.set and using variables

I guess I wanted to know if the IPLOT dialog found the design script (i.e. pen table) when you specified it as STANDARDS:division\pen\color_blue.pen. IOW, a preview of the dgn file showed that the design script was found, and applied
to the plot.

To see the full path of the design script you will need to set IPLOT_EXPAND_LOGICALS variable (in iplot.cfg) to true instead of false.

Here's a simple test I ran. On my machine I,

1. Created the directories

      C:\Standards\division\pen
      C:\Standards\Plotting\IPlot\Pen

2. Created a design script (color_blue.pen) in C:\Standards\division\pen with

      color = "blue"

3. Created a settings file (blue.set) in C:\Standards with

      -pen_table=STANDARDS:division\pen\color_blue.pen

4. Created a .cfg file (standards.cfg) in MicroStation's config\appl directory with

      STANDARDS=c:\Standards\
      IPLOT_PEN_TABLE_PATH = $(STANDARDS)Plotting/IPlot/Pen

5. Opened MicroStation with a sample dgn file

6. Opened IPLOT dialog

7. Did an IPLOT File->Select Settings and picked C:\Standards\blue.set

8. Opened the Plotting Files dialog (IPLOT's File->Select Plotting Files)

       design script was set to: STANDARDS:division\pen\color_blue.pen

9. Did a preview. Design script was found and applied. The color of all elements were changed to blue.

10. Exited MicroStation.

11. Edited iplot.cfg and changed the value of IPLOT_EXPAND_LOGICALS to true

          IPLOT_EXPAND_LOGICALS = true

12. Repeated steps 5 - 7.

13. Repeated step 8.

          design script was set to: c:\standards\division\pen\color_blue.pen

14. Repeated step 9. Preview was correct.

Could you try out a similar scenario and see if this works? If not please contact Plotting support for help.

Thanks,
Dennis Abreo

No, this did not work. When checking the pen table in iplot it showed STANDARDS:division\pen\dsv8.pen instead of the path to the server.

 

Did

pen=STANDARDS:division\pen\hpjetbw.pen

in the settings file work?

 

we are using the IPLOT dialog face. STANDARDS is defined in a .cfg file in the appl folder of Microstation. we use this cfg to point to the server for our common .pcf file that defines the majority of our resources.

Hi Robert,

In your settings file set

 pen=STANDARDS:division\pen\hpjetbw.pen

 and see if that works.

BTW, are using the IPLOT dialog interface or ProjectWise InterPlot Organizer?  Also, is STANDARDS defined in a MicroStation .ucf or .pcf file, or in iplot.cfg?

Dennis Abreo

 

I recentley have discovered that the variable that we have been using in our .set files are not working as they once were. I believe we started this practice in the latest 8.5 version of the iplot product. We are now currently using 8.11.5.8 PWP and 8.5.2.70 Microstation. we normally set the pen table with a .set file along with a couple of other settings. I have found out that if I change the path after the variable it will not use it. If I pick another pen table within the same path it will change.

We currently have IPLOT_PEN_TABLE_PATH = $(STANDARDS)Plotting/IPlot/Pen in a config file in the appl folder of Microstation.

If we try to use pen=$(STANDARDS)division\pen\hpjetbw.pen in a set file it will not change in iplot. If we copy the pen table to the $(STANDARDS)Plotting/IPlot/Pen folder it will change to it.

Any suggestions or reasons why this is not working as expected?

Robert