar with the general layout of the screen, the windows, and the mouse buttons,
you can start working with some of the basic drawing and editing tools. First you need to look at the
Ribbon which contains most of the commonly used tools.
So that we are each starting in the same place, be in the Home tab
of the Ribbon.
The general drawing tools are in the Placement group of the
Ribbon. Each tool icon is a tool group and has a drop-down arrow
with which to display all the tools in that group. Click on each of
the groups drop-downs to see the available tools.
At the top line of the screen at the left next to the MicroStation icon, you
will see a drop-down box which should currently display the Drawing
workflow. Click on the box and select Task Navigation workflow from
the list of two. The Ribbon changes to display similar groups to those
Home Tab of the Drawing workflow. Notice though that there is only
one Tab compared to the Drawing workflow which has many. The Task
Navigation workflow is primarily for customizing the workflow by
adding custom groups and tools. This customization is covered in the
Level 2 Manual, so work in the Drawing workflow for the Level 1
Manual.
General drawing tools.
TOOL TIP !
Holding down the Reset
mouse button will pop-up
a list of editing tools and
other functions. Use this
method for most editing
operations.
A power-user way to start tools is the Position Mapping system in which all keys on the keyboard
are assigned numbers or letters which correspond to specific
tools. Tools are started by entering the appropriate key
combination on the keyboard. This can be a fast method of
drawing, but also very memory intensive. If you are interested
in this, look for it in the Help screens.
Dont be too concerned about memorizing the tool group names
yet. Keep in mind that the tools are presented in a way that
enables professional and power-users of MicroStation to
maximize their workflow.
If you cant find a particular tool, use the Search Ribbon box at
the top-right of the screen. A list of possible tools will display
when you enter a query.
There are also many other tools that are not located on the
Ribbon. Open these now from File/Settings/User/Tool Boxes
(or just press Ctrl-T).
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You can see the list of available tools and clicking on them will float that tool box on the screen. If
you need to work extensively with a particular tool box you can dock it on the screen edges,
otherwise close the boxes after use to maximize drawing space.
For example, find the Isometric tool box and click its box. The toolbox displays on the
screen and you can drag it to a suitable location. You can now use the two tools in the
box.
Try other tool boxes, but note that the Legacy tool boxes are tools from previous
versions and you dont need to use those. Close all tool boxes before continuing.
POPUPS
Another method of accessing tools is through the Ribbongroup Popups. Simply press the spacebar at any time and
the Popups will display at the cursor location. Click in the
view to dismiss the Popups.
If you look carefully at the items you will notice that the
upper and lower rows contain Ribbon groups, while the
middle row contains individual tools. Try clicking on samples of each type to see what is displayed
or started.
If you need to save screen space you can minimize the Ribbon by clicking the arrow next to the Help
icon at the top right of the Ribbon, then use the Popups as the tool selection method. As always, the
Popups can be customized to add more options if necessary. As a personal preference you may find
this tool selection method to be more efficient than using the Ribbon itself.
PLACING ELEMENTS
Now you understand most of the interface, lets actually draw something.
Try this:
Step 1
In the Ribbon click on the down-arrow of the Line Tools icon and
select the Line tool. If you had simply clicked the icon the
SmartLine tool would have been started.
As soon as you select the Place Line tool the Tool
Settings window displays the options available for that tool. In this case the
only options are to set a specific length or angle for any lines to be drawn.
You will not be using either of these options in this Manual since there are
other, better ways of specifying the length and angle of a line (AccuDraw in
Module 7).
If you wish, you can experiment with entering values in the two boxes to see the effects, but
remember to uncheck the two small boxes when you are finished. If you dont, you will be locked
to a set line length or angle and will be unable to continue the instruction in this Module.
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Keep your eye on the Status Bar at the bottom of the screen for tool prompts and other information,
and on the AccuDraw setting box for dimensional information.
In the view the cursor changes to a cross shape, indicating you have a tool
active but have placed no data points as yet. Now draw some lines in the
window:
Step 2
Step 3
With the Data button, pick a series of points in the window to draw
random lines.
To stop the Place Line tool, press the Reset button (right mouse
button) once.
Just draw lines anywhere, without being concerned about shape or length, or the changing numbers
in the AccuDraw Settings Box.
Notice that the cursor changes to an X shape while you
are placing data points. This indicates that the tool is
active and is currently in use. You will also notice a
rectangular compass that attaches itself to the lines as
you draw. This is the AccuDraw compass which will be
discussed in detail in Module 7. Ignore the compass until
we get to that Module. You may (or may not) also notice a
curved icon with three dots appearing as you move the
cursor. This relates to snaps and you should ignore that
too.
TOOL TIP !
It is important to note
that when a tool is
selected, it remains
active until replaced
by another tool. You
do not need to select
the same tool again to
repeat the drawing or
editing operation.
TOOL TIP !
If you wish you can have MicroStation
display a Full Screen Cursor . This is
very useful for aligning elements and
placing selection boxes or fences. To
change the cursor go to
File/User/Preferences/Input and select
Pointer Size: Full View.
When you Reset to stop the tool, the cursor reverts to the cross shape indicating
that the tool is still active but not currently in use (unless you are using the full
screen cursor). If you intend to use the same tool again, you do not need to reselect
it from the toolbox. You can also tell the tool is still active because the tools name
still shows in the Status bar.
Notice also that as you move the cursor, the line you are placing is attached to the
data-point and the cursor at the other. This is called rubber-banding and
dynamically shows where the line is being drawn. All drawing tools and some
editing tools use this dynamic rubber-banding visual assistance.
Practice using the tool by data-pointing, drawing lines, and stopping the tool with
the Reset (right) button. Remember not to click on the tools icon in the Ribbon to draw new
drawing lines.
DRAWING CIRCLES
Now try the Place Circle tool in the same Ribbon group. The name is Ellipse Tools but
MicroStation sees a circle as an ellipse with equal major and minor axes! Just click on the
Ellipse Tools icon, not the down-arrow.
The Tool Settings window displays the options for the Circle tool. If you click
on the Method box you will see that you have three choices: Center, Edge, and
Diameter. For the moment leave the Center default as the selected option. You
will see the other options in a later Module.
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With the Place Circle tool active , data-point to pick a center point and drag the circles radius.
You may dynamically draw a circle in one of two ways:
Method One:
Data-point the center, release the Data button, rubber-band

the radius, and data-point the position of the radius, or
Method Two:
Data-point the center, hold the Data button, rubber-band the

radius, and release the data button.
These two methods of drawing a circle are typical of the way MicroStation
tools work, and there is often more than one way to use a tool. Why the difference? Well, you will
find that the second method is best when you use Snaps later in this Manual. The second method is
also slightly faster, requiring one less mouse click to draw the circle. Try the same two placement
methods with the Place Line tool and see what happens.
Since the currently-selected tool is always active, it is good safety practice to select the Element
Selection tool when you are finished with drawing or editing tools. This avoids unwanted surprises!
Continue drawing lines and circles, and try some of the other line and the ellipse tools as well,
although you will be looking at each tool in detail in later Modules.
3.4 USING the VIEW CONTROL TOOLS

Controlling what you see in a view is obviously very important, and there are several ways to
provide that control.
MOUSE-WHEEL ZOOM
The quickest and preferred way to zoom in and out is to use the wheel of a wheel-mouse. Simply
turn the wheel to zoom the view. In addition to zooming, you can move the view display diagonally
by locating the pointer in off-center locations.
The wheel-zoom settings can be found in File/Settings/User/Preferences/Wheel Mouse. The default
zoom value is 1.75, but I personally prefer a value of 1.25. See which you prefer.
If you find that your wheel does not zoom the view, you may need to change the mouse settings in
your operating system. The typical setting for the wheel button in Windows is Middle Button, but
this may vary with your mouse type. You will need to go to the Windows Control Panel to find the
current settings.
VIEW WINDOW TOOLS
The most immediate method is to use the view
control tools located on each open view window. By default you will find these at the top-left of
each view window. These tools are always available, and you can relocate them if necessary. Go to
File/Settings/User/Preferences/View Options. At the top of the dialog box make sure that View Tool
Box is ON. If you drop down the list you will see the optional tool locations in the view window.
The tools work immediately on the active view, and on all other open views with a data-point in
those views.
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There are several other settings in this dialog box that you might want
to investigate. Click in the header of the box and press F1 to open the
help page for the dialog box. Apply this query method to all dialog
boxes and all tools activated in the Tool Settings Window.
As you use these controls it is important to keep in mind that the
controls only affect how the views contents are displayed. They do not
affect the elements in your design.
Also, dont forget to read the tool descriptions and prompts in the
Status bar, and the tool settings in the Tool Settings window.
TOOL TIP !
All View Control tools can
be used during a drawing
or editing operation. You
do not need to stop an
operation to use any of
these tools. After using a
view tool, press Reset to
cancel the view tool and
return to the drawing or
editing operation already
in progress.
Lets take a look at the tools. Ignore the first three tools.
UPDATE VIEW
Refreshes all elements in the view. Needed if some operations leave odd bits of elements in the
view.
ZOOM IN
Displays a fixed window that defines an area to zoom to. You will find the mouse wheel is more
efficient.
ZOOM-OUT TOOL
Simply zooms out the view. Repeated Data-button clicks in the view zoom the view out further.
Control the location of the zoomed location by data-pointing in different view locations. Again, the
mouse wheel is more efficient.
WINDOW AREA
Zooming in and out with the wheel or the zoom tools is efficient, but when you want to look at very
specific area, use the Window Area tool:
Step 1
Step 2
Step 3
Data-point on the Window Area icon.

Pick a first Data-point in the view.
Drag the displayed rectangle and pick a second Data-point in the view.
The prompt asks you to pick a rectangular area in the view using two Data-points. When you do so,
the area you picked is zoomed to fill the view. Before you place the second Data-point, notice the
dynamic way the window-area rectangle displays around your first Data-point, and that the shape of
the rectangle is the same as the views shape.
FIT VIEW
Displays all elements in the view. Very useful if you have lost sight of elements after a zoom.
ROTATE VIEW
There are three methods of rotating a view. The Dynamic option requires a first data-point, and then
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mouse movement to start the rotation. The rotation occurs around the center of the view. The 2Points method requires two data-points in the window to rotate the view. To remove the rotation,
start the tool again and select Unrotated in the Tool Settings window.
PAN VIEW
After starting the Pan View tool the cursor changes to a hand icon. Click and drag to pan the view.
You can achieve roughly the same effect using the mouse wheel with the cursor located in the outer
edges of the view. You should be aware that panning does not move elements; it only changes the
position of the view in relation to the elements.
VIEW PREVIOUS and VIEW NEXT
To quickly return to previous views, both backward and forward, use the View Previous and View
Next tools.
Depending on which control you use, the view display is moved down or up the previous view
displays which MicroStation automatically saves in memory.
COPY VIEW
This tool copies the arrangement of the active view to another open view window. The elements are
not copied: the two views are just identical.
Ignore the last two view controls. These will be used in the Level 2 Manual. In fact, they can be
turned off for this Manual by right-clicking on any of the view tools. The list of tools is displayed
and can you can turn tools on or off as required. As I have already mentioned, right-clicking a
heading or tool will usually display its settings.
By default, scroll bars are not displayed on view windows. To see scroll bars, go to
File/Settings/User/Preferences/View Options and turn on Scroll Bars. The scroll bars pan the view
in separate vertical or horizontal movements. However, they consume valuable view space and are
not very efficient, and I would suggest leaving them off.
THE DRAWING/VIEW/TOOLS GROUP

There are essentially the same view-control tools on the
Ribbon in the View Tab/Tools group. You can also access
this group by pressing Shift-right-click in a view window.
There are three additional Display Set tools in this group that allow
you to isolate specific elements in a design, so that you only see
those elements. I will be discussing these tool in the next Module
after you become familiar with selection elements.
The View Orientation tool is similar to the Rotate View tool you
looked at previously.
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TOOL TIP !
For quick tool access,
pressing Shift-Right-click will
pop-up the View Controls
Ribbon group in a view.
Now that you are familiar with the individual View Controls, its time to combine them with other
aspects of views and tool usage.
VIEW CONTROLS and TOOLS

You have seen and practiced the action of the view controls as stand-alone functions without
relating them to tool usage. But what do you do if you need to use one of the controls while using a
drawing or editing tool? No problem, but depending on which view control you use, you may need
to issue a Reset to continue using a tool. Try the following:
Step 1
Start the Place Line tool and draw some lines, but do not Reset to stop the tool.
In other words, the Place Line tool is still active (rubber-banding) and is waiting for the next Datapoint to continue placing lines.
Step 2
Click on the Window Area control (switch to the View tab for this).
The Line tool will be suspended (the rubber-banding will stop).

Step 3
Pick two Data-points for the Window Area.
You are now zoomed-in to an area of the window, but notice that the Window Area tool is still
highlighted in the View Control bar. If necessary, you could use the Window Area control again to
zoom further into the design. Assuming that you have zoomed in enough:
Step 3
Step 4
Reset to stop the Window Area control.

Continue using the Place Line tool.
By Resetting you deselect the Window Area control and return the focus to the Place Line tool
waiting in the background.
Remember I said that you may or may not need to issue a Reset to continue using a tool? You will
find that all the View Controls require a Reset except the View Previous and View Next controls,
which do not remain active after their use (nor does Update View when only a single window is
open).
This is an important View Control technique and you need to practice until you are very comfortable
with the actions and results. Dont forget that you can use the wheel-zoom at any time during an
operation without disturbing the current tool.
MULTIPLE VIEW DISPLAYS

Use the View Toggles at the bottom-left of the window to
open Views 2 and 3.
For the best arrangement of the views, Tile the views
using View/Window/Tile. Your views should look similar
to the illustration at the right. Note that you can have up
to eight view windows open at one time.
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ACTIVE WINDOWS
A very important feature is the way in which the view windows work. All views are active all the
time. This means that you can, for example, start to draw a line in View 1 and end the line in View
3.
Why is this important? If you are working on a large and complex design, you will want to arrange
the content of your views so that they show different parts of the drawing. You can then easily draw
a line from a small area in View 1, continue the line to another element in View 2, continue again to
another element in View 3, and so on. If the views are positioned and zoomed correctly, you do not
need to pan or zoom to see the fine details at different parts of the design.
Try this now. You should already have three views and some elements on your screen. Do the
following:
Step 1
Step 2
Zoom each view to display different parts of your design.

Start the Place Line tool, data-point in the first view, then data-point in the third view.
Try this procedure in different ways to fully understand how it works. As well, change the zoom in
each view as you drag the line. You will use this technique extensively when you work on complex
drawings.
When you are finished testing the window controls, close all windows except View 1, then maximize
View 1 to fill the screen, and use the Fit View control to see all the elements.
Be careful not to turn all views off! If you do you will see a plain-colored background that appears
to be an active view, but you will find that you cannot draw in this apparent view.
VIEW GROUPS
To assist in quickly turning on or off several views at a time, you can create View Groups to save the
current arrangement of open views, which can then be recalled at a later time.
To create a View Group:
Step 1
Step 2
Open and arrange as many views as necessary to suit your current design requirements.
Click on the Manage View Groups icon in
the View Groups settings box.
The Manage View Groups settings box opens and you

can save the current view arrangement.
On thing to keep in mind is that the view groups must be
named in relation to the model they are in. In your case, since
you havent created any other models, the view groups will
be created in the 2D Imperial Design model that is currently
open.
Step 3
Step 4
Step 5
Click on the Create View Group icon.

Change the Name to Default Views-1".
Enter a Description of the current view
arrangement.
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Step 6
Click on OK.
You will see the saved View Group in the Manage View Groups settings box.
To recall a View Group, double-click on the group name in the Manage View Groups box, or click
on the group in the View Groups box at the bottom-left of the screen. The view arrangement saved
under the group name will be recalled and displayed on the screen.
VIEWING OPEN MODELS
In addition to saving view groups, the arrows at the left of this row are
used to quickly switch between open models in the same or different design files. For example, lets
say you have opened several different design files and you are working in several models in those
design files. You need a way to quickly reopen the models, and the Next and Previous View Groups
arrows do that. You simply click on an arrow to move through the list of open models, up or down
the list. Alternatively, you can click-and-hold the small down-arrow between the arrows to see a list
of available models from which you can select the one you want.
Its a little confusing that View Groups is used to define a saved collection of views, and to find and
load models. This happens because when you create a new model, one of the default options is to
create a view group of that model. So, when you recall a model, you are actually looking at view of
that model.
Even though you will not be opening new models in this Manual, if you open more than one design
file, you can switch between them with the arrows. You will just be switching between the Default
models of those design files.
3.5
HELP OPTIONS
MicroStation offers you an extensive array of interactive tools for obtaining information about the
program. If you are familiar with Windows and Windows software, you will already have accessed
other help systems of similar type.
Help can be accessed in several ways depending on how you want to see the relevant information.
You can, for example:
Step 1
Start any tool, hover the cursor in the header of the Tool Settings window, and press
function key F1. Help information is a web-based service so you must have an active
internet connection.
Pressing F1 opens the Help facility and automatically gives you information relating directly to that
tool. This is the quickest way of obtaining focused help. Note that the F1 key responds to almost
any aspect of MicroStation, not just tools.
A slower way, but one where you can interrogate the help files, is to use the Help pulldown menu:
Step 2
Click on the Help (blue question mark) icon at the top-right of the screen.
MicroStation displays the help menu and you enter your search term in the upper-right box.
There are additional search options at the bottom-left of the page.
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If you are really stuck on a particular problem and cannot find the information you need in the
software help systems, then there are some other avenues you can explore. A web search often
returns good results. Failing that you can go to Bentleys web site and access their information
database. The address is www.bentley.com and you should look for the Communities section.
Forums are a good source of information and you can ask questions of the participants.
3.6
ESCAPE KEY
By default the Escape key is used to switch the input focus to the Home position, while the Reset
button stops a tools action. AutoCAD users may be more comfortable using the Escape key to
cancel an operation and stop a tool.
You can use the Escape key to cancel the current command if you wish. To add this feature, go to
File/Settings/User/Preferences/Input and turn ON the Allow ESC key to stop current command
option. This works in addition to the Reset mouse button which performs the same function.
3.7
OTHER KEY/BUTTON COMBINATIONS

There are many mouse button/key combinations that perform specific tasks or shortcuts. Some
combinations will be discussed as the instruction proceeds, but it is helpful to use the Help system to
discover more. Start by searching for mouse functions and button assignments in Help.
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2D LEVEL 1
Module
SELECTING and DELETING

ELEMENTS
24 Pimlico Drive
L9H 6J5
Phone 905-628-8237
Module 4 of 19
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Module Information
Prerequisites:
Introduction:
One of the most fundamental actions you will take in MicroStation is to select
elements for editing operations. MicroStation offers several methods of
selecting individual elements or grouping elements into selection sets. In this
module you will use the Element Selection tools to build element selection sets
and then apply the Delete tools to those elements. You also need to know how
to reverse your actions with the Undo and Redo tools after deleting elements (or
after any other drawing or editing operation for that matter),
Objective(s):
4.1
4.2
4.3
4.4
4.5
Time:
Select a single element using the Element Selection tool.

Select elements using Inside and Crossing boxes.
Multi-element selection sets using the Power Selector tool.
Delete elements using the Delete tool and the Delete keyboard key.
Undo or Redo previous actions using keyboard keys or pull-down
menus.
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DISCUSSION:
Having drawn elements on the screen, now you need to know how to select them individually and to collect
elements in selection sets. It is important that you become very efficient in your ability to select elements
because every editing function uses a selection set of some kind. In fact, you are likely to spend more time
editing than actually drawing. In this Module you will learn how to use the Element Selection tool and the
Power Selector tool. In later Modules you will look at more sophisticated selection methods.
Before you start, you need to know the two methods that MicroStation uses to display selected elements. By
default, single elements selected with the Element Selection or Power Selector tools will display small,
square, handles. Elements selected by any of the editing tools will display in the default highlight color.
Element selection sets will not display the handles but will be highlighted.
To help readers of our paper manuals, dashed lines are used to indicate highlighting when handles are not
displayed on a selected element or a selection set.
4.1 SELECTING SINGLE ELEMENTS - ELEMENT SELECTION TOOL

Open your Start.dgn file. The Element Selection tool is the default tool. It
is the tool that is automatically active when you open MicroStation and the
one you are likely to use the most in any drawing session.
You should still have elements on the screen from the last exercise. If you
dont, draw a few random lines and circles similar to those at the right.
Unselected elements
SELECTING SINGLE ELEMENTS

From the previous Module, you should have added the Element Selection tool to the Quick Access
bar which is the quickest way of starting the tool.
Step 1
Start the Element Selection tool.
The cursor changes to an arrow with a small circle at the tip. This is the selection tool.
The circle indicates the area in which the tool will find elements. This is called the locate
tolerance aperture. Dont worry about this too much - so long as the arrow
tip is on or near an element, the element will be selected.
You should also be looking at the Tool Settings window to see how element
selection is currently happening. By default, selection is set to Individual
(upper icon) and New (lower icon). Set these two options if not already set.
Step 2
Move the cursor over a line element.
The line will highlight indicating that it is a selectable element. The

elements type and level are displayed as a pop-up beside the cursor. The
element is not actually selected yet.
Identified line.
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Step 3
Data-point on the line.
The line is now selected and is bracketed with handles and has the selection-set
highlight color. You now have a selection set composed of one element. You
are also given information about the selected element.
Step 3
Line with handles
Data-point on the circle element.
The element you just selected now has the handles, but the first selected element
does not. In other words, simply clicking on an element allows only one element
to be selected at a time.
Step 4
Data-point anywhere in the view, but not on an element.
Doing this unselects any elements that were part of a selection set.
Circle with handles
Try this sequence with several elements in your design.
4.2 MULTI-ELEMENT SELECTION SETS - ELEMENT SELECTION TOOL

There are several methods of selecting multiple elements. You should become very familiar with
them all.
THE CONTROL-DATA BUTTON COMBINATION
You will want to edit several elements at once, so you need to build selection sets that contain more
than one element. Do the following:
Step 1
Hold down the Control key and Data-point on several elements.
When you click on elements with the Ctrl-Data button combination, you add
each selected element to the selection set. Each single element in the set is
highlighted and their handles are displayed (highlighting shown in dashed
lines).
To remove elements from a selection set, do the following:
Step 2
Hold down the Control key and Data-point on elements to be

removed from the selection set.
Several elements
selected.
Elements are removed from the selection set as you Ctrl-Data-point them. You can keep adding or
subtracting elements from the selection set with Ctrl-Data button until you obtain the selection set
you want.
Try building up and breaking down a selection set with the elements in you design. When you are
finished, click on an empty area in the view to cancel your selection set so you can try the next
procedure.
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USING AN INSIDE SELECTION BOX

If you need to add a lot of elements to a selection set, the single-pick method will be far too timeconsuming. To add elements to a set all at once, enclose then in a selection window. Be aware that
dragging the box in different directions has a different effect, as does holding down the Shift key as
you drag the box.
Step 1
Pick-and-hold with the Data-button, drag a

rectangle from left to right around the
elements to be selected, and release the Data
button.
Using the Shift key: You may drag from right to left if
you hold down the Shift key before you release the databutton.
Only the lines are selected with an Inside

window.
All elements that are completely inside the rectangle will

become a selection set. Any element overlapping the rectangles boundary will not be selected.
Click on an empty part of the view again to release the elements from the selection set. Handles are
not shown in this case.
USING A CROSSING SELECTION BOX
To select all elements that cross the rectangle, do the
following:
Step 1
Pick-and-hold with the Data-button, drag a

rectangle from right to left across the
elements to be selected, and release the Data
button.
All elements inside and crossing the box

are selected.
Using the Shift key: You may drag from left to right if
you hold down the Shift key before you release the data-button.
USING THE ALT KEY AND LINE SELECTION
If you hold down the Alt key after starting a selection box,
the selection method switches to a crossing line which will
select any element that it crosses.
The crossing line remains in operation until you drag the
line and press Alt again, or you use another tool before
using the Element Selection tool again.
All elements crossing the line are

selected.
TOOL TIP !
Once you have made a
selection set with any of the box
methods, you can add to or
delete elements from the
selection set by using the CtrlData button sequence.
TOOL TIP !
You may also unselect
elements using the inside
and crossing box selection
methods.
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4.3 MORE MULTI-ELEMENT SELECTION SETS

The Element Selection tool is also designed to assist in making
more sophisticated selection sets. It is especially useful for power
users who can benefit from the keyboard shortcut keys that control
the selection options.
Look again at the Tool Settings Window with the Element Selection
tool active. The top line of icons is called the Methods, while the
lower row is called the Modes. The Handles option turns handles
on or off. Also shown are the Extended Settings options accessible
by clicking on the small arrow at the bottom-right of the window.
Try selecting elements using combinations of Methods and Modes.
The easiest way is to select the Method first and then cycle through
each of the Modes to see the effects.
Click on the small arrow at the bottom-right of the tools settings window to see
the Extended Settings pull-down, which provides a method of selecting elements
by their attributes. Each tab displays the type of attribute: Level, Color, Style,
Weight, Class, etc. Having specified the required attributes, data-pointing in the
view will create a selection set having those attributes.
Dont worry too much about this process - it is quite sophisticated and you wont
need it for this Manual.
The Extended
Settings pulldown.
TOOL TIP !
Its good practice to return the Methods and Modes
settings to Individual and New after making selection
sets. Unexpected selection or unselection problems
may occur if other Methods or Modes are left active.
4.4 DELETING ELEMENTS

DELETING ELEMENTS with the DELETE TOOL
There are, naturally, several methods of deleting elements. You will look at just
two of them for the moment. For the first one, the Delete tool, make sure that you
do not have an active selection set, then do the following:
Step 1
Activate the Delete Element tool in the Modify group.
As usual, the tool will stay active until replaced by another tool.
Step 2
Data-point on an element.
The selected element is highlighted as you hover the cursor over

the element, and is deleted when you data-point on the element.
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TOOL TIP !
If your element did not highlight
in color, then you need to set the
highlight color. Go to
Settings/Design File/Color and
set the Element Highlight Color
to purple and Selection Set Color
to red.
DELETING ELEMENTS with the DELETE KEY

Another (and often quicker) way to delete elements is to use the delete key on the keyboard. Do the
following:
Step 1
Step 2
Select an element with the Element Selection tool.

Use the Delete key to delete it.
Both the Delete Element tool and the delete key will delete multiple-element selection sets. Make a
selection set now, using the Ctrl-Data-point or the inside and crossing-boxes methods, and delete
the set using both deletion methods.
4.5
UNDOING and REDOING ACTIONS

FROM THE KEYBOARD
Very often after drawing or editing elements, you will realize that you
need to Undo the actions just taken. You may have made a mistake,
the drawing didnt go as planned, or the edit sequence didnt do what
you expected. MicroStation allows you to undo your actions right
back to the beginning of your current drawing session.
TOOL TIP !
Undo or Redo operations
apply only to the current
drawing session.
Since you have already done a lot of drawing and deleting in this Module, you have lots of actions
available for the undo tools. Start with the quickest way:
Step 1
Press the Control-Z key combination.
The last drawing or editing action you took will be undone. You can keep repeating this key
combination to undo your actions one step at a time. (In all these key operations, the letter may be
entered as upper or lowercase.)
Step 2
Press the Control-R key combination.
If you decide the last undo should be reversed back to its original state, Ctrl-R will Redo the action.
Try both editing functions several times until you are comfortable with the process.
FROM THE QUICK ACCESS TOOLBAR

The Undo and Redo tools are represented as counterclockwise and clockwise
arrows on the Quick Access toolbar. Click on the appropriate control to
Undo or Redo.
The Pin icon sets a bookmark in the file to which you can undo. The Undo to the Mark is
displayed if you click on the small down-arrow between the two blue arrows. You will find the Set
Mark and Undo to Mark very useful tools when you have some tricky drawing or editing to do and
you are not sure of the potential results. If you set a Mark before you start, you have the option of
undoing to that position in the drawing at any time. As your drawing work advances you can place
new Marks if you want to keep the newest elements.
There is also an option to undo All in the same pull-down, meaning that all the work done in the
current session is undone.
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2D LEVEL 1
Module
SNAPS and TENTATIVE

POINTS
24 Pimlico Drive
L9H 6J5
Phone 905-628-8237
Module 5 of 19
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Module 5 - Page 1
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The author and publisher have taken care to ensure the accuracy of the information presented in this book, but make no expressed
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Module Information
Prerequisites:
Introduction:
As mentioned in an earlier Module, one of the major attributes of any CAD

software is the ability to draw absolutely precise drawings. Such precision not
only includes dimensional accuracy but also includes accurate connections
between the elements in your drawing. This Module introduces the concept of
snapping to elements or locations that assists in the accurate placement of new
elements or the editing of existing elements.
Objective(s):
5.1
5.2
5.3
5.4
5.5
5.6
5.7
5.8
5.9
5.10
5.11
Time:
Set the Keypoint snap mode.

Identify (and change) snap options in the Locks setting box.
Use AccuSnap to automatically place tentative points and snap to
elements.
Identify element keypoint snap locations and change Divisor setting.
Identify and describe all snap modes.
Identify (and change) the tentative point button assignment and
manually place tentative points.
Perform snap override operations.
Perform cycling snap operations with simple elements.
Describe the use of tentative points as coordinate references.
Use the Shift-tentative point option to select snap modes.
Identify AccuSnap settings options.
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DISCUSSION:
It is very important that you develop speed and efficiency in the use of snaps when drawing or
editing. I strongly urge you to practice the following procedures until you are totally comfortable
with the snap options and their actions.
The process you use to ensure accurate connection of elements is called snapping, where elements
are connected to each other in a variety of ways. If you are new to computer aided drafting (CAD),
you must understand that dimensional accuracy and accurate connection of elements is vital in the
drawing process. Without dimensional and connection accuracy you cannot dimension elements
automatically or hatch enclosed areas, just to name two common CAD functions.
MicroStation uses a system of tentative points and snap points to snap to elements. As you will see,
this is a two-part process that provides very flexible and intuitive snapping procedures.
MicroStation provides two methods for snapping to elements:
1. AccuSnap, an automatic snapping function that displays tentative points on elements.
2. A Manual Tentative Point system with which you manually place tentative points before
accepting a snap location.
You will likely use AccuSnap for almost all of your drafting functions, but some snap operations
only work with manual tentative points.
MicroStation also offers four methods of setting the snap mode. You can decide for yourself which
method you prefer as you work through the instruction that follows.
5.1
SETTING THE KEYPOINT SNAP MODE

Before you start working with AccuSnap, it is important that you have the correct active snap mode
selected. MicroStation provides a range of snap modes for use in a variety of drawing situations,
and you need to know what modes are available and how to set them. However, to start with, I want
you to set the Keypoint mode as the active snap mode.
TOOL TIP !
The active snap
mode is always
available when
drawing or editing.
You do not need to
set the active snap
before each use.
In typical MicroStation style, there are several methods of setting the active snap
mode. Lets quickly run through three of them, and then you can choose which is best
for you.
First, take a look at the fastest method, the Snap Mode Indicator. Do the following:
Step 1
Hover over the Snap Mode Indicator in the

Status Line at the bottom of your screen.
This will display the current snap mode and whether

AccuSnap is on or off.
Step 2
Click on the Snap Mode Indicator.
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Module 5 - Page 3
This action will pop up the list of snap modes. The Keypoint mode
should be highlighted, indicating it is the active mode.
However, lets make sure it is the active mode:
Step 1
Click on the Default Snaps text and arrow.
This will popup the list of all snap modes shown at the left.
Step 2
Click on the Keypoint snap if it is not already highlighted with a red square.
You will now see the Keypoint snap icon in the Status Line, indicating it is the active snap
mode.
Now take a look again at the snap modes that popup when you click
on the Snap icon. You can click on the snap modes shown here to
override the active snap mode for a one-shot snap operation. After
the snap operation is finished, the mode will return to the active
snap mode.
Try this to see the effect:
Step 1
Start a line tool.
Step 2
Step 3
Click on the Center snap mode

(notice the Center snap icon now in the
Status Line).
Move your cursor to an existing line in the view.
The line you are placing will snap to the center of the existing line. Notice now that the Center icon
is replaced by the default Keypoint icon.
Try a second method for setting the snap mode:
Step 1
Click on the Snap Mode/Open Snaps Toolbox icon in the snaps popup.
This action floats the Snap Mode button bar on your screen, from which you can select the desired
snap modes. This is a convenient way of selecting snap modes but, as always, remember that a
floating or docked bar will take up screen space.
TOOL TIP !
You are likely to use the
Keypoint snap the most
since it can be set to snap
to both the ends and to
the midpoint of elements
(which is what its icon
means).
On the button bar, the first and third buttons should be highlighted. If the third
button, the Keypoint mode, is not highlighted, then double-click on it to make it
the active snap mode. The first button turns AccuSnap On or Off, but you need
it ON for almost all operations.
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The third active snap setting method is to click on the Locks popup, and click
on the small arrow at the bottom-right of the display. Now you see the
Locks settings box, and you can set the snap mode in the Snap section, but
obviously not the best way to set snap modes. However, the Locks settings
are still useful as you will see in the next Section.
Clearly, the first method of setting the active snap mode is the most efficient
if you need to conserve screen space. If you are working on a large screen,
you may find that floating and docking the Snap Mode Button Bar to be
more efficient.
You will be using the Locks settings box later, so remember how to pop-up
its display.
5.2
SNAPS and the LOCKS SETTINGS BOX

To ensure that MicroStation will actually snap to elements, look at the Locks settings box above. Do
the following:
Step 1
Go to the Snap section of the box and set the following if they are not already set:
Snap Lock
Set this to ON by ensuring there is a tick in the box. MicroStation will not snap
to elements unless this option is on. AccuSnap, which you will look at next,
will still work whether this setting is ON or OFF.
Mode
Set the initial Active Snap Mode here. Keypoint should already be set. If
another snap is shown in the field, click on the field and select Keypoint.
Divisor
The default value is 2. Reset to that value if it is different. You will be working
with this setting later. The divisor can also be set outside this dialog box.
Association
Make sure this toggle is also ON. This will become a useful option later when
you work with dimensions.
The above settings are the defaults for a standard MicroStation setup, and simply ensure that you are
able to follow the instruction in this Module without difficulty. As a matter of interest, the Mode
setting is a fifth method of setting the active snap mode, but it is so inefficient that it can be ignored.
Close the Locks settings box when you are finished.
Before you start the next Section you need to have a few line elements in your view. They should
be single lines spaced apart from each other. The elements you placed in Module 3 are probably
quite messy by now, so it would help to delete everything in your design and place new lines. To
delete all existing elements, go to Home/Selection/Select All
. This will select all elements in the
design, whether visible or not! With all elements selected, press the Delete key on your keyboard or
click on the Delete Element tool. Now place several single, separated lines in the view using the
Place Line tool.
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5.3
SNAPPING TO ELEMENTS WITH ACCUSNAP

Everything is now in place for you to begin drawing lines from snap points on the lines already in
the view. You will probably already have noticed the snapping action when you placed the elements
in the previous Modules.
A word about the two main line-drawing tools first. In the previous Modules I have asked you to
use the Place Line tool, but you can also use the first line tool, Place SmartLine as well. The
SmartLine tool has options for more complex lines, including placing connected line strings.
However, until you reach Module 11, you dont need line strings so you will need to turn this option
off.
To do this, start the Place SmartLine tool and in the Tool Settings window, turn OFF the Join
Elements option. Keep this option off until Module 11. Until then when I ask you to draw a line I
will simply say Start a Line tool and you can use either Place SmartLine or Place Line.
First work with one of the lines you should already have on you screen. Do the following:
Step 1
Step 2
Start a Line tool.

Move the cursor near any location on the line.
As you move the cursor close to the line you will see
three things:
TOOL TIP !
The cursor has a location
area around it that will find
the line, so you dont need to
waste time or motion trying to
position the cursor exactly.
- The Keypoint snap symbol will appear.

- A small dotted cross will attach to the end
points or middle of the line.
- A text box will pop up to tell you what you are about to snap to.
This is AccuSnap indicating that it has found potential snap points on the
line.
The small dotted cross is indicating the locations of tentative hint snap points. The hint part
implies that AccuSnap is finding potential snap points on the line. Note that there are three potential
snap locations: both ends and the middle of the line. You will see why this is so later.
Step 3
Move the cursor close to one end of the line.
The small dotted tentative snap changes to a heavy X shape attached to the
endpoint of the line. This is a full tentative point and can be made into an actual
snap point with a single left-click data-point. You will also notice that the line
you are snapping to has been color highlighted. This confirms which element the
tentative point is on, a very useful feature when using some of the more complex
snaps or working in congested designs. Always take note of which element is
highlighted when a tentative point is in place.
When the tentative point is in place you have three options:
1. If the location of the tentative point is where you want it, you can then enter a data-point to
confirm the snaps location and a line will be drawn from the snap location.
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Module 5 - Page 6
2. If you dont like the tentative point location, simply move the
cursor to another location and let AccuSnap find another tentative
point location (thats why its called tentative!). You can do this
as many times as you need before you enter a Data-point to
confirm the correct location.
TOOL TIP !
Think of a tentative point
as a preview of the
actual snap location.
3. If you want to abandon the entire snap process, press the reset
button to cancel the operation.
With the tentative point attached to the endpoint of the line, snap to the line and
draw another as follows:
Step 4
Enter a Data-point to confirm the snap and draw a short line.

Reset to stop the line tool after drawing the short line. You have
now guaranteed that the new line is connected directly to the end
of the existing line.
Step 5
New line starts from

endpoint.
Now draw a new line from the midpoint of an

existing line by locating a tentative-point near the midpoint of one of
your lines.
For practice, repeat these procedures several times using the remaining lines.
New line starts from
midpoint.
Try this example of snaps used with the Construct Angle Bisector tool which you will
find on the Linear Elements tool box which you will find on File/Settings/User/Tool
Boxes/Linear Tools. This tool draws a line that bisects an angle, in this case
the angle between two lines. Follow the Status Line prompts as you go.
Step 1
Step 2
Draw the two lines shown at the right.

Start the Construct Angle Bisector tool.
Step 3
Step 4
Step 5
Snap to the endpoint of the first line (Snap

1).
Snap to the angle vertex (Snap 2).
Snap to the endpoint of the second line
(Snap 3).
The angle is bisected and the third line is drawn.
Be sure that you are completely comfortable with the basic AccuSnap tentative point and snap
process before proceeding with this Module. If necessary, draw more lines and continue
practicing.
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5.4
ELEMENT KEYPOINTS
Keypoints are simply snappable points located on an element. There are three
keypoints on the line you just snapped to with the Keypoint snap: one at each
end and one at the midpoint of the line.
You can change the number of keypoints on an element by changing the
Divisor setting in the Locks settings box you looked at earlier. Currently the
Divisor value is set to 2, meaning that each element is divided into two parts
with a keypoint at each end. This results in a keypoint being located at the
middle of the element.
You can prove this by snapping a tentative point to the ends and to the middle
of a line. Try this right now by locating the snap points along the line. The
tentative points will locate at the keypoint closest to the cursor.
Snap locationsDivisor set to 2.
Now change the number of keypoints on an element and see what effect this
has. Do the following:
Step 1
Open the Locks settings box and change the Divisor to 4. You
can also press K on the keyboard to open the Keypoint Snap
Divisor box (you may need to press F11 first).
Snap locations Divisor set to 4.
Leave this settings box open but move it to one side of the screen away from the drawing area.
(Remember that you can drag the box not quite beyond the limits of the screen so that only a small
portion of it is still visible. When you need it again, you can recall it by dragging it back onto the
screen.)
Step 2
Locate the tentative-points along a line to find the keypoint locations.
You will find there are five tentative point locations on the line because the line is now divided into
four separate parts, each with a Keypoint at the ends. (Note that the line is still intact: the division
is just the placement of tentative points at equal spaces along the line.)
For practice, draw short lines from each of the tentative points along the
line as shown in the illustration at the right.
If you want to snap to the midpoint using the Keypoint snap, you must
always have an even-numbered divisor.
Five lines drawn from the five
snap points.
KEYPOINTS ON OTHER ELEMENTS

All elements in MicroStation have keypoints. The table below shows you the Keypoint positions on
typical element types when the divisor is set to 2. Although you have not yet used some of the
elements shown, I think you will find the Keypoint locations to be quite logical. Remember that
these locations will change as you increase the divisor value.
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Element
Keypoint Locations
Line:
As you have seen, a line is

divided into two parts with a
Keypoint at each end.
Circle:
Ellipse:
The four quadrants of circles

and ellipses are considered to
be separate elements, so each
quadrant contains the desired
number of keypoints. The
center of the circle is also a
Keypoint.
Arcs:
An arc has the same Keypoint

locations as a line, and the
arcs center.
Blocks:
Shapes:
A Block or Shape is a single

element (not separate lines).
Each side of the block is
considered to be a separate
line for Keypoints locations.
SmartLine:
Joined or
not joined
A SmartLine is a line string

and each line in the string is
treated separately whether
connected or unconnected.
Curves:
Generally, Keypoint locations

on curves are similar to lines,
but there are exceptions.
Text:
Keypoints are located on text

strings at the point of
justification.
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Illustration
Module 5 - Page 9
KEYPOINTS EXERCISE
This is a good time to practice using the Keypoint snap. This
exercise is simple to do and illustrates how to use keypoints to
divide lines.
Try the following exercise:
Step 1
Place the rectangle and add the

lines.
Use the Place Block to l

in the Placement group
to draw the rectangle to any size.
You have not looked at this tool yet, but it is simple to use. Activate the tool, make sure the Method
is set to Orthogonal in the Tool Settings window (Fill Type should be None), and data-point, drag,
and data-point again to place a rectangular shape of any size.
Step 2
Step 2
Step 3
Set the Snap Divisor to 6.

Start a Line tool.
Starting with the left-side vertical line, locate the first tentative
point of the five tentative point positions on the line.
Step 4
When the tentative point is in place, Data-point
to accept the location and drag the line across to
the right-side vertical line.
Step 5
Locate the opposing Tentative point on the rightside line.
Step 6
With this tentative point in place, Data-point to
accept, and Reset to stop the Line tool.
Steps 3 and 4.
The first of the five horizontal lines should now be in place.

Steps 5 and 6.
Step 8
Step 9
Step 7
In the same way, continue drawing the remainder

of the individual horizontal lines between the
keypoints.
Change the Snap Divisor to 4.
Draw the vertical set of interior lines in the same way you drew the
horizontal lines, this time snapping to opposing keypoints on the two
horizontal lines of the rectangle.
It is a good idea to do several more drawings of this type so that you are
completely comfortable with the snapping process. Draw more rectangles (or
any shape) and connect crossing lines using different Divisor settings.
Steps 7, 8, and 9.
Remember to set the Snap Divisor number back to 2 when you are finished.
5.5
THE OTHER SNAP MODES

There are many other snap modes besides the Keypoint mode. It is obviously very important for
you to know what the other modes do and for you to be proficient in their use. One of the keys to
precision drafting is to choosing the correct snap modes for the work you are doing.
You should now be comfortable with the snap process and you will find the other snap modes easy
to understand and apply.
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The Snap Mode Bar

At the beginning of the Module you floated the Snap Mode Bar on the screen by clicking on the
Snap Mode icon in the snaps popup box on the Status Line. This is an effective way to see the other
snap modes. If the Snap Mode bar is not on your screen, float it now.
You will see a dialog box that controls which snap modes are displayed in the Snap Mode bar.
Right-click on any of the snap icons. In the list that displays, click on Show All if not all snaps are
ticked. The full Snap Mode bar will now display in your view.
As you saw earlier, one of the modes will be highlighted: it will look depressed and have a dotted
texture. This is the Active Snap Mode and any tentative points you place will automatically use this
snap setting. To change the Active snap mode, simply double-click on another mode and the
highlight will switch to that mode.
Also as you saw before, if you want to invoke a different snap mode for just one drawing operation
without disturbing the Active snap, then single-click on a different snap mode. The button of your
new selection will depress and turn grey, but will not have the dotted texture. This is the Snap Mode
Override that allows you to do a one-shot snap operation. When you have used the override snap,
the snap mode immediately returns to the original Active snap mode. You will practice the override
at the end of this Module. You can do exactly the same thing using the Snap Mode icon pop up; a
single click on a mode other than the active mode will produce an override snap.
Note 1: If you use the Snap Mode icon on the Status Line to change the snap mode, you will find
that all the snap modes are displayed all the time.
Note 2: On the Snap Mode bar and in the Snap Mode icon popup list you will notice one or more
greyed-out modes. These are greyed-out because they cannot be used with the currently active
drawing or editing tool. The list of available snaps will therefore change as you change the active
tool.
Listed below are the remaining snap modes with a short explanation and a simple example of each.
Dont be surprised if you have difficulty understanding the operation of some snap modes. The last
two snaps in the list are particularly difficult since they involve lines that can be projected in front
of, to, or beyond the snap point. As you work through the remaining modules you will encounter
each of the snap modes, and I will guide you through them in either drawing or editing exercises. In
the meantime, please try each mode until you are sure of the operation, the inputs you must make,
and the results of the snaps. Use simple lines and circles for practice.
To learn the snap mode positions on the Snap Mode Bar, simply hover the cursor over each snap
to have MicroStation display the mode name.
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Snap Name
Description
Nearest
Places the snap on an element at a

location nearest the cursor.
Midpoint
Places the snap at the midpoint of

an element or a segment of an
element.
Center
Places the snap at the center of

elements with centers (circles, arcs,
text, etc.). Also the centroid of
other elements (shapes, line strings,
B-splines, etc.). Locate the cursor
on the element, not at the center.
Origin
Places the snap at the insertion

point (origin) of cells and text, the
centroid of a B-spline, or the first
vertex of a line, line string, multiline, or shape.
Bisector
Snaps to the midpoint of an entire

line string, multi-line, or complex
chain, instead of the midpoint of a
segment.
Intersection
Snaps to the intersection of two

elements. Note that when multiple
elements exist at the same location,
as the cursor is moved, different
sets of two elements highlight to
indicate the snap intersection. A
different technique must be used
when using manual tentative points
(discussed in more detail after this
table).
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Examples
Module 5 - Page 12
Snap Name
Description
Tangent
The element you are drawing snaps

tangentially to another element.
Two options: you may draw from a
tangent snap and dynamically place
the new element, or draw to an
existing element for a static
connection. For this snap mode,
AccuSnap only works with
SmartLine (the first line tool on the
Linear tool box - discussed in a
later Module). The Place Line tool
requires manual tentative points
(discussed later in this Module).
Tangent Point
Two options: draws an element

from the snap location in a fixed
tangent direction, or draws an
element to a tangent location and
allows the element to be extended
beyond the snap point. Same
comments regarding SmartLine and
Place Line as the Tangent snap
above.
Perpendicular
Two options: draws a dynamic

perpendicular line from an existing
element, or draws a fixed line
perpendicular to an existing
element. Same comments
regarding SmartLine and Place
Line as the Tangent snap above.
Perpendicular
Point
Draws a fixed perpendicular from

an existing element at the snap
location. Same comments
Parallel
This is a two-part snap that draws a

line (or an ellipse) parallel to an
existing element. First, snap on an
existing element, then data-point
away from the existing element to
draw a new line parallel to the
existing element. Same comments
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Examples
Module 5 - Page 13
Snap Name
Description
Examples
Through Point
Draws a line through a snap point

and allows the line to project in
front of or beyond the snap point.
This mode is very useful as an
override to another active snap
mode so that the active snap can be
used to snap to the point of
projection (more on this later).
Point On
Draws a line to a snap point on an

existing element, and allows you to
slide the end of the new line
along and beyond the ends of the
existing line.
MULTI-SNAPS
There are three snap-collection tools called Multi-Snap 1, 2, and 3 located at the end of the
Snap Mode bar and on the popup snap menu. These provide an ordered list of snap
modes that are sequentially processed as AccuSnap looks for snap points.
The snap modes in each Multi-Snap tool are set by either clicking on the
Multi-Snaps option in the Snaps popup, or right-clicking one of the MultiSnap tool icons on the Snap Mode tool bar and selecting Properties. In each
case the Multi-Snap setting box will display, as shown at the right.
The active snap modes in each of the three Multi-Snap tools can then be set. When
snapping in a design, the snap modes are processed in the order listed and the modes
can be moved up or down the list simply by dragging each mode.
You use each Multi-Snap tool as you would any single snap mode. You can set one of the MultiSnaps as the active snap mode, or use them as snap overrides for a one-shot snap.
You will have noticed the references to the SmartLine tool in some of the snap mode descriptions.
Essentially, SmartLine draws line strings where the line segments are connected. Although
AccuSnap will only work with SmartLines in the modes so noted, you can still use the manual
tentative point method to use these modes on non-SmartLines. In fact, its time to look at the
manual tentative point method in the next Section.
You might find setting a Multi-Snap to Keypoint, Intersection, and Nearest to be very helpful in
drawing operations if the Multi-Snap is the active snap mode. I usually have a Multi-Snap tool
running all the time.
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5.6
MANUAL TENTATIVE POINTS

In addition to using AccuSnap to locate tentative points, you
can manually place tentative points on elements using the
tentative button on your mouse. Some tools and
operations require the use of a manual tentative-point. The
location of the tentative button depends on the type of mouse
you have.
MOUSE BUTTONS
The Tentative Button on your mouse should have been set
at the beginning of Module 3 where you checked your mouse button settings and
made adjustment if necessary. To recap, look at the Button Mapping settings box
above. Your wheel mouse should be set as shown, but if not, please return to
Module 3 and follow the setup procedure.
The best choice for placing manual tentative points in Connect is the left-right button
chord. This frees the wheel (middle button) to be set to the Xbutton 1 function
which is used for several shortcut menus and operations as you have already seen.
The chord requires that both left and right buttons be pressed simultaneously to
Tentative Point
invoke the tentative button. This action can be a little tricky at first and may require button.
a fair amount of practice before you are completely comfortable with the action.
If you prefer, you can set the wheel (Middle Button) as the tentative button but you will lose
important shortcut functionality, and I dont recommend you do this.
If you are still using a two-button mouse, you have two choices for the manual tentative point. The
first choice is the same two-button chord to invoke the tentative button. The second choice is to use
a combination of the Alt key and a mouse button. In this case you hold down the Alt key while
pressing one of the mouse buttons (usually the left button).
To make sure your tentative point button is working, manually tentative-point on an
element using the Keypoint mode. You should see a cross symbol at the location of
the tentative point. Place several manual tentative points in the view to get the feel of
its operation.
Manual
tentative point
PRACTICING THE INTERSECTION SNAP

A good snap to practice manual tentative points is the Intersection snap. When used manually, this
snap works quite differently compared to using AccuSnap.
The Intersection mode requires two manual tentative points to locate the snap,
whereas all other modes require only one manual tentative point to set the
location.
To set up some lines for practice, start a Line tool and do the following:
Step 1
Draw a series of lines that roughly intersect as shown at the right.

Draw crossing lines.
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Module 5 - Page 15
Dont be concerned about accuracy; the idea is to create a congested intersection.

Step 2
Step 3
Make Intersection the Active snap mode.

With the line tool still active, manually tentative-point on one of the lines.
The line will highlight in the current highlight color.

Step 4
Manually tentative-point on another line.
First tentative-point.
The second line will highlight and change to a dashed line. This
indicates that the tentative point is now located at the intersection of the two
selected lines and you can accept the location with a Data-point.
TOOL TIP !
Remember that you
must always use two
tentative points for the
manual Intersection
snap mode.
Second tentative-point.
If you dont like the tentative point location, you can keep
manually tentative pointing on other lines until you get the correct two-line
combination. The highlighting and dashing of the lines will change according to
your line choices. Data-point only when you are satisfied with the highlighted
and dashed-line combination.
For lines that do not intersect (but would if extended far enough), you can use
this mode to project to the presumed intersection. Try the example below. Draw
two separate lines that do not intersect. With the intersection snap active, tentative-point on each
line and the snap will be projected to the presumed intersection.
Draw nonintersecting lines.
Place two tentative points

to project intersection.
Note: When AccuSnap is On, you still need to manually place a tentative point on one of the lines.
However, as you move the cursor to the second line, AccuSnap will locate a tentative point at the
projected intersection without the need for a second manual tentative point. Try this now.
5.7
PRACTICING THE SNAP OVERRIDE

As I mentioned above, you can override the current Active snap mode to perform a one-shot snap
action. You will also see how some snap modes demand the use of manual tentative points to
function. Assuming your Active snap mode is still set to Intersection from the previous exercise (if
not, make it so), follow the practice instructions below:
Step 1 Draw the lines and circles shown above.
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Step With the Intersection snap Active, snap

to the intersection of the left X and Data-point
to accept. Drag a line from the intersection.
Module 5 - Page 16
Step 3 Single-click on the Tangent snap

(override Intersection) and find the Tangent
tentative-point near the top of the circle. Datapoint to accept Reset to stop the Line tool.
Step 4 Repeat this action for the other three

lines to complete the drawing.
Note that AccuSnap would not locate a tangent tentative point on the circle and you were forced to
use a manual tentative point. Note also that you would not need to place manual tentative points if
you were using SmartLine as the line drawing tool. SmartLine is covered in Module 11.
Try this exercise again! This time reverse the procedure by first setting the Tangent snap to the
Active snap and overriding with the Intersection snap. Start each line from the tangent of the circle
and snap to the X intersection. You will need to manually tangent snap. (Hint: either redraw the
lines and circles again, or use Ctrl-Z to undo the lines you just drew.)
Try another example of a snap override which uses the Keypoint snap as the
active snap mode and is overridden by the Perpendicular snap:
Step 1
Step 2
Circle and line.
Step 3
Step 4
Step 5
Draw a circle of any radius and a

line below the circle.
Set Keypoint as the active snap
mode.
Start a Line tool.
Single-click on the Perp snap mode
and data-point on the circle to start
drawing a line.
Drag the line to any of the keypoints
on the line and data-point to accept.
Step 4.
The Perp snap overrides the Keypoint snap for the snap to the circle.
Step 5.
The choice of which snap mode to set active and which to use as an override
depends on how the two snap modes interact with the tool being used and the element types. You
will sometimes need to experiment with combinations to achieve the desired results.
5.8
CYCLING THROUGH SNAP POINTS

When you are trying to snap to a specific element that is close to or overlays other elements, the
tentative point can be cycled through all possible snap locations simply by
repetitive use of AccuSnap or the tentative point button.
You should still have the collection of lines you used above for the intersection
snap. Do the following with the one of the Line tools active:
Step 1
Make the Keypoint snap current.

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Module 5 - Page 17
Step 2
Step 3
Move the cursor to the center of the lines.

Move the cursor around the junction area of the lines.
As you move the cursor, AccuSnap will locate a tentative point symbol at the midpoints or ends of
each line in turn while highlighting the selected line. When you see the correct line highlighted,
simply accept the snap location with a data point. Try the same procedure using manual tentative
points:
Step 4
Step 5
Locate the cursor at the junctions of the lines.

Manually tentative-point repeatedly.
Every time you manually tentative-point near the junction of the lines, the
snap location will change to a different line. The tentative point location
cycles through all possible midpoint snap points at the general location of the
cursor and highlights the line on which the snap is currently located. When
you see the correct line highlighted, simply accept the snap location with a
data point.
5.9
TENTATIVE POINTS AS COORDINATES

You can use a manual tentative point to give you the exact coordinates of a point in the drawing. If
you tentative-point anywhere in the drawing window, the coordinates
of the tentative point location will be shown in the Status Bar at the
bottom of the screen.
As a matter of future interest, the same coordinates will be repeated in
the AccuDraw window which is discussed in detail in Module 7.
5.10
SNAP MODES AND MANUAL TENTATIVE POINTS

If you remember, I said there was a fourth method of listing the snap modes. You do this by
pressing the Shift-Manual Tentative Point keyboard and mouse combination.
The snap mode list pops up on the screen when you do this and you can select snap modes in the
normal way. Try this now.
5.11
CONTROLLING ACCUSNAP
AccuSnap has its own settings box. To see it,
click on the small arrow at the bottom of the
Snaps popup.
The AccuSnap Settings box controls how
AccuSnap operates. The options are fairly self-explanatory and you can
easily experiment with the settings on your own.
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2D LEVEL 1
Module
DESIGN PLANE, WORKING

UNITS, and INPUTS
24 Pimlico Drive
L9H 6J5
Phone 905-628-8237
Module 6 of 19
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Module 6 - Page 1
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Module Information
Prerequisites:
Introduction:
In this Module you will learn how MicroStation sees the Design Plane in
which you work, and how it allows you to accurately draw in any type of
measurement system. You will also learn how to set the Working Units of each
design to suit your requirements, and how to enter precise dimensions and
angles in the English and metric measurement systems.
Objective(s):
6.1
6.2
6.3
Time:
Recognize and understand all features of the Design Plane.

Recognize and understand MicroStations system for setting working
units within standard measurement systems.
Set and format working units and enter precise dimensional information
using the standard measurement systems.
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Module 6 - Page 2
DISCUSSION:
You should be in the Start.dgn design file at this point. If you are not, please open this file.
6.1 THE DESIGN PLANE

When you draw two-dimensional elements in MicroStation you are drawing on the Design Plane.
The design plane is very large but it does have a finite size, although it is highly unlikely that you
will ever reach the limits of the plane (later, you will see examples of why this is so).
From your point of view, you only need make dimensional unit settings that suit your type of design
work, and MicroStation makes this very easy. However, in true MicroStation style, you can go
beyond the standard system and make custom settings for virtually any set of measurement units.
First, lets define how direction and angle are determined in the design plane:
CARTESIAN COORDINATES
To help find your way around, the design plane is
divided into positive and negative directions. The
illustration at the right shows you the layout of design
plane. If you have used other CAD software or have
drawn graphs, you will recognize that the layout is in
Cartesian coordinates. Note the following:
1.
The center of the design plane is called the

Global Origin, designated as 0,0
coordinates.
2.
The X-axis runs horizontally through the

Global Origin.
3.
The Y-axis runs vertically through the

Global Origin.
4.
Any direction above and/or to the right of the Global Origin is positive.
5.
Any direction below and/or to the left of the Global Origin is negative.
Cartesian Coordinates showing point

coordinates in each quadrant.
In each of the four quadrants you will see an example of a typical coordinate. If you are not already
familiar with Cartesian coordinates, you should spend some time understanding the concept because
coordinate positions become very important when placing elements in relation to each other.
As a matter of interest, the global origin (which is always regarded as at 0,0) can be relocated
elsewhere in the design plane. Although you will not be doing so in this Manual, you might want to
move the origin to a specific grid location or monument point on a map or survey drawing.
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Module 6 - Page 3
6.2 WORKING UNITS

Collectively, the measurement-system settings you make for the current drawing are called the
Working Units.
First of all, open the Working Units settings dialog box. Do the following:
Click on File/Settings/File/Design File Settings, then
select Working Units.
The settings are in the right-hand panel where you
set the units of measurement for your design. As
you can see, there are several fields where settings
can be made.
Lets look at each field in turn. You might see
different settings, but I would like you to make the
settings shown here.
LINEAR UNITS
FORMAT
MU and SU are Master Units and Sub Units (discussed next). Since the dimension system used here
is English measurement, you will need to see feet and inches displayed in all dimensions.
If you were working in metric units, you would only need to see Master Units and you would set
MU as the Format. We will look at this later.
You would rarely use the third option, MU:SU:PU. PU stands for Positional Units which are
discussed later.
MASTER UNIT
This is the main and highest level unit of your design. For architectural drawings this is likely to be
feet or millimeters, for surveying miles or feet, and for engineering feet, inches, or any metric unit.
Note that a Master Unit is always defined as having a value of one in relation to the Sub Unit.
SUB UNIT
This is the second level unit and relates directly to the Master Unit. If feet were your Master Unit,
then inches would be the Sub Unit. In metric measure, it is most likely that the Master Unit and the
Subunit are the same since metric dimensions are usually expressed in a single unit with or without
decimals.
LABELS
The Label field shows the dimensional symbol for the unit it represents. These are important since
they will be used by the dimensioning tools in the dimension text. The default for Imperial
dimensions are the ' and the " tick marks, but you can change those to ft and in if you want.
ACCURACY
Defines the accuracy of the dimensional display. MicroStation will not be able to see a smaller
fraction or decimal than this setting.
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CUSTOM
In addition to the standard working unit settings, you can modify the existing units or create new
units if you wish. You can create custom Master Units and Sub Units by giving them two-letter
abbreviations and assigning values to the units, but only in relation to the established set of English
and metric base units.
ADVANCED SETTING
You can also change the fundamental working units that MicroStation uses. Here is a brief
explanation of what that means:
As already discussed, MicroStation has three basic working units: Master Units, Sub Units, and
Positional Units. Normally, in Linear Units you would only use the MU or MU:SU settings.
However, behind the scenes as it were, MicroStation is assigning Positional Units to the Master
Units. A Positional Unit (PU for short) is the smallest distance that MicroStation can address.
You can see this in action if you click on the Edit button in the Advanced section (ignore the dire
warning that displays!). Here you are told that the Resolution of the design is 10,000 PU per meter.
This resolution leads to a value for the size of the design plane on which you draw. The design
plane is a finite size, but is very large as you can see in the Working Area (each axis) value. Here it
tells you that the design plane is 900,719,925 Kilometers on a side. Plenty of room to draw! The
other values relate to 3D drawing files.
You can edit these values only if necessary. Take a look at the editable values if you wish but dont
change anything! You will be warned that changing the resolution will change the physical size of
elements and will cause compatibility problems with existing V7 drawings.
Cancel out of the Advanced settings box.
ANGLES
Angle values are set in the Angle Readout section of
the Design File Settings box. You are offered a
range of options.
The Format options are fairly obvious: angles can be
entered and displayed in degrees and decimals (e.g.,
28.25), in degrees and minutes (e.g., 45012'), and in
degrees, minutes, and seconds (e.g., 45012'36"), in
Gradians (e.g., 50.000g), and in Radians (e.g.,
1.5708r).
Under the Accuracy option, you can set an angle
accuracy of up to eight decimal places.
The Direction Mode options need a little more explanation. Look at each option in turn as
illustrated below, keeping in mind that 00 varies from the positive X-axis to the positive Y-axis
depending on the mode.
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Conventional
(Azimuth with Clockwise
OFF)
The standard angle format
for most drawing
operations. Standard
degree and decimal format.
Azimuth
Angles in standard degree
and decimal format.
00 set to
East
Rotation:
counterclockwise
00 set to
North
Rotation:
clockwise
Clockwise
ON
Bearing
Surveying units entered in
AccuDraw as bearings
(e.g., N4E), or in
conventional degrees.
00 set to
North
Rotation:
clockwise for
conventional entry
only
Entering angles:
Enter degrees and decimals as a simple number, e.g., 25.45.

Enter general degrees, minutes, seconds with a semicolon and separators, e.g., 25;30'15".
Enter bearings as for general degrees, minutes, seconds, plus bearings, e.g., n45;25'10"w. If you
are working in Bearing Mode, be sure to draw only with AccuDraws Polar compass; you
cannot enter bearings in the Rectangular compass (AccuDraw is discussed in the next Module).
You cannot enter bearings in the Angle setting of the Place Line tool.
Also, MicroStation will accept almost any type of angle input in all three angle modes. For
example, if you are working in Bearing Mode you can enter angles in Azimuth mode or in
Conventional Mode and the angle will be automatically changed to meet the current angle mode.
If you are working with Precision Inputs (discussed in Module 8), the format for entering surveying
units is <degrees^min'sec">, e.g., 45^30'30".
If you prefer to work in Northing and Easting orientation you can do so with a simple key-in. Go to
Home tab/Primary/More/Key-In first. In the top line of the Key-In box that displays, enter
accudraw settings northeast. AccuDraws rectangular compass will then display N and E. To
return to regular XY orientation, enter accudraw settings xy. Key-ins are discussed in detail in the
Level 2 Manual.
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Module 6 - Page 6
SETTING and CHANGING WORKING UNITS

You must always set the Working Units before starting a new drawing. If you dont, you will start
drawing with whatever the default units were when you first opened the drawing. This will be just
fine if you have used a seed file that is already set up to use the correct units. If not, then you may
start drawing in units that are inappropriate.
When you discover your error, you will be tempted to simply change the settings of the units.
Fortunately, MicroStation is extremely good at automatically adjusting the sizes of the existing
elements to reflect the original sizes of the elements. Here is a simple example: You start your
design with standard architectural units of Feet and Inches and draw a line that is 10'-0" long. You
then change the working units to inches for both Master and Sub units. When you measure the
length of the original 10'-0" line in the design, it will readout as 120" long. MicroStation has
automatically converted the working units and has maintained the true length of the line.
This conversion of dimension information works even if you switch working units from English
measurement to metric measurement. For example, if you changed the working units to millimeters
for both the Master and Sub Units, the 10'-0" line would read out as 3048 mm long, which is
perfectly accurate. However, dont take this particular conversion too far. Remember that the
conversion from English to metric units is a soft conversion only (in relation to hard metric
units where the design dimensions are based on rounded-off values).
Always remember to set the working units before starting a new design (or use a seed file that
already has the correct settings). To help with this, I will give you the appropriate working unit
settings at the beginning of each dimensioned exercise or assignment in this Manual.
MAKE NEW FILES

Before you start the next Section, I want you to make two new design files so that you can work in
English and metric dimensioning systems. Do the following:
Step 1
Go to the File menu and click on Save As
You are going to make a new file called Start-E in the Level1 directory.
Step 2
When you are in the Level1 directory, enter Start-E in the file name box and click on
OK.
The file name at the top left of the screen changes to Start-E which is now the current file.
Step 3
Step 4
Go to File/Save As again.
Enter Start-M in the file box and click on OK.
The file name at the top left of the screen changes to Start-M.
By using Save As you have transferred the settings contained in the original Start.dgn file to the two
new files.
Next you need to reopen the Start-E file to start the next Section.
Step 5
Click on File/Browse.
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Module 6 - Page 7
Step 6
Click on the Start-E.dgn file.
The Start-E file opens immediately and has the same setting as the original Start.dgn file.
6.3 ENTERING PRECISE DIMENSIONS

So far, the only drawing you have done has been to place lines and circles with random lengths and
sizes. The whole point of any CAD software, of course, is to draw full-sized drawings with absolute
accuracy, and now you need to learn how to use MicroStations dimension input functions.
Needless to say, MicroStation has several methods of inputting dimensions. You will use one
method for this Module only, that of entering dimensions directly into the Tool Settings Window
when the Place Line tool is active. (You will not need to use this method again. In the next Module
you will learn to use the AccuDraw drawing aid to greatly simplify dimensional input.)
How you enter dimensions in MicroStation is controlled by three settings:
1. The Format of the dimensions.
2. The Master Unit and the Sub Unit settings.
3. The Angle settings
To practice setting working units, look at the input requirements first in English units, then in metric
units.
ENTERING DIMENSIONS (English Units in your Start-E file)

First, if you havent already done so, prepare the
design for English Architectural units:
Step 1
Set the working units to the standard English

Architectural (Imperial) settings as shown at
the right.
Step 2
Click on OK to accept the settings.
Now start the Place Line tool:

Step 3
Start the Place Line tool from the Drawing Task tool
box.
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Module 6 - Page 8
In the Tool Settings window you are interested in two items: Length and Angle. Each item has a
Check box. When the Check boxes are Unchecked, you can drag any line
length at any angle. When the check boxes are Checked, MicroStation
will only draw a line to whatever length or angle you have set in the fields.
Note that you may check the length on its own, the angle on its own, or
both at the same time, depending on what you want to draw. Make sure
that the Length box is not checked in the Tool Settings window.
Please note that you will not be using this method to enter line dimensions after this Module. In
Module 7 you will learn how to greatly simplify line dimensions using the AccuDraw tool.
Step 4
Pick a Data-point and drag the cursor.
As you drag the cursor, look at the Length field in the Tool Settings
window. The value in the field changes as you rubber band the line,
and the length will display as feet, inches, and fractions. The Angle will
display as degrees from the East axis, with four decimal places.
This is as it should be for standard English Architectural units. What would happen, however, if you
changed the Format setting in Working Units? Try the following:
Step 1
Step 2
Open the Working Units settings box.

Set the Format setting to just MU.
Now drag the cursor. Since the Master Unit is a foot, the Length value now displays as feet and
fractions of a foot. For example, if you dragged the line to a length of 3'-6", the Length would read
out as 3 .
Step 3
Reopen the Working Units box and change the Accuracy setting to 2 decimal places.
Now the Length readout is in feet and decimals of a foot. That 3'-6" length becomes 3.5.
As a matter of interest, how would a length display if the Format was set to MU:SU:PU? If you
change to that setting, you will see lengths display as 5:4:2736 for example. This means a value of
5'-4" and 2736 Positional Units. This obviously has little meaning to normal work flows and you
will never need to make this setting.
To reinforce the concepts just discussed, look at the table below. It shows how a dimension of
12'-8 will display in the MU and MU:SU Format settings, and with Accuracy set to c in each
case. Be sure to take time to evaluate the displays so that you understand what is happening.
FORMAT
LENGTH DISPLAY for 12'-8
MU
12
MU:SU
12:8
Note: The MU display of 12 3/4 happens because MicroStation approximates the 8 3/4" to the
closest fraction of a foot.
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Module 6 - Page 9
Enough theory. Now its time for you to enter some dimensions to see how the system works in
actual practice.
MicroStation allows you to enter a dimension in several different ways and I want you to try a
variety of inputs for a single dimension of 5'-6". Do the following, paying careful attention to the
position of colons and decimal points:
Step 1
Step 2
Step 3
In the Format box set MU:SU, and the Accuracy setting to c.

With the Place Line tool active, click the Length check box ON.
Enter the following inputs one at a time in the Length field, confirming the dimension with
the Return key or the Tab key after each entry. Note how MicroStation displays the input,
keeping in mind that you are entering a dimension of 5'-6".
a)
b)
c)
d)
e)
5:6.5
5:6 (add a space before the )
0:66.5
:66.5
:66 (add a space before the )
TOOL TIP !
You do not need to use the shift key to
enter the colon. MicroStation will accept
a semicolon as a colon.
After each of the entries the Length display changes to

5:6 after you confirm the input with the Enter or Tab key. MicroStation automatically adjusts the
input to conform to the Coordinates and Accuracy settings. In other words, you may enter
dimensions in ways you find most convenient, but still finish with the correct dimension.
Notice in inputs d) and e) that the zero value for the Master Units was not used as it was in input c).
MicroStation interprets this null entry before a colon as a zero, allowing you to enter values faster.
You should also note the importance of the space before the fraction. If you omit the space and
enter :661/2 (try it and see), you will get 27:6 as the dimension! Why? Because MicroStation
interprets this input as 661 Sub Units (inches) divided by 2, which translates to 27:6 (you will see
more of this calculator in later Modules).
For a while, until you are comfortable with dimensional inputs, double-check every input for
accuracy after confirming with the Enter or Tab key.
Please practice entering other English dimensions until you are comfortable with the way the system
works.
ENTERING DIMENSIONS (Metric Units in your Start-M file)

First, open your Start-M design file.
As I mentioned earlier, using metric measure normally
only requires one unit to be entered, such as 255 mm,
30.25 cm, or 22.155 m, etc.:
Step 1
Set the Working Units to millimeter units as

shown at the right.
In this case, since Master and Sub Units are the same,
you should use MU as the Format setting. If you dont, the dimensional display will look a little
odd.
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Module 6 - Page 10
Now enter some dimensional values in the Length field of the Place Line tool:
Step 2
With the Place Line tool active, enter the following inputs in the Length field, using the
Return or Tab key after each entry. Look at the dimension display in the Length field.
The length you are entering is 150.5 mm.
a)
b)
150.5
:150.5
Input a) is in Master Units and matches the setting, so it does not change. Input b) is in Sub Units
which are the same as the Master Units, so the value changes to the correct dimension. Obviously,
in a Working Units setting where Master Units and Sub Units are the same, it makes the most sense
to enter values directly as Master Units, meaning that entry a) is the correct way of entering the
value.
Please practice entering other metric dimensions. Change the Master and Sub Units to other equal
values, such as meters or centimeters, and try those settings.
TOOL TIP !
Working in inch units is similar to working in metric units in
that both Master and Sub Units are set to Inches and the
Inch symbol (). The Accuracy display can be set for
fractions or decimals as required.
FINAL CHECK
Before proceeding with the rest of this Manual please check that the settings for your Start-E and
Start-M design files are correct. They should be set as shown below. Make any necessary changes
before starting the next Module.
English Units
Start-E design file:
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Metric Units
Start-M design file:
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Module 6 - Page 12
2D LEVEL 1
Module
ACCUDRAW
24 Pimlico Drive
L9H 6J5
Phone 905-628-8237
Module 7 of 19
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Module 7 - Page 1
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Module Information
Prerequisites:
Introduction:
This is perhaps the most important Module in this course. The AccuDraw
drawing aid provides extremely efficient methods of entering dimensional
information in your designs, and it is vital that you become totally familiar with
AccuDraws actions and options. After completing this Module you will use
AccuDraw in almost every exercise or assignment you draw.
Objective(s):
7.1
7.2
7.3
7.4
7.5
7.6
7.7
7.8
7.9
7.10
7.11
7.12
Time:
This Module should be completed within 6 hours.
Using the AccuDraw window.

Identify AccuDraws rectangular and polar compasses.
Identify and apply drawing plane coordinate information.
Identify and apply AccuDraws keyboard shortcuts options.
Place circle elements using AccuDraw and snap options.
Recall previous dimensional values using AccuDraws recall options.
Recognize and apply methods of constraining data points.
Unlock and relocate the compass origin.
Recognize and apply shortcut snap modes and constraints.
Recognize and apply unit roundoff options.
Enter dimensional values using the Popup Calculator.
Identify and classify all AccuDraw options and shortcut keys.
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DISCUSSION:
AccuDraw is perhaps the most important feature in MicroStation. It is a drawing aid that provides
considerable assistance to the drafting process by offering coordinate-point placement based on your
previous actions. To do this AccuDraw evaluates the placement of the last data point, the current location of
the cursor, the current tools needs, and any other inputs you may have used. AccuDraw is then able to
anticipate your next action and provide a very quick and effective method of entering appropriate coordinate
values. AccuDraw also comes with a wide range of shortcut keys that invoke special functions allowing
even more sophisticated data-point entry.
All this may sound complicated, but as you will see, AccuDraws actions are very intuitive and extremely
user friendly. You will be using AccuDraw as your standard drawing aid and from now on, unless
directed otherwise, use AccuDraw for all practice sessions and assignments in this course.
I would also suggest that you practice drawing each of the example drawings in this Module several times.
Remember. It is very important that you are completely comfortable with AccuDraws contribution to the
design process. The instruction in following Modules relies heavily on your ability to use AccuDraw as a
normal part of the drawing process.
7.1 ACCUDRAW
By default the AccuDraw window is docked to the right of the View
Toggles at the bottom of the screen, and this is where you will work.
You may, of course, undock and locate the window anywhere you feel
appropriate. For this manual I will use the floated AccuDraw window
for better visibility.
Initially, the AccuDraw window simply displays the Absolute
coordinates of the cursor as the cursor is moved around the drawing window. In this mode you can
use it as an alternative to the Status Line to display the exact Absolute coordinates of a tentative
point.
AccuDraw becomes considerably more interesting when you start a drawing tool. Do the following:
Step 1
Step 2
Start a Line tool.

Place several Data-points in the window.
You will immediately notice several things:

C
C
When you pick the first data point, a square compass

appears at the data point.
As you drag the line around the window, the line will lock
to the closest axis of the compass when you move the cursor close
to the compass horizontal or vertical axes, and unlock when you
move the cursor away from the axes as shown at the right. This
locking action is called indexing to the axes.
As you pick each data point, whether on a compass axis or not, the
compass relocates to the new data point location.
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Module 7 - Page 3
C
C
When the compass relocates to each new data point, it orients itself to the line that was just
drawn, not to the view-window axes.
The compass disappears when the drawing tool is Reset.
Look closely at AccuDraws actions at this point to see how they affect your drawing methods.
AccuDraw tries to anticipate your next move after you place each data point. It assumes you will
likely want to draw at right-angles to the previous line, and it aligns the compass with the previous
line so that you can lock to one of the axes to place the next data point. If you are drawing in this
rectangular fashion, you can place right-angled corners very quickly. If your next line is not at
right-angles to the previous line, you simply drag the line away from the axis lock to place a data
point. This is the simplest, most basic mode of operation.
7.2 ACCUDRAWS COMPASS

AccuDraw actually has two compass modes: one for rectangular
coordinates and one for polar coordinates. By default, the
rectangular compass is activated when you first start AccuDraw
and that is what you have used so far. To see the polar mode, do
the following:
Step 1
Step 2
TOOL TIP !
Use the M key to quickly switch
between the rectangular and
polar compasses.
With the Line tool active, place a Data-point in the drawing

window.
Press M on your keyboard to activate the Polar compass.
The polar compass.
The polar compass replaces the rectangular compass.

You use the m key to switch between compass modes at The rectangular compass.
any time during the drawing process. The rectangular
compass is used to enter X and Y coordinate dimensions, and the polar compass is
used to enter distance and angle coordinates. If you now place lines with the
polar compass active, you will see that it operates in much the same way as the
rectangular compass.
DRAWING PLANE INDICATORS

Take a closer look at each of the compasses.
Each compass consists of the Origin from which
all of AccuDraws functions operate. The Origin
will automatically locate at the last data point
you entered (unless you direct otherwise).
TOOL TIP !
If you have difficulty
distinguishing between red
and green you can change
the colors of the axis
markers through
AccuDraws settings box
(see below).
The shaded area around

the origin is the drawing
plane indicator. The four compass points are shown as heavy lines, with the
positive X-axis shown in red, and the positive Y-axis shown in green. (Note
that in this manual, to distinguish between the positive X and Y axes, I will
use a filled rectangle for the red X axis and a hollow rectangle for the green
Y axis.) When you are dynamically drawing an element, the indexed
cursor is displayed as a heavy line.
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ACCUDRAWS SETTINGS BOX

AccuDraw has its own Group in the Ribbon on the
Drawing Aids tab, and its settings can be accessed from
there. Note that pressing H will turn AccuDraw on or
off.
Take a quick look at the settings in the AccuDraw
group. We will cover most of them in this Module.
You can change how AccuDraw looks and operates
through the AccuDraw Settings box. To open the box,
click on the small arrow at the bottom-right of the
Drawing Aids/AccuDraw group. A quicker method is to
press G then S on the keyboard while the focus is in the
AccuDraw window (see Tool Tip).
TOOL TIP !
Having focus in the AccuDraw window is
very important. Before dimensions,
angles, or shortcuts can be entered in
AccuDraw, the AccuDraw window should
be colored and the cursor should be
flashing in AccuDraw window.
Focus is normally automatically in the
AccuDraw window when a tool is started,
but can sometimes be lost during
operations. Focus can be regained by
pressing the F11 function key on your
keyboard, or by clicking in the AccuDraw
window with your cursor.
The default settings are shown in the illustration below together with a brief description of each
option. Your settings should remain at these standard defaults.
First, the more important settings on the Operation tab:

Setting
Action
Auto Load
If On, automatically loads AccuDraw at the start of a design session.
Floating Origin
If On, the compass moves to the last point placed in the design.
Context
Sensitivity
If On, AccuDraw accepts hints from the active tool and changes its
behavior to complement the tools action.
Smart Key-ins
If On, AccuDraw accepts any number as positive or negative relative to the

location of the cursor and the compass. You will see this in action shortly.
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Coordinates Tab
Display Tab
Second, the settings on the Display tab:

Setting
Action
Color Options
All five options control how the AccuDraw compass displays. For colorblind users, the colors on the compass can be changed to more suitable
values.
Delayed Update
Stops the display of coordinates in the AccuDraw window until an operation

is complete.
Show Negative
Angles
If On, AccuDraw will display angles as positive or negative, e.g., 900, -900.
If Off, angle display will be 0-3600.
Shortcut Keyins
Lists AccuDraws shortcut keys. Also accessible by pressing G on the

keyboard when the focus is in the AccuDraw window (F11).
Third, the more important settings on the Coordinates tab:

Setting
Action
Coordinate
System
Sets the view orientation and type of compass. Default for 2D is View
and Rectangular.
Unit Roundoff
Sets the granularity of dimensions and angles entered in the drawing. If

Distance and Angle are ON, dimensions and angles can only be drawn in
multiples of the set values. You will take a closer look at these settings
later.
Indexing
If ON, the Axis setting controls AccuDraws snapping to the X- and Yaxes. If ON, the Distance setting displays the previous distance between
data points. You will see this in action later.
For the moment, do not change any of the default values for these settings. If your settings are
different, please reset them to the values shown above.
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7.3 DRAWING PLANE COORDINATES

In addition to AccuDraws ability to assist your line placement, it also offers an equally powerful
and efficient method of entering dimensional and angle values. This method combines input from
the AccuDraw compass with values entered in the AccuDraw window. First lets examine the
relationship between the Rectangular compass and the AccuDraw window.
For the exercises that follow you may be working in either your Start-E or Start-M files. All
dimensional information is given in both English and metric units. Screen captures of AccuDraws
window are only shown in English units however, but metric display will be obvious.
THE RECTANGULAR COORDINATE COMPASS
TOOL TIP !
To be able to enter
dimension values
the focus must be in
AccuDraws settings
window.
After placing a data point you will have noticed that, as you move the cursor, the
coordinates in the AccuDraw window change to reflect the cursors position in the
drawing plane. You should also have noticed
that the values will be either positive or negative
depending on the cursors position relative to the
compass origin.
More important than the displayed coordinates

though, is that the AccuDraw window is used to
enter coordinate values to locate data points, and this is done in
a very easy and intuitive way. Complete the following drawing
exercise that will reproduce the shape shown at the right:
Step 1
Step 2
Start a Line tool.

Enter a Data-Point anywhere in the window.
Make sure AccuDraws Rectangular compass is visible.

Step 3
Move the cursor to the right of the origin and index the
dynamic line to the positive X axis.
Look at the AccuDraw window. The focus is in the X-coordinate

window where the dragged line length is displayed.
Step 4
Step 3.
At the keyboard, enter :8 (200) Do not use the Enter key!
You may need to zoom in or out to see the line and you can do this
without stopping the Line tool.
When you indexed the dynamic line to the X axis, AccuDraw automatically switched the focus to
the X coordinate value box assuming you wanted to enter a dimension for the positive X coordinate.
AccuDraw then immediately accepted the dimension you entered at the keyboard without needing a
confirmation by pressing the Enter key. Later you will see that the Enter key has a special function.
The X-axis length of the line is now constrained to the dimension you entered, and is displayed on
the screen. Move the cursor up and down and you will see the constraint in action. You will look at
constraints and how they are used in a later Section of this Module.
Re-index the line to the X-axis.
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Step 5
Place a Data-point to confirm the endpoint of the line you just

placed.
This is a little like the tentative point process: you must use a Data-point to
confirm the location of the second data point of the line. After doing so,
the compass relocates to the new data point.
Step 6
Move the cursor downward and index to the Y-axis.
The AccuDraw window focus moves to the Y-axis and indicates a negative
value in the Y field.
Step 7
Step 6, 7, and 8.
Enter :3.5 ( 90) at the keyboard. Do not enter this value as

a negative, or use the Enter key.
You do not need to enter a negative value in the settings box. Because
of the dynamic line position AccuDraw knows in which direction you
want to draw the line and will accept a dimensional value and apply it
to the line direction.
Step 8
Place a Data-point to confirm the second line.
The compass relocates to the new data point, and the compass axes are now oriented with the second
line, not with the design plane. Dont worry about this new orientation - AccuDraw will know what
you want to do next when you move the cursor.
Step 9
Step 10
Step 11
Index the cursor to the left so that the focus is in the Y value
box.
Enter :5 (125) at the keyboard. Do not use Enter.
Place a Data-point to confirm the third line.
Steps 9, 10, and 11.
Step 12
Step 13
Step 14
Step 15
Step 16
Step 17
Move the cursor downwards to focus in the Y value

box.
Enter :3.5 (90). Do not use Enter.
Place a Data-point to confirm the fourth line.
Move the cursor to the left to focus in the Y
value box.
Enter :3 (75). Do not use Enter.
Place a Data-point to confirm the fifth line.
Steps 12, 13, and 14.

Steps 15, 16, and 17.
Step 18
Snap to the endpoint of the first line to close the shape.
As you can see from this simple drawing exercise, AccuDraw anticipates the action
you are likely to take when you move the cursor in the direction of the next line, and
switches focus to the closest X or Y axis. All you do is enter the required dimension
and AccuDraw does the rest. From your point of view, it does not matter which
compass axis your line is on; you simply drag the cursor and enter a dimension.
Step 18.
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If you happen to enter the wrong dimension or wish to change an entered dimension, simply use the
keyboard backspace key to delete the entry to unconstrain the line and start again. Re-enter
dimensions several times to understand this action. Notice how AccuDraw dynamically shortens or
extends the line as you delete or type each number of the entry.
It is very important that you understand how AccuDraw functions. Draw this shape several times,
starting from a different corner each time and proceeding in different directions.
For further practice, draw the two shapes shown below on your own. For the second shape, think
carefully about snap locations on the circle.
THE POLAR COORDINATE COMPASS

Try drawing the first shape you started with using the polar compass.
Step 1
Step 2
The Line tool should still be active.

Make sure AccuDraws Polar compass is visible (press M if necessary).

Step 3
Move the cursor to the right of the origin and index the dynamic line to the positive X
axis.
The focus is in the Distance window and the Angle value is 0.

Step 4
Step 5
Step 6
At the keyboard, enter :8 (200)

Place a Data-point to confirm the line you just placed.
Move the cursor downward until it is indexed.
The AccuDraw window focus remains in the Distance field and the Angle value changes to 270.
Step 7
Step 8
Step 9
Step 10
Step 11
Step 12
Enter :3.5 (90) at the keyboard.

Place a Data-point to confirm the second line.
Move the cursor to the left until it is indexed. The angle value is 270.
Enter :5 (125) at the keyboard.
Place a Data-point to confirm the third line.
Move the cursor downwards until it is indexed. The angle value is 90.
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Module 7 - Page 9
Step 13
Step 14
Step 15
Step 16
Step 17
Step 18
Enter :3.5 (90).

Place a Data-point to confirm the fourth line.
Index the cursor to the left. The angle value is 270.
Enter :3 (75).
Place a Data-point to confirm the fifth line.
Snap to the endpoint of the first line to close the shape.
As you can see, there is little difference between rectangular and

polar coordinates when drawing a square-cornered shape that uses
indexed lines and specific dimensions.
TOOL TIP !
If your angles display in
negative degrees, you can
change these to positive
values through
Settings/AccuDraw/Display.
Turn OFF the Show
Negative Degrees option.
The difference between the rectangular and polar compass becomes

clear when angles are involved in the shape. Draw this simple and
regular shape to see the difference. I have started you off with the first
three lines and you can finish it on your own.
Step 1
Step 2

Make sure AccuDraws Polar drawing plane compass is visible.

Step 3
Step 4
Step 5
Step 6
Step 7
Step 8
Step 9
Step 10
Move the cursor to the right of the origin and index to the
X-axis.
In Distance enter :4 (100)
Confirm with a Data-point.
Move the cursor up and to the right.
Steps 1 to 6.
Enter a distance of :4 (100).

Press the down arrow (or tab key) to focus in the Angle
setting box. Enter 45.
Data-point to confirm the second line
Enter an angle of 45, and a distance of :4 (100).
Continue this sequence, alternatively entering distance and angle. If

you look carefully at the focus, you will see that you can use the focus
of the previous entry first before using the up or down-arrows or tab
key to change the focus. This saves time when entering values. Snap
the last line back to the starting point.
Steps 7 and onward.
In this example, when you enter both distance and angle, you are constraining the data point. In
other words, you are constraining the line to a specific length and angle. We will look at
constraining data points in more detail later.
7.4 KEYBOARD SHORTCUTS

AccuDraw comes with a collection of keyboard shortcuts that enhance AccuDraws operations
during a drawing or editing sequence. When you enter a shortcut at the keyboard you will see a
pop-up appear in the AccuDraw window. The pop-up is a visual confirmation that AccuDraw has
received the shortcut key-in. You can enter the shortcuts in lowercase.
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You are going to use seven shortcuts in this Section. More will be discussed later, and a complete
list of the shortcuts is given at the end of this Module.
Shortcut Key
Operation
Example
T or V
T - Top: Forces the

compass to rotate to line up
with the X- and Y-axes of the
design plane. Called Top
in relation to the orthographic
top view or plan view in a
drawing.
V - View: Forces the
compass to line up with the
view axes. If the view is not
rotated, then either T or V
will achieve the same effect.
Enter (Return)
Smart Lock: Locks the

dynamic line to the closest X
or Y axis. Toggling Enter (or
Return) locks and unlocks the
dynamic line.
Nearest Snap Mode: Sets the snap mode to Nearest. Used in conjunction
with Smart Lock in this Section but can also be used as an individual shortcut.
Base Rotation. Locks the

placement of an element to
the orientation of the
previously placed element.
AccuDraws compass rotates
parallel to the previous
rotation value.
RQ and RA
Rotate Quick and Rotate

Axis. RQ rotates the
compass temporarily. RA
rotates the compass axes
permanently.
RE
Rotate to Element. Rotates

the compass to align with an
element. Tentative-pointing
or snapping to an element
permanently rotates the
compass.
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Similar in action to RA, but quicker.

Compass rotation remains, but changes as new
elements are added at different angles.
Use RQ for a one-shot rotation.
Module 7 - Page 11
Shortcut Key
Operation
Example
LI
Lock Index. Toggles

AccuDraws axis indexing
ON or OFF.
CONSTRAINING WITH T AND ENTER

In the next exercise you will use the T and Enter (Smart
Lock) shortcuts to draw a simple shape.
Step 1
Step 2

Start with AccuDraws Rectangular compass.

Step 3
Step 4
Step 5
Move the cursor above the origin and index to

the Y-axis.
Enter :6 (150) and Data-point.
Change to the Polar compass (M).
At this point the polar compass is located at the second data point and is oriented to the first line.
You need to enter an angle of 28.50 to the horizontal and you cannot do this with the current
compass orientation.
Step 6
Press T to reorient the compass.
The compass will rotate to orient with the design plane axes. Now
you can enter the correct angle.
Step 7
In the Angle box enter 28.5, in the Distance box enter 4

e (115), and Data-point to accept. Note the space
Step 6: Rotate the compass with the
T key.
between the 4 and the 5/8.
The compass is now oriented with the second line

and must be rotated so that you can draw the next
horizontal line.
Step 8
Step 9
Press T and index the dynamic line to

the X-axis.
Enter a distance of :4 (100) and Datapoint.
Step 8: Rotate the compass again.
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In Step 10 and 11 you need to draw a line at an internal

angle of 1100. Since the compass is oriented to the
design plane (because the last line was horizontal), you
might think that you need to do some math to calculate
the full angle from the X-axis (eg., 110 + 180 = 290).
However, AccuDraw allows you to enter the 1100 angle
and then accept the line as either 1100 from the X-axis
or the reciprocal of the line. All you have to do is
move the cursor below the line to display the
Steps 10 and 11. Line 1100 from the X-axis and
as a reciprocal.
reciprocal. To confuse you further, you could also
enter -70 for the angle.
Step 10
Step 11
Enter 110 in the Angle box, and :5.5 (135) in the Distance box.
Move the cursor downward to display the line and Data-point to accept.
Actually, in this case it doesnt matter whether your cursor is above or below the starting horizontal
line when you enter the active angle. AccuDraw will still offer the two lineposition choices.
Step 12
Press T to reorient the compass for the vertical line.
You will notice that there is no dimension given for the next line. You
dont need one because you will use Smart Lock to lock the dynamic line to
the vertical, and use a Keypoint snap to locate the endpoint horizontally in
line with the shapes starting point.
Step 13
Step 12.
Drag the cursor downward and press Enter to Smart Lock the
dynamic line to the negative Y-axis.
As you move the cursor, the line is dynamic only in the vertical direction (try
moving the cursor).
Step 14
Locate a Tentative point at the

starting point of the shape and snap
to it.
Steps 13 and 14.
When you place the tentative point AccuDraw

draws a dashed line from the tentative point to the dynamic line,
indicating where the dynamic line will terminate. When you
complete the snap with a Data-point, the dynamic line is terminated
in line with the snap location.
Step 15
Step 16
Data-point to complete the snap.

To complete the shape, snap to the starting point and
Reset.
Steps 15 and 16.
It is important to practice the Smart Lock option in conjunction with snap options.
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In the example above, Smart Lock and the endpoint snap

aligned the second vertical line with the start point
because the two vertical lines were parallel. If these two
lines were not parallel, what effect would that have on the
Smart Lock - snap combination? Try the following
exercise:
Step 1
Step 2
Step 3
Step 4
Draw the three lines as shown at the right.

The third line should be dynamic at this
point (the length has not yet been accepted).
Press Enter to Smart Lock the third line to
the negative Y-axis.
Locate a Tentative Point at the starting point.
Step 3.
Step 4.
The dashed line appears, connecting the tentative point and the dynamic line. Note that the angle
between the dashed line and the dynamic line is 900, while the angle between the starting point and
the dashed line will depend on the specific geometry. This is always the case with the Smart Lock
because Smart Lock only locks lines to the X- or Y-axes. Clearly, you cannot use this procedure to
horizontally align to the starting point under this specific condition.
To cancel Smart Lock, press the Enter key again. Reset to stop the Place Line tool.
To practice using Smart Lock together with
tentative points and snaps, draw the four shapes
shown here. The shapes have no dimensions. All
you need do is begin the lines at the start point,
continue around the shape in the direction of the
arrows, and use Smart Lock and snaps where
necessary.
SMART LOCK and the N SHORTCUT

A very important AccuDraw combination is the use of Smart Lock and
the Nearest snap.
Try this simple example first:
Step 1
Step 2
Place a circle in the drawing.

Start a line and drag it toward the circle as shown.
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Steps 1 and 2.
Step 3
Press Enter to Smart Lock the line on the negative X-axis.
You are going to stop the line at the circles circumference without
needing to use the trim tool.
Step 4
Step 5
Step 6
Go to the Status Line and choose the

Nearest snap.
Step 3.
Locate a Tentative point on the circless
circumference.
Data-point to accept the line and reset to stop the tool.
Steps 4, 5, and 6.
Because the line was constrained to the horizontal with Smart Lock, the Nearest snap was forced to
locate at the junction of the circle and the line. A very neat trick.
Such a neat trick that AccuDraw has a shortcut key that automatically sets the Nearest snap mode.
Pressing the N key during a drawing operation will set Nearest as a snap override (if the
AccuDraw window is not active, you must press F11 first to regain focus in AccuDraw). Try the
circle and line exercise again and use the N key-in.
I strongly suggest that you practice different applications of this procedure. You will find many
uses for the Smart Lock and Nearest snap combination since it avoids having to trim elements that
extend beyond another element, as in the circle and line exercise. Later in this Module you will
learn a way of doing the same thing with a sloping line.
Draw the following two shapes using Smart
Lock, the N shortcut, and any other snaps you
need. To assist in drawing the internal
horizontal lines, set the Snap Divisor
(Settings/Locks/Full) to the values shown. A
quick way of setting the divisor is to use
AccuDraws K shortcut. For each of the
two objects draw the internal shape first then
draw the exterior rectangle with six or eight
lines. Add the internal horizontal lines last.
CONSTRAINING WITH THE B SHORTCUT

The B or Base shortcut constrains an element to the
orientation of the last-placed element. This is very
useful if you wish to draw an element that is parallel to
the previous element.
TOOL TIP !
The Parallel snap mode has the same
effect and can be applied to any existing
element, not just the previous element.
Try this exercise. You are going to draw a simple shape

that has angled sides, then draw another shape with sides at the same
angle.
Step 1
Step 2
Step 3
Draw the two lines at the right to any size and angle.
Reset when done.
Data-point to start the second shape.
Press B to invoke the base shortcut.
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AccuDraws compass automatically rotates to match the angle of the previous line.
Try this exercise:
TOOL TIP !
If you forget a shortcut you can
press ? at the keyboard to see a
list of all shortcuts.
Draw the triangle first. Set the Divisor to 6 (use

the K shortcut). Draw the left sloping line to
establish the slope angle. Draw the other sloping
lines by snapping to the horizontal line, using the
B shortcut, Smart Lock, and N for the Nearest
snap.
ROTATING THE COMPASS AXES WITH RQ, RA, RE, and RC KEYBOARD SHORTCUTS
The previous shortcut, B, rotated the compass to match the last drawn element. The RQ, RA, RE,
and RC shortcuts rotated the compass in a variety of ways.
RQ is a one shot rotation: the compass reverts to its normal alignment after use. It is normally
used during a drawing operation to quickly align the compass with an existing element or to an
existing point.
RA permanently rotates the compass until it is manually returned to its view-axis rotation. You
would normally use RA to place a series of elements parallel to an existing element or set of data
points. To return the compass axes to normal view-axis alignment, use the T or V shortcut.
RE rotates the compass to align with an element. Snapping on an element rotates the compass
until realigned using another shortcut (T, for example), or another element is placed at a
different angle, whereupon the compass rotates to align with the new element. In other words,
while active, RE dynamically aligns the compass with the previously placed element until
cancelled with another rotation shortcut.
RC rotates the compass to align with the current Auxiliary Coordinate System (ACS). The ACS
system is discussed in the Level 2 Manual.
Try the following exercise using RQ:
You need to draw a new line that is at an angle of 400 from the endpoint of
an existing line as shown at the right.
Step 1
Step 2
Step 3
Draw the existing line at any angle and length and Reset to
stop the line tool.
Snap to the lower endpoint of the existing
line and dynamically extend the new line.
Press RQ at the keyboard.
As you move the cursor, you will find that the compass
is free to rotate. Now you need to align the compass to
the existing line.
Step 4
Snap to the other endpoint or midpoint of

the existing line.
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Module 7 - Page 16
Steps 3 and 4.
The compass is now aligned with the existing line and you can draw the new line at the 400 Angle
using the polar compass.
The RA compass rotation option works in a similar way, except that you are prompted to define the
rotation of the X-axis. You must first define the X-axis origin (the endpoint of the existing line),
then define the X-axis (by snapping to the other endpoint or midpoint). Remember to watch the
Status Line for the prompts! You may also define the new rotation by entering an angle value in
AccuDraws polar compass.
The RA compass rotation is permanent. Every time you data-point to start a new element the
compass will be in the new rotation. To cancel the rotation and return to the standard view-axis
alignment, press either T or V at the keyboard.
Note: If you wish, you may rotate the compass before starting the new line. To do this effectively
you need to tentative-point on the endpoint of the line and then move the compass to the tentative
point. You will learn how to do this in Section 7-8 of this Module.
Now try the RE shortcut. The intent is to draw a third line from the right-hand
line that is parallel to the left-hand line.
Step 1
Draw the two lines shown at the right with similar angles.
Step 2
Snap to the top of the right-hand line to start the third line
and enter RE to start the shortcut.
Now you can align the compass with the left-hand line, but notice that the compass
orientation will change as you move the cursor over each of the two lines. If you wanted
to draw a line perpendicular to or at an angle from the end of the
right-hand line you would align the compass with that line. In our
case we need to align the compass with the left-hand line.
Step 3
Snap to the left-hand line and draw the parallel third line and Reset.
After doing this, if you place another line, the compass will be aligned with the
third line orientation. If you draw a line off the compass axes, the compass will
align with that line, and so on until you turn off the RE function with T or
another alignment shortcut.
So, the operation you intend to perform determines which compass alignment shortcut you select. In
the RE example above, you could not do that operation with the RQ shortcut, but you could with the
RA shortcut if you add an extra step.
Practice using the RQ, RA, and RE shortcuts on the existing elements in your design.
TOGGLING INDEXING WITH THE LI SHORTCUT

When you are drawing very close to, but not actually on one of
AccuDraws axes, the axis indexing feature can be very inconvenient.
For example, if you were drawing the arrow shown at the right, you may find it difficult to draw the
lines of the arrow head because they may be within AccuDraws indexing range.
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To avoid this problem, use the LI shortcut. This toggles off the indexing feature for one operation,
provided the cursor is off the axis when LI is pressed, otherwise the dynamic line locks to the axis
(as in Smart Lock). Try this shortcut yourself.
7.5 CIRCLES AND ACCUDRAW

AccuDraw assists the drawing of circles by providing quick entry of dimensional and directional
values for radius, diameter, or edge locations. Although the standard circle placement methods are
always available through the Place Circle Tool Settings window, you will find AccuDraws
assistance much more intuitive. Here are simple examples using AccuDraw in relation to the three
methods of drawing a circle:
Method
Description
Example
By Center
(radius entry)
After the center data point is

placed, index the dynamic line to
the X- or Y-axis and enter a
dimensional value. Or, without
indexing the dynamic line, enter X
and Y coordinates in rectangular
mode, or Direction and Angle
values in polar mode.
By Diameter
Similar too above, but the single

value, coordinates, or direction and
angle define the diameter of the
circle.
By Edge
A Circle by Edge is defined by

three data points. After the first
data point is placed, the remaining
two points can be placed by
snapping, by X and Y coordinates,
or by direction and angle.
For practice, draw a circle using a combination of snaps and the

Circle by Edge method:
Step 1
Step 2
Step 3
Step 4
Step 5
Start a Line tool and draw the three base lines as

shown.
Start the Circle tool and choose the Edge method in the
Circle settings box.
For the first data point of the circle, snap to Point 1.
For the second data point, snap to Point 2.
If the Polar compass is visible, toggle to the
Rectangular compass.
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Step 6
Step 7
Step 8
To locate the third point, move the cursor to the approximate location of Point 3.
Enter 7:8 (2340) in the Y value box, and 1:6.5 (470) in the X value box.
Accept the third point location with a Data-point.
Notice in Step 7 that you constrained a data point by entering both X- and Y-values. You will do
more of this in Section 7.7.
7.6 RECALLING PREVIOUS VALUES

PREVIOUS DISTANCE RECALL
AccuDraw records the distance between the last two points and
displays this distance as a small line perpendicular to the dynamic
line. This is called the previous distance marker. Draw a square in
the following exercise:
Step 1
Step 2
Step 3
Start a Line tool.

Pick a Data-point, drag a line indexed to the X-axis,
and pick a second Data-point.
Drag the dynamic line along the Y-axis.
As you drag the line, and when you approach the same distance as
between the first two points, you will see the small perpendicular
line appear on the dynamic line. This is the previous distance
marker. You will be able to move the cursor a short distance around
the perpendicular line before it disappears.
Step 4
Step 5
Step 6
The Previous Distance Marker
With the previous distance marker visible, pick a Data-point.

Drag along the compass Y-axis again, and Data-point at the marker.
Repeat this process until you return to the starting point.
As you can see, you have drawn a perfect square very quickly and easily.
7.7 CONSTRAINING DATA POINTS

CONSTRAINT SHORTCUTS
There are five specific shortcuts that constrain the dynamic placement of elements. They are:
X to constrain the X coordinate
Y to constrain the Y coordinate
D to constrain the Distance coordinate
A to constrain the Angle coordinate
Z to constrain the Z coordinate (3D design files only)
Try this:
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Step 1
Step 2
Data-point to start a new line.

Drag the dynamic line up and away from the point and press X.
Pressing X constrains the line length in the X-axis direction. You can still move the line up or down
to change its actual length (its X-axis length is constrained).
Step 3
Press X again.
The line is now unconstrained. The first X constrains, while the second X unconstrains.
Repeat this process using the X, Y, D, and A keys singly and in combination. The compass will
automatically switch between rectangular and polar as you press the appropriate keys. Carefully
note the constraint effect that each key has on the line.
Try another simple exercise to see the effects of constraint:
Step 1
Draw the two lines shown at the right.
Step 2
Step 1.
Start a third line to
the left, drag across
to Line 1 and locate a tentative point on the
midpoint of that line (do not accept the snap with
a data point).
Step 2.
Step 3
Step 4
Press the A key to constrain the angle. The

compass switches to polar.
Drag the new line back and use the Nearest
snap (N at the keyboard) to snap to Line 2.
The new line ends at line number 2 but is in-line with the
Steps 3 and 4.
midpoint of Line 1. To achieve the same geometry
without AccuDraw, you would have had to draw the new line to the midpoint of Line 1 and then use
an edit tool to trim back to Line 2. Note that the new line could also be extended beyond Line 1
using this method. You might also recall that the Through Point snap option serves the same
purpose.
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Try the following exercise.

You are to place the interior sloping lines so that their
endpoints snap to the corresponding fifth divisors of
the rectangle and the horizontal line.
The dashed line shows a typical sloping line
projection. Follow these prompts:
Draw the rectangle to any size.
Draw the horizontal line from the lower-right of the
rectangle to any length.
Set the snap divisor to 5 (use the K shortcut). With the line tool active, snap to the left vertical side
of the rectangle, tentative-point on a corresponding fifth divisor on the horizontal line, constrain the
line with A, press N and snap to the right vertical line of the rectangle.
Change the divisor back to 2 when you are finished.
This exercise is a good example of the interaction between AccuDraws shortcuts. To draw this
object you combined the K, A, and N shortcuts with snaps and tentative points. Clearly, some
thought is required to determine how best to solve a problem such as this. You will find, however,
that as you practice and become proficient in AccuDraws options, you will find solutions to
difficult drafting problems very quickly.
UNCONSTRAINING DATA POINTS

The shortcut keys that constrain data points are toggles and can therefore be used to unconstrain
data points. Whenever you use the X, Y, A, or D keys or enter a dimension or an angle into
AccuDraw, that direction or dimension is constrained and the appropriate icon in AccuDraws
window is highlighted. The highlight indicates that a constraint is in place.
You can unconstrain the data point by pressing the appropriate shortcut key again or clicking on the
highlighted icon.
You have two choices if you want to enter a new dimensional value after unconstraining a data
point:
1. Move the cursor slightly to change the existing value before entering the new value.
2. Use the Backspace key to delete the old entry.
Try both methods to understand the procedure.
CONSTRAINING DATA POINTS WITH DIMENSIONS

In previous exercises you have constrained data points in the X, Y, or Angle directions, but have not
yet constrained a data point using specific dimensions. Try the following:
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You want to draw a rectangle that is 1'-6" (500) long and 2'-6" (750) high. You
could draw the rectangle with four individual lines but it would be more
efficient to draw the rectangle using the Place Block tool.
As you drag the cursor you will see the dynamic block being drawn.
Step 1
Step 2
Step 3
Step 4
Step 5
Start the Place Block tool (Method should be

Orthogonal).
Data-point to start the rectangle.
Drag the cursor upward and to the right.
Enter 1.5 (500) in AccuDraws X-axis box.
Enter 2.5 (750) in AccuDraws Y-axis box.
The data point that defines the diagonal corner of the rectangle is now constrained at the
X and Y coordinates. Dashed lines indicate the X and Y constraint.
Placing the diagonal
corner of the block.
Step 6
Data-point to accept the constraint and finish placing the rectangle.
Note that you can constrain any element in this way

since you are actually constraining a data point. You may also
constrain a data point by distance and angle with the Polar
compass.
Try the following exercise. Draw the four blocks to the X and Y
dimensions shown. Remember that you do not need to enter
negative dimensions in AccuDraw; just move the cursor in the
direction of the data point.
TOOL TIP !
Remember that you do not
need to enter negative values
in AccuDraw if you first drag
the cursor in the negative
direction before entering the
dimensional values.
7.8 RELOCATING THE COMPASS ORIGIN with O FOR ORIGIN

One of the more frequent drawing operations you
need to do is to offset the starting point of an
element in relation to an existing element or to a
known point. AccuDraws O shortcut provides
a very efficient means of floating the compass
so that offsets can be made.
There are two options:
TOOL TIP !
Use a tentative point and the O shortcut key to
offset the start point of an element. If you normally
use an offset tool (in another CAD programs) to find
the location of new elements, you can still do so with
MicroStations Move Parallel tool. However, this is a
very inefficient method of finding the start points of
elements compared to the tentative point and O key
combination discussed in this Section.
1. Pressing the O key when the compass

is visible will cause the compass to
relocate at the current cursor location.
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Try this option. Data-point to start a new line, and as you drag the line around the window, keep
pressing the O key. The compass will relocate to the current cursor position each time you press
O. Stop the line tool with a reset and continue pressing the O key.
2. If a tentative point is located in the
window, pressing the O key will
relocate the compass at the tentative point.
See the Tool Tip for a quicker method.
TOOL TIP !
A quicker method of relocating the compass is to
press Ctrl-Manual Tentative Point. This is the
preferred method since it eliminates the need to
press F11 to gain focus in AccuDraw before
This second option is extremely important since it

allows you to enter precision offsets from existing
elements in the drawing. The instruction that follows uses the
standard O key option, but try to become familiar with the CtrlManual Tentative Point shortcut.
To see how this option can be of tremendous value to drawing
operations, start with the simple exercise at the right. The objective
is to locate the bottom-left corner of the small rectangle at a 9 7/8"
(229) offset from the lower-right corner of the larger rectangle.
Step 1
Step 2
Step 3
Step 4
Step 5
Step 6
Steps 2 to 6.
Step 7
Step 8
Draw the large rectangle (Place Block).

Start the Place Line tool.
Locate a Tentative-point on the bottom-right
corner of the large rectangle (or Ctrl- Tentative
Point and skip the next step).
Press the O key to move the compass to the tentative point.
Index the cursor to the positive Y axis.
Enter :9 7/8 (229).
The dynamic line will extend to the 9 7/8" (229) location and you
have constrained a potential start point for the start of the small
block. This is essentially a new tentative point that can be accepted
or abandoned.
Accept the new tentative point with a data-point.
Draw the three sides of the small rectangle, using Smart Lock
and N to trim the third line to the side of the large rectangle.
It would have been much more efficient to continue using the Place Block
tool to draw the second rectangle, but I wanted you to use Smart Lock and
the N shortcut!
Step 7.
This process is extremely significant. You have offset the starting point of the line in relation to a
known point on the large rectangle. This is a very common operation in CAD and AccuDraw
greatly simplifies the procedure. Draw these two
shapes again, but start the small rectangle from the topright corner of the large rectangle.
For more practice of this important procedure, draw
the objects at the right, working with the information
below.
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First, draw the two square posts with the Place Block tool and AccuDraw. Then, with a Line tool
active, locate a tentative point at the midpoint of the left post, press O to move the compass to the
tentative point, then offset the start of the line by 4" (100). Drag the line to the right post, locate a
tentative point at the midpoint of the post, press O to relocate the compass, and offset 4" (100) to the
left to end the line. Practice this several times to become totally comfortable with the procedure.
One more simple example, but one that you can apply to many drafting situations:
You are to draw the circle and place the two center lines.
Step 1
Step 2
Step 3
Step 4
Step 5
Step 6
Step 7
Draw the circle.

Start a Line tool.
Locate a Tentative point at the circles center.
Press O to locate the compass at the tentative
point.
Move the pointer above the circle and data-point
to start the first center line.
Drag down and across the circle to place the full
center line.
Repeat for the second center line.
Very simple, but very effective! Practice this procedure on

other shapes and elements in your design.
The offsets in the previous two examples were only in one
axis. You can, of course, use the offset procedure
to offset in both the X- and Y-axes using the
rectangular compass, and with Distance and Angle
using the polar compass.
Try this example that offsets in the X- and Y-axes:

Draw the three circles to the dimensions shown.
Step 1
Draw the lower left circle first using

the Center method and entering the
radius in the AccuDraw Distance box.
Step 2
Step 3
Step 4
Locate a Tentativepoint at the center of the circle. (Remember you can use either the
Keypoint or Center snaps to locate the circles center.)
Press O to locate the compass at the tentative point. Toggle to the
rectangular compass.
Move the cursor up and to the right in the general direction of the
upper circle.
Steps 2, 3, and 4.
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Remember that it is important to move the cursor in the general direction

of the next point so that AccuDraw can anticipate the next points
coordinate information.
Step 5
Enter an X of :22.5 (572), and a Y of :15.25 (388) in the

AccuDraw value boxes
A tentative point is now constrained to the X and Y coordinates and is

displayed as a small dark square at the constraint location.
Step 6
Step 7
Step 6 and the start of Step 7.

Draw the upper circle and constrain
a new data point for the lower right
circle.
Step 5.
Enter a Data-point to confirm the new location and draw the

upper circle.
Repeat the above process
to draw the third circle in
relation to the upper circle
you have just drawn.
Remember that you dont
need to enter a negative Y
coordinate if you have
moved the cursor in the
general direction of the
third circle.
AccuDraw allows you to place as many constrained data

Step 7. Draw the lower right circle.
points as you wish before entering a Data-point to confirm a
location. In other words, you can leapfrog around the drawing without restriction with tentative
points, the O shortcut, and AccuDraw coordinates. For example, in the three-circle exercise, you
could have drawn the lower right circle without having first drawn the upper circle. In Step 6 you
would simply use the O key to move the compass to the new constrained tentative point (instead
of placing a data-point) and then constrain a tentative point at the center of the lower right circle
with AccuDraw. A Data-point will then allow you to draw the lower right circle.
This is an important concept and extra practice will be extremely beneficial since you will use this
procedure in many drawing operations. Start drawing the circles again but only draw the lower left
and lower right circles as I just described. Then start again and draw the three circles in reverse
order (start at the lower right circle).
Remember also that you can use any of the other appropriate shortcut keys at any time during
drawing operations. You are not limited to using them
one at a time.
Tentative points and the O shortcut can also be used
to locate a data point in relation to two elements.
However, this is more complex and will be discussed
in the Level 2 Manual.
For further practice of this very important technique,
draw the simple baseplate shown at the right. This
is a very common drafting problem where a rectangle
(or any other shape) must be located in relation to a
known point, in this case the intersection of two center
lines.
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You can draw this on your own, but here are a few hints:
Draw the center lines first. Start the Place
Block tool and locate the compass at the
center lines intersection (locate the tentative
point at the intersection and press the O
key). Constrain a tentative point at one
corner of the rectangle, confirm with a data
point, and place the block to the diagonal
corner.
On your own, draw the pulley layout shown
at the right. There are no sizes for the circles
so just make them reasonably proportional.
Add center lines for each circle.
ALIGNING ORTHOGRAPHIC VIEWS

One very important function of AccuDraw is to assist in the alignment
of orthographic views. In a formal orthographic drawing, the Front,
Plan, and Right-Side views are aligned vertically and horizontally. On
a drawing board this is easy to do using a T-square and setsquare
(triangle). In CAD however, you need some method of ensuring
alignment, and AccuDraw provides this function.
You are going to draw the orthographic arrangement shown at the
right; a Plan, Front, and Right-Side view. The size of the object
doesnt matter (although you can assign sizes to the edges if you wish).
Step 1
Draw the Plan view to approximately the same proportions.
Now start to draw the Front view. Remember that it must be vertically
aligned with the Plan view, and to do that you will use the Plan view as the
reference:
Step 2
Step 3
Step 4
Step 5
With a Line tool active, locate a tentative point on the lower-left

corner of the Plan.
Press the O key to locate the compass at the tentative point.
Drag downward to locate of the top-left corner of the Front
view.
Data-point to start the line, and drag to the right.
Steps 2 to 4
You are now placing the top horizontal line of the Front view which will
end in line with the middle vertical line on the Plan view. Use AccuDraw
to locate the end point:
Steps 5 to 8
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Step 6
Step 7
Step 8
Step 9
Step 10
Step 11
Step 12
Step 13
As you drag to the right, press the Enter key to SmartLock

the line to the horizontal.
Locate a tentative-point on the lower end of the middle
vertical line on the Plan view to define the end of the
horizontal line.
Data-point to confirm the location of the top middle corner of
the Front view.
Drag downward and data-point to place the middle vertical
line of the Front view.
Drag to the right, apply SmartLock, tentative-point on the
bottom-right corner of the Plan view, and data-point
anywhere to confirm the location of the top-right corner of the
Steps 9 and 10
Front view.
Drag downward and data-point to place the bottom-right corner of the Front view.
Drag to the left, SmartLock, locate a tentative-point to set the
length, and data-point to define the bottom-left corner.
Place the left-vertical line to complete the Front view.
You should now be able to align and place the Right-Side view yourself
using the same technique. For the width of the object you can either guess
the width as you did on the Plan, or better yet, invent a method to capture
the Plan width using the D shortcut and Previous Distance Recall.
Note that you can align a view in any direction, so you can start an
orthographic drawing from any of the views. This technique is covered in
detail in the Level 2 Manual, including how to easily generate the Right or
any views.
It is very important to practice this alignment technique. Many types of
drawing and details need to be aligned in this way and AccuDraw provides
the necessary tools.
Steps 11 to 13
7.9 SHORTCUT SNAP MODES and CONSTRAINTS

To add a little efficiency to invoking a snap mode while using AccuDraw, three common snap
modes are included in the shortcut keys. These snap modes are one-shot overrides to the active
snap mode. In each case simply press the appropriate key and place a tentative point. The snaps are:
1. Pressing the C key invokes the Center snap.
2. Pressing the I key invokes the Intersection snap.
3. Pressing the N key invokes the Nearest snap (you used this in a previous Section).
Each of the snap modes works as you would normally expect, and a tentative point will appear when
you hover the cursor at an appropriate location. In the case of the Center and Nearest snaps it is on
the element for which you wish to find the center or nearest locations. For the Intersection snap it is
at the intersection of two elements. All modes work the same if you are placing manual tentative
points.
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Try a quick exercise. Remember in Section 7.4 above you trimmed

a horizontal line at the circumference of a circle? Try this again
with the line at a specific angle:
Step 1
Step 2
Draw the circle and start the line element.

Switch to the polar compass and enter an angle of 1610
(or -190)
Step 3
At Step 3 the line is constrained to

the circumference of the circle.
Terminate the line at the

Steps 1 and 2.
circle by pressing N at the
keyboard and locating the cursor on the circle. A tentative
point will snap to the junction of line and the circle. Datapoint to accept.
The angle value entry constrains the line direction while the nearest snap
completes the connection and the trim.
AVOIDING THE N KEY

Sometimes you dont need to use the N shortcut to
constrain the end of a line. This situation occurs when you
are drawing a perpendicular line between two parallel lines.
Try the following exercise shown below. You are going to
draw the object on the left, then add the vertical bricks as
shown on the right.
Step 1
Step 2
Step 3
Step 4
Draw the block and horizontal interior lines as in the left-hand illustration above. The
dimensions are not important.
Start a Line tool.
Start the left-hand column of short vertical lines by snapping with N to the bottom edge
of the block.
Drag the line upward and SmartLock to the vertical axis.
You would normally use N to constrain the line to the first horizontal interior line, but in this case
you dont need to:
Step 5
Snap to any keypoint location along the first horizontal line (make sure the Keypoint
snap is active).
Because the line is constrained to the vertical with SmartLock and the short line is perpendicular to
the horizontal line, the short line will snap neatly to the second horizontal line without using the N
shortcut.
Step 6
Press Reset to stop the line tool.
Now draw the second short vertical line above the first:
Step 7
Step 8
Locate the endpoint tentative point at the top of the small vertical line and press the O
key to locate the compass there.
SmartLock the dynamic line to the vertical and snap to the second horizontal line (do
not use the N key to do so).
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Step 9
Data-point to start the second vertical line, SmartLock it, snap to the third horizontal
line, and Reset.
Repeat this process for the remaining short vertical lines. Did you realize that you could have drawn
the horizontal lines in Step 1 without the N key? Try this for yourself.
In addition to the shortcut snaps and lines you have used above, AccuDraw will respond to
constraints in similar ways when using any other type of snap and most other drawing tools, as you
will see in later modules. In the meantime, and on your own, try snaps and constraints using other
element types and setup situations.
7.10 UNIT ROUNDOFF

Earlier, when you looked at the AccuDraw settings box (shortcut key G,S), I briefly mentioned one
option: the Unit Roundoff. For some drawing operations it can be very helpful to limit the increment
between units of measurement, whether dimensional or angular.
A good example is the drawing of isometric illustrations which require vertical and 300 angles for
the major axes of the drawing. The vertical axis is no problem for AccuDraw, but the 300 axes are a
chore if you must enter the 300 value every time you draw a horizontal line.
However, if you lock the cursor to multiples of 300 with the Unit
Roundoff option this problem is solved. Try drawing a cube with 4 ft
(1200) edges in the following exercise:
Step 1
Step 2
Step 3
Open the AccuDraw settings box with G and then S.

In the Coordinates - Unit Roundoff section set Distance to
:6 (150) and Angle to 300.
With a Line tool active, data-point to start a line with the
Polar compass visible.
As you drag the dynamic line around the window, notice that you are
limited to angles of 300 or 900 and distances in multiples of 6" (150).
Watch the AccuDraw window as you draw the top of the cube first,
starting at the front corner.
Step 4
Step 5
Drag the dynamic line up and to the

right at 300 until 4'-0" (1200) is
shown in the Distance value
window.
Data-point to accept the location of
the data point.
Steps 4 and 5.
Now that a distance value has been set, you can quickly draw the remaining sides by using the
locked 300 angle and the Previous Distance Recall feature.
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Step 6
Step 7
Step 8
Steps 6 and 7.
Drag the dynamic line up and to the left at

300 until the small perpendicular line of the
Distance Recall appears.
Data-point to accept the rear corner of the
cubes top.
Continue this process to return to the
starting point of the top face. Do not reset
Step 8. Completion of the top
to stop the tool.
face.
Step 9
Step 10
Step 9. Completion of the right face.
Draw the right face using appropriate

combinations of angle and the Distance
Recall.
You can now complete the cube by
drawing the left face.
You can, of course, draw lines other than at the

specified Unit Roundoff settings while the Distance
and Angle locks are on. You have several options to
override the locks:
1. You can use a snap mode to draw to a specific point in the drawing.
2. You can enter specific distance and angle values in the AccuDraw window. After doing
this, you will likely need to use the T shortcut to realign the compass with the view
window.
3. If you leave the AccuDraw Setting box on the screen, you can click in the small check boxes
next to the Distance and Angle settings. This will turn the locks on and off.
Draw the following two objects to practice these
options. In addition to AccuDraws Unit
Roundoff settings, make use of tentative points
and the O shortcut. Only the overall dimensions
are shown, but if you set the Distance lock to 3"
(75) you will have no trouble drawing the internal
lines which are all on the 3" (75) grid.
Remember to reset the angle and distance settings to zero in the
AccuDraw settings box when you are finished.
Another method of drawing isometrically is to set the Isometric lock on the pop-up Locks indicator
on the Status Line. This also locks the compass to 300 increments (the polar compass works best).
Try this now, and each time you want to change direction, press the T key to orient the compass to
the Top alignment. To assist the Isometric lock, open the full Locks box where, at the bottom of the
box, you can set the isometric alignment of the compass plane. All is usually the best option for the
plane.
7.11 USING THE POPUP CALCULATOR

MicroStation provides a Popup calculator that can be activated in AccuDraws X, Y, Distance, and
Angle input windows (and Z in 3D files). You will only look at the four basic math functions (+, -,
*, /) in this Module, but the calculator is also capable of handling more complex expressions. Not
only does the calculator calculate values for direct input (such as 2'-6"+5'-3"), but it can also be used
as part of an offset operation.
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To use the calculator, simply enter one of the math function symbols while the focus is in the input
boxes of AccuDraw. You will see an additional input box pop up outside the input box.
Try the addition example at the
right:
To draw the continuous line at the
top of this object you would have
to add the four separate
dimensions to obtain the overall dimension. Use the Popup calculator instead with the Rectangular
compass:
Step 1
Step 2
Step 3
Start one of the Line tools and data-point to start the line.
Move the cursor to the right and enter the first dimension,
3'-2 1/4" (965), in AccuDraws X-axis window.
Press the + key and enter the second dimension.
The calculator will pop up and display the + sign and

the second dimension. The line in the view will
graphically display the length of the combined
dimensions.
Step 4
Step 5
TOOL TIP !
Be careful entering dimensions. If you move
the cursor to the left, the second + dimension
will be entered as a negative (which is correct),
but if you enter the next dimension with a +, the
value will be deducted from the second
dimension. If you must move to the left, enter
negative values after the second dimension.
Repeat Step 3 to enter the remaining two

dimensions.
Data-point to place the endpoint of the
line at the calculated length.
Now try using the calculators divide function to

locate a data point midway between two known points.
You are going to draw the single vertical line with Point 3 being midway
between and level with Points 1 and 2:
Step 1
Steps 2, 3, and 4.
Step 5
Draw the U-shaped element to any size. Points 1 and 2

should be in horizontal alignment.
Step 2
With one of the Line tools active, locate a
tentative point at Point 1 (do not accept with
a data-point).
Step 3
Press the O key to locate the compass at Point
1.
Step 4
Locate a second tentative point at Point 2.
The focus will now be in AccuDraws X-axis window.
Step 5.
Enter /2 at the keyboard to divide the potential line in half.

The calculator displays the /2 entry and the calculated value. The dynamic line is now
shown half way between Points 1 and 2.
Step 6
Step 7
Accept the new point (Point 3) with a data-point.

Draw the short vertical line and Reset to stop the Line tool.
Step 6 and 7.
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Try another easy example where you can use the calculator to offset a tentative point:
You are to draw the two rectangles but not the
center line. The bottoms of the rectangles are
horizontally aligned.
Step 1
Place the left-hand block first,

starting at the top left corner.
Use O to locate the compass at the bottomright corner of the block. Now use the calculator to add the two
middle dimensions:
Step 2
Drag the cursor to the right and enter :6.5 + :8.875 (165
+ 223).
Step 3
Step 3.
Steps 1 and 2.
Data-point to accept the calculated point and then draw

the second block.
Notice that unlike the line you drew previously, in this case you were
using the calculator to find an offset point to start the second block.
The example above used the calculator only along the

X-axis. You can, of course, apply the calculator to
both the X- and Y-axes by adding one extra step.
The illustration at the right shows the same two blocks
located with an X and Y offset.
Draw this yourself by placing the small block as you
did before, then enter the two X-axis dimensions using
the calculator (but do not data-point to accept the
offset).
Press the Enter key to lock the X-axis calculation.
The focus switches to the Y-axis box. Enter the two
Y-axis dimensions as negative dimensions in the calculator.
The full offset point should now be constrained and a data-point will start the larger block.
It would be helpful if you would try different combinations of tentative points and calculator values
to fully understand the action of the calculator. Try using the Polar compass to calculate both
distances and angles.
As mentioned above, the calculator will accept complex expressions including multiple operators,
parentheses, C expressions, trigonometry expressions, and the use of variables. You may also mix
the format of the inputs and MicroStation will interpret then correctly.
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Module 7 - Page 32
7.12 THE COMPLETE LIST OF ACCUDRAW SHORTCUT KEYS

Press Shift-? to see the following the AccuDraw shortcut keys list. Use this table for reference
when using AccuDraw. The key-ins are not case sensitive. Also, the two-letter shortcuts are
entered as separate entries (for example, G, S is entered as G then S, not G and S). The drawing
plane noted in several shortcuts is the AccuDraw drawing plane (compass).
For entries that can be expanded, go the Shortcut list with Shift_?
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Module 7 - Page 33
You should be aware that Bentley Systems Inc. is constantly updating and improving AccuDraw
(and the entire product line) on a constant basis. Users who have access to Bentleys Select website
(www.bentley.com) can download the latest version of AccuDraw containing additional shortcut
options and other improvements.
You may also customize the shortcut keys yourself by adding new keys or deleting ones you do not
use. This is covered in detail in the Level 2 Manual.
Please remember that AccuDraw is applicable to virtually every drawing and editing operation.
You must become as comfortable and competent in the use of AccuDraw as possible, and I strongly
suggest that you repeat this Module at a later time to reinforce the concepts and actions.
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Module 7 - Page 34
2D LEVEL 1
Module
ABSOLUTE COORDINATES
and GRIDS
24 Pimlico Drive
L9H 6J5
Phone 905-628-8237
Module 8 of 19
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Module 8 - Page 1
Micro-Press.com
Module Information
Prerequisites:
Introduction:
MicroStation provides several methods of entering precise positional data

points. In this Module you are going to look at a method called Precision Input
Key-ins which allow you to enter coordinates as key-ins in a special settings
box. You are going to use the key-in method specifically for absolute
coordinates as an alternative to AccuDraw.
This Module also includes information on the Grid method of entering precise
dimensional information.
Objective(s):
8.1
8.2
8.3
8.4
Time:
Open and dock the Precision Key-in box.

Identify and apply Absolute (XY=) Key-ins.
Identify Delta and Distance Key-ins.
Understand and apply MicroStations grid system of drafting.
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Module 8 - Page 2
DISCUSSION:
As you saw in the previous two Modules, the Cartesian coordinate system allows you to precisely locate
points on the design plane in X and Y coordinates.
In the previous Module (AccuDraw), you placed new data points in relation to the previous data point. This
is called relative displacement and you did this using either X-Y or a Distance-Angle dimensional inputs.
As you also saw in the previous Module, AccuDraw does not easily allow the placement of absolute
coordinates.
Absolute coordinates are placed in relation to the global origin (0,0). This is a common requirement for
map making or surveying where X and Y coordinates are related to fixed monument points in the drawing.
MicroStation provides a specific method of entering absolute coordinates outside of AccuDraw. That
method Precision Key-ins, is covered in the first part of this Module.
Open your Start-E or Start-M drawing as usual. AccuDraw must be active.
8.1 OPENING THE DATA POINT KEY-IN SETTINGS BOX

Precision key-ins are entered in the Data Point Key-in box that is opened by using the AccuDraw
shortcut key P.
With AccuDraw active and the focus in the AccuDraw window, do the following:
Press the P key on the keyboard
Click on the M option.
The Data Point Key-in box will now display on the screen. The M means multiple and will allow
you to enter any number of coordinate inputs. The other option using P accepts one coordinate
entry and then automatically closes the Data Point Key-in box. AccuDraw does not need to be
turned off while using the key-ins.
You may now move the key-in box to a convenient location in your drawing window in order to
keep the drawing window as uncluttered as possible. If there is enough space, try docking the
settings box next to the AccuDraw window.
8.2 ABSOLUTE (XY=) KEY-IN

By default, the mode of the key-in box is set to Absolute (x,y=). If your box displays any other
mode, click on Mode to display the list of options. Choose the first one, Absolute (x,y=).
The Absolute key-in places data points at X and Y distances in relation to the Global Origin of your
design. In other words, when you enter values for the X and Y coordinates, MicroStation places
data points at the given X and Y distances from the 0,0 global origin.
Note! For English dimensions, a colon must be entered as a colon, not a semicolon.
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Module 8 - Page 3
Dimensional data is entered in the way you practiced in Module

6, but with a , (comma) separating the X and Y values. For
example, a coordinate of X= 6" and Y= 9 " would be entered as
:6,9.5 assuming standard English working units. In metric
X=150 mm and Y= 200 mm would be entered as 150,200
assuming standard millimeter working units.
You are going to try some examples, but first you need to find the global origin in your drawing.
Do the following:
Step 1
Notice that the AccuDraw box is inactive, but still displays coordinates, while the Key-in box is
active.
Step 2
In the Key-in window, type 0,0 and press Enter.
Note the use of the Enter key. Unlike AccuDraw, which does not require an Enter to confirm an
entry, the Precision Key-ins require an Enter to confirm the data input.
A line, attached to your cursor, will appear on the screen. The starting point of the line is at the 0,0
origin, but the origin may not actually be visible in the drawing window.
Zoom Out to see the start of the line at 0,0.
For convenience, place a marker at the 0,0 origin: Draw a small V
shape as shown at the right.
Origin marker.
Now, using absolute coordinates, follow the inputs given

below to draw a rectangle in a counterclockwise direction
starting from the lower-left corner. After the first line is
placed, you may need to zoom in or out to see the entire
rectangle. Do this without Resetting and stopping the
Place Line tool. Be careful with your data entries; you
must enter them exactly as shown.
To help you visualize the Cartesian coordinate system I
have included grid markings in the illustration. The grid
is called off in feet and 3" increments (and in 100 mm
increments). The 5 symbol in the steps indicates the
Enter key.
Step 1
Step 2
Step 3
Step 4
Step 5
Step 6
Step 7

Enter 1,:9 5 (400,300)
Enter 1:9,:9 5 (700,300)
Enter 1:9,2 5 (700,800)
Enter 1,2 5 (400,800)
Enter 1,:9 5 (400,300)
Reset.
The rectangle with its absolute coordinates

points.
In Step 6 you could have entered 1,:9 (400,300) at the keyboard as noted, or have snapped the line
back to the starting point.
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Module 8 - Page 4
For practice, draw the

following four figures
yourself. You should
calculate the corner X,Y
coordinates before you start.
Grid marks are in feet and
millimeters. All vertices of
the shapes are on a grid point.
MOVING THE GLOBAL ORIGIN

It is very easy to relocate the global origin in your design. However, the tool
to do this is located in the Key-in dialog box. To access the Key-in box, go to
the Home/Primary/More and choose Key-in. You will be presented with a
dialog box that allows you to directly enter a key-in or to build a key-in from
the available options.
The cursor should be flashing in the key-in window. If not, click in the upper
window.
Step 1
Step 2
Enter GO= in the key-in window and press Enter.

(GO is global origin.)
You are prompted to Enter monument point. Snap
to a suitable point in the drawing.
You will now find that the Global Origin has been moved to the new location and the Status Line
displays the offset from the center of the design plane. You can test this by drawing a line from 0,0.
The second option in the GO= tool settings window is Center, which locates the global origin at the
center of the design plane. To use this option, just data-point in the view.
For more information about the Global Origin refer to the Help menu.
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Module 8 - Page 5
TOOL TIP !
For your information, the Key-in dialog box allows you to enter typed instructions to MicroStation
(discussed in detail in the Level 2 Manual). You only need do this if the operation you need is not
contained in the graphical interface (Ribbon, tool boxes,, etc.). In addition to typing instructions, you
can build an instruction through the menu lists, then click on the Key in button to run the
instruction. You may also enter coordinate values in this box, but you must first enter the coordinate
type, e.g., xy=0,0. For convenience, the Key-in window can be resized by clicking on its corner
handles.
8.3 DELTA and DISTANCE KEY-INS

You may have noticed the other modes offered in the Data Point Key-in box, specifically the Delta
(dl=), View Delta (dx=), and Distance (di=) options. These modes have been available in all
previous versions of MicroStation and were the primary relational coordinate data entry methods
before MicroStation 95 and AccuDraw was developed. AccuDraw has superceded these modes and
offers a much more efficient and an intuitive relative-coordinate entry tool.
You will not be looking at these modes in this Manual, but a short explanation of their use is in
order.
The Delta (DL=) and View Delta (DX=) key-ins are essentially the same and correspond to
AccuDraws rectangular compass method of entering relative X-Y coordinates. The Distance (di=)
option corresponds to AccuDraws polar compass method of distance and angle coordinate entry.
Coordinates are entered in the same fashion as you did for absolute data entry, with a comma
between the two values.
8.4 USING THE GRID

Another way of placing accurately dimensioned elements is to use MicroStations Grid system.
Once you have set up a grid system to specific dimensions, you can draw from grid-point to gridpoint with absolute accuracy. You can draw very quickly this way, but the drawing method is fairly
rigid, and the dimensions of your drawing should match the grid spacing for maximum efficiency.
Good examples of grid use are architectural column-grid drawings where the column lines are
spaced at regular centers, and electrical schematic drawings which have no scale but which require
regularly-spaced lines.
You have the option of locking your data-points to the grid, or unlocking them to draw
between the grid points. The quickest way to lock and unlock is to use the Locks icon on the
Status Bar. Simply click in the Grid toggle to lock and unlock the data-points.
TOOL TIP !
For convenience, you can float a toggles box on your screen. Click
on the Lock Toggles option in the Locks popup to float the box.
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Module 8 - Page 6
TOOL TIP !
For your information, the Key-in dialog box allows you to enter typed instructions to MicroStation
(discussed in detail in the Level 2 Manual). You only need do this if the operation you need is not
contained in the graphical interface (Ribbon, tool boxes,, etc.). In addition to typing instructions, you
can build an instruction through the menu lists, then click on the Key in button to run the
instruction. You may also enter coordinate values in this box, but you must first enter the coordinate
type, e.g., xy=0,0. For convenience, the Key-in window can be resized by clicking on its corner
handles.
8.3 DELTA and DISTANCE KEY-INS

You may have noticed the other modes offered in the Data Point Key-in box, specifically the Delta
(dl=), View Delta (dx=), and Distance (di=) options. These modes have been available in all
previous versions of MicroStation and were the primary relational coordinate data entry methods
before MicroStation 95 and AccuDraw was developed. AccuDraw has superceded these modes and
offers a much more efficient and an intuitive relative-coordinate entry tool.
You will not be looking at these modes in this Manual, but a short explanation of their use is in
order.
The Delta (DL=) and View Delta (DX=) key-ins are essentially the same and correspond to
AccuDraws rectangular compass method of entering relative X-Y coordinates. The Distance (di=)
option corresponds to AccuDraws polar compass method of distance and angle coordinate entry.
Coordinates are entered in the same fashion as you did for absolute data entry, with a comma
between the two values.
8.4 USING THE GRID

Another way of placing accurately dimensioned elements is to use MicroStations Grid system.
Once you have set up a grid system to specific dimensions, you can draw from grid-point to gridpoint with absolute accuracy. You can draw very quickly this way, but the drawing method is fairly
rigid, and the dimensions of your drawing should match the grid spacing for maximum efficiency.
Good examples of grid use are architectural column-grid drawings where the column lines are
spaced at regular centers, and electrical schematic drawings which have no scale but which require
regularly-spaced lines.
You have the option of locking your data-points to the grid, or unlocking them to draw
between the grid points. The quickest way to lock and unlock is to use the Locks icon on the
Status Bar. Simply click in the Grid toggle to lock and unlock the data-points.
TOOL TIP !
For convenience, you can float a toggles box on your screen. Click
on the Lock Toggles option in the Locks popup to float the box.
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Module 8 - Page 6
MicroStations grid contains two types of grid points. The first is a dot grid-point that indicates
the smallest grid unit, for example one inch. This unit is called the Grid Master unit. The second
point is a continuous-line grid patten that marks groups of the smallest grid unit, for example feet.
This is called the Grid Reference unit. You can, of course, set any size for each of the units, and the
grid covers the entire design plane. Note that the cursor will always snap to the Grid Master grid
points.
SETTING THE GRID DIMENSIONS - ENGLISH UNITS

In your START-E design file make sure your Working Units are set to Subunits with a c" accuracy
(File/Settings/File/Design File Settings/Working Units).
Next, to be sure the grid will display in your window, open the View Attributes settings. Make sure
the Grid check box is checked to have the grid display in the window.
To set the grid units, do the following:
Step 1
Open the Design File Settings dialog again and click on Grid.
The two most important settings in this box are the Grid
Master and Grid Reference fields.
Step 2
Set the Grid Master units to 1" (enter ;1 as

usual).
This sets the smallest grid units to a 1" spacing.

Step 3
Set the Grid Reference units to 12.
The Grid Reference setting is a numeric value, not a dimension. In other words, you are telling
MicroStation to put Grid Reference lines at a spacing that is twelve Grid Master points apart. With
your current Working Units settings, the grid will display Master points at every inch, and Reference
lines at every foot (twelve times 1").
Step 4
Step 5
Click in the Grid Lock box to lock the cursor to the grid, and leave the Grid config
value at Ortho.
Click OK to accept the settings.
Zoom-in and zoom-out to see how MicroStation

displays the grid on your screen. As you zoom out,
the grid display gets denser and MicroStation will
only display the Reference lines. If you zoom out far
enough, the grid disappears completely because it
becomes too dense to display.
To test the grid, start the Place Line tool and draw a
series of lines in the window. Notice how the line
vertices always fall on a grid point whether you Datapoint on or between grid points. Notice that the
Length readout in the Tool Settings window only
displays multiples of 1" (the Master Grid unit) when
you move the cursor horizontally or vertically.
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Module 8 - Page 7
To unlock the cursor from the grid, the quickest way is to toggle the Grid Lock in the Locks setting
box as I described at the start of this Section.
Try a different grid setting. Open the Grid settings box again and enter the following values:
Set the Grid Master unit to ;0.25 and the Grid Reference to 4.
This sets the grid Master units dots at " spacing and the grid Reference line spacing at 1" (four
times "). Try the Place Line tool again with these settings. Vertical or horizontal lines you draw
will be placed at 1/4" increments.
SETTING GRID UNITS - METRIC UNITS

Grids for Metric units work in exactly the same way. For example, if you are using millimeters for
both Master units and Sub units, you should set the lowest common dimension size you are likely to
need as the Master Grid unit (10 mm, 100 mm, 500 mm, etc.). Since you are working in a single
dimensional unit, you may or may not need to set a separate Reference Grid unit. If you decide not
to set a separate Reference Grid unit, simply set the multiplier to 1 or (or 0). By doing this, both
grid markers occupy the same locations only the Grid Reference lines are visible.
You can change the grid units at any time, including on the fly.
As you practice using the grid, change the grid settings while the
line tool is still active. The option of changing the grid spacing
while using a tool is very useful if your drawing contains elements
that require different grid settings. Also, remember to turn the grid
lock OFF and ON with the Locks toggle box to place Data-points
that do not fall on the grid points.
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Module 8 - Page 8
TOOL TIP !
You can still snap elements
to points off the grid when
the grid lock is on.
2D LEVEL 1
Module
POLYGONS
24 Pimlico Drive
L9H 6J5
Phone 905-628-8237
Module 9 of 19
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Module 9 - Page 1
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Module Information
Prerequisites:
Introduction:
Polygons are closed shapes. They can be regular polygons with edges of
exactly the same size (a hexagon for example), or they can consist of many
edges of differing size and angular placement (simply called a shape).
MicroStation provides tools to draw these elements. AccuDraw is also a vital
part of the drawing process, contributing accuracy and alignment to these
elements.
Objective(s):
9.1
9.2
9.3
9.4
Time:
Place rectangular blocks using the Place Block tool.

Place closed shapes using the Place Shape tool.
Place orthogonal shapes using the Place Orthogonal Shape tool.
Place regular polygons using the Place Regular Polygon tool.
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Module 9 - Page 2
DISCUSSION:
The Polygons tool box (Home/Placement) contains tools that draw closed
shapes in various configurations. Two of the tools, Place Shape and Place
Orthogonal Shape, require that the shape be closed manually or the tool
will reset without drawing a shape. In addition to the tools in this tool box,
AccuDraw and SmartLine can draw similar shapes and with added
flexibility.
9.1 PLACE BLOCK TOOL

You have already used the Place Block tool, in a limited way, but it always helps to practice tool
usage.
The tool draws rectangular blocks, horizontally or rotated. AccuDraw will help you place the
blocks with precision. Make sure that AccuDraw is on.
Step 1
Start the Place Block tool.
The default Method is Orthogonal. To refresh your memory, try placing a block now:
Step 2
Step 3
Step 4
Data-point to start the first corner.

Move the cursor in any direction to expand the block shape.
Data-point again to locate the diagonal corner.
Now use AccuDraw to draw a block that is 6" (150) long and 3" (75)
high:
Step 1
Step 2
Step 3
Step 4
Step 5
Data-point to start another block.

Switch to the rectangular compass (if not already in this mode).
Drag the cursor up and to the right and enter ;6 (150) at the keyboard.
Press the down arrow to shift focus to the Y-axis, and enter ;3 (75) at the keyboard.
Data-point to accept the blocks diagonal corner.
This is one method with which to draw a square. Simply enter the same value for X and Y.
Now draw a Rotated block. This method requires that you first set
the angle for the base of the block, then define the diagonal corner.
Draw the rotated block shown at the right:
Step 1
Step 2
Change the Method to Rotated.

Data-point to start the block.
You are now dragging a line which will become the base of the
block.
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Module 9 - Page 3
Step 3
Step 4
Step 5
Step 6
Drag the line up and to the right.

Switch to the Polar compass and enter a distance of ;6 (150) on the
keyboard.
Press the down arrow and enter an angle of 30 at the keyboard.
Data-point to accept the line.
The compass switches to rectangular mode.

Step 7
Step 8
Drag the cursor upward and enter ;3 (75) at the keyboard.

Data-point to accept the diagonal corner and reset.
As with all operations using AccuDraw, you can drag the cursor to force
direction and negative or positive values.
Since blocks (and all other shapes on this tool box) are closed shapes, you
will also have noticed from the Tool Settings box that the Fill options are available.
9.2 PLACE SHAPE

A Shape is a polygon made from any-length segments placed at any angle. Since you must close the
shape, there is a Close Element button in the Tool Setting box that will automatically close the shape
back to the first vertex. Try drawing a shape:
Step 1
Step 2
Step 3
Step 4
Start the Place Shape tool.

Data-point to set the first vertex.
Drag the cursor and Data-point to place more vertices.
Click on the Close Element button to close the shape.
Use AccuDraw instead of the Length and Angle boxes in the Tool Settings
window to locate data points at exact offsets or distances and angles. You
may also close the shape by snapping to the starting point. A square can be
drawn by indexing the line to the compass axes and data-pointing when the previous distance
tangent is displayed.
9.3 PLACE ORTHOGONAL SHAPE

An Orthogonal shape has all its sides either perpendicular or parallel to each other. In other words,
you can only draw right-angled corners. The shape must be snapped back to the starting vertex or a
reset will cancel the operation.
Step 1
Step 2
Step 3
Step 4
Start the Place Orthogonal Shape tool.

Data-point to place the first vertex.
Continue placing data-points to define more vertices.
Snap to the first vertex to close the shape and reset.
This tool has been largely superceded by using AccuDraw with the line
placement tools (and with SmartLine which you will see in Module 11).
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Module 9 - Page 4
9.4 PLACE REGULAR POLYGON

After setting the number of required edges, this tool
methods of placing a regular polygon:
provides three
1. Inscribed, where the polygon is drawn inside an imaginary circle.

MicroStation draws this polygon with one vertex in line with the
positive X-axis.
2. Circumscribed, where the polygon is outside an imaginary circle.
MicroStation draws this polygon with the midpoint of one side in line
with the X-axis.
For Methods 1 and 2 the radius of the imaginary circle can be preset in the Tool
Settings box or set with AccuDraw (if the preset value is zero). The first datapoint locates the center of the imaginary circle. The second data-point sets the
radius of the circle.
In the case of the circumscribed polygon where the base of the polygon is not horizontal (but you
need it to be), you can either do some math and use AccuDraws polar compass to rotate the polygon
when it is placed, or rotate it after placement using the Rotate editing tool (which you will see in
Module 14). In any case, you can see that the polygon can be rotated before
placement by moving the cursor.
3. By Edge, where the polygon is defined by the length of one edge. The
length of the starting edge cannot be preset and should be drawn with
AccuDraw. The rotation of the polygon is set by the initial orientation
of the first edge. Two data points define the length of one edge.
To draw a square, simply set the number of sides to 4. To draw a triangle, set
the number of sides to 3.
Try placing some simple polygons. Try to reproduce the five figures shown below, making full use
of AccuDraw.
Create four squares attached

to each other by their corners.
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Create two rectangles with aligned corners.
Module 9 - Page 5
Draw this figure to the given dimensions and angles.
Draw two circles and insert the squares

as shown.
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Draw the triangle first, then attach the

three polygons to the triangles sides.
Module 9 - Page 6
2D LEVEL 1
Module
10
ARCS
AND
ELLIPSES
24 Pimlico Drive
L9H 6J5
Phone 905-628-8237
Module 10 of 19
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Module 10 - Page 1
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Module Information
Prerequisites:
Introduction:
Arcs are an important part of the drafting process and MicroStation provides arc
placement and editing tools that are very easy to use. The key to successful arc
placement lies in recognizing which options should be set in the Place Arc tool
in relation to the available dimensional information for an arc.
Objective(s):
10.1
10.2
10.3
10.4
10.5
10.6
10.7
10.8
10.9
Time:
Describe the attributes of an Arc.

Describe the drawing options offered by the Place Arc tool.
Place typical arcs using the Start, Center & Center, Start methods.
Place typical arcs using the Start, Mid, End & Start, End, Mid methods.
Describe the drawing options offered by the Ellipse tools.
Place typical full ellipses.
Place typical half and quarter ellipses.
Place typical isometric ellipses.
Arc editing tools.
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Module 10 - Page 2
DISCUSSION:
First lets define how MicroStation looks at arcs:
10.1 ARC PROPERTIES

In MicroStation arcs are defined by the following properties:
1. A center: the center of the circle on which the arc is
drawn.
2. A radius: an arc is a part of a circle.
3. A start angle: the start of the arc from the X-axis.
4. A sweep angle or length: the angle through which
the arc is drawn or the length of the arc.
5. Arc Endpoints: the starting and ending points.
These are referred to as the First and Second Arc
End Points in the tool prompts on the Status Line.
Arc attributes.
You will not necessarily have all this information for every arc you want to draw. MicroStation
therefore allows arcs to be drawn with some or all of the above properties, used singly or in
combination. You should, however, enter all known information into the Tool Settings window.
You must also not forget that AccuDraw can play a very important role in the placement of arcs.
Particularly useful applications include locating arc end points in reference to specific locations in
the drawing, dynamically entering radius, start, or sweep angles, and using axes-indexing to
maintain orthographic squareness.
10.2 THE PLACE ARC TOOL

Open the Place Arc tool on the Arc Tools box and look at the Tool Settings
window.
As you can see, there are four Methods of placing an arc:
Start, then Center.
Center, then Start.
Start, then Mid, then End.
Start, then End, then Mid.
Below the Method box are the settings for Radius, Length, Start Angle,
Sweep Angle, and Direction. Values for the settings can be entered or
changed at any time before or during the drawing of an arc. The operation
of each setting can also be turned On or Off at any time by clicking in the
boxes to the left of the settings.
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Module 10 - Page 3
10.3 DRAWING ARCS - START, CENTER METHOD

You are going to draw four arcs based on the dimensions of
the arc shown above. Each arc will use progressively less
dimensional information so you can see the drawing inputs
needed in each case and the consequent action of the arc
tool. As always, the screen captures are shown in English
units since these are the more complex.
The first arc will use three of the

dimensional options:
Step 1
Step 2
The arc in Step 2.
With the Arc tool active, set the Method

to Start, Center.
Set the Radius to 6" (150), the Start
Angle to 300, and the Sweep Angle to
950.
Your Place Arc settings box should look like the illustration on the
right. Note that the Length option displays 10" (249). The arc length is automatically calculated
relative to the other three dimensional-option values. Also note that the exact arc length may be
slightly different since you are limiting the readout to 1/8" (0) accuracy (through the Working Units
Accuracy setting). With these three dimensional options set, notice that you cant set a Length
value. This is because the other active values define the length. You will find other situations
where you wont be able to set a value if that value is already defined by the other active values.
If you reversed the Direction to CW (clockwise) the arc would reverse its current direction.
With each of the arcs properties set you will find that you can drag the fixed arc around the screen
with the arcs first endpoint anchored to the pointer. You would normally snap the arcs endpoint to
a suitable point, but for now, simply Data-point anywhere in the window.
Now you are prompted to Define Direction of Sweep Angle. Moving the pointer will flip the arc
so that it is placed either clockwise or counterclockwise (the same as changing the Direction setting).
Data-point to set the direction of the arc.
Step 3
Using the same settings, turn Off the Sweep Angle option and Data-point again.
The arc disappears from the pointer and the Status Line prompts you to
Define Arc Sweep Angle. Drag the pointer to the left. Notice that the arc is
dynamically drawn from the first data point, and that the center has already
been located because of the start angle and radius settings. As you drag
the arcs length, notice the dynamic values in the Length and Sweep Angle
boxes.
After first data-point.
Data-point to define the second end point and data-point again to define the sweep direction.
As a matter of interest, for the second end point you dont need to data-point on the arc; you can
data-point anywhere above or below the endpoint.
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Module 10 - Page 4
Step 4
Using the same settings, turn Off the Start Angle option
(Sweep Angle remains Off).
Read the Status Line and enter a data-point to Identify Start of Arc.
Notice that in the absence of a Start Angle MicroStation displays the 6"
(150) radius circle from which the arc will be constructed. The circle
rotates around the First Arc Endpoint. The Status Line now prompts for
the Start Angle to be defined. If you wish, AccuDraw allows you to
enter the start angle in the AccuDraw window. Data-point below and to Locate first endpoint and arc
the left of the first endpoint to locate the center. AccuDraw allows you to center.
enter the sweep angle in the AccuDraw window. Data-point again to set
the Second Arc Endpoint. Data-point again to define the arc Direction.
Step 5
Turn Off the Radius box to cancel this option (Sweep and Start Angles remain Off).
With all settings Off you are required to data-point for the First Endpoint, Center, Second Endpoint,
and Arc Direction. AccuDraws compass positions itself to allow you to enter the radius, start angle,
and sweep angle if you wish.
Remember that in addition to the inputs in the tool settings window and AccuDraws inputs, you can
always snap to existing locations when placing an arc.
CENTER, START METHOD

This method is almost identical in operation to the Start, Center method, but starts the arc by
locating its center first, then an endpoint. On your own, try the same example you used above to see
how this method operates.
For practice you should experiment by placing arcs with

different values and with the properties turned On and Off
in different combinations. For a quick exercise, using the
first two methods draw the following four arcs to the sizes
and angles shown.
10.4 DRAWING ARCS - START, MID, END AND START, END, MID METHODS
The Start, Mid, End Method draws an arc through three data points that define the start endpoint, an
intermediate point on the arc, and an endpoint. You do not need to locate the center with this
method; the center is computed when you supply the data points.
You may also set values for radius, length, start angle, and sweep angle. Depending on the
dimensional values available for a particular arc, you can use combinations of values as you did for
arcs placed by center.
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Module 10 - Page 5
Try the following examples:

THREE-POINT ARC
Step 1
Draw three lines of random length as shown at the right.
Step 2
Start the Place Arc tool and select the Start, Mid, End method.
Turn OFF all options.
Respond to the prompts in the Status Line by:

Step 3
Step 4
Step 5
Snapping to the end of the left-hand line.

Snapping to the end of the middle line.
Snapping to the end of the right-hand line.
The arc is drawn after snapping to the last line endpoint. Reset to cancel the tool.
Steps 3, 4, and 5.
Now try the same arc using the Start, End, Mid method. This time you
must snap to the lines in the sequence shown at the right. If you snap in
the same sequence as the previous example, you will create a far
different arc!
It is usually more intuitive to use the first Start, Mid, End method to
draw an arc that connects to specific points.
THREE-POINT ARC with SET RADIUS
To see what happens if you have a set radius for an arc:
Step 1
Step 2
Draw the two lines shown at the right. Make the lines
approximately 8" (200) long.
Select the Start, End, Mid method and set the Radius of the arc to
8.5" (225). Leave all other options Off.
Respond to the Status Line prompts by:

Step 3
Snapping to the end of the left-hand line.
Notice the two green circles with numbers now displaying. This is
MicroStation giving you optional center locations for the arc, and you can
select either number (or the Nearest option) in the Tool Settings window
where a Solution setting now also displays. Try selecting each option to see
the results.
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Module 10 - Page 6
Step 4
Snapping to the end of the right-hand line.
Because the radius has a set value, only two data points are needed for this
arc.
What happens to the arc if you snap first to the right-hand line, then the left?
Try it and see.
Now try an object that requires a combination of methods:
THREE-ARC OBJECT - COMBINING METHODS AND ACCUDRAW

Draw the three-arc object shown at the right.
Step 1
Start the Place Arc tool and select Center, Start

method.
Step 2
Step 3
Steps 1 to 3.
Step 4
Step 5
Step 6
Step 7
Set Radius at 8" (200), Start Angle at -300, and

Sweep Angle at 600.
Data-point to place the first arc. Do not
Reset.
Switch to the Start, End, Mid method.
Change the Radius value to 12" (300). Turn
Start and Sweep Angles Off.
Snap to the lower end of the first arc.

Drag the pointer to the right to dynamically extend the new
arc.
Now you are going to use AccuDraw to find the midpoint of the first arc
and project 9" (225) along the positive X-axis to find the second arc
endpoint.
Step 8
Step 9
Step 10
Step 11
Steps 8 to 12.
Step 12
Steps 6 and 7.
Locate a Tentative Point at the midpoint of the

first arc (Keypoint should be active).
Press the O shortcut key to locate the compass
origin at the tentative point.
Move the pointer to the right and index to the Xaxis.
Enter :9 (225) in the
Distance field.
Data-point to accept
the second arc
endpoint.
Step 13
Data-point to set the Direction.
Step 14
Draw the third arc by snapping to the right endpoint of the

second arc, and to the top endpoint of the first arc. Dont
forget to data-point to set the arc direction.
Step 14.
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As you can see from the simple arc examples above, MicroStation allows very flexible arc
placement, especially when AccuDraw is included in the procedure. In Module 11, you will
discover that arcs can also be constructed using the SmartLine tool. In fact, you may prefer this
method since you can place lines and arcs as part of a line string, or you can use SmartLine to place
individual arcs.
You will also have noticed the additional tools on the Arc toolbox. Two are for placing half- and
quarter-ellipses which we will look at in the next Section. The remaining three tools in the Modify
drop-down are arc editing tools that are discussed at the end of this Module.
10.5 ELLIPSE TOOLS

The ellipse tools are divided between three tool boxes:
1. The Place Ellipse on the Placement/Ellipse tools.
2. the Place Half Ellipse, and Place Quarter Ellipse tools on the Placement/Arcs
tool box.
3. The Isometric Ellipse tool, located at the File/Settings/User/Tool
Boxes/Isometric path.
Lets start with the Place Ellipse tool.
10.6 FULL ELLIPSE - PLACE ELLIPSE TOOL

Start the Place Ellipse tool from the Placement/Ellipse tool box:
The first thing to note is the Tool Settings box. It offers three methods for drawing ellipses; by
Center, by Edge, or by Ends. The default is Center. Remember that AccuDraw can also be part of
the ellipse placement process, allowing very fast dimensional entry for each axis. You may also
preset the values for the primary and secondary radii, as well as the rotation of the ellipse. In this
regard the tool works in similar fashion to the arc tool, allowing several options for ellipse
placement.
ELLIPSE BY CENTER METHOD

Without presetting values, follow the status line prompts to draw an ellipse with a 6" (150) primary
radius and a 3" (75) secondary radius (watch the prompts):
Step 1
Data-point to define the ellipse center.
AccuDraws polar compass appears at the data point (although you can
also use the rectangular compass).
Step 2
Index to the X-axis and drag to the right (or left) and enter .5
(150) at the keyboard to define the Primary Radius. Datapoint to accept. (Notice that the .5 entry is the same as 6".)
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Module 10 - Page 8
Step 2.
Step 3
Step 4
Index to the Y-axis and drag upward (or downward) and

enter .25 (75) at the keyboard to define the Secondary
Radius. Data-point to accept.
Reset to stop the tool.
Step 3.
In Step 2, you could have defined a rotation for the ellipse if you were to move the dynamic line off
the X-axis when defining the primary radius. Use AccuDraws polar compass to set the desired
angle and distance.
You will have noticed that you can also set the length of each axis and the rotation of the ellipse in
the tool settings box if you wish.
Experiment with this method and draw several ellipses using various input combinations.
ELLIPSE BY EDGE METHOD

This tool requires three data-points to place the ellipse (unless one or more
of the constraints are on). Without dimensional constraints you are
essentially drawing an ellipse that passes through three points.
The placement can sometimes seem confusing because the dynamic ellipse
will often disappear from the screen when you are moving the pointer to
locate the points. This is usually because you have dragged the pointer into
an impossible position relative to the initial points.
TOOL TIP !
When placing an
ellipse by Edge, the
first and third points
define the primary
axis, while the second
point defines the
secondary axis.
Try a simple, controlled example:

Step 1
Step 2
Step 3
Step 4
Step 5
Step 6
With a Line tool draw two lines approximately as shown on

the right (exact lengths are not necessary). Try the RA
AccuDraw shortcut to do this: First draw the long line. Start
drawing the second line from the midpoint of the long line,
enter RA at the keyboard, and rotate the compass by snapping
to the endpoints of the long line. The compass is now square
with the line and you can complete the short line at right-angles to the long line.
Start the Ellipse tool, set the Method to Edge, and turn Off all value settings.
Snap to Point 1 to define the start of the primary axis.
Snap to Point 2 to define the secondary axis.
Snap to Point 3 to define the length of the primary axis.
Reset.
The ellipse should display as shown.

Try placing more ellipses by this method, placing data points in different
locations.
Now try the Ends method on your own, its quite self-explanatory. Watch the prompts and
remember that dimensions can be entered in AccuDraw.
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10.7 PLACING HALF AND QUARTER ELLIPSES - ARCS TOOL BOX
HALF ELLIPSES
Placing a half-ellipse is similar to placing a full ellipse using the Edge
method in that the first and third data points define the secondary radius,
while the second data point defines the primary radius. Try a simple
example using a line to define the major axis:
Step 1
Step 2
Step 3
Step 4
Step 5
Step 6
TOOL TIP !
When using the halfellipse tool, remember
that the first and third
points define the
primary axis.
Draw a vertical line.

Start the Half-Ellipse tool and look at the Status Line prompts.
Snap to Point 1 for the first data-point (one end of axis).
Drag the pointer to the left of the line and Data-point at Point 2.
Snap to Point 3 (other end of axis).
Reset.
You dont need a line to act as the minor axis, of course. You can easily use existing data points in a
drawing or simply place data-points freehand.
QUARTER ELLIPSES
Quarter-ellipses also require three data-points, but are placed in a
different sequence from the half-ellipse tool. The first point defines
the start of the major axis, the second point defines only the direction
of the primary radius, and the third point defines the size of both the
primary and the secondary radius.
Draw a simple example yourself by picking three points in the window, and noting how
MicroStation draws the quarter-ellipse. This is a very easy tool to use and you should have no
trouble quickly understanding how it works.
10.8 ISOMETRIC ELLIPSES

If you often make isometric drawings, then you need to look at the Place Isometric
Circle tool.
Float the Isometric tool box from the Tool Boxes list, and select the Place Isometric
Circle tool.
Note in the Settings box that you can draw isometric circles in the Top, Left, or Right planes. You
can switch between planes before starting and during the drawing of an ellipse.
First, practice placing random-sized isometric circles in the window by picking a center point and
dragging the diameter.
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Module 10 - Page 10
Now complete the following exercise:

Step 1
Use the Place Circle tool to draw a circle of 1 ft. (300) radius
(use AccuDraw to enter the radius).
Step 2
Step 3
Step 4
Start the Place Isometric Circle tool and

select the Top plane.
Snap to the center of the circle (find the
tentative point near the center of the circle
with Keypoint and watch for the circle to highlight).
Draw the first ellipse by indexing AccuDraw to the positive X-axis
and snapping to the quadrant of the circle.
The tool is still running and is prompting you to Enter circle center.
Step 5
Step 6
Change the Plane to Left.

Snap to the center of the circle, enter an angle of 1200 (or -60) in
AccuDraws polar compass, and drag the pointer up and to the
left (or down to the right). Press N for the Nearest snap, and
snap to the circle.
The second ellipse has been placed and the tool again prompts you for the
center of the next ellipse.
Step 7
Step 8
Step 9
Step 10
Snap to the center of the circle.

Change the Plane to Right.
In the AccuDraw settings box enter an Angle of 60 (or -120)
Nearest snap to the circle.
The important point in the above procedure is to note that the angle needs to be
set in order for the ellipse to be drawn to the correct diameter. You can also
change the plane orientation while placing an ellipse. If you have a Multi-Snap
running that contains the Nearest snap, you dont need to use the N key-in.
Try the Place Isometric Block tool for yourself.
10.9 ARC EDITING TOOLS

The three tools at the end of the Arc Tools are arc editing tools. Lets look at each
in turn.
First, draw an arc using the Center, Start method with a
radius of 8" (200), a start angle of 100, and a sweep angle
of 1800, as shown at the right.
MODIFY ARC RADIUS

This tool allows you to change the radius of an arc. The endpoints of the arc are not moved from
their current location.
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Module 10 - Page 11
Step 1
Step 2
Start the Modify Arc Radius tool.

Select the arc with the pointer.
AccuDraw locates the polar compass at the arcs center and is waiting for a
data point to define the new radius.
Step 3
Data-point to define the new radius and reset to stop.
Arc with new radius.
Note: The new radius cannot be defined by entering a dimension in AccuDraws distance box
because the center of the new arc will not be in the same location as the existing arc. You can use the
Modify Element tool (Module 15) to change the radius, but the endpoints will also change.
MODIFY ARC ANGLE

This tool changes the sweep angle of an arc. Use Ctrl-Z to undo back to the
original arc.
Step 1
Step 2
Start the Modify Arc Angle tool.

Select the arc with the pointer.
One endpoint of the arc will be selected, depending on which side of the arc
is chosen. AccuDraw locates the polar compass at the arcs center. It does
not, however, indicate the original sweep angle in the Angle box. Instead, it displays the current
angle of the endpoint from the positive X-axis.
Step 3
Enter 1500 in AccuDraws Angle box to locate the new endpoint position, and reset to
stop.
MODIFY ARC AXIS

This tool will modify the length of the primary or secondary-axes of an arc. In other words, it turns
a circular arc into an elliptical arc. Use Ctrl-Z to undo back to the
original arc.
Step 1
Step 2
Start the Modify Arc Axis tool.

Select the left-hand endpoint with the pointer and move
the pointer to index to the negative X-axis.
AccuDraw places the polar compass at the arcs center and displays the arcs radius in the Distance
box.
Step 3
Enter a value of 12" (300) in the Distance box to change the axis length.
Undo the action and use this tool again. This time, select the arc near its top to force a modification
of the secondary axis.
If the original arc has a sweep angle of less than 900, only one axis can be modified.
Note that there are other methods of modifying arcs which will be discussed in later Modules.
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Module 10 - Page 12
Now you need to practice placing arcs. Complete the two exercises shown below.
Polygon and Arcs.

Draw the polygon with the Place Regular Polygon tool on the
Polygons tool box (use the By Edge method and employ
AccuDraw to drag the first edge to the dimension shown).
Place the two large arcs first using the Center, Start method.
The two small end arcs should be placed with the Start, End, Mid
method. The sweep angle is 1800. Turn off the Radius, Length,
and Start Angle values. Snap to one end of a large arc to start the
small arc, then drag and snap to the end of a second large arc.
Resist the urge to place circles for the small arcs and then trim
tangent to the large arcs! The small arcs should be placed in one
operation.
Circle and Arcs

Placing the three arcs is quite simple. Do
not Reset between arc placements; simply
change the three sets of values. To avoid
having to add the angle values each time, try
using the RA shortcut after finishing each
arc (this will take a little practice).
Draw the lines from the arc endpoints to the
circle and use a suitable snap that will align
the lines with the center of the circle and
stop them at the circles circumference (trust
me, there is one!).
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Module 10 - Page 14
2D LEVEL 1
Module
11
SMARTLINE
24 Pimlico Drive
L9H 6J5
Phone 905-628-8237
Module 11 of 19
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Module 11 - Page 1
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Module Information
Prerequisites:
Introduction:
SmartLine, designed for use with AccuDraw, automatically draws complex

chains and shapes. A complex chain (also called a line string) is a connected
series of line segments that act as one line, while a shape also consists of
connected line segments but which return to the starting vertex to form a closed
shape.
SmartLine has options that connect or disconnect the line segments, draws lines
or arcs in the same line string, and sharp, rounded, or chamfered vertices. You
will typically use SmartLine when you need closed shapes (as for patterning),
where it is advantageous to draw a connected line that contains arcs or chamfers
(as for sidewalks or piping), or where a simple connected line string is needed.
Objective(s):
11.1
11.2
11.3
11.4
11.5
11.6
Time:
Recognize and adjust setting for SmartLine.

Recognize and apply sharp, rounded, and chamfered vertexes to closed
shapes.
Recognize and apply dimensional, angle, and closed shape options.
Apply vertex types to line strings.
Recognize and apply arc segments to line strings and shapes.
Recognize and apply individual arc segments.
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Module 11 - Page 2
DISCUSSION:
Open your Start-E or Start-M drawing.
It is often extremely advantageous to draw a series of line segments that act together as a single line. In
other words, a series of lines that are grouped into a line string or a shape and which can be edited as one
line. It is also very useful to be able to draw a line string or shape that contains arcs and rounded or
chamfered vertices and not have to change drawing tools to do so. It is, of course, entirely possible to draw
these elements using a combination of lines, arcs, and blocks, and then use various editing tools to create the
arcs and chamfers. SmartLine is designed to avoid this line and shape building process by drawing such
elements in one operation.
First, lets look at SmartLines settings box:
11.1 SETTING SMARTLINE OPTIONS

To open the settings box for SmartLine, simple start the SmartLine tool. Click on the SmartLine
icon in the Line Tools tool box.
The Tools Setting box now shows the SmartLine options. Click on each option as they are described
below:
Tool Setting
Action
Examples
Segment Type:
Line
Draws line segments.
Arc
Draws arc segments.

Line and arc segments can be
combined to draw a complex
chain.
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Module 11 - Page 3
Tool Setting
Action
Examples
Vertex Type:
Sharp
Draws sharp corners.
Rounded
Draws rounded corners to the

radius set in the Rounding
Radius box.
Chamfered
Draws chamfered corners with

the chamfer offset dimension
set in the Chamfer Offset
box.
Join Elements
When ON, line segments are joined. When OFF, line segments are
placed as individual elements (but can still be defined as a string for
some editing operations).
SmartLine Placement
Settings:
Rotate
AccuDraw
Start in line
mode
By default, AccuDraws compass will rotate to line up with each segment

when placed. When this switch is OFF, the compass remains aligned
with the view axes.
When OFF, SmartLine will start in the mode last used.
Note: AccuSnap is designed to work closely with SmartLines and you will find that it will locate
more tentative points on SmartLines than on regular lines, reducing the need to manually tentativepoint.
11.2 DRAWING WITH SMARTLINE - VERTEX TYPES

Initially, drawing with SmartLine seems very similar to drawing with the Place Line tool. The
differences occur when you use the options for vertex types. To get a general idea of how the tool
works, start with some simple shapes and draw the following squares with SmartLine and AccuDraw
active. In each case, draw the first side 1'-0" (300) long make use of the distance recall feature of
AccuDraw to quickly draw the other three sides.
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Module 11 - Page 4
Unconnected Elements
Step 1
Step 2
Step 3
Step 4
Step 5
Select Lines and Sharp, with Join

Elements OFF.
Data-point to start the shape.
Data-point each corner using
distance recall.
Snap to the starting point.
Reset to stop SmartLines action.
Each element in the square is a separate entity.

To prove this, click on each side with the
Element Selection tool and note that the
element handles only appear on one line.
Connected Elements
Step 1
Step 2
Step 3
Step 4
Step 5
The square is a single element and a closed shape.

Click on any side with the Element Selection tool
and note that the element handles appear on all
sides.
Rounded Corners
Step 1
Step 2
Step 3
Step 4
Step 5
Select Lines, Rounded, and Join

Elements. Set the Rounded value
to 3" (75)
Data-point each corner using
distance recall.
SmartLine automatically rounds each corner,

including the starting corner.
Select Lines, Sharp, with Join

Elements ON.
Data-point each corner using distance
recall.
Snap to the starting point. Be sure
that the Closed Element option is ON
before you accept the tentative point.
Chamfered Corners
Step 1
Step 2
Step 3
Step 4
Step 5
Select Lines, Chamfered, and Join

Elements. Accept the Chamfer value
of 3" (75).
Data-point each corner using distance
recall.
SmartLine automatically chamfers each corner,

including the starting corner.
Note that a vertex will default to a sharp corner if the rounding or chamfer value is too large for the
line segment under construction.
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Module 11 - Page 5
11.3 SMARTLINES OPTIONS

Now lets look at the options that are available during the drawing of a SmartLine shape when the
join elements switch is ON.
SETTINGS BOX OPTIONS - CLOSED SHAPES
You have already seen two of these in the extra part of the settings box that appeared when you
Data-pointed or snapped to the starting point. To see these again set Vertex to Sharp, Join Element
ON, and start drawing another square. When you return to the starting point, locate a manual
tentative point at the vertex but do not Data-point to accept the point. You can now see and edit the
additional options that are available at this part of the drawing process.
There are three options:
1. If Join Elements is ON, you can choose to make the
shape a closed shape by checking the Closed Element
check box.
2. If Join Elements is ON, you can change the Area type
for the shape. The default is Solid and you should not
change this setting.
3. You can Fill (use the Opaque fill type) or Outline the
shape with a color. This will apply a color to the
entire inside of the shape which is the same as the
element color. Feel free to play with this option, but
remember to reset this option back to None when you
are finished. We will look at Fill in more detail in
Module 12. To see the fill color, turn Fill ON in the View Attributes box.
When you have set the options, Data-point to accept the manual snap location and apply the
settings. If you dont apply a manual snap, you can still set the three items above by finding the
standard snap point and using the Tab key to move through the options before data-pointing.
Since they are joined, if you now use the Element Selection tool to select and drag the lines, you will
find that all the lines are moved as one.
ON-THE-FLY OPTIONS
As with most MicroStation tools, you can change the tools options on-the-fly. In SmartLines case
this means switching between lines and arcs, changing the type and size of the corner options, or
switching from joined elements to separate line segments.
To change the options during a drawing process you simply move your pointer to SmartLines
settings box and make the changes. Please note though, that when you change a rounding or
chamfer size value, you must press Enter to apply the new value.
Also, you might find it necessary to regain focus in AccuDraws window after entering a new value
in the Tool Settings box. If this is the case, you should press the F11 or click in AccuDraws
window.
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Module 11 - Page 6
Lets deal with the type and size of corner options.

Draw the shape at the right:
Step 1
Steps 1 to 6.
Set SmartLine options to Lines, vertex Rounded

with a 4" (100) radius, and Join Elements ON.
Step 2
Data-point at the starting corner
and toggle AccuDraws compass to
Rectangular.
Step 3
Drag to the right and enter 2'-6"
(750) in AccuDraws X-axis box.
Step 4
Data-point to accept the line
segment.
Step 5
Drag upwards and enter 3'-6" (1070) in the Y-axis box.
At this point the 4" (100) radius has been created at the lower-right corner. If you now
accept the upper-right corner, you will also accept the 4" (100) radius at the lower-right
corner.
Step 6
Data-point to accept the upper and lower-right corner.
As you drag the line to the left you can see the 4" (100) radius again appearing at the upper-right
corner. You can now change the vertex option to a chamfer.
Step 7
Change the Vertex Type to Chamfer and the value to 8" (200). Press Enter to apply the
new value.
The upper-right corner now becomes a chamfered corner. To confirm this change you must accept
the location of the upper-left corner.
Step 8
Step 9
Step 10
Step 11
Still dragging to the left, enter 2'-0" (600) in the Y-axis box.
Data-point to accept the upper-left corner and confirm the
chamfer at the upper-right corner.
Change SmartLines options to Rounded and 10" (250) radius,
then press Enter to accept the new value.
You have now both locked-in the rounded upper-left vertex and placed the
final rounded vertex (which is the same as the upper-right corner).
In Step 11, if you wanted a different vertex at the starting point, you can
manually tentative-point at the starting point (instead of snapping), and
enter a new value or vertex type in the Tool Settings window. Data-point to
accept the new setting and finish the string.
Steps 7 to 11.
If you need to edit a vertex after placement, use the Modify Element tool.
This procedure is discussed in Module 15, Section 15-2.
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Seems confusing? The key to creating a sharp, rounded, or chamfered corner is that a vertex will
not be locked-in until the next vertex is placed. This gives you the feeling that you always seem to
be one corner behind in the drawing process. This is true, but the process allows you to change
the options before actually accepting the vertex.
Three additional important points:
1. If you make a mistake in either the vertex or the segment
length, you can use Control-Z to undo previous segments. You
can only do this during the drawing process, of course. If you
use Control-Z after the shape is finished you will simply delete
the whole shape.
TOOL TIP !
Use Undo (Ctrl-Z) to
undo a segment
without stopping the
SmartLine tool.
2. If you turn Join Elements off before or during the drawing process then the final vertex
(at the starting point) will default to a sharp vertex, and the shape will consist of
individual elements.
3. Keep in mind that, in a continuing line string, you can only change the type or size of a
vertex after accepting its location.
11.4 DRAWING LINE STRINGS - VERTEX TYPES

You can apply the vertex options to line strings as well as shapes. The same rules apply regarding
locking-in the previous vertex. A line string is open, of course, and only needs a Data-point and
Reset to finish the line.
Try the following exercise. I have simplified the steps assuming you can use AccuDraw to enter all
dimensions and can switch options in SmartLines settings window without prompting.
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Module 11 - Page 8
Step 1
Step 2
Step 3
Step 4
Step 5
Step 6
Step 7
Step 8
Step 9
Step 10
Step 11
Step 12
Step 13
Step 14
Set Vertex to a Chamfer of 9" (225) with Join Elements on.

Data-point the line start at Point 1.
Data-point at Point 2.
Set vertex to sharp.
Set vertex to rounded and a 12" (300) radius.
Change the rounding radius to 9" (225).
F11 to focus in AccuDraw (if needed).
Change the vertex to sharp.
This is relatively complex line to draw, but the combination of AccuDraw and SmartLine makes the
job quite easy provided you take a little time to think ahead throughout the drawing process. To
draw this line string without AccuDraw and SmartLine would involve the use of several drawing
and editing tools.
11.5 DRAWING WITH SMARTLINE - ARCS

In addition to drawing rounded vertices automatically, SmartLine also draws arcs as part of a line
string or shape. The difference between the two operations is in the method used to place the arcs:
1. A rounded corner is really a sharp corner that is automatically rounded by SmartLine,
and requires a Data-point beyond the start point of the arc.
2. The Arc option draws an arc as part of the line string with the arc being placed in a
similar way to the arc tool.
AccuDraw also plays a direct part in toggling between
SmartLines Line and Arc options. The Tilde
keyboard key ~ will toggle between Lines and Arcs
while you are drawing.
TOOL TIP !
You do not need to press Shift to use the ~
Tilde key (although you may need to press
F11 to regain focus in AccuDraw).
The initial use of the arc options can be confusing at first. Try the simple
example at the right and concentrate on how the arc is placed:
Step 1
Step 2
AccuDraw is on, the rectangular compass is current, and SmartLine

is the active tool.
Select Lines and Sharp in the SmartLine settings box.
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Module 11 - Page 9
Step 3
Step 4
Data-point for the line segment at Point 1.

Data-point at Point 2 along the Y-axis to define the line segment (no
specific dimension).
Step 5
Select Arcs in the SmartLine settings box with the

~ Tilde key.
Switch to the Polar compass if you need to enter distance or

angle dimensions.
Step 6
Steps 3 and 4.
Drag the dynamic line to the right along the positive X-axis.
Steps 5 and 6.
As you drag the dynamic line, notice the dynamic circle that
is now displayed. You are dragging the radius of the circle
(for which you could now enter a dimensional value in
AccuDraw). Notice that the circle is tangent to the line
segment. This is because you are dragging the circle at a
right-angle to the line segment. If you take the dynamic line
off the X-axis, you will see the circle become non-tangent to
the line segment.
Step 7.
Step 7
Step 8.
Data-point at Point 3 to set the center of the arc segment
Now that the arc center is fixed, the sweep angle of the arc can be set. MicroStation will initially
draw the arc counterclockwise, so the arc initially displayed is not quite what you might expect.
However, to draw the arc you need, move the pointer around the arc center until the correct arc is
displayed.
Step 8
Step 9
Step 10
Step 11
Index the pointer to the horizontal axis and Data-point to draw the
semicircular arc.
Press the ~ key to change to Lines.
Index the dynamic line to the compass axis and draw a line that is
tangent to the arc.
Indexing to the compass axis automatically sets the line tangent to the arc.
Steps 9 and 10.
In the above example you used the horizontal axis to draw a semicircular arc with
a 1800 sweep angle. You can, of course, apply any sweep angle you wish using AccuDraw. Try the
examples below on your own, setting the arcs sweep angle in the AccuDraw Angle setting box, and
switching to Lines in the SmartLine settings box (with ~) to draw the second line segment. Make
sure the second line is tangent to the arc.
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You should become completely comfortable with the basic placement of arcs and line segments.
Practice by creating line strings and shapes of your own invention.
Remember that you can always use tentative points and snaps to assist the drawing process where
accuracy is required. This next shape is a good example. It would normally require individual lines
and arcs or circles and some editing steps to draw. With AccuDraw, SmartLine, and one snap it is
very simple. Dimensions are not necessary since you will recall the sizes from the recall buffer.
Step 1
Step 2
Step 3
Step 4
Step 5
AccuDraw and SmartLine should be active.

Draw the upper line segment, noting the length value.
Switch to Arcs in SmartLine and draw the right-hand semicircular end segment, noting
the radius value.
Switch to Lines in SmartLine and draw the lower line segment to the same length.
Switch to Arcs and draw the left-hand semicircular end segment to the previous radius.
Snap to the starting point to complete the arc and close the shape.
There are always several ways to draw elements and it is interesting to draw this same shape in
another way by substituting snaps for the dimension values in Steps 4 and 5:
Repeat Steps 1 to 3 but dont make note of the sizes. Then:
Step 4
Step 5
Step 6
Switch to Lines in SmartLine and drag the lower line

segment to the left.
Use Smart Lock (press Enter) to lock the line to the
horizontal.
Locate a Tentative point at the start point of the first line
segment and Data-point to accept.
Steps 4 to 6.
This aligns the left end of the line at the starting point.
Step 7
Switch to Arcs, drag the dynamic arc center vertically upward and apply Smart Lock.
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Module 11 - Page 11
Step 8
Locate a tentative point on the quadrant of the

right-hand arc (a Keypoint snap will do this)
and Data-point to accept.
This aligns the center of the second arc with the center of
the first arc.
Step 9
Step 8.
Snap the arc to the starting point and Reset.
Although this second method seems to have more steps and is more complex, it is actually quicker
than the first method. I have used more steps to explain the method because you are probably still
not fully up to speed with AccuDraws shortcut features. Try drawing this example several times to
fully appreciate the effectiveness of this combination of drawing features.
Remember that you can mix arc segments with line segments that have sharp, rounded, or chamfered
corners. You use the most appropriate options to draw the required elements.
TOOL TIP !
For editing purposes you sometimes need to Drop the connected-string status of a SmartLine
so that it becomes a set of connected but individual lines. To do so, use the Drop Element tool
which is on the Home/Groups tool group. To drop the complex status of an element, start the
Drop Element tool, select the appropriate option, and data-point on the element.
11.6 SMARTLINE AND ARCS

In addition to drawing arcs together with line segments as you have done above, SmartLine can be
used as a substitute for the Place Arc tool to place individual arcs. In some situations placing a
SmartLine arc can be more efficient than using the Place Arc tool.
There is one limitation to placing SmartLine arcs. SmartLine places arcs by the
center method, meaning, for an accurate arc, that you must be able to locate the arc
center by dimension, offsets, or by snaps. To compound this restriction, the center
is the second point to be located, not the first.
Draw the arc quadrant shown at the right, carefully following the Status Line
prompts:
Step 1
Step 2
Step 3
Start SmartLine and set Segment Type to Arcs.

Data-point to place the first vertex (arc endpoint).
Index to the Y-axis and drag the pointer downward.
Steps 1 to 3.
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Step 4
Data-point to locate the arc center.
With the first endpoint and the arc center in place, moving the pointer around the
center point will dynamically display all potential arc placements. Notice how
AccuDraw assists the process.
Step 5
Rotate the pointer to display the arc quadrant.

Steps 4 and 5.
Step 6
Step 7
Index to the positive X-axis and data-point to accept the arc.

Step 6 & 7.
Try placing several similar arcs in different orientations to familiarize yourself with the placement
process.
Using the same basic procedure, place a semicircle. Note that the semicircle can be placed on either
side of the diameter just by moving the pointer.
Now place an arc with the specific dimensions shown at the right:
Step 1
Step 2
Step 3
Step 4
Step 5
Step 6
Step 7
Step 8
Data-point to locate the first endpoint.

Move the pointer down and to the right.
Enter :8 (200) in AccuDraws Distance box.
Enter -32 in AccuDraws Angle box.
Data-point to accept the center location.
Drag the pointer to display the correct arc.
Enter 80 in AccuDraws Angle box.
Data-point to accept the arc endpoint and reset.
In Step 4 you could have done the math (180-32) and entered 148 as the angle, but entering -32 is
quicker.
Now that you understand the general procedure, draw the following four objects yourself. Although
you will be tempted to draw the objects in separate parts, you can actually draw them with a single
continuous SmartLine if you make good use of AccuDraws shortcut keys, Smart Lock, calculator,
and appropriate snaps. You will find the two lower drawings to be quite a challenge!
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2D LEVEL 1
Module
12
ELEMENT SYMBOLOGY
24 Pimlico Drive
L9H 6J5
Phone 905-628-8237
Module 12 of 19
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Module 12 - Page 1
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Module Information
Prerequisites:
Introduction:
Assigning attributes to the elements in a design is important for several reasons.

One is that different elements need to look different. For example, a centerline
should be of a centerline line style, not a continuous line (for most drafting
applications). Another reason results from the plotting process. MicroStation
can use color, or line weight, or level to assign pen widths when plotting. For
recognition purposes you will also want to assign different colors or line
weights to different types elements in your drawings.
Objective(s):
12.1
12.2
12.3
12.4
12.5
12.6
12.7
12.8
12.9
12.10
12.11
Time:
Apply color to elements through the active color setting.

Apply line styles to elements through the active line style settings.
Apply line weights to elements through the active line weight setting.
Understand and apply MicroStations Level attribute system.
Set Construction-Class element attributes.
Set the active fill color through a tool settings box.
Apply element attributes quickly.
Match element attributes and change element attributes.
Modify line style attributes and change fill types and settings.
Display Element Properties.
Modify Custom Line Styles
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DISCUSSION:
When you place an element in a drawing, MicroStation assigns Attributes to that element in accordance with
the current active settings. Click on each Home/Attributes boxes to see the following:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Level.
Color.
Line style.
Line weight.
Transparency.
Priority.
Element Class
In addition:
8. Element Templates (Level 2 manual), which contains preset element attributes that can be applied to
new or existing elements.
9. Closed shapes (circles, blocks, shapes, etc.), can have Fill type and color.
You can change the attribute active settings at any time, either before or during element placement.
Elements already placed retain their initial attributes, but you can edit those attributes with the Change
Element Attributes tool as you will see later in this Module.
Lets work with each attribute in turn.
12.1 ADDING COLOR TO ELEMENTS

The first attribute to add to elements is color. Color is a useful way of
differentiating between different parts of your drawing. For example,
you would normally use different colors for walls, dimensions, and text
in architectural drawings. It is also usual to use a particular color on
each level to further differentiate the elements of a drawing. (Later in
this Module you will look at MicroStations Level options, where you
can assign specific element attributes to specific levels.)
TOOL TIP !
MicroStation can use
color, line weight, or
level to drive plotter or
printer pens, depending
on printer type.
SETTING THE ACTIVE COLOR

The quickest way to set the active color is to click on the Color
box in the Attributes tool box.
There are three color-selection methods:
Index Color Tab
Select the active color by clicking on
one of the color patches in the color table.
True Color Tab
color shadings.
Set a color by RGB number or in the
Color Book Tab
Select a color name from the list (Natural Color System).

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Try each method to set a color active and then draw some lines on your screen.
Note the Bylevel option at the bottom of the color table. This refers to the color that has been preset
in the Levels Manager dialog box. You will look at Levels in Section 12-4 below.
12.2 ADDING LINE STYLE TO ELEMENTS

In the same way you added color to elements, you can set a specific line style active.
SETTING THE ACTIVE LINE STYLE
Single-click on the Line Style button on the Attributes tool box (you can also
click-and-drag to choose). The line style choices will be displayed. You have
two choices:
1. You can select one of the eight Standard line styles, numbered 0
through 7 in the first part of the list.
2. You can select any of the Custom styles that make up the remainder of
the list.
Having selected a line style, you can draw immediately in with that style.
However, you should be aware that there is a difference between the Standard
and Custom styles, as explained next.
DIFFERENCE BETWEEN STANDARD AND CUSTOM LINE STYLES

There is a significant difference between the Standard line styles (numbered 07) and the Custom line styles. The difference is in the way they are displayed
on the screen and in how they are plotted.
The Standard line styles display on the screen at a set proportion. It doesnt matter what zoom factor
you use, they always look exactly the same on the screen. While this causes little problems on the
screen, it causes large problems when you plot the drawing; you have little control over how line
proportions will display in a plotted drawing. In other words, Standard lines are not WYSIWYG
(What You See Is What You Get) in that they are proportioned to the view, not the drawing.
The Custom line styles, on the other hand, are truly WYSIWYG and their scaled proportions will
remain fixed in relation to your drawing. The proportions of a Custom line is predictable and will
plot as you intend them to look.
A good way to see this difference in action is to draw two lines side-by-side, one using the standard
Number 3 line style, and one using the custom (Dashed) style. You will see this difference in the
next Section where you learn to scale Custom styles.
In general then, it is best to choose the Custom line styles over the Standard styles for all formal
and important designs. Limit your use of the Standard styles for practice exercises or for designs
that wont be plotted.
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CUSTOMIZING CUSTOM LINE STYLES

Line styles can be customized to your design and scaling
requirements. To do this requires opening the Line Styles
settings box:
Go to Line Styles drop-down/Settings option to open this
box.
The list of available styles is displayed on the left, and as
you click on each style name, the style is graphically
displayed at the bottom of the box.
To the right are the custom settings, of which Scale is the most important. The other settings control
the starting and ending width of lines and change the starting and ending length of the stroke pattern
(with the Shift option). The Center Shift option will ensure that the stroke pattern will be the same
at the start and end of the custom line (you might make this your default Shift setting.)
The Standard line styles are not displayed in the list since they cannot be customized.
Try a few examples of customized styles, particularly the Scale setting. Start with the fourth line in
the list, (Dashed).
Step 1
Step 2
Step 3
Step 4
Click on the (Dashed) name to set it current.

Set the Scale to a value of 1.
Click in the display of the line style to activate it.
Place some lines in the view.
If you dont see dashed lines in your view, then the zoom factor is too
large or too small, or the scale factor is too large or small. Zoom-in or
zoom-out on a line or change its scale factor and redraw. When you
need a specific stroke pattern size for a particular detail, you will need
to change the scale factor to achieve the effect you want.
TOOL TIP !
MicroStation will draw a
Dashed line with one
and a half dashes for
each Master Unit of
length with the Scale
Factor set to 1. This
information can help to
set an initial scale value.
When you have some custom (Dashed) lines in the view, change the
line style to the Number 3 Standard style and place a line near one of
the custom dashed lines. Now zoom in and out and watch carefully how the two lines display in the
view. You will see that the Standard line does not change its proportions, while the proportions of
the custom line changes with the zoom factor. This is the WYSIWYG effect I mentioned in the
previous Section.
At this point you should practice selecting and applying different line styles using the line and circle
tools. Make a point of trying different scale and width factors in the custom settings box.
The True Width option in the settings box relates to imported AutoCAD drawings.
At the end of this Module you will find information on the Modify Line Style Attributes tool which
only works on custom styles. Its at the end because I want you to experiment with all the styles and
attributes first.
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12.3 ADDING LINE WEIGHT TO ELEMENTS

The third significant attribute is element weight or width.
Click on the Line Weight button in the Attributes tool box. Simply click on a
weight to make active. All elements will now be drawn with this width.
This is an important selection in MicroStation since the element weight number is
one of the attributes that can be used to drive pen selection when plotting with pen
plotters, or line width when plotting with electrostatic or inkjet plotters. In the case
of a pen plotter, the weight number is referenced to pen numbers.
Another point to note is that line weight in the view is not WYSIWYG. In other
words, line width will look the same whatever the zoom factor. However, because
the line weight can be used as the plotter pen driver, it is relatively safe to use
different line weights in a drawing. For example, most of the line drawings in this
book use the 0, 1, and 2 line weights. Note that the weight values refer to the width of each line in
screen pixels, but you control how wide a line will plot in the plot driver files which are discussed in
Module 19.
There are 32 standard line weights. If you wish, you can change the display width value of each
weight through File/Settings/User/Preferences/View Options/Line Weights.
Try drawing some elements with different line weights.
Note again the Bylevel option in the drop-down list.
12.4 ELEMENT TRANSPARENCY

You can set a level of element transparency by clicking on the Active Element Transparency button
and selecting a transparency value between 0 (no transparency) and 100. To actually see
transparency, go to View Attributes and turn Transparency ON.
Try drawing some elements at different transparency setting to see the action, but set the value back
to zero afterward.
In addition to the transparency settings here, you can also set a Dynamics Transparency and an AutoLocate Transparency in File/Settings/User/Preferences/View Options. Dynamics Transparency
occurs when you drag the cursor to place an element, or drag an element when editing. Auto-Locate
Transparency is the amount of visibility for locating transparent elements in the drawing when the
cursor is moved over the element.
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12.5 ELEMENT PRIORITY

You can set an element priority which will display elements in front of or behind other
elements. A lower priority displays elements behind, while a higher priority displays
elements in front. An example is shown below where the line is always 0 priority and
the square is either 200 or -200 priority:
Square 200 Priority
Square -200 Priority
Important: Before starting the next Section, change Color, Line Style, and Line
Weight to the ByLevel setting. Click on Bylevel in each of the Attributes boxes.
12.6 LEVELS
Levels are a convenient method of separating drawing information into separate categories. Think
of levels as layers of clear plastic, stacked one above the other. In a simple drawing you might draw
the objects on the first level, the dimensions of the object on the second level, and the notes and
annotations on the third level. In the view window the drawing looks complete, but you are able to
manipulate the look of the drawing by turning off individual levels to show only specific types of
information.
This ability to control the information displayed is very important in most designs. For example, in
an architectural project you would want to use separate levels (or groups of levels) for the floor
plans, the electrical circuits, the plumbing lines, and the heating and ventilating ducts. By turning on
or off the various levels you can then separately plot each of the electrical and mechanical layouts as
they overlay the basic floor plans. You can create an infinite number of levels in a design.
In MicroStation you have the option of placing elements with individual attributes as you have done
above, or to have the attributes controlled by their ByLevel settings as you will see below.
THE LEVEL MANAGER DIALOG BOX

Before you start using levels you first need to look at MicroStations Level
Manager dialog box where you create and control the settings for each level.
There are two quick ways to open the Level Manager dialog box:
1. Click on the Active Level indicator in the Status Line.
2. Click on the Level Manager icon in the Home/Primary tool group.
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Use either method to open the Level Manager.
What you see in your dialog box depends on several factors. In the illustration above, I am showing
the Level Manager for the new Start-E.dgn file which is based on the 2D Imperial Design.dgn seed
file. In other words, the levels preset in that original seed file will be copied to the new Start-E.dgn
file. To refresh your memory on seed files, go to Module 2, Section 2.1. If you are working in the
Start-M.dgn file you will see a similar display.
You will likely see different levels if you had used a different seed file, or have opened an existing
V8i file. If you have opened a MicroStation V7 design file (thats MicroStation 95, SE, or J
versions), you will see 63 numbered levels in addition to the Default level shown above.
In any case, dont worry too much about the levels present in your dialog box because you will be
adding and deleting levels in this Section.
Lets take a quick look at the features and controls of the Level Manager dialog box. For this
Manual you only need look at the basic level creation and deletion options and how element
attributes are set as a Bylevel setting.
First click on the Default level so that it highlights. Then look at the pull-down menus. The first is
Levels and you are interested in the New, Set Active, and Properties items. Here you can set the
highlighted level as the active level (the one that you will draw on), create a new level, or look at the
properties of the highlighted level. You can also Import or Export levels to other design files.
Click on the Properties item to display information about the Default level. There are three tabs; the
first, General, shows the current settings for the level (most of which are also displayed in the Level
Manager dialog). The second tab, Styles, has settings for custom line styles. The third tab, Usage,
lists the elements on that level. You will work with all these settings later, so dismiss this box for
now.
Ignore the Filter tab for the moment (which deals with grouped levels) and look at the Edit tab. The
options here are fairly obvious; you can delete or rename levels, and select levels for manipulation in
different ways.
There are six icons just below the pull-down menus and if you place your cursor over each in turn
their functions will display. The first two items, New Level and Delete Level, duplicate those on the
pull-down menus. Update Levels from Library relates to References (discussed in Level 2). The
Symbology item controls whether MicroStation displays the element attributes set on a ByLevel basis
or the attributes set on an Override basis. You will be working with this option set to ByLevel most
of the time, so make sure that option is set. We will look at Overrides a little later. Ignore the List
Filter and the Dialog Settings items which will be discussed at the end of this Section.
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In the box on the left there are three items that look like a directory tree. The first item is the name
of the current design file, Start-E (or Start-M). This item should be highlighted for the instruction in
this Section. The All Levels item will display all levels that belong to the current design file and any
other design files that are attached or referenced to the current design (again covered in the Level 2
Manual). Ignore the Dialog Properties item.
Lastly, the large box on the right displays each level name and most of the level properties. You can
set and change level properties from this display, and you will be doing so shortly.
WORKING WITH LEVEL DEFINITIONS

Now you have an idea of what the Level Manager dialog box contains, lets start working with level
definitions.
Before you do, set the display so that you see some of the level attributes by right-clicking on the
line that starts with Name. Select the List option from the drop-down list, and only select the Name,
Number, Description, File, Logical, Color, Style, Weight, Lock, and Used items to display. You can
expand the Level Manager box and shorten the heading space as necessary.
Create a new level and set level attributes:
Step 1
Click on the New Level icon.
A new item appears in the level name display box, called New Level. This is the new level
waiting to be named and given attributes.
Step 2
Step 3
With the name entry highlighted, type: Walls and press Enter.
On the Walls level, click under the Number attribute and enter 1".
Levels can have numbers in addition to names, which relates to MicroStation versions V7 and earlier
where levels were numbered 1 to 63. (If you open a design drawn in a previous version of
MicroStation you will see all sixty-three levels in the Level Manager dialog box.) Leave the number
at 1" for the Walls level.
The next item, Description, allows you to enter a short text description of the level.
The next two items, File and Logical, cannot be edited. File is the current design file name and
Logical is set to Master because all levels are in the current model and there are no other design
models attached to the Start-E design file.
Step 4
Click on the small white box in the Color column.
You will see the color palette display. Select red (3) as the color for this level.
Step 5
Click on the line and 0 under the Style column.
The list of line styles displays. Keep the selection at style 0 for this level.
Step 6
Click on the line and 0 under the Weight column.
The list of line weights displays. Selection a weight of 1 for this level.
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Step 7
Leave the Global Display column ticked so that the elements on this level will display in
the design.
Do not click on Global Freeze or Lock or you will not be able to modify elements on this level (but
you can still draw elements or copy elements). Nothing will show in the Used column because you
have not yet placed elements on this level.
Plot should be ticked so that elements can be plotted. Used will display a dot when you first draw an
element on this level, and Elements will display the number of individual elements on this level.
Library will not display a value since you have not imported this level from an existing library.
You can also set values for the levels Priority and Transparency. Note that the Transparency
setting is a multiplier of the Element Attributes Transparency setting you looked at in Section 12-4
above. In other words, if you set a transparency value here, it will be magnified by the active
transparency setting.
The last thing to do is to make the Walls level the active level. There are several ways you can do
this, but since you are already in the Level Manager, do it from there:
Step 8
Double-click on the Walls level to make it active (it is now

colored green).
To check whether the Walls level is active, look at the top-left of the
screen in the Attributes box to see the active level name, or look at the
level name display in the Status Line.
Step 9
Start the Place Line tool and draw some lines in the view (you dont need to dismiss the
Level Manager box - just move it partially off the view to the right).
The lines should be red with a weight of 1.

Note: If your elements do not display in the Level attributes, check that you have returned the
Color, Line Style, and Line Weight to the ByLevel setting in the Attributes settings box.
Although that seemed to be a lengthy process, it is actually very easy to create a new level and apply
level attributes. Note that when a level is active, you dont have to draw with its element attributes.
As you will see, you can have level attributes set as you have done, but still draw elements with
different attributes.
For practice, add two more levels to the dialog box with the following attributes:
Name
Color
Style
Weight
Utilities
Blue
(Divide)
Text
Yellow
There is no need to number these levels; MicroStation will do this for you in sequential order if this
has been set in Configurations (unless you need to coordinate the new levels with an established
numbered-level hierarchy used by your company).
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When you have finished creating the two extra levels, your Level Manager should look similar to the
illustration below. For simplicity I have turned off several of the headings and reduced the size of
the dialog box.
TOOL TIP !
You can alter the size of the Level Manager box by dragging its edges, and
the levels can be sorted by clicking on any of the column headings.
Now you can draw some lines in the three new levels and in the Default
level. This time, to set the active level, use the pull-down in the
Attributes settings box at the top-left of the view. Just click on each
level in turn to make them current and place lines in the view. The
Lock icon indicates whether the level is locked and cannot be drawn on
or edited. Change the locked state by clicking on the icon. The colors
indicate the By-level color settings you made above.
At this point you need to take the time to experiment with the levels
information we have discussed. In the Level Managers box add and delete levels and change the
level attributes. Draw more elements on different levels to see the effects. Note that you cannot
delete a level that contains elements, and levels containing elements are displayed in dark text in the
Level Manager box. The active level is displayed in dark green in the Level Manage, but in blue in
the Attributes pull-down. Note also that you cannot turn off display of the active level.
TOOL TIP !
Right-clicking on a level in the Level Manager dialog box opens a

pop-up menu that offers many settings and utility options.
LEVEL DISPLAY
When you are comfortable with the basic creation of levels, take
a look at how to turn the display of levels Off and On in each of
the open views.
Open the Level Display dialog box by entering Control-E at the
keyboard, or by clicking on the Level Display in the Attributes
tool group and selecting Display at the bottom of the box. Here
you set how MicroStation displays each level in each open view
of the design.
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The list of levels will mirror that shown in the Level Manager box. The settings in the first line at
the top of the box control to which view the settings are applied, which design file and model they
are applied to, and whether the settings apply to levels or level groups (filters).
To turn levels off and on, simply click on the level Name. Levels that are On have a blue
background, while levels that are Off have no background color. To speed up selection, you can use
standard Windows selection methods, including click-and-dragging the cursor over the names to
change the display of multiple levels.
You can also set the active level in this dialog box by double-clicking on a level name, which
displays with a green background. You cannot turn off the active level, and if you set active a level
that is currently off, its display will be turned on.
On the second row the significant setting is the first option, Change
Level. Clicking on this icon opens the Change Level box where you
can change the display of levels by clicking on elements in the
design. For example, if you have elements in a design that you want
to turn off but you dont know the level they are on, you click on the
Change Level tool, set the Level option to Display Off, click on one
of the elements and data-point to accept the action.
Conversely, the Display Only option in the Change Level box will turn off all levels other than the
level that contains the selected element. Note again, though, that you cannot turn off the active level.
In the Change Level box you can also Lock the display of selected levels so that their display cannot
be changed in other dialog boxes.
Right-clicking on a level name will display a list of additional settings and options. Right-clicking
on the Titles (Name, File, Logical, etc.) will display the Title options.
It would now be helpful if you took time to experiment with the settings in this dialog using the new
levels you have created. If necessary, create more levels to experiment with; you can always delete
them later (provided you delete all elements from those levels first).
DRAWING WITHOUT LEVEL ATTRIBUTES

After having set specific attributes for each level, you may be wondering whether you are always
forced to draw elements in those attributes. The answer is no; you can have level attributes set, but
you are not stuck with them.
To see how this works, experiment with the Walls level. Right now this levels attributes should be
Color red, Style 0, and Weight 1. Make Walls the active level.
If you draw a line, it will be displayed in those attributes. But lets say you want to change the Color
to green for just a few lines. To do so, go to the Attributes settings box at the top-left of the view
and click on the Color option. Note that the color number is -1 and the color patch on the right is red
on a black background. This indicates the active color is that set in the Level Manager box. Now
click on the green color tab (color 2) to set it current. Draw a line now and it will be green.
To reverse this new color setting, click on the Color option again and select ByLevel at the bottom of
the color palette. The active color is now red. This process applies to each individual level and each
of the three element attributes. Experiment with these options until you are comfortable with the
process.
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LOCKING ATTRIBUTES WITH LEVEL OVERRIDES

What if you wanted to do the opposite of the actions in the previous Section, and enforce levelspecific attributes settings? In other words, when you placed elements on a level, they could only be
placed with specific attributes (although they would still retain the current active attributes). This is
one way of enforcing company drafting standards!
Look at the Symbology option in the Level Manager dialog box. Change
the mode from ByLevel to Overrides.
Notice that all the level attributes you previously set have reverted back
to the defaults. Think of these as an alternate set of level attributes that
can be turned on or off as necessary. Note that the attributes of the lines
in your view have not yet changed to the plain default attributes of the
Overrides. To see the change you must first turn on what is called Level
Symbology in the View Attributes settings box.
Click on the View Attributes icon at the top-left of the view window, and
turn ON the Level Overrides option. All elements in the view will change
to the plain default attributes. Remember that Level Overrides must be
ON for the Overrides to have any effect.
You can now change the Override attributes of each level to any settings
you wish. As you make changes, notice the elements in the view changing to the new attribute
values.
At this point you have two sets of level attributes; one for the ByLevel mode, and one for the
Override mode. You control which set is active by turning Level Overrides On or Off in the View
Attributes box. It is important to note that when Level Overrides is ON, you cannot change the
attributes of elements from the Attributes settings box at the top of the view.
Right-click on one of the levels to which you have applied Override attributes and select Properties.
Look at the information now available for that level.
You will definitely need to experiment with these settings, especially if your company needs to
enforce specific attributes by level.
When you are finished, turn Level Overrides OFF.
CUSTOM LINE STYLES IN LEVEL ATTRIBUTES

You have looked at the Levels Properties dialog box, but you did not edit any of the settings. You
need to take a closer look at this dialog box because this is where you can set the scale factor for
custom line styles.
In the Level Manager dialog box first make sure that Symbology is set for ByLevel. (You can also set
the scale for custom line styles in Override symbology, but you should get back to the more usual
ByLevel symbology.)
Right-click on a level in the Level Manager box and select Properties from the popup list. The
General page shows the current settings for the selected level which you may edit if you wish.
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Now click on the Styles tab. Here you see the six settings that can be
applied to a custom line style. You are most likely interested in the
Scale Factor option which you can set for both ByLevel and Override
symbology.
Having set a scale and Applied it, when that particular level is the
active level and the Active Line Style is set to ByLevel in the
Attributes settings box (shown on the right), you will automatically
draw elements with the set line style and scale.
LEVEL FILTERS
The last item to look at is Level Filters. This is a feature that enables you
to group associated levels so that you can view them as a group in the
Level Manager dialog box. If you have a design that has a significant
number of levels it is helpful to be able to filter out and see only levels
that are related, such as all wall levels of an architectural design, pipes
levels of a specific type in a mechanical design, etc. For example, if you
created a filter that looked for any level that had Wall as part its name,
only levels with names containing Wall would display in the Level
Manager box.
Level Filters allows you to specify a wide range of filter properties,
including specific names, name wildcards, string expressions, and integer
expressions. You can define and save filters or create temporary filters
on-the-fly that last only for the length of the design session.
TOOL TIP !
You can move elements
to a different level in
three ways. For all
elements on a level,
right-click on a level and
select the Remap
Elements option. For
individual elements,
right-click the element,
(or use Alt-right-click)
select Properties, and
change the level in the
General category, or,
select the element and
then select a different
level in the Levels
section of the Attributes
settings bar.
To create a new filter, click on the Filters item on the left-side of the
Level Manager box, then click on the Create Filter icon or click on
Filter/New. A new filter line appears in the Manager box and you can
edit the properties of the filter. You can apply a filter by expanding the
Filters item in the Level Manager or Levels Display boxes and selecting a saved filter, or by clicking
in the Levels box of the Attributes settings box at the top-left of your screen.
Unless you will be immediately involved in production drawing, there is no need to look more
closely at this facility.
12.5 CONSTRUCTION-CLASS ELEMENTS

One other element attribute you will find useful is that of Class. By default, all elements are classed
as Primary, but you can also place elements as Construction elements. The Construction option
allows elements to be drawn as construction aids that can be turned off through the View Attributes
settings box. You would do this when you want to plot the design, but did not want to see or plot
the construction-type elements.
To draw elements as construction class elements, first display the Class
attribute icon on the Attributes tool box. To do so, right-click on the
Attributes tool box and select the Active Element Class option. The Class icon
will now display and you can toggle between Primary and Construction class
elements. (Try right-clicking on other tool boxes to see their options.)
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If you place construction-type elements in your design, you must always remember to turn Primary
back on when you are finished.
12.6 SETTING FILL COLOR

The last attribute that can be applied to elements is Fill Color. Fill only applies to closed shape type
elements such as circles, polygons, and closed shapes.
Fill is only visible if the Fill option is ON in the View Attributes settings box.
To set and apply a fill color do the following:
Step 1
Step 2
Step 3
Start the Place Circle, or Place Ellipse, or Place

Regular Polygon tool.
In the Tool Settings box, click on Fill Type and set to
Opaque.
Click on Fill Color and choose a color to make active.
If Fill is ON in the View Attributes box when you place one of these
elements, then the enclosed area will be filled with color.
If you wish, you can also outline a fill color with another color. In the Fill Color box choose
Outlined and select another color from the palette.
When you are finished trying this option, turn fill OFF in the View Attributes box, and change Fill
Type to None in any of the tools you used to turn on the fill.
12.7 QUICK ATTRIBUTES EDITING

You can quickly change element attributes by first selecting elements and then changing the active
settings in the Attributes settings box. Do the following:
Step 1
Step 2
Select an element(s) in your design.

Go to the Attributes settings box at the top of the view and change one of the active
attribute values (change the active color for example).
When you change the active color, the color of the selected element also changes. You can do the
same thing for selection sets, of course, and you can change more than one attribute at a time. Note,
however, that the active attributes remain set to the new values and do not revert to the previous
values.
12.8 MATCHING ELEMENT ATTRIBUTES

When you are working with standard element attributes (Level Overrides is Off in the View
Attributes settings box) you will frequently need to draw new elements with attributes that match
those of existing elements. You will also need to change the attributes of existing elements to either
match other elements, or to change them to new attributes.
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There are several editing tools that allow you to quickly change element
attributes to new or existing settings.
Combinations of the following tools can be found on the
Drawing/Home/Modify group, the Task Navigation//Main group, and by
pressing the Spacebar/Modify group.
The three editing tools we are interested in are the Change Element
Attributes, Match Element Attributes, and Smart Match.
SMART MATCH
Lets start with the Smart Match tool. This tool will match all the element attributes of a selected
element.
First, make sure you have Level Symbology turned Off, and that, from
the previous Sections, you have on the screen a selection of elements
with different attributes.
TOOL TIP !
Use Alt-Data-point to quickly
Smart Match an element.
Note your active settings and do the following:

Step 1
Step 2
Start the Smart Match tool.

Data-point on an element that has different attributes than the active attributes.
Note that the active attributes settings in the Attributes bar have changed to match those of the
selected element.
Step 3
Repeat this process with other elements of different attributes to see the changes in the
active setting on the Attributes tool bar.
Having matched the attributes of an existing element you can now draw new elements with those
attributes. This is the quickest way of switching between attributes for elements that you want to
keep separate, such as walls, dimensions, and text.
MATCH ELEMENT ATTRIBUTES TOOL

What if you only wanted to match only some of the element
attributes? In this case you use the Match Element Attributes tool.
Do the following:
Step 1
Start the Match Element Attributes tool.
The settings for this tool now appear in the Tool Settings Window as usual. You may choose which
attributes to match by clicking in the appropriate boxes. By default the settings shown are those of
the active attributes.
Step 2
Step 3
Click only in the Color check box to activate this attribute (all others should not be
activated) and set a color.
Data-point on an element with a different color from that of the active color.
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Note that only the color changes in the Attributes tool bar.
CHANGE ELEMENT ATTRIBUTES TOOL

Having matched existing attributes, you now need to change the
attributes of existing elements. Do the following:
Step 1
Start the Change Element Attributes tool.
Look at the Tool Settings Window. You may choose which attributes to
change by clicking in the appropriate boxes. The Use Active Attributes
option will apply the active attributes which you may have matched from
an existing element or set yourself in the Attributes tool bar. Notice also that the selected items
(ticked boxes) are the same as you selected the last time you used the Match Element Attributes tool.
You can also manually change any of the attributes by clicking in the settings boxes and changing
the settings. You would do this if, for example, you wanted to match only the style of an existing
element, while applying a different color or level to a new element.
Step 2
Step 3
Choose which attributes you wish to change.

Data-point on an existing element and accept the selection.
The attributes of the element change to the active settings.

You can also use this tool to match attributes. To match an elements attributes, use the
Match Element Attributes eyedropper tool. Having matched attributes you can then
change the attributes of another element.
Dont forget that you can make a selection set of elements by Ctrl-clicking and by placing an inside
or a crossing window. Make the selection set with the Element Selection tool, start the Change
Element Attributes tool and Data-point anywhere in the window to change the sets attributes. Make
a set of several elements now and change the sets attributes. In Module 13 you will learn to use
other tools to make selection sets that can be used with the Change Element Attributes tool.
Sometimes you place elements with multiple attributes - text and dimensions for example. The
Change Whole Element option allows you to change the attributes of the entire element or, if OFF, to
change only certain attributes of the element.
12.9 CHANGE FILL TYPE

This Section introduces two other editing tools on the Change Attributes tool box that allow you to
modify the fill type of a closed element to the active fill, and to change the area type of a closed
element.
CHANGE ELEMENT FILL TYPE
This editing tool changes the fill type of existing closed shapes. The following options apply:
You can change the element fill to None, Opaque, or Outlined fills.
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Opaque fills can be either Element (the fill color is the current closed shape element color),
or Gradient (expand the Tool Settings window to see the Gradient options).
To change the fill color of an existing Opaque fill, either use the Change Element Attributes
tool (Color setting), or select the element and change the Active Color. This is necessary
because the fill color is the element color and you need to change the element color to
change the fill color.
Practice using this tool on other closed shapes. This includes the dashed custom line you made
wider in the previous Section. Note that you can set the active color through any of the closed
shape element tools.
12.10 PROPERTIES INFORMATION

A final method of editing element attributes is to use MicroStations Properties dialog box. This
tool is located in the Home/Primary group. Do the following:
Step 1
Start the Properties tool

and select an element (or
preselect an element). You can also right-click on an
element and select Properties.
The Properties dialog box displays data on all settings relating to

the selected element. Drop down the Geometry, Extended, and Raw
Data displays for more information.
Changes made to the element attributes in this dialog box are
immediately applied to the selected element. Click on the item
values to edit.
If you select more than one element, the elements are listed on the
upper box. Clicking on each listed element will display its
attributes and also highlight the element in the view window for
visual confirmation.
You may start the tool first and then select elements. When the tool
is active, you can keep selecting elements as necessary.
12.11 MODIFY LINE STYLE ATTRIBUTES

Used only with custom line styles, this tool will allow you to interactively modify the dimensional
attributes of a style.
Try the following:
Step 1
Step 2
Step 3
Step 4
Start the Place Line or SmartLine tool.

Open the Line Styles drop-down list and set the active custom
line style to (Hidden).
Set the Scale Factor to 1.000.
Draw a line and, if necessary, zoom in or out to see the line as
dashed.
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Custom Dashed line.
Step 5
Start the Modify Line Style Attributes tool from the Modify
group.
Look at the options available for this tool in the Tool Settings window.
The first three options deal with the weight of the line and will modify the
whole width or just the starting or ending width. The remaining four
options modify the proportions of the strokes of a custom line
style.
Step 6
Step 7
Select the Width option.

Select the dashed line and move the cursor up or down.
The width of the line will change in response to the
cursor movement.
Step 8
Data-point to set a new width for the line.
Now use the tool to modify the scale of the custom line:
Modified line.
Step 3
Step 4
Step 1
Set the modify option to Scale in the tool settings window.
Step 2
Select the dashed line again.
Drag the cursor to interactively change the scale of the line (or set a scale in the Scale
box).
Data-point to accept a new scale.
The same procedure is used to modify the other attributes of a custom line. Try using the Start
Width and End Width options on the same line.
For a quick exercise, draw the filled arrow at the right using custom lines, the Modify
tools, and with Fill ON. Hint: You need two custom lines to start.
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2D LEVEL 1
Module
13
ADVANCED SELECTION
SETS
24 Pimlico Drive
L9H 6J5
Phone 905-628-8237
Module 13 of 19
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Module 13 - Page 1
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All rights reserved. No parts of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by
Module Information
Prerequisites:
Introduction:
In this Module you will look at more advanced selection sets. Selection sets are
essential when editing more than one element at a time and MicroStation
provides several ways to accomplish this task.
The first element collection tool is the Fence. Its main purpose is to collect
elements into a temporary selection set so that an editing operation can be
carried out on all the elements in that set. In this Module that is how fences are
used. Keep in mind though, that fences can also be used as a powerful editing
tool, as you will see in later modules.
The second tool is the Group tool that quickly creates a more permanent but
fixed-member selection set.
Objective(s):
13.1
13.2
13.3
13.4
13.5
13.6
13.7
13.8
13.9
13.10
13.11
Time:
Select elements using the Fence tools.

Copy elements by fence selection.
Move elements by fence selection.
Copy elements with the fence-shape mode.
Deleting fence contents.
Changing fence shapes.
Manipulating fence contents.
Saving fence boundaries.
Create element groups using the Group tools.
Select elements using element Attributes as criteria.
Select elements using the Select All option.
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DISCUSSION:
Building selection sets is an important operation in CAD since you often need to edit several elements at the
same time. You made simple selection sets in Module 4 by holding down the Control key while datapointing on elements. You also used the Element Selection tool to create a selection box with which to
select elements. (It would be helpful if you were to review those techniques before starting this Module.)
Some editing operations, however, require more sophisticated types of selection sets where elements can be
collected both temporarily and permanently. Permanent in this sense means that elements can be grouped in
sets that can exist as long as necessary, during or beyond a single drawing session. For example, you may
have created a furniture layout for a typical office and you need to copy the layout to other offices. You
could make a Group of the furniture and copy it as many times as needed without having to reselect the
individual furniture each time.
13.1 BUILDING FENCES

A fence is a drawing aid that you use to group elements together for editing operations. Actually, a
fence has a multiple personality; it can work as aid to editing or it can work as a powerful editing
tool. In this Module we are only interested in it as an aid to the Copy and Move tools. For
convenience though, I am going to refer to it as the fence tool.
A fence is a closed boundary and you are offered the choice of several boundary
shapes. When you place a fence, it will be displayed as a colored transparent
shape. In this manual, because of reproduction limitations, fences are shown with a
dashed outline.
You will find the Fence tool box in the Home/Selection group. Look at the fence
tool and its drop-down options:
Step 1
Click on the Place Fence tool

Settings box.
and look at the options in the Tool
You are offered two option lists, Fence Type and Fence Mode. Look at the Fence Type option first:
Fence Type
Block
Shape
Circle
Element
From View
From File
From Flood
Draws a rectangular fence with two Data-points.

You may draw any shape as a fence, including fence
boundaries that cross over each other. The fence must be
closed and a special Close Fence button displays with
this option.
Draws a circular fence around a center point.
Will create a fence on the edges of an existing closed-shape
element such as a circle or a closed SmartLine.
Creates a fence around the boundary of a view.
Essentially, a fence is placed around all the elements in the
design file, but you can select from which view or model.
A fence is created to include the minimum area enclosed
between a set of elements.
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For the first three types, the Block, Shape, and

Circle, you can use data-points or snaps to locate
the fence boundaries. Note that you can only
have one fence in the drawing at a time.
However, you can save a fence for future use
(details later). If you dont like the location of a
fence once it is placed, simply Reset and place
another fence.
TOOL TIP !
The Fence tool looks like the Block tool and you
may at first confuse the two. If you have what
appears to be a block in the View that cannot be
deleted, it is most likely to be a fence. To turn the
fence off, simply click on the Fence tool, or datapoint in a view with the Element Selection tool.
To remove a fence from the drawing, select the Fence tool again, or simply data-point in the
view with the Element Selection tool.
Step 2
Practice, with elements, placing at least one of the first four Fence types in your
drawing.
As you do, keep your eye on the prompts in the Status Line at the bottom left of the screen. Since
the Block and Shape types are the most used, practice these extensively. When you are finished,
click on the Fence tool to remove the last fence.
Now look at the second option in the tool settings box, the Fence Mode, which defines how elements
are selected by the fence. When you click in the Mode box, you are again offered several options.
Descriptions and examples of each mode are given below. In each example, the fence (for clarity,
shown with dashed lines in this Manual) has been used to copy the elements acted upon by the fence.
Reproduce the same actions yourself, after using the Copy Element tool discussed in Section 13-2
below.
Mode
Information
Inside
All elements that are totally

inside the fence are selected.
Any elements either touching
or outside the fence are
ignored.
Overlap
All elements that are either

inside or are touching the
fence are selected.
Clip
Similar to the Overlap mode

except that all elements that
are touching the fence are
clipped at the fence boundary.
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Example
Module 13 - Page 4
Mode
Information
Void
Only elements completely

outside the fence boundary are
selected. In other words, the
entire design file not inside the
fence is selected.
Void-Overlap

outside or overlapping the
fence boundary are selected.
Void-Clip

outside or overlapping the
fence boundary are selected.
Elements overlapping the
fence are clipped.
Example
As you will have noticed, when you are reproducing the above examples, the Void fences select all
elements in the design file that are outside the fence. Clearly, considerable care must be exercised
when using these options!
In this Module you are only going to concentrate on the Inside and Overlap modes. Some of the
remaining modes will be covered later when you work with editing tools in this Module. You will
also work with two editing tools, Copy Element and Move Element, both found on the Manipulate
tool box.
First, you need to create some elements to work with, so
draw the shapes shown at the right. Draw the U-shaped
object (for convenience, hereafter called the Widget)
with Place Line, not SmartLine (unless Join Elements is
OFF). You will also use this collection of shapes in
later Modules, so set a Mark with
Edit/Set Mark so that you can
quickly return to the original
elements (or work with a copy of
the elements if you prefer).
Second, you need to ensure that you can use AccuSnap to place fences. Click
on the Snap Mode icon at the bottom of the screen, select AccuSnap, and turn ON Enable For Fence
Create. You can now snap to elements when placing a fence.
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13.2 COPYING WITH A FENCE

Use a fence to copy elements:
Step 1
Step 2
Step 3
Start the Fence tool and set Fence Type to Block,

and Fence Mode to Inside.
Place a fence as shown at the right (dashed lines).
Start the Copy Element tool.
You will find the Copy Element tool in the

Home/Manipulate group. As you can see from the Tool
Settings box, the Copy Element tool is very simple and you are interested
in:
Copies
You can set the number of copies made. Leave this value at 1.
Use Fence
This switch must be ON for the fence to select elements.

The pull-down offers the chance to override the current fence mode.
Step 4
Click in the Use Fence box. Do not change the Inside fence mode.
Now copy the fence contents. Look at the prompts in the Status Line.
Step 5
Data-point to Define origin.
The copy process needs a starting point. For the moment just data-point
anywhere in the drawing.
Step 6
Data-point again elsewhere in the drawing to Define distance.
Copied elements with

original fence.
The copy process needs to know where to make the copy, so a second data
point is necessary. When you place this data point, a copy of the fence contents is made. If you
keep data-pointing before resetting, more copies will be created at each data point. This feature is
useful if you need to make more than one copy of the fence contents (in addition to the Copies
option). Note that only elements entirely inside the fence have been copied. Elements overlapping
the fence have been ignored.
Step 7
Reset to stop the copy tool.
Try this process several times until you are comfortable, then undo back to the original set of
elements with:
Step 8
Undo your actions with Edit/Undo Other/To Mark.
TOOL TIP !
Note that you can copy or move the contents of a fence to a new
design file using the Copy/Move Fence Contents to File tool on the
Fence tool palette.
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13.3 MOVING WITH FENCES

Use snaps to move elements in a fence:
Step 1
Step 2
Step 3
Step 4
Start the Fence tool.

Change the Fence Mode setting to Overlap.
Place a fence around the circle.
Start the Move Element tool (Home/Manipulate group).
Step 5
Step 6
Steps 5 and 6..
Step 7
Step 8
With the Move Element tool active and Use Fence On, snap to the
bottom quadrant of the circle.
Snap again on the end of the diagonal line and reset.
This will precisely move the circle to the top of the diagonal
line. Notice that the fence is still displayed around the moved
circle so that you can move it again if necessary.
Snap to the left quadrant of the circle.
Snap to the right-hand end of the horizontal line and reset.
Notice in the second move operation in Step 7, because the Overlap mode is
Steps 7 and 8.
being used, both the circle and the diagonal line are moved to the new location.
The diagonal line is automatically included in the selection set because of the
fence mode. If you didnt want this to happen, you need to change the fence mode in the Tool
Settings box before the move. You can change the mode on-the-fly of course.
Undo back to the original elements for the next Section with Undo to Mark.
What are the advantages of using a fence over using the other element selection methods you have
used so far? To start with, elements selected with the Element Selection tool are very temporary
selections (which maybe what you want); a single Data-point in the drawing will deselect the
elements. It can also somewhat tedious to individually select elements with these methods, you
cannot edit non-selected elements while a selection set is in place, and some editing tools will
automatically deselect your selection set before the tools can be used. (Having said that, the
Element Selection tool is still very efficient and should be your primary element selection tool!)
On the other hand, selecting elements with a fence is quick, a fence remains in place until you
dismiss it, its position can be saved, and you can edit other elements at any time without disturbing
those already in the fence.
13.4 COPYING WITH THE SHAPE MODE

Just to reinforce how flexible fence operations can be, try the following exercise:
Step 1
Step 2
Make a copy of the Widget using the Block fence

mode.
Draw two extra diagonal lines in the original
Widget as shown at the right.
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You are now going to copy the new diagonal lines in the original Widget to the copy of the Widget.
However, the Block fence mode wont be able to select just the diagonal lines in either Inside or
Overlap modes without also selecting the Widget.
You are going to use the Shape fence mode to copy the diagonal lines, but in a very specific way.
With the mode set to Inside you need enclose only the diagonal lines in the fence to exclusively
select them. Follow the illustrations carefully:
Step 3
Step 4
Step 5
Step 6
Set the fence Type to Shape.

Set the fence Mode to Inside.
Place a fence so that only the two diagonal lines
are enclosed in the fence.
Step 4.
With the fence in place, copy the contents to the
second Widget, snapping to the top left corner of the original and copied Widgets to
ensure the copied diagonal lines are located correctly.
If you have placed the fence correctly, only the two diagonal lines will be copied.
Clearly this method is complex and, yes, there are other much simpler methods of copying the lines
(using a smaller fence in overlap mode is one, or simply using the Element Selection tool to select
the lines is another). However, you need to be aware of this mode of operation because you will use
it again when you work with the Stretch tool. Actually, in a very detailed drawing you might find
this method of specifically selecting elements to be very useful.
Now that you know the basics of fence use, you should practice different combinations of fence
modes on a variety of elements and operations. Remember to use the Undo to Mark tool to return to
your original drawing state.
13.5 DELETING FENCE CONTENTS

One of the more powerful fence applications is that of deleting the fence contents. This is one
reason why the Delete Fence Contents tool only appears in the Fence tool box and is not part of the
Delete Element tool found on the Main tool box. This is a potentially dangerous tool and must be
used carefully, particularly with regard to the fence selection Mode. This is
especially true with the various Clip and Void modes. Nonetheless, the fence
delete tool can be very useful under the right conditions.
For the following exercises draw the block and two lines shown at the right.
Use the Delete Fence Contents tool and each of the Fence Modes to delete the
sample elements:
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INSIDE and OVERLAP MODES

Step 1
Step 2
Step 3
Step 4
With the Inside mode active, place a fence only

around the block element.
Start the Delete Fence Contents tool.
Data-point to accept the deletion.
Delete with Inside mode.
A data point is required to initiate the deletion when the tool is active.
TOOL TIP !
You may change the fence
Mode at any time, even
when a fence has already
been placed in the design.
Undo the action with Ctrl-Z. The elements will be restored and the fence will
remain in place.
Try the same operation with the Mode set to Overlap. This time all the
elements are deleted since they either are included inside or are crossing the
fence.
Obviously you would not need a fence to delete the block; the Element
Selection tool and the Delete key are more efficient. However, a fence may be appropriate when
dealing with complex details that are otherwise hard to select.
CLIP MODE
Place the fence again so that it looks like the illustration.
Change the Fence Mode to Clip and delete the elements. Note that
all parts of elements inside the fence are deleted. Not only that,
but the block, now in two parts, has been changed from a shape to
a line string. This is perfectly logical since a block is a closed
element and the clip has changed that attribute.
Delete with the Clip mode.
Use Ctrl-Z again.

VOID MODES
For this exercise use the Fit View tool on the view controls to see all the elements in the drawing.
Leave the fence and elements intact.
Set the Fence Mode to Void and delete the elements (you should have many elements in this drawing
from all the exercises in the previous Modules). Carefully note that the elements inside or in contact
with the fence remain unaltered, while all others in the entire design are deleted.
Try the Void-Overlap and the Void-Clip modes for yourself, carefully noting the effects.
Do you see what I mean about the need for caution when using these deletion modes, particularly
the void series? Clearly, if you are closely zoomed-in to the elements you are working on, you may
not notice that the rest of the design file has been deleted until it is too late! A Ctrl-Z will undo the
action, but my comments at the start of this Section regarding memory should be reviewed.
The remaining tool on the Fence tool box, Drop Fence Contents, will be covered in Module 9 of the
Level 2 Manual.
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Module 13 - Page 9
CLIP MODE and the COPY ELEMENT TOOL

The Clip fence mode works well with the Copy Element tool.
Use the same block and line elements for practice.
Step 1
Step 2
Step 3
Step 4
Step 5
Place a fence as shown at the right.

Turn Make Copy and Use Fence to ON, and set
the Mode to Clip.
Data-point and drag the fence to the right.
The fence has clipped the elements and Copy Element tool
has copied them.
TOOL TIP !
The combination of the Fence Clip
and Copy Element tools are an
excellent way of clipping-out elements
to make an enlarged detail.
If you combine the Fence Clip and the
Scale Element tools you can clip a
detail and scale it up or down at the
same time.
13.6 MANIPULATING FENCES

You can modify the vertices or position of a fence:
Step 1
Place a block fence anywhere in the drawing.
Step 2
Step 3
Step 4
Step 5
Step 6
Start the Modify Fence tool.

Set the Vertex mode.
Data-point on a vertex of the fence.
Dynamically move the vertex to another location.
The block fence has now become a shape fence and you can repeat this process with as many
vertices as necessary.
Follow the same basic procedure to move the entire fence to another location using the Position
mode option.
13.7 MANIPULATING FENCE CONTENTS

Look at the Manipulate Fence Contents tool on the Fence toolbox
. Here you will find a
selection of tools that can use a fence in their operation. However, all these tools are part of the
Manipulate tool palette which are discussed in detail in the next Module. You would not normally
access these tools from this tool box since it is slightly less efficient to do so.
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13.8 SAVING FENCE BOUNDARIES

A useful feature is the ability to save fence boundaries for future
use. Do the following:
Step 1
In the Fence Tool settings window, click on the small

arrow in the bottom-right corner to expand the window.
You will now see the fence save and open icons.
Step 2
Step 3
With a fence in place in the design, click on the Save

icon and enter a name for the fence. Press Enter to save
the name.
To recall a fence boundary, select a fence from the list
and click on the Open icon.
The saved fence will now display in the view and can be used again. Use the Delete Named Fence
icon to delete saved fences.
You can copy or move the contents of a fence to another design file. Take a look at the Copy Fence
Contents to New File tool on the Fence toolbox.
Please remember that the Element Selection tool is usually a quicker and more efficient option when
simple or one-time element selections must be made. This is especially so if you make use of the
inside and crossing selection boxes.
13.9 GROUPING ELEMENTS

A group is a set of elements that form a semipermanent selection set. They are very simple and easy
to make. You first make a selection set and then press Ctrl-G to make the group. To ungroup a
group you select the group and press Ctrl-U. Try it now:
Step 1
Step 2

Click-and-drag a selection window around the Widget to select the Widgets elements.
Notice that the Widgets elements do not display handles at the ends of the lines. This is just a
peculiarity of MicroStation when selecting connected lines. The elements are actually selected.
Step 3
Enter Ctrl-G on the keyboard.
The elements will now be displayed with eight handles in a rectangle,

indicating that the elements are now grouped. Data-point in the drawing to
dismiss the handles.
To test whether the group exists, do the following:
Step 4
Step 5
Grouped Widget with

group handles.
With the Element Selection tool, select any line on the Widget. The handles will
reappear.
Use the Move Element tool to move the group.
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Module 13 - Page 11
The whole Widget should move to the new location.

To ungroup the group simply select the group with the Element Selection tool and enter Ctrl-U at
the keyboard.
Practice grouping and ungrouping element sets in your drawing and copying and moving groups to
other locations.
There is no limit to the number of groups you may create in your design. You may also group and
ungroup elements through the Edit pull-down menu. Other MicroStation editing operations can be
performed on a group, not just Copy and Move.
TOOL TIP !
TOOL TIP !
You can add elements to an existing group.

Simply select both the new element(s) and the
existing group and press Ctrl-G. The new
element(s) will be added to the existing group.
However, you cannot remove elements from a
group without first ungrouping the elements.
In the same grouping family are Named

Groups, Quick Sets, and Display Sets. These
are regarded as power-user tools and are
discussed in detail in the Level 2 manual.
13.10 SELECTING ELEMENTS BY ATTRIBUTES

So far you have selected elements by physically picking them or enclosing them in a fence. You
can, however, select elements based on their type and attributes. This is a powerful tool and allows
very specific criteria to be used in the selection process.
The tool is hidden by default, so right-click in the
Home/Selection group and select the Select By Attributes
tool.
The tool settings box displays.
SETTING ELEMENT CRITERIA
There are three main element criterions areas:
By Level. You may specify the levels on which

you wish to select elements. If you right-click in
the Levels box you will be able to either Select All,
Select None, or Invert Selection.
By Types. The scrolling box lists all available
element types. By default, all types are selected. To select only specific element types,
click on the types required. Use Control-click to select more than one element type.
By Symbology. You may specify the color, weight, or style of the elements to be selected.
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The Mode box controls how or if the elements are displayed:

Inclusive:
Exclusive:
Selection:
Location:
Display:
On:
Off:
The elements specified by the criteria are selected.

The elements not specified by the criteria are selected (a reverse selection).
The elements selected are displayed with handles.
The location of the elements is displayed.
Only the selected elements are displayed.
The tool is On and will select elements based on the criteria.
The tool is Off and will not select elements.
For normal operations the default settings for the Mode options are as shown above.
When all the appropriate settings have been made:
Step 2
Click on the Execute button to complete the selection process.
Try this example:

Step 1
Use the Fit View tool to display all elements in your current design.
There should be a large selection of elements if you have faithfully completed all the exercises to
date!
Step 2
Step 3
Step 4
In the Select by Attributes box click on Ellipse in the Types box (as in the illustration
above).
Return all other values to their default settings as shown in the illustration.
Click on Execute to select only elliptical elements.
All ellipses and circles in the design should now be displayed with their
handles. (Remember that MicroStation treats ellipses and circles as the
same element type.) You can now proceed with an editing operation on the
selected elements. To unselect the selected elements, start the Element
Selection tool and data-point anywhere in the view.
As you can see in the Select by Attributes box, there are additional options
for selecting elements by their Properties (the Properties button) and for
selecting Tags (discussed in the Level 2 Manual). Under the Tools pulldown on the settings box you can use an existing element as the pattern for
the selection criteria, and save the current selection criteria to a separate file
for later use. Under the Settings pull-down you can specify criteria for cells
and text.
TOOL TIP !
The Select by
Attributes tool can be
used to simply find
specific elements in a
large design.
Example: to find a
specific piece of text,
choose Text in the
Types box, and Text
in the Settings pulldown. Set the
required criteria,
including the actual
text string.
EXITING THE SETTINGS BOX

When you close the settings box by clicking on the Close box at the top right of the settings box,
you are presented with an Alert box. There are two options:
O.K.:
Cancel:
If you click on O.K. the current selection criteria will remain in effect and the
Display or Location of elements may be affected in subsequent editing operations.
Cancels the selection criteria.
You will normally use the Cancel option in your drawing sessions.
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CAUTION:
This is a very powerful tool because it selects elements in the entire design file, not
just the elements visible in a zoomed view. When you use this tool, be sure that you
do actually want to edit all the selected elements.
TOOL TIP !
Remember that the Element Selection tool (Module 4, Section
4-3) can also be used as a sophisticated element section
method if you expand the tool settings window.
13.11 SELECTING ELEMENTS BY SELECT ALL

You may select all the elements in a design by clicking on the Select All tool
. Clicking on this
option will select all elements in your design, whether visible in a view or not! Clearly, you must
exercise extreme caution when using this tool!
You will also find the Select None option in the same group
. This cancels any existing selection
sets in your design. You can also, of course, simply data-point in the view with the Element
Selection tool to cancel any selection set.
Even simpler is to press Ctrl-A on the keyboard to select all elements in the design, whether visible
or not.
TOOL TIP !
A fence is a useful tool for more complex selection operations,
but keep in mind that the Element Selection tool is a better
option for quick and simple element selections, especially when
using inside and crossing boxes.
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MICROSTATION CONNECT Module

2D LEVEL 1
14
MANIPULATE TOOLS
24 Pimlico Drive
L9H 6J5
Phone 905-628-8237
Module 14 of 19
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Module 14 - Page 1
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Module Information
Prerequisites:
Introduction:
One of the strengths of any CAD software is the ability to move or duplicate
elements in a way that is either impossible or very time-consuming with manual
drafting. Added to this facility is the option of moving or copying elements
over precise distances or to precise locations through the use of dimensional
offsets or point snaps.
The Manipulate Tool Box contains editing tools that, in various ways, copy or
move elements as an editing function. MicroStation places these tools on a
specific tool box, separate from editing tools that Modify or physically change
elements.
Objective(s):
14.1
14.2
14.3
14.4
14.5
14.6
14.7
14.8
14.9
14.10
14.11
14.12
Time:
Apply the Copy and Move tools in conjunction with AccuDraw.

Move and copy elements using the Windows Clipboard feature.
Move and copy an element or group using the Element Selection tool.
Scale the size of elements using the Scale tool.
Rotate elements using the Rotate tool.
Mirror elements using the Mirror tool.
Construct an array of elements or groups using the Construct Array tool.
Align elements using the Align Elements by Edge tool.
Stretch elements using the Stretch tool.
Move and copy an element using the Move Parallel tool.
Move To Contact tool.
Manipulate the contents of a fence.
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DISCUSSION:
A major part of this Module is the use of element selection tools and the collection of elements into selection
sets. The information contained in the previous and earlier Modules should be reviewed before starting this
Module. In fact, I must assume that at this point you are both familiar with and competent in the process of
selecting individual elements and in building selection sets. I will
not, therefore, repeat the steps necessary to select elements for the
tool usage that follows, unless it is a process that has not yet been
discussed.
Before starting, use the Undo to Mark option to
restore the small collection of elements (shown at
the left) you used in the previous Module. This
will be a starting point for the use of the tools in
this Module. You can always redraw the elements
again too.
Practice elements.
For many of MicroStations editing tools there is a choice of when to select elements for editing. Basically,
there are two choices:
c)
You may select elements first, then activate the tool to perform the edit. This is technically
called the noun-verb method (selection first, action second). This method also allows you to
use the Reset button to start an editing tool. Holding down the Reset button on an element or
selection set pops-up a list of editing tools and other functions.
d)
You may activate the tool first, then select the elements and perform the edit. This is technically
called the verb-noun method (action first, selection second). You can use any element
selection method except a fence since you cant use the fence tool while a manipulation tool is
active.
Note that all editing tools respond to the second method, while most, but not all, respond to the first method.
In addition to using the tools in this Module you should also be concentrating on performing accurate
operations with precise movements and offsets. Accuracy is very important and is generally achieved in two
ways: through dimensional offsets with AccuDraw or by accurate snapping to specific locations.
Rather than trying to itemize each tools requirements (which you wont
remember anyway) it makes more sense for you see how each tool responds as
you proceed through the Module. Please take time to discover the name of each
tool on the Home/Manipulate group before starting the instruction.
AccuDraw should be on for all exercises. Open your Start-E or Start-M design
file.
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14.1
COPY AND MOVE TOOLS and PRECISION

Although you have already used these two tools with snaps in Module 13, you have not used them
with AccuDraw. Copy Element and Move Element will be discussed on that basis. I will also show
you a quick way of moving elements without using the Move Element tool.
For clarity, fences in this Module are shown in dashed lines.
You are going to make a copy of the U-shaped element (the Widget), move the two small lines into
the circle, then copy the combined circle and lines to the center of the Widget.
SELECTING THE ELEMENTS FIRST

Make a copy of the Widget exactly 8" (200) along the negative
Y-axis from its original position. Use the Element Selection tool
to select the individual lines in the Widget:
Step 1
Step 2
Select the Widgets elements.

Step 3
Snap to the top-left corner
of the Widget.
Step 4
Drag the cursor along the
negative Y-axis and enter
Step 1.
:8 (200) at the keyboard.
Step 5
Data-point to accept the dimension and the copy.
Step 6
Reset to cancel the tool and data-point to cancel the selection
set.
At Step 6 the elements remain selected after the operation on the
assumption you might want to further edit the elements.
Steps 2 to 6.
Undo the copy and repeat the exercise holding-down the Reset button to
pop-up a list of editing tools. Select the Copy tool from the pop-up and
continue the exercise. This is typically a faster method of tool selection
and it should be your method of choice. Look at the other options
available on the Reset pop-up.
SELECTING THE TOOL FIRST

Step 1
Step 2
Start the Move Element tool.

Snap to right end of the small horizontal line.
Again, use the Reset pop-up to start the Move tool. You can do this before Snap to the end of the
you actually select this single element. If you have a several elements to
small line and to the right
select, make the selection first, then Reset to start the Move tool.
quadrant of the circle.
This both selects the line for the move and locates the base point of the move. If you dont snap to
the end of the line, the Move tool will simply use a point closest to the cursor to establish a base
point for the move.
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Module 14 - Page 4
Step 3
Snap the end of the line to the right quadrant of the circle (standard
Keypoint snap).
The line is now exactly in place as a diameter of the circle (assuming you
Horizontal line
drew the line and circle correctly in the first place!).
in place.
Step 4 Repeat the same process for the small vertical line.
Both lines in place.
You are now going to copy the combined circle and lines to
the center of the Widget as shown at the right. This time select the
elements first.
Step 5
Step 6
Step 7
Make a selection box enclosing the

circle and lines. Press Ctrl-G to group the elements.
Snap to the center of the circle (a Keypoint snap will snap to
one of the lines midpoint).
The circle and lines set is now attached to your cursor and
you are going to use AccuDraw to locate the copy at an
Circle and lines selected. exact position inside the Widget.
Step 8
Step 9
Step 10
Locate a Tentative Point at the lower-left corner of the

Widget (do not accept the tentative point location).
Press O on the keyboard to relocate the AccuDraw compass
at the tentative point.
Drag the cursor up and to the right.
Step 11
Step 12
Step 13
Steps 18 to 20.
Steps 15 to 17.
Enter :3 (75) in AccuDraws X-axis and :1 (25) in the Y-axis to

constrain the new tentative point position.
Accept the new location with a data point.
The copy of the circle and lines is still displayed with handles, ready for
any further operations. Unselect the set with the Reset button and then
data-pointing anywhere in the window (the Element Selection tool is
now active).
Notice in Step 13 that the active tool automatically switches to the Element Selection tool after
pressing the Reset button. This is the typical action when you select the elements first with the
Element Selection tool. The Copy or Move tools will remain active if you select the tool first, or if
you use a fence to select the elements. I know this sounds confusing, but the important point is that
MicroStation is offering you several combinations of element selection and tool usage so that you
can copy or move elements in as many ways as possible. The trick is to know exactly what you
want to do and to choose the best method to complete the operation. This system of options applies
to many other editing tools.
Although the above procedure took many steps to describe, it is actually a simple process to copy
and move the elements in this way. For practice you should now undo back to the starting point and
repeat the entire procedure. Do this as many times as necessary to become comfortable with the
concepts involved. Try other combinations of elements with the Copy and Move tools as well and
decide whether you prefer to select the elements before or after starting the tools.
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COPY/MOVE AT AN ANGLE
You can use the Polar compass to copy or move elements at a specific angle and distance.
Step 1
Draw the block shown at the right. Make it 6" (150) square.
Step 2
Step 3
Step 4
Start the Copy Element tool and snap to

the center of the block (use the Center
snap mode).
Make sure the Polar compass is visible
and enter 2.5 (750) in Distance and 30 in
Angle.
Data-point to accept the copy.
For practice, copy the block three times as shown at the right.
Try the same operations with the Move Element tool.
TOOL TIP !
To quickly make multiple copies of a selection
set, enter a value in the number box in the
Tool Settings window. After you place the first
copy the remaining copies are placed at the
same spacing.
14.2
MOVE AND COPY THROUGH THE WINDOWS CLIPBOARD

In addition to the tools that MicroStation provides, you can also use the Windows Clipboard to move
or copy elements in the current design, to other design files, or to word-processing software.
Selected elements are moved using the Cut option in the Edit pull-down, or copied using the Copy
option. In either cases the elements are sent to the Windows Clipboard so that they can be pasted
into a design or document using the Paste option of MicroStation or the wordprocessor.
Try a copy and paste example using the Widget
element:
Step 1
Step 2
Step 3

Select the Widget with a window.
Click on Copy in the Home/Selection
group (or just press Ctrl-C on the
keyboard).
TOOL TIP !
If you want a little more precision when pasting
the copied elements, do the following. Select the
elements to be copied, place a manual tentative
point on the selected elements to create an
origin, then make the copy. When you paste, the
origin will be attached to the cursor.
A copy of the Widget is now in the Clipboard.

Step 4
Click on Paste in the same group (or just press Ctrl-V on the keyboard).
The Widget copy is now attached to the cursor and you can locate it anywhere in the design.
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When you insert the elements from the clipboard,

the settings for active rotate angle and active scale
will be applied to the elements as they are placed in
the design. It is a good idea to check these settings
before using the paste option. It also helps if the
working units are identical when copying between
design files.
TOOL TIP !
A quick way to check the current active scale and
active angle is to hold down the Reset mouse
button and select Scale and Rotate. The values
will display in the Tool Settings window where
they can be edited.
If you had used the Cut option, the original Widget would have been deleted (try it and see). Note
that you cannot use a fence to select the elements for the cut or copy options, but you can cut or
copy grouped elements.
You might also try importing the clipboard contents into your wordprocessor. Simply open the
program while in the current session and paste the elements into a document. Most wordprocessor
software will allow you to do this successfully.
14.3
MOVING AND COPYING QUICKLY
MOVE
There is a quick, but inaccurate, method of moving elements. Do the following:
Step 1
Step 2

Data-point-and-hold on an element (or a selection set) and drag to a new location.
Releasing the mouse button

places the element at a new
location.
To move several elements this
Click-and-hold on an
Drag to a new location.
way, first make a selection set
element.
with the Element Selection tool
and then data-point-and-hold on any element in the set to make the move. Be careful where you
locate the data point. If you data-point on a handle the effect will not be as you expected!
COPY
The same procedure will copy an element if you hold down the Control key just before or just after
clicking-and-holding on an element. This only works for single elements, not a selection set since
Ctrl-clicking on an element in a selection set will simply unselect that element. You can, however,
copy a grouped set of elements since a group is regarded as a single element.
Undo back to the original elements for the next Section.
14.4
USING THE SCALE TOOL

The Scale tool changes the X- and Y-axis proportions of an element (the Z-axis proportions would
also be available if you were working in a 3-D file.) You may scale elements equally or unequally
in the X and Y directions, and you may set a specific scale factor or dynamically scale elements.
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There is an automatic scale About Element Center option in the Tool Settings window which
scales elements about their individual centers.
SCALING WITH ACTIVE SCALE

Try applying a scale factor of 2 to the X- and Y-axes of the circle, following the prompts in the
Status Line :
Step 1
Start the Scale tool.
Look at the options in the Tool Settings box. The default method is Active Scale, one of the active
settings that can be set in MicroStation. With this method you set scale factor for the X- and Y-axes
the values of which can be equal or different. If you want equal scale factors, make sure the lock
symbol is closed. If you want unequal scales, open the lock symbol. You also have the option of
making a copy of the original elements, and to use a fence for element selection.
Step 2
Step 3
Step 4
With the lock symbol closed, enter 2 in the X-axis box and press Enter or Tab. The Yaxis box will automatically read 2 as well.
Set Make Copy to On.
Data-point on the circle to select that element.
MicroStation will now ask you to set an Origin point.

This is the point about which the circle will be scaled.
It is important that you select a suitable point because
the element will be scaled from that point. You can see
how this works by moving the cursor around the circle.
Origin point at right
The scaled circle dynamically displays as the cursor
moves, showing you in which direction the new circle quadrant of original
circle.
will be drawn.
Origin point at left

quadrant of original
circle.
It is very important that you understand this dynamic action. For example, you can
easily scale the circle about each of the quadrants (two are shown above) simply by
snapping to the appropriate quadrant of the original circle. Careful choice of the
origin point can often make a subsequent move operation unnecessary. You should
also notice that, in general, it does not matter where the first data point is place to
Origin at center
select the original circle.
Step 5
Step 6
Snap to the center of the circle to set the Origin point.

of original
circle.
As soon as you identify the origin point the scaled circle is drawn and the tool offers to draw another
circle that is two times larger than the new one. And so on, until you cancel the tool with a reset.
As an alternative, you could have used the scale About Element Center option.
Draw a block in the view. Try the same exercise with this element. Set the scale factors to a new
value and select with a data point anywhere on the block. Notice how the scaled block rotates
around the original block. Clearly, you can select an origin point that will position the new block
anywhere in relation to the old block. The origin does not need to be on the block. Remember that
the Center snap or the scale About Element Center option will centrally locate the new scaled block.
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Try scaling different elements with equal and different scale factors to see the effects. AccuDraw
helps the scaling operation with its alignment dimensional features. Try scaling about the center of
an element and a selection set to see the results.
SCALING WITH 3 POINTS

The other scale method is 3 Points, which dynamically scales elements. The process is a little more
complex. You first identify the element, select an origin point to scale about, then supply two data
points to define the scale factor.
Undo back to the original elements and work with the circle again.
Step 1
Step 2
Step 3
Step 4
Start the Scale tool and select the 3-points method.

Select the circle.
Select an origin point to scale about (use the center).
Data-point anywhere in the view to set the first reference
point.
Now, as you move the cursor, the new circle will dynamically display
larger or smaller. A second data point will define the scale factor.
Step 5
Step 6
Data-point again to set the scale factor.

Notice how AccuDraw interacts with the operation. The compass automatically moves to the first
reference point and you can then enter a precise dimension for the scale operation. Combine
AccuDraws action with snaps and you have a very versatile scale tool.
Try this method with other elements, and with the Proportional option On and Off to see the effects.
SCALE WITH HANDLES

There is another way to scale elements. After undoing back to the original elements, try this:
Step 1
Step 2
Step 3
Step 4

Select the circle to display the circles handles.
Click-and-hold on one of the handle squares.
Drag the handle square to a new position.
As you drag the cursor, the element is scaled but remains in proportion.
If you tap the Alt key before dragging the handle, the geometric
proportion of the element will be changed. Try both procedures on all
the other element types you are familiar with to see the effects of this
simple operation.
Undo back to the original elements for the next Section.
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Circle scaled with corner

handle.
Circle scaled with Alt key.
14.5
USING THE ROTATE TOOL

The Rotate tool rotates elements around a pivot point using the current active angle, or with a twopoint or three point reference set. As usual, you may make a copy of the original elements and use
the Element Selection tool or a fence to select the elements for rotation. You can also automatically
rotate about the center of an element or of a selection set.
ACTIVE ANGLE
Try a simple example first:
Step 1
Draw a diagonal line and start the Rotate tool.
Set the Method to Active Angle and enter a 300 angle. Turn Copy off.
Step 2
Select the diagonal line.
The rotated element will be displayed as soon as you select the element. As you move
the cursor, the position of the rotated element will be changed.
The Status Line is asking for a pivot point to anchor the line. This is exactly the same process you
just practiced in the Scale Section above.
Step 3
Step 4
Snap to the lower end of the line.

The line has been rotated 300. It is interesting to try the

same procedure but with Copy on and without resetting
after each line rotation. If you use the same pivot point
each time, you will create a circle of lines. Try rotating
the line with the pivot point at the midpoint and the top
end of the line to see the results. Try rotating other
elements.
TOOL TIP !
The active angle can be set incrementally
with the Active Angle Up/Down buttons in the
Tool Settings window. To set the increment
go to Settings/Locks/Full and Axis Increment.
Positive or negative angles may be entered in the Tool Settings window.

When finished, undo back to the original diagonal line.
2 POINTS METHOD
Step 1
Start the Rotate tool.
Set the Method to 2 Points and turn Copy off.

Step 2
Step 3

Define a pivot point. Snap to the lower end of the line again.
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As you move the cursor around the screen the line rotation will be displayed, and you can define the
rotation angle with a data point. With the rectangular compass, indexing to AccuDraws axes forces
the dynamic line to mirror the original line across the X- and Y-axes. With the polar compass you
can enter a specific angle for rotation.
Step 4
Define a point to set the rotation angle and reset.
Undo your actions when finished.
3-POINTS METHOD
After selecting the element and defining a pivot point, this method requires two points to define the
rotation angle, which may or may not be on an existing element. Try something different this time:
Step 1
Step 2
Draw a 5-sided polygon of any size as shown at the right. Use the
Inscribed method and index to the positive X-axis to set the rotation
of the polygon.
Start the Rotate tool.
Set the Method to 3 Points and turn Copy off.

The intent here is to rotate the polygon so that the lower edge is
horizontal. You do not know the angle of rotation but it can be easily defined with the
next two data points. Watch the status line for prompts.
Step 3
Step 4
Step 5
Select the polygon on any edge.

Define a pivot point. Snap to the lower left vertex as
shown.
Define start of rotation by snapping to the right
vertex of the lower line.
The polygon now rotates with the cursor. You need to rotate the
lower line to a horizontal position and you will use AccuDraw to
do so. Note that the compass is currently aligned with the lower edge of the
polygon. Use the T shortcut to rotate the compass to the view coordinates.
Steps 3 and 4.
Step 5.
Step 6 Enter T at the keyboard.

The compass rotates to the view coordinates.
Step 7 Index the cursor to the positive X-axis.
Step 8 Data-point anywhere along the X-axis to accept the orientation.
Step 9 Reset.
Notice that the second data point in Step 8 was not snapped to an element.
A point is space is sufficient to define the rotational angle.
Steps 6 to 9.
Practice each method as many times as you need to become comfortable with the Rotate tool.
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14.6
USING THE MIRROR TOOL

The Mirror tool will mirror elements about a real or imaginary axis line. The options are:
1.
Mirror about a vertical axis.
2.
Mirror about a horizontal axis.
3.
Mirror about a line defined by two data points.

The line can be in any orientation (although you dont
actually need a line; just two data points will do).
You may also make a copy of the original elements, mirror text (text will
be reversed), mirror about the center, and use a fence or a regular selection set to select elements to
be mirrored. As you will see, it is also not necessary to use an actual line to complete the mirror
operation; any two data points will do.
MIRROR VERTICAL AND HORIZONTAL
For this Section, edit the practice elements to create the new assembly shown at the
right. Snap a copy of the circle to both ends of the diagonal line. Move the new
shape to a clear location, and Group the three elements (Ctrl-G). This will save you
having to reselect the individual elements for each exercise.
Step 1
Step 2
Start the Mirror tool.

Set the Method to Vertical, Copy on, and Mirror Text off.
A data point is needed to select the elements and set the location of
the mirror axis.
Step 3
Snap to the upper end of the line.
The elements are immediately mirrored.

Notice that AccuDraws compass is located at the snap point. AccuDraw allows you to mirror the
elements at a precise offset from the compass origin using the dimensional keyins or by dragging the
cursor.
To move the compass to a new location, tentative-point at a different location and press the O key.
Step 4
Step 5
Data-point to set the mirrored elements location (or enter a dimension in the X-axis box).
Reset to unselect the elements and stop the tool.
The basic operation of the tool is very simple. If you require the mirrored elements to be located at a
specific offset or location, you must use snaps and/or AccuDraw. Remember that when you enter a
dimension for the mirror offset, the distance between the elements is doubled (you are actually
dimensioning to the mirror line).
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Undo, and on your own, use the Horizontal method to mirror the elements above the original
location.
MIRROR ABOUT A LINE
This method works the same way except that you define the position of the imaginary mirror line (or
actual line) with data points. Remember that you can use snaps and all the drawing aids that
AccuDraw offers to locate the data points. You should have no problem trying this method for
yourself. Use Ctrl-Z freely to quickly undo actions.
For practice use the Mirror tool to create the two assemblies
shown at the right.
TOOL TIP !
A quick way of starting the Copy, Move, Scale, Rotate, and Mirror tools is to rightclick on an element or a selection set. This will pop up a list containing these
tools. This is the very convenient Reset pop-up I mentioned previously.
14.7
THE CONSTRUCT ARRAY TOOL

The Array tool copies elements in a rectangular grid or a circular array. Here are the options:
ARRAY TYPE
Rectangular
Copies elements in defined rows and columns. You
specify the number of rows and columns, and the
dimension between the rows and columns. Note that the
dimension is between the lower left corner of linear
elements, and between the center of circles and ellipses.
Polar
Copies elements around a center point. You specify how
many copies of the elements and the angle between them.
Along Path
Copies elements along or on a path, by number or distance.
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For the Array exercises use the Place Block tool to draw a rectangular block with
an X-dimension of 2" (50) and a Y-dimension of 1" (25).
RECTANGULAR ARRAY
Step 1
Start the Array tool.
Set the following options:

Array Type to Rectangular
Active Angle to 0
Rows to 2
Columns to 4
Row Spacing to 5" (125)
Column Spacing to 5" (125)
Step 2
Step 3
Select the rectangular block element.

Accept with a data-point.
The block is immediately arrayed in accordance

with the tools settings.
Rectangular array with 2 rows, 4 columns, each
spaced 5" (125) apart.
Step 4
Step 5
Step 6
Ctrl-Z to undo.
Set the Active Angle to 300.
Select the block again, and data-point to accept the
selection.
The rectangular array is rotated 300 from the horizontal.

Notice though, that the blocks have not been rotated along with
the whole array. They are still aligned with the view axes.
Same array, but with a 300 Active Angle.
1.
2.
If you want the block orientation to rotate with the array, you
have two choices:
You must first array the block with a 00 active angle, then rotate the array to the desired
angle with the Rotate tool, or
First rotate the block at a 300 angle and then create the array at a 300 angle.
Practice rectangular arrays with various option settings and with other elements in the drawing.
Note that you can enter negative dimensional and angular values in the Tool Settings box.
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POLAR ARRAY
Select the Polar method in the Tool Settings box. You must set
the number of Copies (copies of the element) and the Delta
Angle between the items. To array copies of the element around
the full circle, simply enter 360 in the Total Angle box, press Tab
or Enter, and the angle between copies will automatically display
in the Delta Angle box. You can, of course, enter any Total
Angle value, or enter a specific Delta Angle.
There is also an option to Rotate Items in the settings box. If this
switch is Off, the arrayed elements will retain their alignment
with the view axes. If On, the elements will be rotated with the array.
Undo back to the single block and try a simple array:
Step 1
Step 2
Step 3
Start the Array tool and select the Polar method.

Set Copies to 7 (there will be 8 spaces between elements).
In the Total Angle box enter 360. Press Enter to accept the entry.
The value in the Delta Angle box changes to 51.42860, the correct angle between the seven items in
a 3600 array.
Step 4
Step 5
Turn Rotate Items ON.

Select the block on a snap location.
In the Status Line you are now asked to Accept/select element. This will be a dual function datapoint that will accept the element selection and indicate the location of the arrays center. As you
move the cursor to the right, notice the single copy of the block and the six dots showing the location
of the remaining blocks. Notice that the polar compass displays at the
block selection location, enabling you to enter a radius dimension.
Step 6
Data-point to the right, away from the block.
The array now displays and each block is rotated around the center.
Practice different combinations of arrays with single- and multipleelement groupings. Try placing a semicircular array of seven items.
Try using the polar compass to enter both a distance and an angle to
locate the array center. Generate more arrays of the block but place the
snap point in different locations to see the effects on the array.
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ALONG PATH
A simple tool to use. Locate an element or selection set near or on
a path. In the Tool Settings box select Along Path, select by
Number, by Distance, or by Both, and enter a value for number of
Copies or Distance. Follow the prompts to Identify the element,
then data-point on the start and end of the path.
The example at the right has five copies using the
Number option. The rotated elements are equally spaced
along the path.
14.8
THE ALIGN ELEMENTS BY EDGE TOOL

You use this tool to align elements by their four common outer edges or by their center lines. The
tool is very simple to use and elements can be selected individually, with selection boxes or a fence.
Try this example:
Step 1
Draw the three blocks (or more if you wish) shown at the right.
Step 2
Start the Align Elements by Edge tool.
Look at the Align options available in the Tool Settings window. Use the default Top alignment for
the moment.
In the Status Line you are prompted to Select a base element for alignment:
Step 3
Data-point on the center block to define the base element.
Now align the left and right blocks with the top of the center block:
Step 4
Data-point on the left block.
The left block aligns its top edge with the top edge of the middle block.
Step 5
Data-point on the right block.
The right block aligns its top with the top of the middle block.
Step 6
Step 7
Data-point anywhere in the view to accept the last alignment.

Reset to stop the tool and cancel the center blocks highlight.
Note that if you wanted to cancel the alignment of an element you have just selected, you can do so
by pressing the Reset button, but only while that element is highlighted.
On your own, try the different alignment options in the Tool Settings box.
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To try the Fence option, make several copies of a circle and place them one
below the other, but out of alignment. Place a fence around the circles, start the
tool, select the Left Alignment and Use Fence options, and data-point on the
upper circle. The circles will all immediately left-align. Data-point again to
accept the action and then remove the fence. You could also have used a
selection box for the same operation.
14.9 THE STRETCH TOOL

One of the most useful editing operations is the stretching of elements. Elements that are completely
inside a fence or a selection box are moved by this tool, and elements that cross the fence or
selection box are extended or reduced in size and in location.
The most important point to understand is that the tool requires you to identify the vertices of the
elements that are to be stretched. A fence or a selection box must be used for this purpose
As in the previous Module, fences and selection boxes are shown in
dashed lines in the instruction.
Try a simple example first:
Step 1
Step 2
Draw a Block shape as shown at the right.

Start the Stretch tool (notice that you are prompted to place a fence
Step 3
block but you can also use a selection box of either type).
Place a fence or selection box around the right-hand end of the block.
If you use a fence, it doesnt matter which Fence Mode is set when you use the
Stretch tool. The tool ignores the mode setting and selects elements on the basis of
which vertices are inside the fence. In this example you are capturing the
two right-hand vertices of the block.
Step 4
Step 5
Step 6
Step 7
Data-point to define the origin of the stretch (watch the Status

Line!).
Move the cursor to the right and data-point again to define the
distance of the stretch.
Click on the Place Fence tool to remove the fence (if used).
The block should now be stretched larger. Try the same procedure and stretch the block
upward along the Y-axis. Stretch the block smaller as well. Remember to use
AccuDraw if you want to stretch a specific distance or angle, and to use snaps to stretch
from point to point.
Resulting stretched
block.
TOOL TIP !
The fence can remain in place for further
stretch operations if needed, but a selection
box will disappear after a reset.
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TOOL TIP !
Remember that the Modify Element tool (next
Module) performs similar stretch operations on
strings and shapes.
Module 14 - Page 17
It is obviously easy to stretch elements that are unobstructed and accessible. Now try something a
little more difficult. Undo the previous actions to the original block element. Add the two lines
exactly as shown in the illustration below.
In this example you are going to stretch only the two new lines; the block must remain untouched.
For the stretch to work you must capture only the end vertices of the two lines, not the vertices of
the block. The locations of the line vertices make if difficult, if not impossible, to use a Block fence
type or a selection window that would exclude the block vertices. In this case you must use a Shape
fence type, but you must place a Shape fence before
starting the Stretch tool.
Step 1
Step 2
Start the Place Fence tool and select the

Shape type.
Place a shape fence so that only the end
vertices of the two lines are inside the
fence.
Note that the fence boundary can cross over itself if necessary.
Step 3
Step 4
Step 5
Start the Stretch tool.

As in the previous example, Data-point twice to stretch the lines.
Reset and remove the fence.
That is the basic operation of the stretch tool. You should also note:
Circles and ellipses cannot be stretched with the Stretch tool. If a circle or ellipse is totally inside
a fence then it will be moved.
Endpoints of arcs are stretched if a vertex is inside the fence.
Use the Stretch tool on the circle, ellipse, and arc of the practice elements to see the effects. Try
stretching the other elements types in the practice set.
14.10 MOVE PARALLEL

The Move Parallel tool is a specialized version of the Move Element tool. It will move (and copy if
that option is set) in a strictly parallel direction to the original element. It works on almost every
element type.
The tool has three options:
Element:
Moves or copies an element, filling gaps where necessary.
Segment of Element:
Moves or copies a single element in a string, shape, etc.
Portion of Element:
Moves or copies a selected portion of a an element.
Basically, the tool works as follows:
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A single line will be moved or copied parallel to itself (right).

A line string, when moved/copied parallel, will create a gap where the
vertex is pulled apart (below). The tool, however, will automatically
fill the gap to maintain the string.
There are three Modes which can be applied to the gap:

Miter:
Fills the gap by expanding or shortening the original

elements.
Round:
Fills the gap with arc elements.
Original: Fills the gap so that the element type of the original
element is maintained.
You can set the Distance the element is to be moved/copied
either by simply defining two data points in the view
(AccuDraw helps here), entering a dimension in the value box, or setting a dimension by data points
using the Define Distance icon to the right of the Distance box.
If ON, the Use Active Attributes option changes the moved/copied element to the active attributes.
If OFF, the element attributes are not changed.
The Make Copy option sets whether the original element remains in place (copied at its original
location), or is moved from its original location.
Try some of the options :
Step 1
Draw a single line element.
Step 2
Start the Move Parallel tool, Element option

options OFF.
. Set the Mode to Miter. All other
With these setting you only need to data-point twice to move the
line:
Step 3
Data-point on the line and drag the cursor away

from the line.
The line hangs on the cursor. Data-point again to relocate the

line parallel to its original location. Note that you can drag the
line on either side of the original location.
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Try the same action, but turn on the Make Copy option to retain the original line (in the Tool
Settings window the Move Parallel tool is now called the Copy Parallel tool). Change the active
color, turn ON the Use Active Attributes option, and repeat the action, noting that the copied line is
now the new color.
Now try a closed shape.
Step 1
Step 2
Draw a block or polygon and apply the tool. Notice how

the entire element is enlarged (or reduced) depending on
which way you move the cursor.
Change the Mode to Round. Repeat the action. Note the
round corners of the moved/copied block.
Using the Original Mode has no effect on this type of element.

Notice also that AccuDraw places the compass at the point where you
selected the element, allowing you to simply enter a dimension to
define the offset size.
To see another effect this tool has on elements, use SmartLine to draw the
three lines shown at the right. Be sure that the Join Elements option in
SmartLine is ON so that a line string is created. Then do the following:
Step 1
Step 2
Step 3
Start the Move Parallel tool and turn Distance and Make Copy
options Off.
Data-point on the line string and move the cursor slowly on both
sides of the line.
Change the gap Mode while dragging the cursor to see the sharp
and rounded vertex effect.
Note how the line string is displayed as you move the cursor. As you move
the cursor outward, the line segments proportionally enlarge. As you move
the cursor inward, the segments shrink, but note what happens to the short,
center segment. It will eventually disappear as it moves to a zero length. The point here is that if
you had set a distance that was incompatible with the length of the center segment, you might get
unexpected results.
You need to consider how this tool works when working in a
regular drawing. For example, if you are drawing walls on a floor
plan using a single-line outline, intending to use the Move Parallel
tool to offset the single wall line to create a double-line wall, you
should be using a connected SmartLine. In this way, when you use
the Move Parallel tool, the entire wall outline will be copied as one.
If you use the regular Place Line tool, you will need to move
parallel each separate line segment and then edit every corner.
TOOL TIP !
Be careful when using this tool
on a selection set of individual
elements. Unexpected results
may occur.
Now try the two other tool options, Segment of Element and Portion of Element, combined with the
Distance options.
Step 1
Step 2
Draw a rectangular block. Select the Segment of Element option, and activate the
Distance setting and enter a dimensional value.
Data-point on a side of the block and move the cursor away from the block.
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Only the selected segment of the block is copied the set distance. Note that the Make Copy option is
not available (a copy is automatic).
Step 3
Step 4
Click on the Define Distance icon to the right of the Distance box.
Data-point in the view (snap to the block if you wish), drag the cursor the required
distance, and data-point to set the distance value.
Notice that the distance generated now shows in the Distance value box.
Step 5
Step 6
Select the Portion of Element option.

Data-point on the block, drag the cursor around the block to
select a portion of the block, data-point to define the second
point, the data-point to define the location of the copied
portion.
The portion is copied and enlarged. Interestingly, you can use this tool to clip out the portion
without the enlargement. Turn off the Distance setting, follow the same procedure, but place the last
two data-points at the same location. You can then drag the clipped portion away from the block.
Experiment with different element types to see the effects.
14.11 MOVE TO CONTACT TOOL

This is a simple tool
that moves an element along a path until it contacts
another element. To use the tool data-point on an element, drag the path, and
data-point to accept the path. The selected element will move along the path
until it contacts the nearest element.
Selected element and path.
You can move a selection set of elements. If the moving element misses the
contact element, it will continue along the path until it contacts another element.
On the other hand, if the path is such that the moving element cannot contact
another element, it will remain in its original location.
Contact made.
14.12 MANIPULATE FENCE CONTENTS TOOLS

As a matter of interest, you can also access most of the Manipulate tools from the Fence tool box
after a fence has been placed in the design. You will find them under the Manipulate Fence
Contents tool. The tools are almost identical to those found on the Manipulate tool bar and it is
simply a matter of convenience which tool bar you use.
In addition to using the tools discussed above, you will also find the stretch option available as part
of the Fence tool box.
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2D LEVEL 1
Module
15
MODIFY TOOLS
24 Pimlico Drive
L9H 6J5
Phone 905-628-8237
Module 15 of 19
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Module 15 - Page 1
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Module Information
Prerequisites:
Introduction:
The Modify tool box contains ten tools that modify the geometry of existing
elements in a variety of useful ways. You will find the tools contained in this
toolbox to be extremely important since more time is often spent editing
elements than is spent in the initial drawing stage.
Objective(s):
15.1
15.2
Time:
Use the Element Selection tool to modify elements.

Apply the Modify Element tool to lines, line strings, complex chains,
polygons, and shapes.
15.3 Apply the Break Element tool to lines, line strings, and closed shapes.
15.4 Use the Extend Line tool to extend and shorten lines and line strings.
15.5 Use the Trim to Intersection tool to create sharp vertices between
separate elements.
15.6 Apply the Trim to Element tool to extend or shorten an element to a
second element.
15.7 Use the Trim Multiple tools to trim or extend elements.
15.8 Use the Insert Vertex tool to add vertices to open or closed elements.
15.9 Use the Delete Vertex tool to remove vertices from open or closed
elements.
15.10 Use the Construct Circular Fillet tool to place an arc fillet between two
elements.
15.11 Use the Construct Parabolic Fillet tool to place an arc fillet between
two elements.
15.12 Use the Construct Chamfer tool to place a chamfer between two
elements.
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DISCUSSION:
The Manipulate tools, discussed in the previous Module, enabled you to copy, move, or change the overall
quantities, size, or position of elements. In this Module you use tools that edit the specific geometry of
elements, enabling you to physically change the shape and size of all element types.
You are going to try each tool in turn, but first you need to draw
another set of elements to use for the exercises. You will need three
lines drawn with the Place Line tool, three joined SmartLine
segments (a line string), a SmartLine containing two lines and an arc
(a complex chain), an arc, a rectangular block, a circle, and an ellipse.
Use the illustration at the right as a guide. The dimensions of the
elements are not important, just the type and shape.
Set a Mark
and try the options discussed below, being sure to practice each application as many times as
necessary to feel comfortable with the tools. Use Undo to Mark as needed to return to the original elements,
or make copies of the elements as you practice the editing tools.
You will be using the tools in the Home/Modify tool box, shown at the right.
Please take time to discover the name and function of each tool before
starting the instruction. I will use the floated version of the tool box in the
instruction.
Open your Start-E or Start-M design.
15.1 ELEMENT SELECTION TOOL

Before you start using the tools on the Modify tool box, first look at the action of the Element
Selection tool. The Element Selection tool can be used to change the size and shape of elements and
text. Its operation is very simple.
Step 1
Step 2

Select the block element in the practice elements.
The elements handles appear. (If you dont see the handles, click on the
Select Edit Handles icon in the Tool Settings window.)
Step 3
Step 4
Select the
block.
With the cursor, click-and-hold on one of the corner handles.

Drag the corner to a new location and release the mouse button.
Clearly, this is a very quick (although inaccurate) method of changing the

shape of an element.
Drag the handle.
If you wish to maintain the blocks original aspect ratio, first select the handle being moved, then
use the RQ (Rotate Quick) shortcut in AccuDraw to orient the compass with the opposite diagonal
corner.
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Notice that the block remained a rectangular block. If you wanted to move a single handle, press
the Alt key while dragging the selected handle. The Alt key switches between orthogonal and nonorthogonal modes. Use of the Alt key applies to all elements, including line-strings.
Try these actions on all the other elements in the practice set. Remember that you can also move and
copy single elements and selected multiple elements with the Element Selection tool.
15.2 MODIFY ELEMENT TOOL

This is a very versatile tool that can be used with most element types to:
1. Move vertices of lines, line strings, complex chains, polygons, shapes (and in the
Level 2 Manual, multi-lines, curves, B-splines, and complex shapes).
2. Proportionally scale a block.
3. Scale circular arcs and ellipses.
4. Modify dimension lines and dimension text (discussed in Module 18).
5. Modify the rounded segments of SmartLines while maintaining tangency. You will need to
expand the Tool Settings window to see these options.
First, lets start with simple lines:
MOVING VERTICES
The Modify Element tool enables you to move the vertices of elements. Try the following with the
simple lines:
Step 1
Step 2
Start the Modify Element tool.

Data-Point close to the left end of the left line (a
snap is not necessary).
The tool picks up the end vertex of the line and you are able
to dynamically move it and the line around the view. Notice that
AccuDraw located the compass at the other end of the line segment.
Step 3
Data-Point again to relocate the end vertex and reset to

stop the tool.
Try the same thing at the junction of the first two lines. The tool
will attach to whichever line is closest to the cursor, and moving
the vertex away from the intersection separates the lines. Do this
now.
To rejoin the lines with the Modify Element tool:
Step 1
Step 2
With the Modify Element tool active, select the open

end of the first line.
Snap to the end of the second line and reset.
The two vertices are rejoined. Clearly this tool is acting as a very
effective stretch tool, although only on one element at a time.
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MODIFY ELEMENT TOOL and SMARTLINES

The same operations can be applied to SmartLines,
although you have the choice of limiting the extent of the
modifications. In the Tool Settings window for the
Modify Element tool, click on the expansion arrow to
show the options available for SmartLines. Make sure
that Enable SmartLine modifications and Enable
segment selection are both ticked ON.
Now try moving the vertices of the SmartLine line string. Data-Point near one of the
vertices and move the cursor. Since the lines are part of a line string, the vertices and
lines are moved together. If the SmartLine was closed into a shape, the vertices of the
shape can be moved in the same way.
If you select an end vertex of an open SmartLine you can relocate the end of the line.
MOVING SMARTLINES
In addition to moving vertices of lines, the Modify Element tool will also move individual lines
themselves (for line strings and complex chains this is not the same as using the Move Element tool).
You can move a line in any direction or move it parallel to its original
location. Try this with the SmartLine line string:
Step 1
With the Modify Element tool (Enable segment selection ON),

data-point near the center of the first segment in the line string
The whole line string highlights and AccuDraws compass locates at the
center point of the segment and aligns itself with the line.
Step 2
Move the cursor away from the line.
The line is moved parallel to the original location. If you want the line moved perpendicular to the
original location, index the cursor to the compass axis. The line can be moved other than
perpendicular by moving the cursor off the compass axis. The nearest segment(s) in the line string
are also moved to maintain the vertex connections.
Now try the same operation with the complex chain to see the effect on the
arc segment. Data-point near the center of the left vertical line to attach the
Modify Element tool. Move the cursor perpendicular (indexed) and nonperpendicular (unindexed) and note the effects. In particular, note that
tangency is not maintained.
What happens if you try this modification on the simple lines? Try it and
see.
What happens if you turn OFF the Enable SmartLine modifications in
the Tool Settings window? What effect does this have on line selection?
Turn ON Enable SmartLine modifications when you are finished.
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CHANGING VERTEX SHAPE - MODIFY ELEMENT TOOL and SMARTLINES

The Modify Element tool will change the vertex shape of
SmartLines. Try this with the line string:
Step 1
With the Modify Element tool active, datapoint at the first common vertex.
Note the options in the Tool Settings box that appear when the
common vertex is selected. When you first select a vertex, the
current vertex type displays in the Tool Settings window. If you are
changing the shape of only one vertex, then simply change the shape
in the settings box and apply a suitable radius or chamfer size. When
you move the cursor back to the vertex the new shape will display
and can be confirmed with a data point. You may also move the
vertex at the same time.
If you are changing the shape of several vertices then do the following:
Step 1
Step 2
Step 3
Step 4
In SmartLine Modification Settings in the Tool

Settings box, choose Last Used in the Vertex
settings box. This causes the previous shape
you entered to be retained in memory.
Data-point on a vertex to be changed.
Enter the necessary vertex changes in the Tool Settings window.
Accept the new shape with a data point and Reset to stop the tool.
Repeat the Steps 2 to 4 to change the shape of other vertices. If the shape and size are the same as
the previous change, then simply data point twice on the vertex and reset (you can do this very
quickly!).
You will find that you can apply the same methods to the block
rectangle even though it is not a SmartLine. Make a copy of the
block rectangle in the sample elements and round the corners as
shown.
Can you apply these changes to the complex chain and to the simple line segments?
Before continuing, be sure to change Last Used in the Vertex settings box to From element.
When you next select a vertex this will ensure that the previous vertex shape is not displayed.
You should also look at two of the other SmartLine options in the Modify Element tool settings
window:
Enable segment selection
When ON the Modify Element tool can be used to select a

full segment (the segment plus its two vertices).
When OFF the Modify Element tool can only select a
vertex.
Convert selected round or chamfer

to segment
When ON the Modify Element tool will convert rounded

or chamfered corners to arc or line segments. The
converted segments can then be edited as segments.
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Module 15 - Page 6
ARCS
The Modify Element tool will modify the sweep angle, the radius about the center, and the radius
with endpoints preserved.
The quickest way to see these changes in action is to select the arc with the Modify Element tool,
then select a Method in the Tool Settings window and move the cursor around the arc to see the
effect. Repeat this process without placing a data-point or resetting until you have tried each option.
Note how AccuDraw works with each option to maximize the efficiency of the tool. Experiment
with different AccuDraw dimensional and angular values to see the results.
CIRCLES AND ELLIPSES

You can use the Modify Element tool to change the radius of
circles and the axes of ellipses (one at a time).
With the tool active, Data-point on the circle and change its
radius. Data-point on the ellipse to change each axis.
You could also use the Scale tool to change the radius of the
circle, but this requires and exact calculation if you need, for example, to change the radius from
6.25 to 6.385 units. With the Modify Element tool and AccuDraw this is an easy change to make.
Practice using Modify Element and AccuDraw to make precise dimensional changes to the circle and
ellipse.
MODIFYING BLOCKS
The Modify Element tool will change the diagonal dimension of a block if you
data-point on a corner.
If you wish to maintain the blocks original aspect ratio, first select
the corner being moved with the Modify Element tool, then use the RQ (Rotate Quick)
shortcut in AccuDraw to orient the compass with the opposite diagonal corner.
Cursor movement will now be locked to the diagonal of the block.
If you want to change the length and height of the block by specific amounts, use
AccuDraws settings box to enter values for the X- and Y-axes.
You can move an edge of the block either perpendicular or at an
angle to its original position by Data-pointing near the center of
the edge. Use the index feature of AccuDraw to ensure accuracy.
Try each of these options yourself on the rectangular block in the
practice elements.
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15.3 BREAK ELEMENT TOOL

This tools clip out parts of an element between two specified data points or break an
element into separate parts.
It has four options:
Break by Two Points: Two data points are required to define the break
points.
Break by Point:
One data point is required to define the break

point.
Break by Drag Line:
Drag a line across an element to define the break point.
Break by Elements:
Break the element using an existing crossing element.
Be sure to follow the prompts in the Status Line when using this tool.
Try some simple examples using the line, block, and circle shown at the right.
Step 1
Start the Break by Two Points option.
The prompt asks for the Start point for the partial delete. Data-point on the line, drag
the cursor, and data-point again. The line will be broken into two parts with a gap.
Try the same operation on the block and circle. You can use AccuSnap to locate
points. Undo all when finished.
Step 2
Start the Break by One Point option.
The prompt asks you to Identify element at break point. Data-point on the line. Use the Element
Selection tool to identify the two separate parts of the line. What happens if you use this option on
the block and the circle? Undo all when finished.
Step 3
Start the Break by drag line option.
Data-point above the line element and drag the resulting cutting line across the line element. Use
the Element Selection tool to identify the two separate parts of the line. Undo all when finished.
Step 4
Draw two vertical lines, slightly spaced apart, down through all three elements. Start
the Break by elements option.
The prompt asks you to identify cutting elements. You can select a single line by data-pointing on a
line, or multiple lines by Ctrl-data-pointing on more cutting elements. With the cutting element(s)
selected, data-point on the element to be broken. Check the broken segments with the Element
Selection tool.
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15.4
EXTEND LINE TOOL

The Extend Line tool enables you to extend (or shorten) a line or an arc by:
1. Entering the length of extension (or reduction) in the Tool Settings box,
or;
2. Dynamically dragging the cursor, or;
3. Entering the new overall length of the line in the AccuDraw settings box.
Use the Place Line tool to draw a line 5" (125) long and try each option in turn:
Step 1
Step 2
Step 3
Start the Extend Line tool.

Check the Distance box in the Tool Settings window and
enter a value of 3" (75) to extend the line by (a negative
value will shorten the line).
Data-point near the end of the line to be extended. The
line highlights and shows the extension. Data-point to
accept.
Undo the extension. Now try including AccuDraw in the operation:

Step 4
Data-point near the end of the line you want to extend.
The line highlights and the AccuDraw compass orients with, and attaches to,
the opposite end of the line. The original length of the line is shown in the
AccuDraw window when the tangent line is displayed at the end of the
selected line. You can now choose between these two options:
Step 5
Step 6
Move the cursor to dynamically extend or shorten the line. Datapoint to define the new end point, or;
Enter a new length value in the AccuDraw window to
define the new length. Data-point to accept.
The From End option in the Tool Settings window will locate the
compass at the opposite end of the line
TOOL TIP !
Enter the full new length.
AccuDraw will not allow you to
enter an incremental value.
Practice the options discussed above with different line lengths and
orientations.
15.5 TRIM TO INTERSECTION

All element types can be extended or shortened to their intersections with this tool.
With the tool active, simply data-point on two elements in turn. After the second data-point the
elements will be trimmed. If you want to preview the trim before accepting, open the AccuSnap
settings box (small arrow on the Snaps pop-up list), and in the General tab turn off Identify
Elements Automatically. With this setting off you wont see the element identification information
when you locate the cursor over an element. Please turn this setting ON when you are finished
using it.
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Module 15 - Page 9
The illustrations below show three typical examples. Draw the same elements yourself and
duplicate the results.
A word of warning! Since this tool performs a trim

operation, it is important to locate the data-points on the
correct side of the element junction or you may not get the
results you want.
Reproduce the results as shown here, resetting between
each set of data-points. When you first draw the three lines,
use the nearest snap to locate the horizontal lines on the
vertical line.
As a matter of interest, you can achieve the same results
using the Construct Circular Fillet tool (discussed at the
end of this Module), when the fillet radius is set to zero.
15.6 TRIM TO ELEMENT

Whereas the previous tool extended two elements to an intersection, the Extend to
Element tool extends elements to an intersection with another, passive, element. There
are two basic modes:
Select Cutting Element First OFF. In this mode, select the line to be extended, then the line to
extend to. You can select individual lines to extend, or you can select multiple lines by datapointing and dragging a selection line across the elements to be extended.
Select Cutting Element First ON. In this mode, select the
line to be extended to, then select the line(s) to be
extended. Use the selection line here too.
Elements can also be shortened (trimmed) with this tool.
Reproduce the illustrations shown here using both modes
and selection methods. Keep your eye on the Status Line
for the prompts.
As you will discover in the next Section, elements may
also be extended using the Trim tools, again with multiple
element selection options.
You have looked at the two basic options which are quite suitable for your work in this Manual.
However, the state of the Identify Elements Automatically setting in AccuSnap also effects how this
tool works. Rather than confuse you with several examples with this setting on and off, go to the
Help files for more information. With the tool active, press F1 to access the file.
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Module 15 - Page 10
15.7 TRIMMING and EXTENDING ELEMENTS - TRIM MULTIPLE TOOL
The Trim Multiple tool trims or extends elements at or to a cutting element or edge and
has three options:
Trim and Extend: Combines the Trim and Extend functions in one tool.
Trim:
Only trims.
Extend:
Only extends.
In addition:
1. If the tool is activated first, cutting lines must be selected first. Elements to be trimmed or
extended are then selected.
2. If the Element Selection tool is activated first, cutting lines can be
selected before the Trim Multiple tool is activated. Elements to be
trimmed or extended are then selected.
3. Elements to be trimmed or extended can be selected individually or
with a selection line.
Try some examples. First, draw the four lines shown here.
Use the Trim option first, and trim the lines as shown
at the right:
Step 1
Step 2
Step 3
Step 4
Start the Trim Multiple tool

and
select the Trim option.
Data-point on one of the lines to define it
as a cutting line.
Data-point on the first overlapping line.
Data-point on the second line, then Reset.
Undo the trims.

To speed things up, instead of individually selecting the lines to be trimmed, use the
selection line to select the two lines. Just data-point-and-hold in the view and drag
the selection line over the lines to be trimmed.
Undo the trims and try trimming the center sections of

the lines as shown here. This time use the Element
Selection tool first:
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Module 15 - Page 11
Step 1
Step 2
Step 3
Step 4
Step 5
Start the Select Element tool.

Make a selection set of two parallel
lines to act as cutting lines.
Start the Trim Multiple tool.
Data-point on the interior portions
of the two crossing lines (or drag a
selection line).
Reset to accept the trims.
Repeat this exercise using the Extend option. The

intent is to extend the two lines to the line above.
This time, start the Trim Multiple
tool, select the Extend option, and
select the upper line as the line to
extend to.
Use the selection line to select the lines to be extended.
Try the combined Trim and Extend option yourself. Use the examples above. Also, look at the Tool
Tip below for another selection option.
TOOL TIP !
A quicker way to achieve the same results is to first make a selection set of
all elements (by enclosing them in a selection box). You can then use the
three options to trim or extend. With this method all elements start out as
cutting lines until they are then selected for trimming or extending.
Repeat an exercise you did in Module 7 (shown at the

right) and use the technique described in the Tool Tip
above:
Step 1
Step 2
Step 3
Step 4
Draw the block and interior lines as shown above.

Start the Element Selection tool and drag a selection box to enclose all the elements.
Start the Trim Multiple tool and select the Trim mode.
Data-point on the lines to be removed, one at a time.
The vertical lines are trimmed between sets of horizontal lines.

This method works because every element becomes a cutting line when you initially select all the
elements. After starting the Trim Multiple tool, you only needed to select the elements to be
trimmed.
Note: Not all element types can be trimmed by any direct trim method. For example, a SmartLine
(or any type of line string) that crosses itself cannot be trimmed by itself without first being dropped
to an unconnected status (the Drop tool was discussed in Module 11, at the end of Section 11-5).
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Module 15 - Page 12
15.8 INSERT VERTEX

The Insert Vertex tool inserts vertices in lines, line strings, and shapes. Try the
following:
Step 1
Use the line, line string , and block of the first practice
elements.
Step 2
Step 3
Step 4
Start the Insert Vertex tool.

Data-point on the single line.
Drag the cursor to a new location and data-point again.
A vertex has been inserted and the line now has two segments (the line has
also been converted to a line string).
Step 5
Insert vertices in each of the other elements in the same way.
When you have finished practicing with this tool, do not undo the vertex insertions. You can use the
edited elements to practice the next tool.
The Insert Vertex tool will also attach a line segment to the endpoint of an existing line and which
will then assume the same attributes as the existing line. With the tool active, data-point on the end
of a line or line string. The cursor will dynamically generate a line. Data-point again to set the
length and direction of the new line.
15.9 DELETE VERTEX

This tool does exactly the opposite of the previous tool. It removes existing
vertices from lines, line strings, and shapes. Use the edited elements created
with the previous tool.
Step 1
Step 2
Step 3
Start the Delete Vertex tool.

Data-point on any vertex.
Data-point again to accept the deletion.
What happens if you delete a vertex from a single line (not a line string)? Try it and see. If you
look very closely, you will see a single point at the location of the opposite vertex. Points are
covered in the Level 2 Manual.
15.10 CONSTRUCT CIRCULAR FILLET

This tool places an arc fillet between two elements. After setting the
radius of the fillet, you must choose one of the three element truncation
options. Start the tool and look at the Tool Settings box for the options:
1. None. Neither of the elements is truncated after the fillet is placed.
2. Both. Both elements are truncated after the arc is placed.
3. First. The first element identified is truncated. The second element in not
truncated.
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Module 15 - Page 13
Try the three examples yourself, using the block shape from the
practice elements. Set a suitable radius in the Fillet tool. Remember
that the fillet must be accepted with a data-point. Try the same
operations on a shape. If the fillet is not drawn, check the fillet
radius in relation to the length of the lines.
Remember that SmartLine will draw filleted vertices automatically.
If you are drawing an element that will be filleted in several places,
it may be to your advantage to use SmartLine and set a rounding
radius for the vertices.
TOOL TIP !
Remember that the radius of
the fillet must be smaller than
the length of the smallest side
or the fillet will not take place.
You might also try filleting two lines that do not meet or lines which cross each other. Try both
cases first with a suitable radius and then with a zero radius value to see the effects.
5.11 CONSTRUCT PARABOLIC FILLET

Similar to the Construct Circular Fillet tool, this one constructs a parabolic fillet.
There are two Types of parabolas:
Symmetric:
The parabola aligns with the selected lines.
Horizontal:
The parabola aligns with the horizontal view axis. This type is used in highway
design to join intersecting grade lines.
The Distance value relates to the geometry of the parabola. Please look at the Help files for the
exact settings.
Truncate is either Both or None.
15.11 CONSTRUCT CHAMFER

Similar to the previous tool, Construct Chamfer places a chamfer between two
elements, and you can set separate dimensions for each side of the chamfer. Distance 1
is applied to the first element selected, Distance 2 is applied to the second element
selected. The complete chamfer is accepted with a data-point.
Use the lines and shapes from the previous tool and place chamfers with
different and equal dimensions.
The same comments in the previous tool Section regarding SmartLine
also apply to this tool.
An Equal chamfer and
an Unequal chamfer.
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Module 15 - Page 14
2D LEVEL 1
Module
16
INQUIRY TOOLS
24 Pimlico Drive
L9H 6J5
Phone 905-628-8237
Module 16 of 19
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Module 16 - Page 1
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MicroStation 10 Connect - 2D
Level 1 Modules
Module Information
Prerequisites:
Introduction:
The tools in this Module provide information about an elements type (Element
Information), and an elements dimensional properties (the Measure tool box).
In the case of the Analyze Element tool, the properties and attributes of an
element may be changed directly through the tool.
Objective(s):
16.1
16.2
Use the Element Information tool to obtain attributes and properties of

elements.
Use the tools in the Measurement tool box to measure the lengths, radii,
areas, and perimeter of elements.
Drawing Exercises
Time:
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Module 16 - Page 2
DISCUSSION:
It is often extremely useful to be able to determine information about an element in terms of its type,
attributes, exact location in the design file, and its dimensions. The dimensions of elements are particularly
interesting if you are adjusting the working units of a design, and you need to know if the changes have been
successful.
16.1 PROPERTIES (ELEMENT INFORMATION

At the end of Module 12 you looked at the Properties dialog box (Home/Primary group).
A
quick way of opening the box is to right-click on an element or a selection set and click on the
Properties item at the bottom of the pop-up list.
This is the primary method of listing, and an alternate method of editing, the general properties of
elements. You should take another look to refresh your memory on the information available.
16.2 MEASUREMENT TOOLS

The five measurement tools are located on the Drawing/Analyze/Measure
group, and on the Task Navigation/Overflow group. Another way is through the
Spacebar tools pop-up.
Please take the time to discover the names of each tool.
The measurement given by each tool is displayed in the Tool Settings Window
and in the Status Bar to the left of the Snap and
Lock displays. The accuracy of the displayed
dimension is determined by Accuracy in the
Working Units settings in the Settings/Design
File pull-down. In all examples below, the
Accuracy value is set to 1/8" for the English
dimensions and to 0 for the metric dimensions.
So that you can apply each tool, use AccuDraw
to accurately draw the three elements shown at
the right. Accuracy is important for this
exercise!
MEASURE DISTANCE TOOL

This is a multipurpose tool and offers five
options in the Method box:
Between points:
Along element:
Perpendicular :
Distance between
two data-points.
Distance along an element between two data-points.
Perpendicular from an element to a data-point.
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Module 16 - Page 3
Minimum between:
Maximum between
Minimum distance between two elements.

Maximum distance between two elements.
In each case there are three About options (four options in a 3D design). In each case the
measurement is about the Z-axis which means in the X-Y plane of the design. If you expand the
Tool Settings window, you can also see the X-Y coordinates of the snapped measurement points.
Since accuracy is important, you must snap to the necessary
locations on the elements.
Start the tool and try each option, selecting the options in the Tool
Settings box. Read the distance dimension displayed in the Tool
Settings window or the Status Line before resetting to cancel the
tool:
Between points: snap to the endpoints as shown. The
dimension should read 43'-0 " (13 127).
Along element: snap to the points as shown. You may use the endpoint of the
sloped line as a snap point. The dimension should read 20'-0" (6100). If you now
snap to the right end of the horizontal line (Snap 3) before resetting, you can read
the dimension for the full length of the line.
Perpendicular: select the horizontal line with the

cursor and snap to the endpoint of the sloped line.
The dimension should read 23'-2 " (7077). Notice
that a highlight line is displayed between the
horizontal line and the end of the sloping line to
indicate the position of the perpendicular
measurement. Note that the measurement is
perpendicular from the first selected element,
whatever its orientation.
Minimum between: select both the horizontal line and the circle and datapoint to accept. The dimension should read 11'-3" (3430). Notice that a
highlight line is displayed between the end of the horizontal line and the
nearest point on the circle to indicate the position of the measurement.
Maximum between: again select the horizontal line and the circle and datapoint to accept. The dimension should read 55'-2 1/4" (16 827). Notice that
a highlight line is displayed between the left end of the horizontal line and
the furthest point on the circle to indicate the position of the measurement.
MEASURE RADIUS TOOL
Measures the radius of circles and ellipses. Start the tool, select the circle, and data-point to accept.
The radius should read as 6'-0" (1830).
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Module 16 - Page 4
MEASURE ANGLE TOOL

Measures the angle between two elements. Select the end of the two
lines with the special cursor as shown (snaps are not necessary), and
data-point to accept. The angle should read as 550.
MEASURE LENGTH TOOL
Measures the length of an element simply by selecting the element.
If the first two options in the Tool Settings box, Mass Properties and Display Centroid, are On, many
other properties are displayed (although Mass Properties relates to solid elements). Expand the Mass
Properties box to see even more information.
The Display Centroid option, when On, draws a marker to locate the centroid of the element. This
applies to 2D and solid elements.
You are only interested in the length of elements at this point (although if you are an engineer, you
will be very interested in the additional information provided for solids).
Start the tool and select the horizontal line. The length should read as 40'-6 " (12 360). If you
select the circle the circumference will be displayed.
MEASURE AREA TOOL
Measures the area of closed elements. Two of the available methods are suitable for this Manual:
4. Element: measures the area and perimeter of closed elements. Select the circle and datapoint to accept. The area should read as 113.0973 ft2 (10520879.6376). The perimeter
should read as 37.6991' (11498.2219).
5. Points: measures the area and perimeter of an area enclosed by
data-points. Snap to the three line endpoints as shown, then reset
to stop the tool. You do not need to return to the starting datapoint. The area should be 470.4721 ft2 (43738787.4660), and the
perimeter 107.1887' (32683.6929).
The tool will also display the centroid of the area.
The Method options include the Intersection, Union, and Difference Boolean Operations. The
methods of combining areas are covered in the Level 2 Manual. The Flood method will flood an
enclosed area without the need to use Points or to select a specific closed element.
The last tool on the Measure tool box, Measure Volume, cannot be used since you are working in a
2D file, but it reports a wealth of 3D engineering information through the Mass Properties option.
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Module 16 - Page 6
EXERCISES
The following exercises are designed to develop your MicroStation drafting

skills. If you use the techniques already covered in the previous Modules, you
have enough information at this point of successfully draw the objects. In each
exercise you may use any technique you wish, although you should be trying to
maximize application of AccuDraw and its shortcuts. I have added some tips
and hints to help in this regard. As usual it would be a good idea to draw each
exercise more than once to reinforce your drawing techniques. Always try for
the quickest, most efficient method of achieving results.
The drawings also serve another purpose. You can use them again after you
have completed the next two Modules, Annotation and Dimensioning. By
adding dimensions to each object you can not only practice placing dimensions,
but you can also test the accuracy of your drawings.
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Exercises - Page 1
PRACTICE DRAWINGS
Shown below are two roof plans of a residence. The first plan is the original design produced by the
architect. The second plan is the result of changes requested by the owner that increase the area of
the upper and lower stories. The perspective drawing shows the basic house shape.
Do the following:
Step 1
Step 2
Draw the original roof plan as designed by the architect. Work in either English or
metric units. Do not include the dimensions in your drawing.
Edit your roof plan to the changed dimensions requested by the owner. Try not to erase
and redraw any elements in the drawing. Use only editing tools to achieve the desired
results. You may use any editing tools described in this and previous Modules.
Hints: draw the inner wall outline with SmartLine so that you can offset to the outer roof edge in one
operation. Use a custom line style for the wall lines and change the offset roof line to a continuous
line type. Use stretch, Modify Element, snaps, and AccuDraw to achieve good results. You may
need several attempts to edit some lines correctly, but this is part of the process. It is important that
you explore different tools, options, and techniques to fully appreciate the drawing and editing
facilities that MicroStation provides.
Perspective View
Original Design
It would be helpful if you made a copy

of the original layout on
which to apply the editing
operations. You will then have
two drawings that you can use to
practice dimensioning techniques
in Module 19.
Revised Design
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Exercises - Page 2
Here are four more practice exercises. Each is dimensioned in inch or millimeter units. If you are
working in English units, you may want to open a new design file and set the working units to inches
only. Instead of selecting New from the File menu to make a new file (which will require you to
reset all Design File settings), choose Save As from the File menu instead. Choose a new name for
the file and then simply change the Working Units and the Format settings. All other settings will
remain the same as your original Start-E file. If you feel particularly competent and would like
additional practice, you might want to develop the missing orthographic views of each object!
Each drawing can be completed quite easily if you make good use of AccuDraw, the O, N, and
T shortcuts, and SmartLock. It would help if you quickly reviewed Module 7, AccuDraw. You
have already practiced the operations needed to complete the drawings, but you will still need to
think carefully to choose the quickest and simplest drawing methods. Try not to edit too much;
editing takes extra time that should not be needed if you make effective use of AccuDraws options
and shortcuts.
Duct Transition
Use the Place Block tool for the large rectangle. Use
AccuDraw and the O shortcut to locate the starting
point of the lower 450 line that is 1 1/8" (28) above the
lower-right corner. Do not offset a line to find this start
point! When you extend the upper 450 line down to the
vertical right-side of the large rectangle, do not extend
the line past the vertical and apply the Trim tool.
Instead, use SmartLock (or the A shortcut) to lock
the line to 450 and trim the line to the vertical with the
Nearest (N) snap.
Plumbing Elbow
Draw the two rectangular flanges first, using the Rotate tool to
offset and copy the second rectangle from the first (it doesnt
matter in which order you draw the blocks). Place the two 900
arcs next with the ends of the arcs touching the inside faces of the
two rectangles. Use the Construct Circular Fillet tool to fillet the
ends of the arcs.
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Exercises - Page 3
Clamp
Try to draw the entire outside of the clamp
with SmartLine, except for the two interior
horizontal lines. Add the small circle. Draw
the two interior horizontal lines, trimming to
the small circle with SmartLock and the N
shortcut. Trim the small circle. Change the
line style to a custom dashed style and draw the
two hidden lines for the vertical hole. Locate
these lines using AccuDraw and the O key.
Draw the two centerlines (custom style, of
course!), again using AccuDraw and the O
shortcut.
Scribe Block
This drawing introduces orthographic
Front and Right-Side views. The
Front and Right-Side must, of course,
align exactly and AccuDraw and the
O and N shortcuts will provide
the alignment (as you practiced in
Module 7, Section 7-8). It is best to
draw the Right-Side view first. That
way you can locate the top, middle,
and bottom horizontal lines of the
Front view with AccuDraw, the O
shortcut, SmartLock, and the N
snap. To trim the top and middle
horizontal lines at the V-cut in the
Front view, use SmartLock and the
N shortcut again.
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Exercises - Page 4
MICROSTATION CONNECT Module

2D LEVEL 1
17
ANNOTATION
24 Pimlico Drive
L9H 6J5
Phone 905-628-8237
Module 17 of 19
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Module 17 - Page 1
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Module Information
Prerequisites:
Introduction:
Annotation is the placing of text and notes in a design as a supplement to

graphic elements. MicroStations text tools are very flexible in text placement
and subsequent editing operations. The tools contain many options and
switches to enable you to place text in a wide variety of situations. In this
Manual you are only concerned with the basic text placement and editing
functions.
Objective(s):
17.1
17.2
17.3
17.4
17.5
17.6
17.7
Time:
Identify and set text attributes, including font type, font attributes, and
font justification.
Place text elements using the Place Text tool.
Make setting in the Text Styles box.
Control the display of text elements using levels and the options
contained in the View Attributes settings box.
Identify, describe, and apply correct design-file text height in relation to
plotting text height.
Identify and apply additional Text Tools, including the Place Note, Edit
Text, Display Text Attributes, Match Text Attributes, and Change Text
Attributes tools.
Insert text symbols and add to favorites.
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Module 17 - Page 2
DISCUSSION:
The first item of discussion is the choice of a Font and the attributes needed for the chosen font. As you
would expect, MicroStation provides several methods of selecting fonts, font attributes, and text tools. We
will look at the Place Text box and the Text Editor box where most of the attributes can be set, and, at the
end of the Module, the Text Styles setting box where fonts and attributes can be set and saved for future use.
You should note that when you are experimenting with text attributes you can change the attribute values
on-the-fly. This allows you to immediately see the results of attribute values before actually placing the
text. As usual with floating settings boxes, for convenient recall, push the box off to the side of the screen
(but not off the screen!).
17.1 THE PLACE TEXT AND TEXT EDITOR WINDOWS

As you would expect, the text tools can be found in several locations: in the
Drawing/Annotation/Text group, in the Task Navigation/Drawing/Text group, and the Spacebar
pop-up. I will be working in the Drawing/Annotate/Text group since all the tools, and the Text
Styles box, are displayed there, but feel free to work in the other tool locations if you wish.
Start by clicking on the Place Text tool.
The Place Text settings box displays
together with the Text Editor box.
Look at the Place Text box first:
The options here essentially only control
the placement of text; there are no font setting. Take a look at the placement options:
By Origin:
Places text at the cursor location using the attributes set in this box.
Word-Wrap: Wraps text inside a text box.

Fitted:
Fits text between two data-points.
Other options:
Annotation Lock: Switches the Annotation Scale settings On or Off. Annotation Scale allows
you to automatically scale existing text to meet plotting requirements.
Discussed in the Level 2 manual.
Relative Associations: Associates text with elements; if elements move, so does text.
Active Angle: The angle at which text is placed.
View Independent:
Text will not rotate with view rotation.
We will get back to some of these options when we place text.
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Now the Text Editor box. Here you both type the text and set the text attributes - think of this box
as a word processor. Right-click the heading to display more options.
First, type some text in the box with the blinking cursor. Notice that as you move the cursor out of
the box, you can place that text by data-pointing in the view.
Now lets look at the settings on the top line of the box. Before you do, swipe the text so that it
highlights.
Style (none):
...:
A list of saved text styles. You dont have any yet. You will look briefly at this
at the end of this Module. It is discussed in detail in the Level 2 Manual.
Clicking on the three dots opens the Text Styles settings box. Dont do that yet.
Revert Styles: If you are using a saved style and you edit the attributes of the text, clicking on
Revert Styles will return the text back to the saved style attributes.
ABC: Spelling checker tool. Highlights incorrect text and displays the Check Spelling box.
S:
Insert symbols either from the Favorite saved symbols (default: Plus/Minus and Degree
symbols), or All Symbols available in the currently active font. Different fonts will have
a different selection of characters. See Section 17-7 for more information.
Insert Favorite:
f(x):
Relates to Items attached to elements which provide a description of the

element. Not covered in this Manual.
Related to Insert Favorite. Again, not covered in this Manual.
Font List: Here you select the font you want to use for text placement. If your text is still
highlighted, click on the Font list and select another font. The text in the edit box
will change to the new font. Try different fonts, but set the Engineering (3) font
when you are finished.
A:
Text height setting, in Working Units, in the box to the right. Text width is not set here,
but by default, is equal to text height. We will edit this later.
Text Color box:

B, I, U:
Set the text color here. Try a few colors with you highlighted text.
Standard Bold, Italic, and Underline settings.
Justification: Graphic display of text justification settings. Also controls where the text
hangs on the cursor for placement. Select a justification, drag text into the
view and see the cursor location (dont data-point), set another justification etc.
Tab Bar:
Below the attribute setting. Functions as a typical wordprocessor tab setting.

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17.2 PLACING TEXT

You can now start placing some text in your design, but first, make the following settings:
In the Place Text box, set By Origin as the placement method.
In the Text Editor box, set the font to Engineering, the text height to 1:0 (300), and Justification
to Top Left.
If the cursor is not flashing in the Text Editor box, click once in the box to move the focus. Any text
entered here will also be visible at the cursor when the cursor is in the view window.
With all values set as noted above, practice
placing text in the design:
Step 1
Step 2
With the text cursor flashing in the

Text Editor box, locate the
drawing cursor in the view (not in
the Text Editor box).
Enter a single line of text from the
keyboard.
As you type, the text will appear and be attached to the cursor, similar to the illustration. If you
cannot see text at the cursor then you will need to change the zoom factor. It doesnt matter what
words you type, but include some numbers and fractions.
Step 3
Place the text by data-pointing in the view. Do not reset.
A copy of the text is placed in the design at the data point, and the cursor retains the original text so
that you can place another copy elsewhere. Notice that the AccuDraw compass is now located at the
data point location. If you move the cursor below or above the newly-placed text, the index line
appears, allowing you to vertically align the next text placement. Place a few extra lines of different
single-line text, both in alignment with the first placement and elsewhere in the design. To change
the text:
Step 4
Delete the text in the Text Editor box and enter new text.
Repeat Steps 2 to 4 to place several single lines of different text.

Step 5
Reset to stop the text placement.
Now place some multi-line text:

Step 1
Enter three or four short lines of text in the editor, using Enter to start each new line.
The lines of text display at the cursor location.

Step 2
Step 3
Step 4
Data-point once to place the lines of text. Do

not reset.
Data-point in the Text Editor box and edit the
text in the box to change the information.
Data-point in the view again to place the new
multi-line text.
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Module 17 - Page 5
Step 5
Zoom in and look closely at the multi-line text placements. You might see that a cross-shaped
marker and a number have been placed with the text at the data-point locations. If you can see the
cross and number, you are seeing what is called a Text Node. If you cant see the text nodes, go to
View/Presentation/View Attributes and turn ON Text Nodes. You may also need to zoom-in to see
them in detail.
Text nodes are created whenever you place multi-line text, and they are numbered sequentially.
They will not be seen when you plot the design and are used for additional text placement operations
that are covered in the Level 2 Manual. To turn them Off, go to View Attributes and turn OFF the
Text Nodes option.
You are now capable of placing single and multi-line text in your design. You should now
experiment by placing more text and changing the settings in the Tool Settings and Text Editor box
windows. Try different fonts, heights and widths, justifications, and angles to see the effects.
As a visual aid to formatting text, swipe the characters in the Text Editor box, locate the cursor in the
view window, and make changes to the text attributes but do not data-point to actually place the text.
As you change the attributes, the text at the cursor immediately displays the new attributes. This is
an excellent way of finding the best attributes set for your design.
You should also experiment with the extra word processor options in the Text Editor box. Try bold,
italics, underline, text color, etc. Try making a deliberate spelling error in the box and running the
spell checker (the ABC option). Try the Word Wrap and Fitted and placement options in the Place
Text box.
17.3 TEXT STYLES BOX

There is another settings box you need to look
at, the Text Styles box. Here you can set
additional text attributes, and save styles for
future use (covered in the Level 2 Manual).
To open the box, click on the small arrow at
the bottom-right of the Annotate/Text group.
You may prefer to make all or most of your
font attributes settings here.
For our purposes we are only interested in the
five tabs, starting with the General tab. Look at the tab options:
General:
Contains the same text attributes you have already set, and some additions. Here you
can set a text width different from the text height, and apply the attributes listed at the
right of the box. Note the Fractions item (discussed later).
Spacing:
Controls the spacing between multiple lines of text. Also determines the distance from
the element that the text will be placed when using the Above, Below, or Along Element
methods. Intercharacter spacing sets the space between characters. Zero is the default
which places text at the normal spacings. Settings values are a proportion of text height.
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Module 17 - Page 6
Underline/Overline:
Places lines under or over characters.
Background: A background color and a border around the text.

Advanced:
A list of all text settings. You can edit the settings by clicking on the values.
Take a closer look at the Font setting in the General tab. MicroStation not only provides a selection
of its own fonts (MicroStation icon), but also offers Windows True Type fonts (TT icon), and
AutoCAD fonts (AA icon). Bentley fonts can be selected directly from the list, or by entering the
font number. We will take a closer look at font files later.
The font you select for a particular design depends on the designs type and subject. For example,
architectural fonts look better on an architectural design, but there are other considerations such as
the need for special characters, which includes how fractions are displayed. The display at the
bottom of the box shows how the font and its settings will look in the design.
The Factions option also needs a little explanation. If the Fractions option is On, MicroStation will
attempt to place a stacked fraction when a forward slash / is entered, e.g., 4 1/4. However, odd
looking fractions may display depending on the active font. You may, or may not, need a leading
space before the fraction is typed, again, depending on the font. You dont have to place stacked
fractions if you prefer fractions to be horizontal (e.g., 1/2"). In that case, turn Off the Fractions
option.
17.4 TEXT DISPLAY

There are two basic ways of displaying (or not displaying) text in the view:
1. Normally, text is drawn on a separate level(s) from other elements in the design. This
allows text to be turned on or off in a design simply by turning the level on or off. It is often
useful to turn text off while you are working on detailed parts of a design. Use Ctrl-E to
quickly access the Levels Display box.
2. Text display may also be turned on or off in specific views, independent of the level it is on,
through the View Attributes settings box. To turn text off in the currently active view, check
the Text box. To turn text off in a non-active open view, select the View Number and turn
Text off. You can also use the Apply to open views selector, or the Apply to selected view
selector for more options.
17.5 PLOTTING AND TEXT HEIGHT

The height of text placed in designs is usually related to the scale of the plot that will be made of the
design. This is an important concept and greatly affects the way in which you draw. The end user
will be using a scale rule on your plots and must be able to do so with reasonable accuracy and by
using the standard scale sizes available on scale rules.
For example, assume you are working in Standard (Imperial) units and you intend to make a paper
plot of your drawing at a scale of 1/4" = 1'-0". You will likely want the general text notes on the
paper plot to be 1/8" high, the same as if you were manually lettering a drawing on a drawing board.
However, you must remember that your drawing in MicroStation is drawn at full scale, as is
standard in CAD. Therefore, when you shrink your full-sized drawing down to 1/4" =1'-0" scale
for the plot, everything in the drawing, including the text, is reduced in size by a ratio of 1/4:12 or
1/48th of full size.
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Module 17 - Page 7
Clearly, if you had placed your text at 1/8" in the full-sized drawing, it would be reduced by 48
times and become completely unreadable on the plot. The answer is to place the text at a height that,
when reduced by 48 times, will display as 1/8" high on the plot. To find the height of text in the
design, you must therefore multiply the 1/8" plot height by 48. This yields a text height of 6" and it
is this height that you would use on the full-sized drawing. The same procedure would be used for
metric drawings.
You will need to follow this procedure for other text heights in your drawing (titles and title block
information, etc.). You must also know in advance what scale you intend to plot each drawing
so that you can set the correct text height. You can, of course, edit the height of text in your
designs to suit the plot scale, but this wastes considerable time compared to setting the correct text
height in the first place.
The following table indicates the height of text that is needed in a design to yield a text height of
1/8" (3 mm) on a plot at various plotted scales. The metric scale and text heights are equivalent to
the closest English scales, where possible, but reflect the scales found on a metric scale rule. This
creates a few sizing problems if you are converting English to metric. If you are designing entirely
in metric the problems do not occur.
Based on this table, plotted text heights other than 1/8" (3 mm) can be calculated by proportionally
increasing or decreasing the given Design Text Heights. For example, plotting 1/4" (6 mm) high
text at a 1/8" = 1'-0" (1:100) scale requires a design text height of 24" (600 mm).
Plotted Text Size
Plotted Scale
Design Text Height
1/8" (3 mm)
1/16" = 1'-0" (1:200)
24" (600)
1/8" = 1'-0" (1:100)
12" (300)
3/16" = 1'-0" (1:75)
8" (225)
1/4" = 1'-0" (1:50)
6" (150)
3/8" = 1'-0" (1:50 or 1:25)
4" (150 or 75)
1/2" = 1'-0" (1:25)
3" (75)
3/4" = 1'-0" (1:25 or 1:20)

1" = 1'-0" (1:10)
2" (75 or 60)

1 1/2" (30)
1 1/2" = 1'-0" (1:5 or 1:10)

3" = 1'-0" (1:5)
1" (15 or 30)

1/2" (15)
It is very important that you understand this concept and some experimentation would be helpful.
There are ways of changing the text heights in a design after placement (Annotation Lock, for
example), but you must consider the size-change implications. For example, the text you carefully
placed around elements is now larger or smaller, and may overlap the elements, requiring significant
editing.
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17.6 TEXT TOOLS

There are several other text tools you should look at:
PLACE NOTE TOOL
This tool, in the Annotation/Notes group, combines text as
an annotation and a dimensional arrow as a pointer. Click
on the tool to see the Place Note settings.
Notice that the Text Editor box also opens which is where
you will enter the text for the note. If you simply want an
arrow pointer, dont enter any text.
Look at the options in the settings box. Remember that you
can try each option during note placement.
Dimension Style: A Note is controlled by a combination of the Text Styles, the Dimension Styles
(discussed in the next Module), and the Place Note settings. For the Note text,
if dimension text height and width are set and ON in the Dimension settings
box, they will override the same settings in the Text settings boxes. This will
also affect the notes arrow size and proportions since these are set in relation to
text height. The Notes pointer uses the Dimension Styles for its settings. All
this can very confusing! I will take you through an exercise using this tool in
the next Module when you have looked at the dimension tools and settings.
Text Rotation:
Defines how the Notes text is attached to the pointer.
Location:
The Manual setting allows you to place multiple pointer segments before datapointing to place the arrow. Automatic allows only one pointer segment.
Holding down the Control key while placing the Note allows you to place
multiple arrows from the same text string.
Start At:
The Note can be placed starting at the text location or at the arrow location.
Horizontal Attachment:
Text can be located to the left or right of the initial data-point. Auto
allows you to move the cursor to force the text to the left or right.
Lock:
Annotation Scale Lock. Not covered in this Manual.
Association options:
The first option, Associations to Elements, associates the Note to an

element, so that if the element is moved, the Notes text remains stationary,
but the arrow moves with the element. The second option, Relative
Associations to Elements, moves both the text and arrow if the element is
moved. In each case, the Start At option must be set to Terminator when
placing the Note.
Because Notes are so integrated with the dimension tools, they will be discussed in more detail in
the Dimensioning Module (next).
The Place Label tool next to the Place Note tool places a label in the form of a cell. Cells are
covered in the Level 2 Manual, so the Label tool is not discussed here.
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The next four tools are the more significant text editing tools, and are applied to existing text
elements in the design. All are either directly in the Annotate/Text group, or in the drop-down list
headed by the Place Text Along icon. There are several additional tools here, but most are covered
in the Level 2 Manual.
EDIT TEXT TOOL
TOOL TIP !
To quickly select text and start the Text
Editor tool, double-click a text string with
the Element Selection tool.
This tool is used to edit existing text. With some text

already placed in the design do the following:
Step 1
Start the Edit Text tool and click on an existing

text string in the view.
The Text Editor box opens and you can edit or change the attributes of the highlighted text.
Step 2
Data-point in the view to apply the edited text to the design.
If you have more text to edit, instead of data-pointing in the view to accept the changes, you can
select the next text string to be edited. This will both accept the edit and load the next text string.
CHANGE TEXT ATTRIBUTES TOOL
This very flexible tool will change the attributes of selected text.
Start the tool to see the options in the Tool Settings window (expand this window if necessary to see
all the options). You are required to select which of the attributes you wish to change through the
check boxes in the Tool Settings window. This allows you to choose which attributes to change, and
to make changes to the attributes beyond those set in the Text Styles settings box.
You can use this tool on its own or in conjunction with the Match Text Attributes tool. After
matching existing text, use the Change Text Attributes tool to change other existing text to the
matched text.
To use the tool, select the options needed, make any necessary changes to the attributes, and select a
text element in the design. The selected text will immediately change to the new attributes.
MATCH TEXT ATTRIBUTES TOOL
Use this tool to match the attributes of existing text. When
matched, you can place additional text with those same
attributes using the Place Text tool. You dont see an
immediate response to the match, but the text settings in the
Place Text tool and the Text Style settings box have been
changed to those of the selected text. If you start the Text
Editor tool, you will see the matched attributes.
TOOL TIP !
If you right-click on selected text in
the Text Editor box, you will see a
pop-up list of additional tools and
settings. Unselected text displays
less options.
FIND/REPLACE TEXT TOOL

Opens the Find/Replace Text box. Enter text to just find, or find and replace. The view is zoomed
to the text in question.
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17.7 SPECIAL SYMBOLS

As I mentioned earlier, entering text and dimensional information that include special characters,
require that you know which characters are available for the current font.
The available special characters are easy to find. Do the
following:
Step 1
Step 2
Step 3
Start the Place Text tool.

Change the font to 3 Engineering.
In the Text Editor box, click on the S icon
(not the down-arrow at the right which is for a
one-shot symbol insertion).
The list of characters in the ENGINEERING font set

displays in the Symbol Inserter box. You can now easily
select the characters you need.
Step 4
Step 5
Step 6
Click on the asterisk (*) character. This inserts the character in Text Editor box.
Right-click the asterisk and click on Add to Favorites.
In the Text Editor box, click on the S symbol down-arrow and select the Favorite
Symbols tab.
You will now see the asterisk character added to the Favorite Symbols list. You can build you own
list of most-used character this way and insert them when required.
Try other fonts in the Symbols box and look at the differences in available characters (or lack
thereof in some fonts!) Two fonts that provide a wide range of special characters are the TrueType
Caligri and Tahoma fonts. MicroStation recommends the TrueType fonts be used for most designs.
Keep in mind that symbols are font-specific, meaning that a symbol in one font wont always be
available in another and you may insert a different symbol than you expect. If you use multiple
fonts, you should add the font name to the symbol description and load that font style when you
want to place a symbol.
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2D LEVEL 1
Module
18
DIMENSIONING
24 Pimlico Drive
L9H 6J5
Phone 905-628-8237
Module 18 of 19
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Module 18 - Page 1
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Module Information
Prerequisites:
Introduction:
Dimensions are obviously very important to a finished design. Without them

size and relational information cannot be communicated to the end user.
MicroStation therefore provides a large variety of dimensioning tools, together
with an even larger variety of options and switches to control and place
dimensions to suit almost all drafting requirements.
Objective(s):
18.1
18.2
18.3
18.4
18.5
18.6
18.7
18.8
18.9
18.10
18.11
18.12
18.13
18.14
18.15
Time:
Understand and describe the attributes of a basic dimension.

Understand and apply text and dimension settings.
Dimension Tools menu.
Investigate and apply the Dimension Element tool.
Investigate and apply the Dimension Size tools.
Predetermine dimension layout before placement.
Apply the Change Dimension tool to existing dimensions.
Use the Modify Element tool to modify dimension text.
Understand and apply the concept of Associated dimensions.
Edit dimension text using dimension tools and the Text Editor.
Place angular dimensions using the angular dimension tools.
Place radial dimensions using the radial dimension tools.
Place notes and leaders with the Place Note tool.
Place multiple dimensions.
Locate additional dimension tools.
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DISCUSSION:
Dimensioning is the most complex of MicroStations functions. There are more options and switches than in
any other set of tools. However, the basic operation and application of the dimension tools are relatively
simple, and that is what you will accomplish in this Module. The only significant danger lies in making too
many changes to the default settings without understanding what those settings do. You will, of course,
want to try many options and settings. Do so, but try not to change too many settings at once. Remember to
use the F1 function key to obtain detailed information about each setting and each tool if you are having
problems when working on your own. It is also wise to keep an eye on the prompts in the Status Line. Keep
in mind that in actual production use you will likely use only the tools and options that apply to your
particular type of drafting, so you normally need only fully apply a relatively small proportion of the
complete range of tools and options.
In this Module only the basic dimensioning tools are covered. The more complex or specialized tools are
covered in the Level 2 Manual, together with more specialized editing functions.
First, lets look at a typical dimension and its relation to the text settings, already covered in the previous
Module.
18.1 DIMENSIONS AND TEXT SETTINGS

One of the most convenient and practical aspects of MicroStations dimensioning tools is that the
height of the active text controls the proportions of the dimension elements. In other words, after
choosing a text font and a text height to use with a dimension, the size of the arrows or strokes, the
offsets of the dimension and extension lines, etc., are all automatically proportioned to the text
height. You can, of course, control the relative values of these proportions yourself if necessary.
Shown below are two typical dimensions, one in English units with arrows, the other in metric units
with strokes.
You should note that:

# The components of the dimension (noted in the illustration above) are placed together as a
dimension element (the default), or they can be separated into their individual components.
Dimensions are automatically placed as dimension elements because of the placement and
editing advantages this brings.
# Extension lines and terminators are optional and can be turned on or off through the settings
boxes.
# The display of dimensions may be turned off in any view through the View Attributes
settings box using the Dimension toggle.
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Module 18 - Page 3
# Prefixes and suffixes may be added to the dimension text.

# A dimension can be associated with elements in the design, so that the dimension will
update automatically when the associated element is edited.
18.2 DIMENSION SETTINGS

So that you can follow the instruction in this Module it is important to set the dimension attributes to
those shown in the illustrations that follow. Not all the settings are discussed, only those of
immediate interest. Later, when you are more familiar with the effect of the settings, you can try
other combinations and values on your own.
WORKING UNITS SETTINGS

Although the Working Unit settings were first made at the beginning of this Manual when you
originally made the Start-E or Start-M files, it is now important that you have the correct settings so
that your dimension text will be displayed as it is in this Module. Check your settings against those
shown at the end of Module 6 and make adjustments if necessary.
DIMENSION SETTINGS
For the dimension tools, I am working in the
Drawing/Annotate/Dimensioning group. Naturally, the same tools can be
found in other locations.
First, open the Dimension Styles settings box by
clicking on the small arrow at the bottom-right of the
group. This box contains the tabs for the dimension
settings, plus controls for creating Dimension Styles,
similar to the Text Styles you looked at in the
previous Module. Each tab contains specific groups
of settings to simplify the setting process. If you are
working with MicroStation out of the box then
most of the settings will not need to be changed. If
your copy of MicroStation has already been
customized, you may need to change several settings.
Notice that as you select any of the settings on the
right-hand side of the settings box, information
relating to those settings is shown in the display area
at the bottom. Additional settings are available in the
Tool Settings window of each dimension tool.
Note that where a setting has a check box, the setting value will not be applied unless the check box
is checked.
You will not be creating Level Styles in this Manual (Dimension Styles are discussed in the Level 2
Manual) and you will work entirely in the None dimension style.
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As you work through the instruction, you will find it very useful to partially place a dimension
while you experiment with the dimension settings. This is easy to do and only requires that a
dimension be started but not finally placed. In this condition the dimension will automatically
update to display the current settings. Do the following:
Step 1
Step 2
Step 3
Step 4
Draw a line 16'-6 3/4" (6915.15) long.

Start the Dimension Element tool on the Dimensioning tool group.
In the Text tab of the Dimension Styles settings box, set the Font to 3 Engineering and
the Height and Width to 1'-0" (10) (Yes, thats 10, not 300).
Data-point on the line and drag up or down.
As you drag away from the line its dimension will display. Do not data-point to locate the
dimension! Let the dimension float while you experiment with the settings on-the-fly. After
changing a setting, move the cursor back to the floating dimension to see the effect of the new
setting. Again, do not data-point! In addition, if you look at the bottom display of the Dimension
Styles box you can see the effects of any changes you make in the settings.
For simplicity, only the more significant settings are discussed here. Please review the Help
information for other settings (with the focus in the Dimension Styles box, press F1). Working
through the tabs in the Dimension Styles settings box, make the following settings:
GEOMETRY TAB
Dimension Lines
The Stack Offset value should be 0.0. MicroStation will
automatically calculate the distance that stacked dimension lines are spaced above each other based
on text size and orientation. Enter a value only if you need to keep stacked dimensions at a specific
distance from each other.
Extension Lines
These two settings control the size of the offset from the element and
the extension of the extension line above the dimension line (see the
two dimension examples on Page 18-3). It is important to note that
the values shown in these two boxes are not dimensions, but are proportional to the text height. In
this case you are setting the offset and extension to one-half (0.5) of the current text height. When
text height is changed, the actual size of the offset and extension will automatically change to
maintain the 0.5 proportion. You may change the proportional value to suit your needs, but leave
them at the 0.5 values for the moment.
Extension lines can be turned on or off through the Enable switch.
Terminators
The Terminator setting controls the proportions of dimension
terminators (arrows, strokes, etc.) in relation to text height.
You have a choice of Open (non-filled arrows), Closed (non-filled
arrows) or Filled (closed and filled arrows) for the arrowheads.
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The Width and Height values are where you define the size of
arrowheads and strokes. As with the extension lines above, the
values shown are proportions of the text height. The Width option
is the length of the arrow, while the Height option is the thickness
of the head. If you prefer skinny arrows (as I do), reduce the
thickness to 0.3.
The width and height settings also control the angle of the strokes
when placing slash dimensions. Set them to equal values for 450
strokes, and turn slashes on in the expanded Tool Settings window.
The Symbols settings box allows you to replace the standard terminators with graphic symbols. No
settings other than Default are necessary.
Fit Options
Fit options allow you to control the location of the terminators and
text on the dimension line. The first four options let MicroStation
select the best fit, while the second four options let you set a specific
text and terminator location. For our purposes set this option to
Term. Inside to force all terminators inside the extension lines.
The Min. Leader option regulates the space between
the text and the extension lines, and the length of
dimension lines outside the extension lines. The
default is 2.0, again a proportion of text height. Set
this to a lower value if small dimensions are difficult to
place.
Tolerance
This box controls the generation of tolerance dimensions most often used in mechanical drafting.
Leave the default values in place and be sure the Tolerance Generation box is unchecked.
Dimension With Leader
This is a specialized setting for small dimensions and is discussed in Section 18-7 below. Leave the
setting OFF for the moment.
Center Mark
The Center Size setting sets the size of a center mark that can be
placed with the Radial dimensioning tools. Leave this setting at
whatever value is displayed on your screen.
UNITS TAB
The settings in this box are very important. They define how
dimension values are displayed and in what units.
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Primary Units
The Working Units values you have already entered in Settings/Design File/Working Units have a
significant effect here since the entries you made for Master Units and Sub Units are used as part of
the dimension text. This includes the labels you used for the units, i.e., the foot and inch marks, or
the mm abbreviation.
You have the choice of either accepting the active Working Units of the design file as your
dimensioning units, or setting alternate units just for dimensions. To accept the active Working
Units as the dimension units, simply turn ON the Use Working Units option at the top of the box. If
you want to set alternate units and/or labels, turn this option OFF and set different Master and Sub
units and/or labels. Set Use Working Units ON for this Module.
You choose how to display dimensions with the Label Format option. In English measure, you
need to see a dash between the feet and inches, and you also need to display the foot and inch
marks: 6'-4" for example. The Label Format should therefore read MU label - SU label. If you
choose MU - SU, you would not see the foot or inch marks in a dimension: 6-4 for example. Note
the other choices in the drop-down list. In metric measure you are working entirely in millimeters,
so you only need to display MU (not MU label) for dimensions: e.g., 450. You dont need the
mm symbol after the dimension since that is the only dimension in the design.
Set the Accuracy option to a value appropriate for the units and the type of design.
You can add a Main Prefix or a Main Suffix to the start or end of a dimension string. You are
limited to one character.
A Leading Zero must be used in English units to force a 0 inch in a dimension such as 2'-0 1/2".
However, this will also force a dimension such as 7/8" to display as 0 7/8" - not what you want!
There is no way around this except to turn off the Leading Zero just for sub-inch dimensions. This
is quick to do if you leave the Dimension Styles box on the screen, pushed slightly off to the side.
Metric dimensions require both Leading Zero and Trailing Zero to be On. For example, if the
Accuracy value is set to four decimal places, a dimension of less than 1 will display as 0.5250.
The Alternate Label option allows you to set up a different display of dimension values when the
dimension exceeds a preset value. For example, you could have English dimensions of more than
100 feet display in feet only. Dimensions below 100 feet would display in standard feet and inches.
Before continuing, turn Use Working Units ON.
Scale
The Scale Factor setting will scale each dimension by the entered
value. You would normally set a value other than the default of 1 if
you were dimensioning a scaled-up or scaled-down detail in a
design.
The Reference switch refers to references that have been attached to the current design file.
References are discussed in the Level 2 Manual.
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Metric Format
The Metric Format box sets the format for thousands in dimensions, i.e., no separation, a space
separator, or a comma separator. The check box replaces the decimal point with a comma for
European users. Select the second option in the Units Separator box which adds a space between
thousands and makes large dimensions more readable.
Secondary Units
The Secondary Units section allows you to have a dimension display in both
English and metric values. Be aware though, that the metric units shown are a
soft conversion of the English dimension (and vice-versa). Turn this option OFF.
Angle Format
The Angle Format section sets the display of angular dimensions.
Reread Section 6-4 for angle settings and dimension inputs. Leading
Zero and Trailing Zero are normally ON for this setting giving, for
example, 0.750 or 4.5000 depending on the accuracy settings.
TEXT TAB
Style
The settings in this tab are similar to those in the Annotation settings
discussed in the previous Module. In fact, if you dont tick the Font,
Height, or Width settings, the dimension font will use the same
settings as for regular annotation. In other words, you can have two
sets of font settings in operation; one set for annotation and a
separate set for dimensions.
In this Module you are going to make separate dimension-font settings, so the Font, Height, and
Width boxes will need to be ticked and with values set. Set 3 Engineering as the font. In English
units set Height and Width to 1'-0". In metric units set Height and Width to 10 mm.
Format
This is an important section and controls how dimensions are
displayed. (Note that there are additional alignment settings in the
Tool Settings window for each dimension tool.)
The Orientation setting determines whether dimension text is aligned with the
dimension line (which can be placed at any angle), or remains horizontal, whatever
the angle of the dimension line. Set for Aligned text.
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The Location options place the dimension text in relation to the dimension line.
For this Module the Inline and Above options are the most appropriate. Select
the Above option.
The Justification options will locate the dimension text to the Left, Center, or
Right of the dimension line. Select the Center>Left option.
The Text Frame option will place a Box or a Capsule around the dimension
text. Select None.
The Left Margin option sets the space between the leader line and the dimension text. Value is
proportional to text height. Leave at 0.5.
The Lower Margin option controls the distance between the bottom of the dimension text and the
dimension line. Again in text height proportion. Leave at 0.5.
Stacked Fractions
Drawing stacked fractions can be a little frustrating! Here are the
basic rules which you should try with your on-the-fly dimension (not
necessary in a metric design, of course):
Enable:
When ON, gives fraction control to the Dimension Styles settings box. When OFF,
gives fraction control to the Text settings. You would normally tick Enable ON to
access the extra setting available in the Dimension Styles box.
ON/OFF: If ON, draws stacked fractions. If OFF, fractions are drawn in-line.
Type:
The From Font option uses the stacked fractional characters that are included in a
specific MicroStation font. Some MicroStation fonts do not include stacked
fractional characters, in which case the fraction is placed in-line with no stacking,
adding to the length of the dimension string. If you know that a specific
MicroStation font has stacked fraction characters, use the From Font option,
otherwise use one of the next two options.
The Horizontal option will force a vertically-stacked fraction with the divider line
placed horizontally. Use this option for MicroStation fonts without stacked
characters and for True Type and AutoCAD fonts which also do not contain stacked
characters.
The Diagonal options will place the divider line and the fraction characters at an
angle. Again, use for True Type and AutoCAD fonts.
Alignment: If Horizontal is ON, the Alignment options will be visible and sets the location of
the stacked fraction in relation to the dimension text string.
Scale:
Scales the size of the stacked fraction. A value of 0.75 works quite well.
If you are working in English units, set Stacked Fractions ON, Enable ON, and set Type to From
Font. If you are working in metric, turn Enable OFF.
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Notes
The notes section controls how the Place Note tool on the Text tool palette draws notes. Most of the
settings are fairly obvious, so experiment with different settings. As with the dimension tools, while
you experiment with settings, you can start a note but not data-point to locate the text.
SYMBOLOGY TAB
This tab allows you to override the active attributes and the level attributes to specify attributes for
dimensions. You would normally draw dimensions on a separate dimension level, so it is usually
best to turn OFF all attributes options in this tab.
ADVANCED TAB
The Advanced tab contains drop-down lists of all dimension settings, most of which duplicate or add
to the more graphic settings in the previous tabs.
The one exception is the Tool Specific item which controls how each dimension tool functions. For
example, if you expand the Size Arrow item, you will see the settings for that specific tool. Among
other controls, this is where you can turn off the left or right extension line for a single dimension
placement. Please dont make any changes in this tab.
18.3 DIMENSION TOOLS

MicroStations dimension tools are primarily located in the
Annotate/Dimensioning group. You can also access them with
Spacebar/Dimensioning. Feel free to experiment with the tools after
the basic instruction below.
Before using the dimension tools, please draw the following simple object to the dimensions given
(dont include the dimensions in your drawing). As usual, you may draw in English or metric units
in your Start-E or Start-M design files. The dimension tool settings will be given in both
measurement systems. Assume that the English dimensions are for an architectural object, while the
metric dimensions are for a smaller mechanical object. Set a Mark so that you can easily return to
the basic drawing.
It is good drafting practice to draw object line darker than dimension lines, so set the weight of the
line elements to 1, but place the dimensions with a weight of 0.
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You can now start to use the dimension placement tools.
18.4 DIMENSION ELEMENT TOOL

You are going to use the simplest tool in the tool box, the Dimension Element tool:
the Dimension Linear tool.)
(This is not
This is the most flexible of the dimension tools. It will place

dimensions on single elements or element segments, and offers two
additional modes of dimension placement.
Be sure your Text Height and Width is set to 12" (10) before
continuing. If you are unsure, click on the icon to the right of the
Style box
to be taken to Dimension Styles box.
Step 1
Start the Dimension Element tool.
Take a look at the Tool Settings box, shown at the right.

There are some extra settings not available in the Dimension Styles
box, and a selection of three dimension-placement options. Look at
the more important ones:
Alignment
The Alignment option allows you to place dimensions in various alignments with the elements in the
design. The table below describes each alignment option:
Alignment
Examples
View:
Dimension lines are aligned parallel to
the View Axes. If the view is rotated,
the dimension lines remain parallel
with the view axes.
Drawing:
the Drawing Axes (Design Plane). If
the view is rotated (as shown here), the
dimension lines rotate with the
drawing axes.
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Alignment
Examples
True:
the element being dimensioned. The
extension lines remain at right-angles
to the dimension line.
Arbitrary:
the element being dimensioned, but
the extension lines are not at rightangles to the dimension line. Usually
used for 2D isometric drawings (Iso
Lock must be on).
For our purposes in this Manual, you need only use the View alignment since you will not be
rotating views or drawing isometrics.
Location
The Location option allows you to let MicroStation locate dimension text on the dimension line
automatically, or lets you locate the text manually. For the moment let MicroStation locate the
dimension values automatically.
Tools
The three icons provide three methods of placing a dimension with the Dimension Element
tool. You will be concentrating on the first dimension placement method.
In the expanded Tool Settings window there are options for selecting the terminator type, text
orientation, text frames, and text prefixes and suffixes. None of these options should be on except
the Start Extension and the End Extension options. The last option, Association, will associate the
dimension with the element that is being dimensioned. This means that if the element is edited
larger or smaller, the dimension will automatically change to reflect the new element size.
Association is discussed later in this Module, but turn it ON for now.
Be sure you made the settings in the Tool Settings window shown on the
previous page, and that the line weight is set to 0. Now you can continue
with the Dimension Element tool:
Step 2
Step 3
Step 4
Data-point on the top left element (you dont need to snap).

Drag the cursor upward and the dimension will display
dynamically.
Data-point at a suitable location to set the dimension in place.
Do not reset.
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This is a quick method of placing a dimension. Note, however,

that while there is an offset gap at the left extension line, there is
no gap at the right extension line. This occurs because the extension
lines are generated from the ends of the selected element. This
problem will be solved later by using the next tool in the tool box.
In the meantime, continue with the Dimension Element tool.
Step 5
Step 6
Select the next horizontal segment and drag the

cursor upward.
Snap the dimension to the previous dimension so that
they line up. Do not reset.
Step 7
Select the diagonal line next and place the dimension by

dragging vertically. Snap to the previous dimension again.
Because the Alignment is set to View, the dimension line will display
horizontally.
Step 8
Select the diagonal line again, but this time move

the cursor to the right and place the dimension
line.
MicroStation automatically generates a vertical dimension.

Step 9
Continue around the object, placing horizontal

and vertical dimensions as you go.
Undo the dimension placements when you are finished.

TOOL TIP !
When placing dimensions, if the
dimension text is not displaying
in the font and size you expect
when a dimension is placed,
check the dimension Text box to
see if the font overrides are
active.
I am showing both English and metric dimensions in the examples.

This is for users of either measurement system and you do not need to
show both dimensions in your design
Experiment with the two other tools in the Tool Settings window.
Select them and data-point on and drag one of the elements to see how
the tools place dimensions. Undo them when you are finished.
18.5 THE DIMENSION LINEAR TOOLS

The tools in this tool set place a dimension string, not individual dimensions as was the case for the
previous dimension tool.
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The tools require you to place two data-points to locate the

start and end of the dimension, and a third data-point to locate
the dimension line. When dimensioning, you should always
snap to elements whenever possible. If you dont, dimension
values will not be accurate (assuming, of course, you have
placed elements accurately in the first place!).
You will notice in the Tool Settings window that the three
dimension placement options all use arrows as terminators. If
you prefer to use strokes as terminators you have two choices:
In the Tool Settings window, change the Start Extension
and End Extension settings to strokes. The Terminator
Width and Height must be set to equal proportions for 450
strokes. Click on the
icon to quickly access the
Dimension Styles/Geometry settings box. The First
Terminator and Joint Terminator options are overrides for
the initial terminator settings.
The Select Multiple Elements tool
is discussed later (dont turn it on!).
Using your basic drawing, use the first tool in the Tool
Settings window, the Linear Size tool:
Step 1
Step 2
Step 3
Start the Linear Size tool.

Snap to the top left corner of the object.
Snap to the upper middle corner of the object to
define the end of the dimension.
As you move the cursor, the dimension line and text are
dynamically displayed.
Step 4
Move the cursor upward and data-point to locate

the position of the dimension line. Do not Reset.
The dimension is now complete and the tool is waiting for the next snap point. As you move the
cursor to the right, the next dimension in the string will dynamically display.
Step 5
Snap to the upper right of the diagonal line. Do not Reset.
The second dimension is automatically placed in line with the previous

dimension.
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Step 6
Place the third dimension by snapping to the lower

end of the diagonal line.
Step 7
Reset to stop the dimension.

Now start the vertical
dimension string:
Step 8
Step 9
Step 10
Step 11
Snap to the top

of the diagonal
line.
Snap to the bottom of the diagonal line.
Data-point to the right of the snap point to locate
the vertical dimension line.
Snap to the bottom of the vertical line. Reset to
stop the dimension.
You should now have placed a dimension string along

the right side of the object.
Continue placing dimensions around the object until all
dimensions are in place.
When you have successfully placed the dimensions,

make a copy of the object and its dimensions and move
this to another location in your design. You will reuse
the completed dimensions in Section 18.9 below. Then,
delete the dimensions from the original object so that
you can work on the next operations.
CHANGING ORIENTATION
So far you have placed horizontal and vertical dimensions for the endpoints of
the diagonal line. Now try placing a dimension that is parallel to the line.
Step 1
Step 2
Step 3
Step 4
Start the Dimension Element tool.

In the Tool Settings window, change the Alignment to True.
Move the cursor away from the line and locate the dimension line
with a data-point.
Undo this placement and try again with the Linear Size tool.
Step 5
Step 6
Step 7
Step 8
Step 9
Start the Linear Size tool. True Alignment will still be set.
Snap to one end of the diagonal line.
Snap to the opposite end of the diagonal line.
Data-point to locate the dimension line.
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I would suggest that you practice placing dimensions on this and other shapes using the options
discussed above. Change the Alignment setting back to View when you are done.
18.6 DEALING WITH SMALL DIMENSIONS

Placing small dimensions in CAD can be somewhat of a challenge compared to manual drafting.
Drafting software usually has very specific ways of placing dimensions that may not always be what
you need for a specific situation. In addition, the size of text in a dimension has a significant impact
on dimension placement.
In MicroStation there are several methods you can use to place small dimensions and it is important
that you are familiar with the range of setting options and their effects. Remember that you can
change most dimension settings on-the-fly, so you can see the effects of different settings before
you finally place a dimension. This is a useful procedure to use when placing a difficult dimension.
It dynamically displays how a dimension can be placed before you commit to a specific setting.
In addition to predetermining how a dimension will look as you have just done, you can also change
the settings of existing small dimensions (or any dimension). In the next Section you will first create
some small dimensions and then modify their settings.
18.7 CHANGING EXISTING DIMENSION SETTINGS

You can change the settings of dimensions after
they have already been placed. There are two
specific tools to help you do this: the Change
Dimension tool and the Match Dimension
Attributes tool. You can also use the Smart Match
tool in the Home/Modify tool group to match
settings.
There are two basic methods you can use to apply these tools:
You can change the settings in the Dimension settings boxes to the desired settings and then use
the Change Dimension tool on the dimensions to be changed.
If you want to change an existing dimension (or place a new dimension) to match the settings of
an existing dimension, then first use either the Match Dimension Attributes or Smart Match tool
to match the existing dimensions settings, then use the Change Dimension tool on the
dimension you wish to change.
When you use either of the match tools, the settings in the Dimension Styles settings box
changes to those of the matched existing dimension. If necessary, you can make further changes
to those settings before using the Change Dimension tool. You will use the Match tools in the
next Section.
Try the following small exercise using the Change Dimension tool:
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In your drawing, add a slot as shown in the illustration at the

right. Start the slot 4'-10 " from the corner and make it 1'-2 "
wide. The depth is not important. If you are working in metric,
first change the Units/Primary/Accuracy setting to 0.1234, then
make the two dimensions 60.7721 and 25.4471 respectively. Do
not place the dimensions yet.
Make sure your Font is still Font 3 Engineering with a text
height and width of 1'-0" (10).
With the Linear Dimensioning tool, and with the Fit Options (Dimension Styles - Geometry tab)
setting set to Term. Inside, place the dimensions shown below as a dimension string (without
resetting between each placement). The overall dimension is placed as a separate dimension.
Clearly the Term. Inside setting does not work because the elements being dimensioned are too close
to each other. Since you cannot reduce the font height (because of the assumed plotting scale) you
are forced to place the dimensions differently.
To solve this problem, first try the following:
Step 1
Step 2
Step 3
Change the Fit setting to Term. Moves First (to let MicroStation choose the best
terminator placement).
Start the Change Dimension tool.
Select the lower dimension string.
The dimensions switch to the new setting and their geometry changes as shown below:
The result is better than the first placement, but is still not acceptable because of the confusing
double arrow over the slot. If you wish, you can try the Change Dimension tool with the other Fit
settings to see their effect on the dimension string. However, it is obvious that a new approach is
needed.
Undo the entire dimension placement so that a new attempt can be started.
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This time, using the original Term. Inside setting, place the three dimensions individually (not as a
dimension string), Resetting between each placement as shown below. This way you will have more
control over the geometry and location of each dimension. Note the raised position of the slot-width
dimension. To position the third dimension in line with the first dimension, snap its location to the
right-hand end of the first dimension.
This configuration is better, but the slot-size dimension is still too crowded. To change its
geometry:
Step 1
Step 2
Step 3
Set the Fit option to Text Moves First.

Start the Change Dimension tool.
Select the slot-width dimension.
The geometry now becomes acceptable (almost!). The text positions need some adjustment and you
will do this in the next Section, so do not undo this final dimension placement.
Try setting different Fit options and using the Change Dimension tool to see the effects.
18.8 USING THE MODIFY ELEMENT TOOL

The dimensions look quite reasonable now, but, being a perfectionist, you will want to adjust the
text position of the first dimension which still looks a little crowded. This Section will show you
how to adjust the dimension text location.
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MOVING TEXT
The Modify Element tool in the Home/Modify group, which you last used to modify the shape and
size of elements, is also used to modify dimension text and dimension position.
Move the text of the 4'-10 " (60.7721) dimension a little to the left as shown below:
Step 1
Step 2
Step 3
Step 4
Step 5
Step 6

Select the text of the first dimension (not the dimension line).
Move the text slightly to the left so that it is outside the upper dimension line..
Repeat the action to move the text of the slot-size dimension to the same position.
The dimension lines extend to the left to accommodate the new position of the text.
As a matter of interest, in the Dimension tools, if you set Location in the Tool Settings window to
Manual, you can set the location of the dimension text yourself during the initial dimension
placement. The Semi-Auto option relates to the Justification setting in the Text dimension category.
If the dimension value cannot be placed in accordance with the justification, you are prompted for a
manual location.
MOVING DIMENSION LINES
While you are making final adjustments to the text positions, why not relocate the dimension lines as
well? The Modify Element tool will also move the dimension line position of a dimension:
Start the Modify Element tool and select a dimension line with the cursor (avoid touching the text).
Move the dimension line to a new position. You may use two data-points or data-point-and-hold.
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BALL AND CHAIN DIMENSIONS

Another method of placing small dimensions is to use what is sometimes called the ball and chain
method. Do the following:
Step 1
Step 2
Step 3
Step 2.
Step 4
Step 5
Make a copy of the geometry above (not the dimensions).

In the Dimension Styles/Geometry box, in the Dimension With
Leader section turn the Mode ON and select the Arc Type.
Place the dimensions as shown at
the left. Fit Option is set to
Term. Inside.
Selecting each dimension text in
turn, drag the text up and away
Step 4.
from the dimension line, as
shown at the right.
The dimension text is now located away from the dimension line but connected to the dimension by
an arc and an arrow. Try the other settings for this tool to see the effects. You must still deal with
the squashed arrows in the center dimension, however, and the best bet is probably to use strokes or
dots instead of arrows (if you want a non-stacked dimension).
If you intend to use this feature, note that the Allow Dimension With Leader option must be ON
before placing dimensions. Or, if you have already placed dimensions without this option on, make
the settings in the Dimension Styles box and use the Change Dimensions tool on the Dimension
Task tool box to update the dimensions. You can then use the Modify Element tool to drag the
dimension text off the dimension line.
18.9 ASSOCIATIVE AND NON-ASSOCIATIVE DIMENSIONS
Earlier in this Module (in Section 18.3) I asked you to check Association Lock to ON in the Tool
Settings window. You did this to ensure that a dimension would automatically change to reflect a
change in element size. In this Section you will look a little closer at that concept.
The basic concept is that if you were to stretch an element that had been
dimensioned, the dimension would update to show the new size of the
element. This happens because associated dimensions are tied or
associated to the data-point locations you used to place the dimensions.
Since you should have already placed your dimensions with this feature
active, you should be able to stretch your object and see this feature in
action. Find the copy of the object with all the dimensions in place and
then try this:
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TOOL TIP !
Reminder: the Stretch
tool was discussed in
Module 14 Section 9.
Step 1
Step 2
Step 3
Step 4
Step 5
Place a Fence around the right-hand end of your object as shown in the left diagram.
Start the Stretch tool (Home/Manipulate, and it doesnt matter which Fence Mode
option is set).
Data-point anywhere in the view to define the base point for the stretch.
Use AccuDraw to move the fence contents 15'-0" (125) along the positive X-axis.
Data-point to accept the dimension, and Reset to stop the tool.
The elements will now be elongated in the positive-X direction and the affected dimensions will
have changed to reflect the new dimensions of the object. If Association Lock had not been on when
you first placed the dimensions, the dimension value would not have changed.
There are times when you do not need to associate dimensions with elements. If you are not
drawing an accurate design or are just making sketch-type drawings, using associated dimensions
makes little sense. In addition, there are times in the life of a project when you may not wish to go
to the trouble of redrawing elements that have been dimensionally changed. You may only want to
change the dimension text, not the actual element itself. It is very simple to change the value of a
dimension, as you will see in the next Section, but doing so automatically makes the dimension nonassociated.
What happens if you delete the element an associated dimension is associated with? Try it to see.
18.10 EDITING DIMENSION TEXT

When you place a dimension, the dimension text reflects the exact dimension between the points
selected. Sometimes you need to manually change the dimension value to something other than the
computed value.
To edit dimension text, double-click with the Element Selection tool on just the dimension text.
The Edit Text editor opens with an * highlighted in the Text box. The asterisk represents the
dimension text as it appears on the dimension line. You can do two things with the asterisk:
1. You can delete the asterisk and enter a new dimension value. If you do so, the dimension
becomes non-associative and any changes in element size will not be reflected in the
dimension text.
2. You can add text in front of, or after, the asterisk. In this case the dimension remains
associative. You would normally do this if you wanted to add a prefix or suffix or other note
to the dimension value.
Try both options in your design.
After a dimension value has been edited in this
way, it loses its associated status. You can reassociate a dimension if necessary and this
procedure is discussed in the advanced
dimensioning Section of the Level 2 Manual.
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TOOL TIP !
You can also edit dimension text using the Edit
Text tool on the Annotate tool group.
Module 18 - Page 21
18.11 ANGULAR DIMENSIONING

MicroStation provides five tools in the Dimension Angular Tool Settings window to
dimension angular values.
To practice the first two tools, draw the three lines shown at the right. The
exact angle between the lines is not important.
Be sure to carefully read the prompts in the Status Line when using these tools,
and remember that MicroStation will draw an arc to place the dimension line.
THE ANGLE SIZE TOOL

Step 1
Step 2
Step 3
Step 4
Step 5
Start the Angle Size tool.

Snap to the end of the right-hand line to Select Start of
Dimension.
Snap to the base of the line to locate Enter Point on Axis
(center of the dimensions arc).
Snap to the upper end of the center line to Select Dimension
Endpoint.
Dynamically locate the dimension line location and datapoint to place.
You may continue placing the next dimension to the third line. Simply
snap to the end of the line.
If you locate the dimension line beyond the endpoints of the lines, the tool will automatically
generate extension lines to the endpoints.
THE ANGLE LOCATION TOOL

This tool is similar to the previous tool except that it dimensions each
angle from the starting point of the first dimension. It automatically
stacks the dimensions above each other as you add more dimensions.
You follow the same procedure as the previous tool to place each
dimension, so try this tool on your own. Add more lines to the
drawing to see the stacking effect.
To change the gap between the stacked dimensions, change the value in the Dimension
Setting/Geometry/Stack Offset box. The offset value is in working unit dimensions, but if the value
is set to zero, the stacked dimensions will automatically be placed at twice the text height. To
quickly see what effects this setting has, change its value and use the Change Dimension tool on the
existing dimensions to see the changes.
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THE DIMENSION ANGLE BETWEEN LINES TOOL

Draw two new lines as shown to practice this tool.
The tool is very easy to use. Simply select two lines
and dynamically position the dimension line.
The angular dimension can be placed inside or outside
the two lines as shown in the illustrations.
Try the remaining two tools on your own. The Arc Size tool dimensions an arc in a similar manner
to dimensioning a line, while the Arc Stacked tool stacks multiple-arc dimensions, again in the same
manner as stacked dimension on a line.
18.12
RADIAL DIMENSIONS
Radial dimensions are placed using the Dimension Element tool. Starting this tool and data-pointing
on a circle or arc etc., automatically displays the Radial tools in the Tool Settings window. There is
no specific tool for radial dimensions other than this procedure.
To see how this works, draw a circle to a radius of 10'-6" (135).
THE DIMENSION RADIAL OPTIONS

Step 1
Start the Dimension Element tool, and data-point on

the circle.
Note that the options for the Dimension Element tool have
changed to radial dimension options.
Start with the Dimension Radius option first.
Step 2
Step 3
Set the Mode to Dimension Radius.

Select the circle with the cursor.
Move the cursor to dynamically display a leader line and attached text.
You may locate the leader anywhere inside or outside the circle.
Step 4
Data-point to set the dimension location.
Try each of the radius and diameter options yourself. All work in the same way.
For practice, add an arc to the drawing and apply the Dimension Radial options.
CENTER MARK
You can place a Center Mark in a circle or arc, but you need to float a tool box to
do so. Press Ctrl-T to open the tool box list and float the Dimensions tool box.
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Module 18 - Page 23
Step 1
Step 2
Start the Center Mark tool.

Set the Center Size to 2 (25).
The default center size is 0.0 and draws a very small center
mark. You can specify any size dimension for the center mark.
Step 3
Step 4
Select the circle with the cursor.

Data-point to accept.
If you would like the radial dimensioning tools to automatically place a center mark when you place
a radial dimension, you can set this option in the Dimension Styles/Advanced/Tool Specific tab.
Select each of the radial tools (Radius, etc.), and click the Center Mark option to ON. The default
center mark size is set in the Dimension Styles/Geometry/Center Mark section.
USING THE LINEAR DIMENSION TOOL with CIRCLES and ARCS
You can also use the Dimension Linear tool to dimension circles and arcs. Since this tool
dimensions to data-points, you should snap to the centers or quadrants of circles, and to the centers
or endpoints of arcs. The text of these dimensions will not include radius or diameter prefixes, but
you can add a prefix or suffix with the Edit Text tool.
18.13
THE PLACE NOTE TOOL

In the previous Module (Section 17-5) you looked at the Place Note tool, but you did not look at the
dimension settings that affect how the notes are placed. Now is a good time to do that.
PLACE NOTE TOOL - DIMENSION/TEXT SETTINGS

As I mentioned, the Place Note tool combines text as an annotation and a dimensional arrow as a
pointer. Because of this combination, settings made in various text and dimension settings boxes
have an effect on note text-size and arrow-size. To try to clarify the effects of the settings, look at
the information below:
Text Size
The text height and width in the note can be set in two locations: the Text Styles
settings box and the Text Editor box. Typically, you would set the text height and
width in the Text Styles box, but you can override the settings in the Text Editor
box. (The Text settings in the Dimension Styles box have no effect on text size since
the tool belongs to the Text tools, not the dimension tools.)
Arrow Size
As with regular dimensions, the proportions of the arrow in the leader are
controlled through the Dimension Styles/Geometry/Terminators category. As a
further complication (if you really needed another!), the dimension text height, set
in the Text section of the Dimension Styles box, controls arrow size if Height is ON
in that box. If the Height option is OFF in that box, then arrow size is controlled by
the text height in the various text settings boxes. It is generally best to turn OFF the
Height option in the Dimension Styles/Text box to avoid confusion.
The type of arrow is set in the Terminators section of the Dimension Styles box.
Now that you are throughly confused about the entire note placing process, try the following which
takes you through several other dimension settings that affect notes:
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Module 18 - Page 24
Step 1
Step 2
Step 3
Step 4
Step 5
Step 6
Step 7
Have the Dimension Styles box floating on the

screen (you can drag it almost off the screen when
you are placing notes).
In the Dimension Styles box turn OFF all options in
the Text/Styles section.
All other dimension settings should be the same as
in the beginning of Section 18-2 above. In the Text
Styles box set the Height and Width to 1:0 (300).
Start the Place Note tool in the Annotate/Notes
group.
In the Tool Settings window make the settings
shown at the right.
Enter some text in the Text Editor window.
Data-point in the view and drag to place the arrow. Data-point
again to set the location of the note.
You should have placed a note that looks similar to that at the right.
Step 8
Step 9
In the Place Note tool settings window, set

Location to Manual.
Place another Note in the view by data-pointing in several places
before pressing Reset.
You can place as many segments as you wish before pressing the Reset button.
Step 10
Set Location back to Automatic.
Now look at the Horizontal Attachment option. Here you can set Auto, Left, or Right aligned text
placement.
Step 11
Step 12
Step 13
In the Horizontal Attachment box, set Left as the value.

Enter two lines of text in the Text Editor box, the first long, the second short.
Data-point to place the arrow and move the cursor either side of the vertical to see the
justification effect. Do not Reset.
Notice the text is left-justified.

Step 14
Change the Horizontal Attachment to Right and

move the note from side to side.
Notice the text is now right-justified. Try the Auto alignment as

well. Set the values back to Auto when you are done.
If you select Text in the Start At: box, you can place multiple arrows
originating at the text string by holding down the Ctrl key.
To place an arrow and pointer without text, dont enter text in the Text Editor.
Take a look at the Help files for additional information.
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18.14
SELECT MULTIPLE ELEMENTS TOOL

This tool, found on the Tool Settings window of the Dimension Linear
tool, allows you to select multiple elements that are automatically
dimensioned.
The procedure is very simple:
Step 1
Start the Linear Dimensioning tool and select the Select Multiple Elements tool on the
Step 2
tool settings window.

In the design, data-point on either side of the elements to be dimensioned.
A dashed line will display which acts as a crossing-selection.
Step 3
Step 2.
Drag the resulting dimension string to the appropriate

location.
The illustrations at the left show four vertical lines dimensioned in one
operation.
Step 3.
This option works best in simple situations since you can only draw one
crossing line per operation and there is no way of unselecting elements you
dont want to dimension.
Turn OFF the Select Multiple Elements option when finished.
18.15
ADDITIONAL DIMENSION TOOLS

It is useful to look at all the dimensioning tools available in the Annotate/Dimensioning group, and
on the floated Dimension tool box.
You have already used some of the tools but the others will be unfamiliar to you. In practice, you
will only use a small selection of the available tools relative to the type of drafting you perform.
While most of the tools are self-explanatory, it would be a good idea to at least look at each tool to
see their function.
PRACTICE EXERCISES
To practice placing dimensions, use the shapes and objects you drew in the preceding Modules and
which should be readily accessible in your Start-E or Start-M design files. Simply add dimensions
to these drawings to match those shown in the original illustrations. The end of Module 16 is of
particular importance since it contains several drawings that you should have completed at that time.
You will also find several appropriate drawings in Module 11.
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2D LEVEL 1
Module
19
PLOTTING AND PRINTING
24 Pimlico Drive
L9H 6J5
Phone 905-628-8237
Module 19 of 19
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Module 19 - Page 1
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Module Information
Prerequisites:
Introduction:
Obtaining a paper copy of a design by sending a design file to a plotter or a

printer is an important part of the design process. MicroStation offers a variety
of methods to produce top quality plotting output, as detailed in this Module.
Objective(s):
19.1
19.2
19.3
19.4
19.5
19.6
19.7
19.8
19.9
Time:
Understand the basic plotting process and create a simple drawing for
print exercise.
Prepare the sample drawing and title block for plotting.
Select elements to be included in the plotted image.
Correctly set up all plotting parameters using English units.
Correctly set up all plotting parameters using Metric units.
Select and set up a print output configuration.
Understand the relation of line weight and line style in the plotting
process.
Recognize alternate methods of combining designs with title blocks.
PDF file support.
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Module 19 - Page 2
DISCUSSION:
Plotting or printing the contents of a design file is one of the major end results of the design process. The
information contained in a design needs to be distributed to clients, contractors, or other end users. A copy
of the actual design file could be sent to the user, but a hard copy of the design is still very much in demand
by certain users. In general, a hard copy of the design may be made using a plotter of the pen, ink jet, or
electrostatic type. A plot may also be produced on a printer, such as a laser printer. This Module covers the
basic plotting or printing methods provided by MicroStation.
19.1 THE BASIC PROCESS

Technically, any drawing that is sent to either a plotter or a printer is plotted (a text document is said
to be printed), but MicroStation makes no distinction between plotters and printers as equipment and
treats all output as prints made on printers. It will be easier from now on to refer to this process as
printing, whether you are using a plotter or a printer.
To produce a print the following minimal steps are required:
1. Select the elements to be included in the output. In general, you may either select the
contents of a view or use a fence to select a group of elements.
2. Open the Print settings box.
3. Choose a print driver file.
4. Set all printing parameters.
5. Preview print output.
6. Send print to a printer or to a print file.
The exercise below will guide you through a typical printing session (without actually making a
print). For the exercise it is assumed that an HP-GL2 type printer is being used. If you have a
printer available on your own system, try a similar exercise after successfully completing the one
detailed here.
First you need something to print. Do the following:
1. Open a new design file named House. Set the working units to MicroStations standard
English system (Feet and Inches). Set Text height to 6" with the Architectural (41) font
style. If you are working in metric, set the working units to Millimeters and Millimeters,
and the text height to 150.
2. Draw the simple residential floor plan shown below. Draw the plan full size to the
dimensions indicated. Include the dimensions shown. Do not spend much time on the
drawing; it is just for demonstration purposes. Make the walls 6" (150) wide (draw a single
SmartLine then use the Move/Copy Parallel tool).
3. Draw the Title Block also shown on the next page. Again, draw this full size but do not
include the dimension elements in your drawing. The Title Block will appear very small
compared to the floor plan.
You would be printing the drawing at a scale of " = 1'-0" (1:50). The text heights for the
dimensions are set so that when the drawing is printed at this scale, the text will 1/8" (3) high
(review Module 17 if necessary).
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Module 19 - Page 3
You are going to assume that an ANSI D paper-sheet size of 24" x 36" (609.6 x 914.4) will be
used, and the available printer is an HPG-L2 model.
Note that for ANSI D paper, the printer has a usable print size of 22" x 34" (559x864). This is the
size offered in the Print dialog. Therefore, the outer edges of the title block are set to this usable
size. The border lines of the title block are inset by the stated dimensions below. This setup allows
you to maximize the print so that it prints perfectly
Draw this basic house plan full size.
Draw this title block full size.
When you are done, your two drawings will look like that shown below:
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Module 19 - Page 4
The finished floor plan and title block drawings.
It is important to note that the printing method described below is just one of many ways of bringing
together a drawing and a title block for printing. In this exercise you are precisely controlling all
aspects of the printing procedure to achieve predictable results in the final print, with the size of the
title block designed to fit the sheet size exactly. Other printing methods will be discussed later in
this Module.
19.2 PREPARING THE DRAWINGS

The next step is to prepare the floor plan and title block for printing. At the moment, both the floor
plan and the title block are full size. Clearly, the title block is too small in relation to the drawing, so
it needs to be enlarged to suit the intended printing scale. The concept is as follows:
The floor plan needs to remain at full size in the design. You may need to edit this drawing in the
future, and editing will be much more difficult if the scale of the elements in the drawing are
changed. The title block, on the other hand, will not be edited (other than to add title information)
and can be scaled to any size without creating difficulties.
The full-sized floor plan will be printed at the " = 1'-0" (1:50) scale. This means that the printed
drawing will be 1/48 (1/50) of full size. Therefore, you need to enlarge the title block by 48 times
(50 times) so that when it (and the floor plan) is printed at " = 1'-0" (1:50) scale, it will return to its
original full size and will fit the print paper exactly.
The illustrations on the next page and Steps 1-6 describe the process. Do this now:
Step 1
Step 2
Step 3
Step 4
Step 5
Select the title block elements with the Element Selection tool.
Make a group (Ctrl-G) of the selected title block elements (this makes it easier to handle
later).
Start the Scale Element tool.
Set the Method to Active Scale and set a scale of 48 (50) for the X- and Y-axes. Set
Copies to 1.
Data-point to define the origin point of the scale operation (this can be anywhere, but
pick a point that locates the enlarged title block near the floor plan).
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Module 19 - Page 5
Step 6
Step 7

Move the scaled-up title block so that it surrounds the floor plan.
Scale up the title block and position around the floor plan.
19.3 SELECTING ELEMENTS FOR PRINTING

The next step is to select which elements will be printed. You
will be printing both the floor plan and the title block together.
There are three choices for selecting what to print, two of
which are available to you at the moment (the third will be
discussed later):
TOOL TIP !
When setting up a fence or a view
for printing, note that any white
space surrounding the elements is
included in the print layout. In this
exercise the white space is the
margin between the page size and
the border lines.
1. You can use a fence to enclose the whole drawing or a

portion of the drawing. Elements and white space
inside the fence will be printed.
2. You can use a view to define the extent of the print. In this case you arrange the shape of the
view and the elements it contains to suit what you want to print. (Remember that views can
be dynamically sized in the Windows environment.)
You are going to use the Fence method for this print since
this gives you the most control. Your title block includes
the outline of the print sheet and you will use that as the
boundary for the fence.
Step 1
Step 2
Start the Place Fence tool (Inside or Overlap

mode).
Manually snap a fence to the outer corners of
the sheet boundary (you must place tentative
points manually for this operation).
You have now enclosed the title block and the floor plan
inside the fence and have also automatically defined the
distance between the title block and the sheet edges (this is part of the title block drawing).
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19.4 PRINT SETUP - ENGLISH UNITS

This Section relates to English units only. The set up procedure for metric units follows this
Section.
With the elements selected, the next step is to set
the printing parameters. Open the Print settings
box using either Ctrl-P or by selecting the Print
icon at the top of the screen.
GENERAL SETTINGS
Notice that Fence is the automatic Area setting
(although you could still select the View setting).
Click on the Settings heading, select Units, and
make sure that Inches is the active measurement
unit.
PRINTER DRIVER
In the Printer and Paper Size section, drop down
the list and select the HP-GL/2" driver. This is a
Bentley driver. You will also see the printers available through Windows.
PAPER SIZE AND ORIENTATION
In the Printer and Paper Size section select ANSI Dsize paper. The print layout needs to be
rotated to Landscape orientation. The Landscape option below the Paper Size setting is not
available in this printer file, so use the Rotation box and set the rotation to 90 cw to achieve the
same effect. Next, click on the Maximize button to the right of the scale, to fit the fence to the paper
size. The fence and elements should fill the Preview box.
PRINT SCALE AND POSITION
Having made the above settings, most of the print layout settings are automatically adjusted by
MicroStation. Of particular note is the Scale setting. Here you see the scale at which the drawing
will be printed. In your case the desired scale is 1/4" = 1'-0", but which MicroStation displays in a
different way.
Notice in the Scale box the dimension 4:0, then below, the printable area size of 22:00 x 34:00.
This is how MicroStation defines the scale of the print in relation to the working units setting. In
this case MicroStation is assigning 4 Master Units (feet) in the design to each inch on the print. In
other words, 4 feet in the design will be printed within 1" on the print. If you find that confusing,
think of it this way: if you drew this floor plan manually on a drawing board you would use a " =
1'-0" scale rule, and every inch on the drawing would represent 4 feet on the real job site. Another
example: to print at 1/8" = 1'-0" you would enter 8:0 in the value box so that 8 feet would be printed
in 1 inch on the print. Any other scale value follows this same logic.
The 4:0 value is automatically entered by MicroStation because of the way you have set up the print
boundaries. You can, of course, set you own Scale value and you can obtain some assistance for this
by clicking on the three-dot icon next to the Scale setting. This opens the Scale Assistant which
offers a more intuitive method of setting the print scale by displaying the setting as a Paper to
Design scale or a Design to Paper scale.
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Module 19 - Page 7
Also, note that:

In cases where elements do not need to be printed at a specific scale, the Maximize button will
maximize the fence contents to the maximum scale that will fit within the paper boundaries.
The Origin values are both zero. This means that the printer
will start printing the print exactly at the origin of the print
(in this case at the bottom-left corner of the page size).
PRINT ATTRIBUTES
Click on the Print Attributes icon at the top of the setting box
and set the options as shown in the illustration. You dont need
to include a border since you have already drawn one. Nor do
you need to print the fence boundary.
TOOL TIP !
The best setup is achieved when the size of the fence is
exactly the same as the page size. The page size is the
Size value below the Scale value.
PRINT PREVIEW
The Print settings box displays a preview of the print you intend to make (if the Show Design in
Preview option is On). This is a fairly small window though, and a better way to see a preview is to
go to File/Preview in the Print dialog box. Doing this will open a separate preview box that can be
expanded to any size by dragging its corners.
The drawing should fit exactly in the print preview window. If it does not, then you should check
all aspects of your drawing dimensions and the printing settings and make whatever adjustments are
necessary. Print output is discussed in Section 19-6.
The next Section describes the print setup for metric units. Even if you will never print in metric
units it will be advantageous to read the procedure. Not only will it help you understand the process
better, but the important subject of .PLT file editing is introduced.
19.5 PRINT SETUP - METRIC UNITS

With the elements selected, the next step is to set the printing parameters. Open the Print settings
box using Ctrl-P or by selecting the File/Print pull-down. Make the following settings:
GENERAL SETTINGS
Notice that Fence is the automatic Area setting (although you could still select the View setting).
Click on the Settings heading, select Units, and make sure that mm is the active measurement unit.
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PRINTER DRIVER
In the Printer and Paper Size section, drop down the list
and select the HP-GL/2" driver. This is a Bentley
driver. You will also see the printers available through
Windows.
PAPER SIZE AND ORIENTATION
In the Printer and Paper Size section select ANSI
Dsize paper. The print layout needs to be rotated to
Landscape orientation. The Landscape option below the
Paper Size setting is not available in this printer file, so
use the Rotation box and set the rotation to 90 cw to
achieve the same effect. Next, click on the Maximize
button to the right of the scale, to fit the fence to the paper
size. The fence and elements should fill the Preview box.
PRINT ATTRIBUTES
Click on the Print Attributes icon and set the options as shown in the
illustration. You dont need to include a border since you have
already drawn one.
PRINT SCALE AND POSITION SECTION
Having made the above setting, the remaining print layout settings
are automatically adjusted by MicroStation. Of particular note are
the settings in the Print Scale and Position section. Here you see the
scale at which the drawing will be printed. In your case the desired
scale is 1:50, but which MicroStation displays in a different way.
Notice in the Scale box the value "50". This is how MicroStation defines the scale of the print in
relation to the working units setting. In this case MicroStation is assigning 50 Master Units
(millimeters) in the design to each millimeter on the print. In other words, 50 mm in the design will
be printed within 1 mm on the print. If you find that confusing, think of it this way: if you drew this
floor plan manually on a drawing board you would use a 1:50 scale rule and every millimeter on the
drawing would represent 50 millimeters on the real job site. Another example: to print at 1:100 you
would enter 100 in the scale box so that 100 mm would be printed in 1 mm on the print. Any other
scale value follows this same logic.
The 50 mm value is automatically entered by MicroStation because of the way you have set up the
print boundaries. You can, of course, set you own Scale value and you can obtain some assistance
for this by clicking on the three-dot icon next to the Scale setting. This opens the Scale Assistant
which offers a more intuitive method of setting the print scale by displaying the setting as a Paper to
Design scale or a Design to Paper scale.
Also note that:
In the Print Scale and Position section the X- and Y-values of the print area are the same as the
A1 page size because you are making maximum use of the printers printable area.
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Module 19 - Page 9
The Origin values are both zero. This means that the printer will start printing the print exactly
at the origin of the print (in this case at the bottom-left corner of the page size).
TOOL TIP !
The best setup is achieved when the size of the fence is exactly the same
as the page size. The page size is the Paper size shown in the Print
Size/Scale section.
PRINT PREVIEW
The Print settings box displays a preview of the print you intend to make (if the Show Design in
Preview option is On). This is a fairly small window though, and a better way to see a preview is to
go to File/Preview in the Print dialog box. Doing this will open a separate preview box that can be
expanded to any size by dragging its corners.
The drawing should fit exactly in the print preview window. If it does not, then you should check
all aspects of your drawing dimensions and the printing settings and make whatever adjustments are
necessary.
19.6 PRINT OUTPUT

The print is now ready for output to a printer.
MicroStation offers two basic print output options. In each case a print file is created by the printing
tools before printing begins.
1. A print file may be created for later transmission to a stand-alone printer. This method has
the advantage of allowing you to make multiple print files, store these in a folder (directory)
on your computer (or another computer), and run a print utility program to batch print the
print files separately from your current drawing session (discussed later).
2. Print files can be sent directly to an attached printer. The printer may be attached to a USB
port, or via a network, to a shared network printer.
For the purposes of this exercise it will be sufficient to print the design to a print file as described
below. Please use this option to complete the exercise.
Lets look at each option in more detail:
PRINTING TO A PRINT FILE

If you carefully followed the exercise above you should now have the drawing ready for printing.
To print the drawing to a print file do the following:
Step 1
Click on the Print icon in the Print settings box (or press Ctrl-P).
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The Save Print as: dialog box opens. The default setting is for the print to be sent to a file for later
printing. MicroStation also offers to send the file to the default Print subdirectory on your system,
as you can see in the Save In box. The file name at the bottom is the name of your current design
file, the model you are working in, a print file number of 000 and an .hpgl extension. The 000
number will increment each time you make another print file in the current drawing session.
Step 2
Step 3
Step 4
If necessary, change the name of the print file and its extension. Otherwise, accept the
default shown in the Files box.
If necessary, change the directory path to your preferred location. Otherwise, accept the
default path shown in the Directories box.
When all settings are correct, click on O.K. to create the print file.
The print file now resides in the your selected folder, ready for later transmission to the printer. This
file can now be sent to a printer in several ways:
1. It can be batch printed with other print files to a printer attached to your computer or
network. The Print Organizer facility coordinates this option.
2. It can be physically taken, via removable storage, to another computer (that may be
dedicated to a printer) for printing.
3. It may be sent via email or posted on a website for downloading to another computer.
In each of these cases it is not necessary to have MicroStation running or even loaded on the
printing computer. The print files are simply copied to the printer through a file manager or with
DOS file copy procedures.
For batch printing, the Print Organizer (File/Print/Print Organizer) facility assembles printing jobs
for later transmission to a local or distant printer. Design files or models (Level 2) and other design
links are added to the Organizer, and print parameters are defined from these inputs. Print Organizer
is a sophisticated print assembly facility that is beyond the scope of this manual, but MicroStations
Help documents provide a wealth of information.
PRINTING DIRECTLY TO AN ATTACHED PRINTER

To print directly to an attached printer you need to first select a suitable printer:
Step 1
Step 2
Step 3
In the Print settings box, click on the printer driver pull-down.

Select a suitable printer for printing the design.
Make the necessary printer setting and click on the Print button.
To print this way, the printer driver must be configured for that printer, a subject discussed in the
next section
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19.7 ADDITIONAL INFORMATION - PRINTER DRIVER FILES

MicroStation offers a wide range of options for controlling print output relating to specific printer
models and design file settings. Element attributes and symbology settings work in conjunction with
settings in the printer driver files to generate print output. The following items are of immediate
importance to you but it is important to note that the information is general in nature and should be
adjusted to suit the printer model in use.
PRINTER DRIVERS
The choice of a specific printer driver is subject to the type of print you want to make and the
printer(s) you have available. In general:
To print directly to a printer attached to your computer (or a network printer) you are advised by
Bentley to use your printers Windows drivers for best control of the print output. Try this if
you have a printer attached to your computer: in the Print settings box, select your Windows
Driver in the Printer and Paper Sizes section. Notice that the printer name at the top of the
settings box now displays the name of your Windows printer. Notice also that a Windows logo
appears next to the printer driver selection. Clicking this logo will display settings for your
printer.
If you prefer not to print directly to an attached printer you can use an appropriate printer driver
that has been customized for a specific printer. You can then select what type of print file you
need.
All printer drivers can be edited to suit your requirements. You will see how this is done
shortly. If you edit a default driver file, be sure to save it to a different name and leave the
original file unchanged.
LINE WEIGHTS
One setting that you will likely need to change is line weight. Different line weights (width of lines)
are useful in separating and emphasizing element groups on a print. For example, the wall lines on
an architectural print are usually printed with a heavier weight than dimensions and text so that the
wall lines are more visible. MicroStation offers three ways to generate different line weights in a
print:
a. Line color. The colors in the active color table (0-255) can be assigned to specific pen
numbers in a pen printer, or given a weight stroke value in an ink jet or laser printer.
b. Line weight. The weight of a line (0-31) can be assigned to a pen or a weight stroke value.
c. Level. Elements on each level can be assigned to a pen or a weight stroke value.
Depending on the printer model you are using, you may be able to set only one of the above
methods to assign line weight to elements (line weight is the most usual). You do this through the
Printer Driver Configuration files. As mentioned above, do not attempt to edit a printer file without
first making a backup copy of the original file. The settings in printer files can be confusing at first,
so a backup file is a very good idea!
Look at some typical driver file settings:
Micro-Press.com
Module 19 - Page 12
Step 1
Step 2
In the Print settings box, select the

HP-GL/2 driver from the Bentley
driver files.
Click on File/Edit Printer Driver
Configuration.
You will now see a configuration settings box in

which you can make the same settings you saw in
the previous file. For example, click on the Weight
Maps tab to see the list of line weight print
settings. Here you can edit the actual printed line
widths in relation to the design weight numbers.
To edit a weight, double-click each line size to edit
the printed width. To apply the edited driver, first save the changes, then click on File/Reload
printer driver configuration. If you dont do this, the edited values wont be applied.
You will probably need to print a sample print to see how the line weights are being translated in the
actual print. Make adjustments to the configuration line weights until the print is satisfactory. Dont
forget to reload the printer driver after each adjustment.
LINE STYLE
Although line style choices were discussed in Module 12, a reminder here is still appropriate since
line styles are very much part of generating good-looking prints.
The two important choices to be recognized are:
a) The standard line styles (numbers 0-7) are proportioned to the view. This means that the
style proportions are not WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get) and will display on
the screen the same way whatever the zoom factor. When these lines are printed, the printer
driver file sets the length of the line strokes and gaps. This means that the printed
proportions of these lines are always the same whatever the zoom factor of the drawing.
This can seriously affect the visual effect on a print and is likely to result in unacceptable
results especially for small details or zoomed-out views. If you wish to change the stroke
values of the standard line styles you may do so in the style or Line Styles section of the
printer driver file. Here you see the On-Off stroke patterns of the lines which you can adjust
as necessary.
You are strongly advised not to use the standard line styles in your drawings because of this
lack of printing control.
b) The custom line styles are truly WYSIWYG on the screen and will also print to the
proportions displayed.
19.8 ADDITIONAL INFORMATION - DRAWING SETUP

In the exercise above you drew a title block and floor plan on the same drawing. In reality, this is
not the most efficient way of combining a title block with a drawing and you should be aware of
other methods of achieving the same results. Most methods described below are covered in the
Level 2 Manual.
Micro-Press.com
Module 19 - Page 13
a) You can create seed files containing title blocks of specific sizes which can be used as the
initial setup for new design files. A seed file is selected when you create a new design file.
b) Separate title block drawings can be referenced into a design file and scaled appropriately to
suit the print scale. A referenced file is an existing design file that is brought into the current
design as an attachment. There is a dynamic link between the current file and the referenced
file so that any changes to the referenced file are automatically reflected in the current
design. The reference system is fully discussed in the Level 2 Manual.
This is particularly useful when printing since standard title blocks set up for different sheet
sizes can be referenced into any design file for printing. If any information is changed on
the predrawn title block, say a company address, then that new information is immediately
available to the current design file (and all other design files that used that title block
design).
c) A title block can be inserted into a design file as a cell (Level 2). Cells are collections of
elements that have been grouped together and saved to a cell library. Cells can be inserted
into any design provided the appropriate cell library is attached to the current design.
Title blocks can easily be made into cells for later insertion in design files.
d) For more complex printing setups (particularly for 3D designs) the use of MicroStations
model system is appropriate. Models allow you to create design information in separate
design models and combine this information in sheet models for printing. Models are
discussed extensively in Level 2.
19.9 PDF FILE SUPPORT

MicroStation has the ability to print directly to Acrobat PDF format. The printer driver, PDF can
be found in the Bentley printer list, and the printing process and settings are similar to standard
printers. Additional options include using the Print Organizer utility (File/Print/Print Organizer) to
generate a multi-page PDF file with one page per file, book mark generation, password protection of
the PDF file, and reference-file level on/off viewing in the Layers tab of the PDF file. Most of these
option are set in the PDF printer file.
PDFs also support 3D files (Level 3). Provided a PDF file is made with Acrobat Version 7 or later,
most 3D content including lights, camera, materials, textures, and animation is saved.
You can also print in JPEG format, but the driver is only set for low-resolution files for web
publishing.
Micro-Press.com
Module 19 - Page 14
Other Books by Micro-Press.com

MicroStation Training Manual 2D Level 2 (Connect,V8i, XM, V8)
MicroStation Training Manual 3D Level 3 (Connect,V8i, XM, V8)
MicroStation On-Line Distance-Education Training Courses
Illustrated Residential and Commercial Construction
Blueprint Reading for the Construction Trades, 2nd Edition
Residential Design and Construction Program
Our web site at www.micro-press.com offers resources and links

for MicroStation, Construction, and Architectural subjects, and
links to MicroStation distance-education courses.
ISBN 978-0-9781310-4-3
2016

MicroStation Training Manual 2D Level 1

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Thank you for purchasing this e-book.

We want you to make the most of it, especially if you

An Illustrated Guide to Basic Tools and Techniques

An Illustrated Guide to Basic Tools and Techniques

Design and authoring: Peter A. Mann

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be

Startup and Interface Screen

Lines, Circles, and View Controls

Opening a New Design File

Reopening the Design File

Selecting and Deleting Elements

Selecting Single Elements - Element Selection Tool

Snaps and Tentative Points

Design Plane, Working Units, and Inputs

The Design Plane

Setting the Keypoint Snap Mode

Absolute Coordinates and Grids

Opening the Precision Key-In Box

Arcs and Ellipses

The Place Block Tool

Setting SmartLine Options

Adding Color to Elements

Advanced Selection Sets

Copy and Move Tools with Precision

Element Selection Tool

A collection of drawing exercises to help reinforce the previous instruction

Setting Text Attributes

Dimensions and Text Settings

Plotting and Printing

The Basic Process

MicroStation 10 Connect - 2D Level 1 Module

Copyright 2016 Micro-Press.com

This Module introduces you to the MicroStation 2D Level 1 . It describes the

This Module should be completed within15 minutes.

ASSUMPTIONS ABOUT YOU

ASSUMPTIONS ABOUT MICROSTATION

YOUR WORK HABITS

WHAT IS and WHAT IS NOT INCLUDED

Virtually all sequences of actions are described in numbered step-by-step instructions.

MODULE COMPLETION TIMES

STARTUP AND SCREEN

MicroStation 10 Connect - 2D Level 1 Module

Copyright 2016 Micro-Press.com

This Module should be completed within 1.5 hours.

Create a new subdirectory and design file.

2.1 OPENING A NEW DESIGN FILE

The Browse or New File box.

OPEN A NEW DESIGN FILE

Click on the New File icon.

In the Save in box, navigate up to the C: root directory.

THE INTERFACE SCREEN

WINDOWS and VIEWS

You can quickly open or close views with the

In the Ribbon, click on the View tab at the top.

THE RIBBON - MORE DETAILS

Click on the File tab at the top left of the Ribbon.

On the left side, click on Settings/User in the blue list.

ACCUDRAW SETTINGS BOX

DOCKING TOOL BOXES

Press Ctrl-e to open the Level Display dialog box.

It wont work unless you drop the cursor on the icon.

However, notice the small pin icon

In the Ribbon, click on the View tab.

The View Attributes settings box is displayed. (You can also