Florida Local User Group 2008 FLUG Spring Conference Introduction to MicroStation V8 XM Edition Mike Elwell Bentley Systems
What s new in the V8 XM Edition? The changes and enhancements in the MicroStation V8 XM Edition are designed to add to the capabilities of the V8 platform while providing a more task-appropriate user experience. What's changed? Application Window Layout Changes Menu Changes for the XM Edition 3D Content in PDF Files AccuDraw Enhancements Annotation Tools -- Revision Clouds AutoCAD Interoperability Cells Enhancements Color Enhancements Database Interface Enhancements Design History Enhancements Detailing Symbols Dimensioning Enhancements Drawing Tools Element Info (Properties) dialog box Element Templates Example Files
What s new in the V8 XM Edition? What's changed (cont.)? Export Visible Edges Enhancements Fence Enhancements Fields File Protection Enhancements Google Earth Tools Graphics Handles Enhancements Installer Levels Enhancements License Management Enhancements Line Styles Enhancements Mesh Modeling Tools Models Enhancements Place Note Enhancements Printing Enhancements Project Explorer and Link Sets Raster Manager Enhancements References Enhancements Seed File Selection Utility SDK for MicroStation V8 XM Edition User Interface Enhancements Utility Enhancements Viewing Enhancements Visualization
The MicroStation Manager The MicroStation Manager is now a Windows style dialog box. Functionality you associate with native Windows file selection becomes available when using it. This same style dialog box is available when creating, opening, and referencing drawings from within MicroStation.
Application Window layout changes There have been significant changes to the default layout of the MicroStation V8 application window:
Positional Keyboard Mapping Positional keyboard mapping allows you to navigate the MicroStation interface. You may use the keyboard to select commands and change settings.
Dialog and tool box changes The concept of a tool frame goes away in the MicroStation V8 XM Edition. The Main Tool Frame has been replaced with the new Main Tool Box. This allows us to dock virtually any tool box where we desire. It is now possible to dock many dialogs that could not be docked in previous versions of MicroStation. We can also apply transparency to our dialogs and tool boxes. A View Window will now automatically resize (if it has been maximized) when we dock/undock items in the interface.
Element Attributes The Attributes tool bar has been updated adding Element Templates, Element transparency, and Element priority tools. These new attributes allow us to see through filled objects and control the redraw order regardless of the order the elements were placed in the file. We can then save the sets of attributes for re-use as templates to assist in creating similar elements.
Viewing enhancements Many changes have been made to viewing our drawings in MicroStation. View Attributes have been added to the View Window menu, View Control tools have been relocated to the upper left corner of view windows, and many new enhancements have been added to the mouse buttons that effect viewing your designs.
Input The way we interact with the mouse has been redesigned in the MicroStation V8 XM Edition. Commonly accessed view controls such as fit view, zoom, pan, view rotation, etc. There are new mouse button assignments. There are also new default F-Keys.
Named Fences We have the debut of a new feature related to how we work with fences in MicroStation. Named Fences introduce the ability to save fences within your drawing file. You may also attach reference files by named fences, etc.
Level enhancements It is possible to assign the new element attributes for transparency and priority to levels. Also added is the ability to selectively import levels an level filters.
Dimension Styles The Dimension Styles dialog box has been re-designed with a tabular interface that groups related settings.
Text Enhancements The text tools have been enhanced with the addition of text Fields, new placing note settings, the cloud tool, Detailing Symbols, and more.
Annotation scale Annotation scale may now be applied to cells, custom linestyles, and matched through the Match Text Attributes and Match Dimension Attributes commands. A great way to manipulate annotation scale is through the Drawing Scale tool bar. Settings>Drawing Scale
Cells Cells may now be placed with Annotation Scale. This is a property that must first be applied to the cell model. Once applied, annotation scale is then available during cell placement.
References New reference features include the ability to manipulate references using standard manipulation tools, new attachment settings supporting saved views, named fences, named groups, revision for design history, and more.
Project Explorer Project Explorer allows you to manage project data within MicroStation. Project data refers primarily to design and sheet models and the files in which models are stored (DGN and DWG), but can also include Saved views Reference files Supporting documentation stored in Microsoft Office files as well as other data file formats Data management is provided through a set of links stored in a link set. Think of the link set as an index page that can be accessed and navigated from within MicroStation.
The Project Explorer interface The Project Explorer interface provides an easy to navigate interface to access project data. The link set(s) may be stored in a DGN file or a DGNLIB. A link then point to the location of the source document allowing easy navigation to that document from within MicroStation.
AutoCAD interoperability In the XM Edition, MicroStation V8 extends its support for reading and writing the DWG file format to AutoCAD 2006. Other areas with enhancements include: Default units when opening DWG files now Design Center Units Expanded DWG workmode unit format options Save As DWG/DXF changes to General options
Google Earth TM integration Integration with the Google Earth TM environment is now available through the Google Earth TM tools delivered with MicroStation V8 XM Edition. MicroStation is the first single-point solution to publish 2D/3D DGN & DWG models complete with GIS & Civil information directly to the Google Earth TM environment.
Raster Manager Raster Manager has been updated to provide support for additional raster formats, adjustment of viewing plane (foreground, design, background), and more. New capabilities include the ability to attach Adobe TM documents as raster references.
Questions?
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