4-1.CE102Fall2013_MicroStation Lab-1.pdf

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CE 102 MicroStation V8 Quick Tutorial

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UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH ALABAMADepartment of Civil Engineering

INTRODUCTION TO CIVIL ENGINEERING: CE 102,Fall 2013Instructor: Dr. Min-Wook Kang

MicroStation Lab 1

I. GETTING STARTEDII. ACCUDRAWIII. SMARTLINE


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I. GETTING STARTED

I-1. Creating your blank document

1. Create a main working folder (e.g. CE102_MS_Kang) in your computer for your

MicroStation work. Put the folder in a location where you are comfortable, such asyour personal folder in your USB flash drive.

2. Create a sub-working folder (e.g., Lab-1_Kang_01232012) under your main workingfolder to store MicroStation design files that you will create and update in the class.

Each class, it is strongly recommended to create a new sub-working folder.

3. Activate MicroStationMicroStation is a Windows compliant software. As any other software, you can start it

from Windows start menu, by double clicking the icon from desktop, or clicking the iconin quick launch if you put it there.

When you start the application, you will see a dialog box: File Openmanager (calledMicroStation Manager in the old version);

If the File Open manager is not displayed (when you start or if you are currentlylooking at a blank design file), select File > Closeto return to display the Manager.

4. Create New Files

Lets try to create a new file. On the upper right of File Openmanager, you shouldsee New File button. Click it.

Browse to your class working folder (e.g., Lab-1_Kang_01232012), and give the filename like My First Drawing. Do not click save yet.


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Check the seed file. If its not showing seed2d.dgn, click browse and select it. Seedfile is a MicroStation template file that you can start with.

Click save. You will see a new file created in your working folder. Select the file, and

click it to open.


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Note:Seed File

- When creating a new design file, MicroStation uses the settings from another file calledaseed fileto start the new file.

- Theseed fileis a previously saved file that has been setup with the desired settings such

as the unit of measure (feet, meters) that you want to use with the new file.

- If you have an existing dgn file of which settings have already been setup and if youwant to create a new file with the same settings with the existing file, Use the

existing file as a seed file the new file.

- Once the new file is started and the settings have been established, the seed file is nolonger used by the design file.

5. Mouse Function Lets try to understand the mouse function used in MicroStatioin.

To see which buttons are assigned or to change assignments Select Workspace >Button Assignments

1.Left clickis called data point(DP). When we place an object, we willneed to define a data point. Either start point, center point, end point, or any

kind of points!

2.Scroll Buttonis your mouse mid button. Its only available for 3 buttonmouse.

Scrolling this button will zoom in/zoom out the drawing area.

Clicking it twice will activate fit view. MicroStation rescales your view

to show every object in your drawing.

3.Right clickis called as Reset. Reset is used to finish using a tool or cancela running process.

4.Tentative buttonis when you press both left and right button at the sametime. We use this for temporary snap.

Click


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Tentative Point: A tentative is a temporary move to a location prior to accepting the

location. For example, when indicating the center of a circle, the first step may be toplace a tentative point to a location and then, if that location is the one desired, a data

point is used to accept that position. If that position was not the one desired, another

tentative could be initiated before a data point would be used to accept.

6. Draw, Delete, and Undo/Redo Elements, and Create a Backup fileAn example withSmartline

Click Place Smartlinetool ( a standard tool used a lot in drawing lines)Left click (start a line)Left click.. Right click (finish the line)

You can delete the shape, by clickingDelete Elementclick the shape

You can use Undo and Redo button (just under Edit menu or in PrimaryTool) if you want to go back and/or process your operation (e.g., Undo Delete

Element operation).

If you want to make a backup

File > Save As

Save your current drawing file asa backup file name.

7. Set Working UnitSetting > Design Files > Working Unit

In MicroStation, you have to define your working unit at the very beginning beforeyou start drawing. You can check your working unit by accessing:

Menu Settings > Design File > Working Units.


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By default, in country using metric unit, MicroStation will define the master unit(MU) as meters and sub unit as millimeters. If its not your working units, change it

now (e.g., MU is feet and SU is inch). After you finish, click OK.

You can measure the length of the element usingDimension Elementtool ( ).Practice 0:

*Note: We will further discuss the Working Unitand Dimensionlater

8. Saving File and Automatic SaveOption

Close MicroStation. Did it ask you to save your design file? If yes, click Save. If you want to automatically save your design changes in your file: Select Workspace > Preference. Click on category Operation on the left.

Select Automatically Save Design Changes option.

If this option is enabled, all design changes are immediately saved; therefore, there isnot need to save the file before existing.

(see, below)

Dimension with MetricUnit

Dimension with US CustomaryUnit


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- After you activate the Automatically Save Design Changes option, place somelines on your design file and close MicroStation without saving it. MicroStation

will not ask you to save your design file.

- When you open the file again, you will still see the lines even if you didnt savethe file. MicroStation automatically saves it to your file, every time you create an

object. However, I still recommend you to save your file regularly byaccessing File > Saveor press [ctrl] + S.

9. Save Settings You need to save settings separately with saving file. You can save the settings by accessing menu File>Save Settingsor press [ctrl] + F.

(Practice with an example next)

- Lets change your Master Working Units (e.g., from meters to feet), and look atthe dimensions of your element. You can see that the demesnes are automatically

changed with respect to your new working unit.

- Lets save your file, close your design file, and then open it again. How it looks

like. It still shows the meter!

10.Automatic Save Setting on Exit Select Workspace > Preference. Click on category Operation on the left.

Select Save Setting on Exit option.

If this option is enabled, all design changes are immediately saved, therefore, there isnot need to save the setting changes before exiting.

In this way, you dont have to click File>Save Settingsor press [ctrl] + F before youclose your file.


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I-2. User InterfaceAfter you open an existing MicroStation design file or create a new file, you will see a windowsimilar to the figure below, which shows some of the familiar Windows icons and additional

drawing controls.

Menu area: You can change Settings and Workspace of your design file. Someexamples are explained below:

To inverse the background color of the screen view between black and white,you can find the appropriate toggle switch by clicking on the following sequence

as the screen changes:

- Workspace > Preferences > View Options- Select Black Background White and then select OK to close the dialog.

You can turn on or off the grid of your screen view, by clicking:

- Settings > View Attributes > Click Grid

To modify the grid settings (e.g., grid space) of your screen view, go to:- Settings > Design File Settings> Gridand then change the Grid Master and

Grid Reference values

Grid Master: defines distance between dots(e.g., 0.1 means 10% of your master unit)

Grid Reference: defines the number of dots per each grid(e.g., 10 means 10 dots per each grid)

*Length of each Grid = Grid Master X Grid Reference value

Note:

Menu area

Task

frame

Attribute tool box Primary tool boxStandard tool box

Main tool

box View

window

Snap mode

ViewControl

ToolBar

Drawing

tool box


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Tool boxes(Tools > Tool boxes): It allows you to see a list of all available tools. The

tool boxes with a check mark next to them are already open. To open a toolbox, youmust place a check mark in its check box by clicking it

Practice 1:

Settings > Design File Settings> Working UnitsMaster Unit: MetersSettings > Design File Settings> Grid

Check Grid LockGrid master = 0.2 (i.e., the distance between dots = 0.2*1meter)

Gride Reference = 10 (i.e., the total number of dots/grid = 10)In this wa , ou can set the len th of each rid = 2 meter.

Dist. btw dots

Length of grid


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I-3. Main toolbox

It is used to select general usage (e.g., element selection, manipulation, andmodification) tools.

By default, tools from the Main toolbox appear as a Main task in the Tasks dialog,which is docked to the left-hand edge of the application window. The Tasks dialog

can be undocked or docked to the right-hand edge. Right-clicking in the Main task

and selecting Open 'Main' as Toolbox opens the toolbox as a floating toolbox.

The tools in the Main Toolbox are also members of a child toolbox. It containsnine toolboxes. From the left to right, the toolboxes are as follows:

Element selection tools

Fence tools

Manipulation tools


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View control tools

Attribute control tools

Group tools


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Modification tools

Delete Element

Measure Distance tools


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I-4. Drawing Toolbox This tool frame will usually be docked at the upper left side of your drawing.

The tools in the Drawing Toolboxare also members of a child toolbox. It containsnine toolboxes. Try to hold the Linear tools button, for example. Within the Linear tools,

separate tools are available to place Smartline, line, multi-line, points, createcurves, etc. Clicking on the Open as Toolbox will give you a toolbox you can

leave open. You can close it by clicking on the small X.

Linear element tools including SmartLine

Polygons tools

Circles tools


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Patterns tools

Text tools

Cells tools

Dimensioning tools


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II. ACCUDRAW AccuDraw is a pretty handy tool to place drawing elements in your design files. It can help you to place elements precisely, effectively, and efficient.

You can find AccuDraw above status bar (at the bottom of your MicroStationWindow). You can tear it off and make it floats like image shown in the figure below.

Note: since this tutorial is about 2D drawing, you will only see X axis and Y axis.But when you create a 3D drawing, you will see one more axis: Z axis.

You can turn it on/off by clicking Toggle AccuDraw on Primary Toolbox.

AccuDrawdisplays either a rectangular or polar (circular) compass.

The recuangluar compass is primarily used to specify positions based on arectangular coordinate system in which the user specifies positions in terms of

movement along the x, y, and z axes. The circular or polar compass is primarily used to indicate positions in terms of

distance and angle. The angle is specified in terms of degrees using the currentangle convention)

AccuDraw

dialog

SmartLine

setting

AccuDraw

compass

(Tip) Changing background color:

Workspace > Preferences > View Optionsandthen check Black Background to White

Tip: Switch one mode to the otherPress the Space Barwhile

AccuDraw is active.


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Practice 2: Lock Set your Master working unit (e.g., feet) Activate Place SmartLineby clicking the button on task navigation.

Click anywhere on your drawing area. You will see a compass on your pointer.

Note: AccuDraw origin continually resets to (0, 0) immediately after you click thenext data point.

Try to move your mouse pointer around. You will see the X and Y valuechanging.

If you move your pointer near to X or Y axis, you will see the line is thicker andsticky to the axis.

Move your pointer to the right, make sure X field get the focus. Type some value

(e.g., 2) then [enter]. You will see that the X value is locked.

Now move your pointer up until Y field get the focus. Type 2 then [enter]. Youwill see that the Y value is locked.

x-axis indicator Red

y-axis indicator (Green)

(0, 0)

(3.1696, 1.2991)


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Note: press [enter] without inputting X or Y value. This will activate SmartLock.

SmartLockwill lock either the horizontal value or vertical value

Practice example below: Draw 2 X 2 square element using Smartline

Practice 3: Drawing a rectangle with Place Blocktool

Begin drawing a rectangle by selecting the Place Block tool. Enter first point: click anywhere in the view window to indicate the first point.

oYou should see the AccuDraw rectangular compass displayed at the pointyou entered.

Next, press the SPACE bar to change to a circular compass, and move the mouseup and to the right of the first point (Do Not click left mouse yet).

oAs you move, the AccuDraw dialog displaysDistanceandAnglechange. Type the number 2forDistanceand type45for anglein the AccuDraw dialog.

oThe AccuDraw dialog should appear similar to the example below:

See handout (p. 4-23 ~ 4-33of MicroStation V8 An Introduction to Computer-Aided Design)

for more details of AccuDraw.

Some useful AccuDraw shortcuts?: Show a list of all AccuDraw shortcuts (type ? while activating AccuDraw).

V: Rotate the AccuDraw compass to align with the view axis

RQ: Rotate Quick

Enter: Smart Lock

2

45o

Distance

Angle

When you finish your drawing, Snaptoolwill ensure your data point

snapped to a certain point.


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III. SMARTLINE

The Place SmartLine tool is used to draw:

An individual line element; (the same function of Place Line tool) An arc segment;

A complex shape which consists multiple lines and arcs as a single element

When activating SmartLine tool, the Place SmartLine dialog will pop-up

There are several options available when using the SmartLinetool.

Practice 4 (Lab-1_In-Class Practice)

Drawing the following shape usingthe SmartLinetool

Note:

Master working unit = Meter

Place SmartLine dialog

You can switch betweenarcs and lines as you createthe elements.


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MicroStation In Class Assignment -1

Complete the drawing below using MicroStation, and print it in a letter size paper.

Due: 09-03-13, before the class begins (submit the printed document).

File Name: YourName_CE 102 MicroStation Assignment -1.dgn

Note and Tips:

Set Master Working Unit: Feet

AccuDraw compass follows the previous data points orientation. When you get to point (1),you need to reset the compass orientation. Press V to reset the compass to view orientation.

Click Fencetool and specify your printing area before clicking Print button .

When printing, set your Print Scale (paper:design) to 20(1in in paper is 20 feet in design)

(1)

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4-1.CE102Fall2013_MicroStation Lab-1.pdf