Do you have a specific requirement to create a Cell Library? You can leave the DWG files as is and use the configuration variable MS_BLOCKLIST to essentially achieve the same end goal. From the doumentation:
"The MS_BLOCKLIST configuration variable can be used to identify a list of DWG files that can be inserted as cells. In this case, the contents of the entire DWG file is placed as a shared cell."
Nigejk,
create a Microstation cell library in the cell library dialog. Open the cell library in the file open dialog (as you do with ordinary dgn; you may have to configure file extension to *.cel or *.*). Then in the models dialog use the import model button to import your dwg files.
Don´t miss the chance to create a cell selector file, so that you can create a palette with a graphical preview of your cells.
HTH
Gunnar
I have had a further look at this and found some of this useful.
Gunnar - I stumbled on the import dwg button after my post and have found this only will allow you to import one file at a time. On further investigation I have found that by opening the cel file and then selecting all the dwg's in an explorer window they can then be dragged and dumped on to the model dialog box which then creates a new model sheet (and Sheet unfortunately) for each drawing. Although would seem ideal on the face of it all the model sheets have the same name so I do not know which is which and due to the them being all very similar steel sections it is not possible to tell.
Phil - I set up the block list but do not know how to now use it, and could not find any info on the net.
I have also found that in the cell dialog box you can attach a folder and show all cells in that path which effectively gives me the same as opening a cell file with all the drawings in.
I am going to try and take it a step further by setting up short cut buttons/ keys and using keyins to get a much more usable system - but this will be a whole new learning experience.
Thanks for your help
I assume that the naming issue is one of the main reasons why we can only import one model at a time. As you have probaly realized we have either the opportunity to rename the imported model, in the procedure or have MicroStation increment the existing name.
Although this is a quite laborious way of doing it, it is my preferred method because you end up with a well organized cell library which in my opionion has advantages over the method Phil suggested. Mainly because they help to manage the MicroStation environment effectively and as I already mentioned because we can create a cell selector file for a cell library. Also I expect custom tools or tasks using the cells of the cell library to work more predictable than a folder with files. So in my opionion it is worth the effort.
You can also try a trick by placing your DWG files as cells in a file in AutoCAD. (May be this works in MicroStation as well, but I haven´t tried yet.) In the resulting DWG the placed blocks/cells will be converted as shared cells to DGN. You then can use the command export cells shared "C:\Foldername\Library.cel" to export your block definitions as cell definitions in the specified cell library. (The cell library will be created by the command.) Cells will have the same names as the AutoCAD blocks.
Attaching a folder with files is exactly the method Phil proposed with his hint to the MS_BLOCKLIST Variable which does this permanently by the definition of the variable. Concerning the variable seach MicroStation Help for the term MS_Blocklist. There is a topic named "DWG- and DXF-related Configuration Variables" where the use of the variable is explained. Though very brief it should make clear what you want to now after what you have learned already.