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How Can I create custom detailing symbols?

                In this blog, I'm going to explain how to create a detailing symbol style. Out of the box, ustation.dgnlib comes with Default style. It refers to cells like SectionBubble, SectionArrowWing, etc., which are also in ustation.dgnlib. These cells contain Place Holder Link Property fields (Fields provide the necessary information related to Drawing ID, Sheet Name, Sheet Number, Drawing Name, etc.). When you create a new detailing symbol style, it uses Default style as the seed. You can then change its settings. If you want to use a cell from your own .cel library, you must first point MS_DETAILINGSYMBOLS_CELLLIST configuration variable to your .cel library.

When you change a style and save it, the changes are propagated to existing detailing symbols that are using that style. You cannot delete a style that is in use.

In this blog, I am focusing only on section callout. You can use same procedure for all types of detailing symbols.

Default style
              Section Callout symbol contains 5 parts. 

  1. Main Terminator
  2. Main Wing
  3. Tail Terminator
  4. Tail Wing
  5. Leader

Here are the steps to create your own detailing symbol style.

  1. Create a .cel library with cells for main terminator, main wing, tail terminator and tail wing. Turn on their model properties - "Can be placed as a cell" and "Can be placed as an annotation cell".
    For example I have created below type of cel. I have given name to this model is "SectionBubble_UserDesignCel". You can add multiple cells in single .cel or .dgnlib file and access them in drop down list.

       2.    Assign that cell library to MS_DETAILINGSYMBOLS_CELLLIST.

                Now create a new style and assign all those newly created cells to Section Callout (In the drop down list you can see newly created cells.). You can assign cells to Tail Terminator, Tail Wing, Main Terminator, and Main Wing of Section Callout. Apart from changing cel for a callout you can also change its color, Style and weight from Detailing Style dialog.

 As soon as you save all these changes, callouts those were placed with this style get replaced with new cell. For example

In this way you can change display of any callout by changing its cell, Color, Style and weight.

More blogs are coming up so be there.

 

  • Offline

    Hi Josh,

    We have observed this issue and it will be fixed in the upcoming MicroStation release.

    Mark

  • Anonymous
    Anonymous

    Hi Mark,

    I have made a custom section callout cell similar to the new one above but my problem is when i do a vertical section the text rotates with the arrows

    Is there a way to stop the text from rotating?

    Also is it possible to use tag sets in these cells?

    Thanks

    Josh

  • Offline

    1. Don't know which company uses "Areial Narrow" as the default font for productions!  Is there a way that we can modify the default callout symbols?

              Yes you can modify Default setting. Open DetailingSymbolStyle.dgnlib from …Workspace\System\Dgnlib folder, Open cell model for which you want to change text style. Double click on fields (Drawing Identifier or Sheet Name), and change its style or font.

    2. If the answer is "NO" for the 1st, is there any way to edit or modify the wording of the field for the custom symbols.  For example, "Drawing Identifier" to "#", "Sheet Name" to "Sheet"?

              Drawing identifier and Sheet Name are the properties names. Those fields cannot be changed.

    3. For section callout, must it be a continuous solid line?  Can it just have the Main Terminator and Tail Ternimaor?

              You can remove solid line by making Gap from Main Terminator to Tail terminator. There is a option in right click menu of callout to create a Gap in line. Whenever you want a line you can make it again with the help of Gap handles. You can also change line style from Detailing Symbol Style dialog.

    HTH

    Mark Penn

  • Hi Mark,

    I am hitting walls every where.  Thanks again for the sharings, and mind helping me for few questions?

    1. Don't know which company uses "Areial Narrow" as the default font for productions!  Is there a way that we can modify the default callout symbols?

    2. If the answer is "NO" for the 1st, is there any way to edit or modify the wording of the field for the custom symbols.  For example, "Drawing Identifier" to "#", "Sheet Name" to "Sheet"?

    3. For section callout, must it be a continuous solid line?  Can it just have the Main Terminator and Tail Ternimaor?

    Thanks again.

    Albert Wu

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