Element Templates

Mark, I am not sure that I follow you question, basically a template define properties of elements. this includes the level that the elements are placed on , color, style , weight etc. so when you pick your template this set that information for you so that when the element is placed it is placed with those attributes. does this help, if not can you provide more information on what you are trying to accomplish ?

Melissa What i would like to do is have a template that allows us to place a shape that can be fill and hatched at the same time but have the hatch, fill and shape all applied to different levels and also have different colours, much as we do with our multi lines. This is what i thought having the ability to added more than one level and colour etc to a template would allow you to do, but i can't find anywhere that allows to apply the hatch pattern or fill colour to a seperate level.

Melissa What i would like to do is have a template that allows us to place a shape that can be fill and hatched at the same time but have the hatch, fill and shape all applied to different levels and also have different colours, much as we do with our multi lines. This is what i thought having the ability to added more than one level and colour etc to a template would allow you to do, but i can't find anywhere that allows to apply the hatch pattern or fill colour to a seperate level.

Hi Mark,

reading your post and the answers, it seems to me more different topics are inside your question.

Unknown said:

i would like to do is have a template that allows us to place...

It sounds like a misunderstanding what templates are designed for. Using templates you can define settings (common symbology, text styles, hatch and pattern parameters etc.) that will be applied when the template will be activated. Templates have no relation to MicroStation elements and they don't control the element placement, they work with the settings only.

To define what element using what MicroStation tool or key-in will be created a custom tool can be used. The custom tool can active a defined element template when is started, so the workflow is: A custom tool is started > it defineds what element template will become active > the template sets symbology and other element properties > custom tool definition is used to set tool properties or to run some key-in(s) > everything is ready to place the element with the defined tool and parameters.

Unknown said:

to place a shape that can be fill and hatched at the same time but have the hatch, fill and shape all applied to different levels

If anything cannot be done manually, the templates cannot help you. Templates don't do things differently, they standardize and automate setting process only. As Lorys mentioned already, what you require cannot be solve fully in MicroStation:

• Under some conditions you can hatch an element in such way the hatch will be in different level > this request can be solved.
• But it's not possible to create filled element where the element is in a different level than the filling, because the fill is the element property, not separate element > this request cannot be solved.

Unknown said:

to place a shape that can be fill and hatched at the same time

It requires two steps: In the first the filled element will be created, in the second an area defined by the element will be hatched. Custom tools allow to call more key-ins step by step, but I think it's not enough to implement the functionality you required. On the other hand I am quite sure VBA macro can do it.

Unknown said:

This is what i thought having the ability to added more than one level and colour etc to a template

No. The only tool which currently works with multiple properties defined in templates is Standard Checker.

With regards,

  Jan

Jan

Thanks for your reply, this has explained it all

Mark