PC Studio FAQ


	Applies To

	Product(s):	PC Studio
	Version(s):	V8i
	Environment:	N/A
	Area:	N/A
	Subarea:	N/A
	Original Author:	Bentley Technical Support Group

Is there any way to get PC Studio to use metric units instead of imperial?

1) Create a new, empty PAC file.

2) Choose Tools > Options and switch to the Units tab.

3) Change the units as desired.

4) Save this file as "seed.pac" to the PC Studio executable directory; e.g., C:\Program Files (x86)\Bentley\MicroStation V8i (SELECTseries)\TriForma\Exe\seed.pac.

If this PAC file exists in the designated location, PC Studio will use it as the seed when creating new PAC files. If the file does not exist, as is the case in the delivered state, then the units will default to feet. Note that any other settings defined in seed.pac will also populate all newly created PAC files.

What is a *.paw file?

A *.paw file is a PC Studio "workspace" file, which stores display attributes such as view window orientation and zoom level.

What exactly are "segments"?

PC Studio's segments are similar to Levels in MicroStation. The segment that an element is created on will determine how it is handled when placed within Bentley Architecture. Following are the segment names currently recognized by Bentley Architecture:

Model3d

Segment_0

Plan2d

FrontElev

BackElev

Plan2dBottomElev

LeftElev

RightElev

BottomElev

FrontBackElev

RightLeftElev

BackFrontElev

LeftRightElev

BottomElevPlan2d

The first five bolded segments are the most commonly used, where 3D graphics are placed on the segment Model3d, non-visible elements such as reference paths or openings on Segment_0, and plan/elevation graphics on their respectively named segments. Note that correct spelling is critical and that names are case sensitive. For example, a segment named “Model3D” will not give you the same results as the one named “Model3d”.

Is it possible to add segments to an existing Component?

Additional elements cannot be added to an existing Component. However, you can drop the Component using the Explode option, available by right-clicking on the Component in the Container view, placing the new segments, then choosing all of the existing and new elements in order to recreate the original Component.

I created a component on the segment "Model3d", but it does not display when placed in Bentley Architecture.

The Component instance was on the segment "Model3d", but the elements within the component were not. The solid element in question (Solid_1) was actually on the segment "BackElev". It is important to set the correct segment when initially creating the elements, since placing them as a component (which in itself may have the correct segment) does not change the segment assigned to the individual component elements. This is intentional, since it allows you to have components that use more than one segment.

Which attributes affect the end results of how a PAZ is displayed in a Drawing Extraction or Drawing View?

_TF_DS_ADDCONTOURS

This attribute adds the contour of the Model3d solids to the resulting drawing symbol. This contour is the outline or "shadow" that the combined Model3d solids would make, with any holes in the shadow being filled. Valid values are "1" and "0" representing On and Off, but can also be assigned to plan or elevation graphics such as "Plan2d, FrontElev, etc. Note that the attribute values are case sensitive, and a default value of "1" is used if the attribute has not been defined.

_TF_DS_ADDVISIBLEEDGES

This attribute adds the visible edges of the Model3d solids to the resulting drawing symbol. Valid values are the same as _TF_DS_ADDCONTOURS, are also case sensitive, and also defaults to "1" if the attribute has not been defined.

_TF_DS_BRINGTOFRONT

This attribute will bring the PCS defined drawing symbol to the front of the PAZ cell placed in Bentley Architecture. In many cases the elevation drawing symbol can be coincident with the face of the wall and may therefore obscured in a Drawing Extraction or Drawing View. One could place the elevation symbol in a different location to avoid that scenario, but the same would have to be done for independent front and back symbols. Valid values are the same as the two attributes above, are case sensitive, but defaults to "0" if the attribute has not been defined.

Note: By defining these variables at the top level of the cell within PC Studio, their values should affect the symbol display for all views.

How can I add Placement Points to my assembly?

1. Set the active Segment to "Segment_0" (non-visible elements in Bentley Architecture)

2. Add your Reference path or any other geometry into the active Snap Set so that you can locate the placement points.

3. Choose Tools > Point3d. This will place a point in the center of your view window.

4. Move the point to the first logical placement point; e.g,, the bottom left corner of the reference path.

5. Place as many Point3d elements as you need placement points in Bentley Architecture.

6. Switch to the Container view where these elements should be named "ModelPoint3d_1", "ModelPoint3d_2", etc.

7. Double click the points one at a time from the Container View to edit their properties. NOTE: This is typically easier than trying to find them in the view window where they may be virtually invisible.

8. In the Properties dialog, verify that the points are on Segment_0 and assign them the following attribute:

Name: _TF_Point3d_Order

Type: Integer

Value: 1 (incrementing in the order up to the last point)

For the Value field, if you have 3 points then the values might logically be 1, 2 & 3 respectively for those 3 points. They could also be random numbers such as 2, 6 and 9 and the end result would be the same - Bentley Architecture will take the order from the integer and not the number at the end of the ModelPoint's name, though it usually makes sense to keep them in sync.

Does PC Studio integrate with ProjectWise Managed Workspaces?

PC Studio's File > Open and File > Save commands are integrated with ProjectWise Managed Workspaces. All other functions will need to be handled outside of ProjectWise. For PC Studio's Component Library, using a shared network drive location and/or local copy can be used, or you can also try creating sub-folders under your dataset's \Frames folder - PC Studio should be able to utilize this location since it is where PAZs are stored.