Element Templates

Can some please explain why or how you uses the following in element templates

Levels you can have a primary level which seems to be the level the template will take when it is used, yet you can added multiply levels below this which dont seem to have any function at all.

This also seem to apply to all the attributes within  the templates including colour fill, hatching etc

many thanks

Mark

  • Tim,
    I don't quite understand your explanation of how to select a different property in the element template. I have a single template set up with multiple levels, colors, and line weights. Can you explain further of how to select one of the secondary properties?

    Thanks.

    Rod Wing
    Senior Systems Analyst

  • Jan

    Thanks for your reply, this has explained it all

    Mark
  • 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

  • Unknown said:
    If there are multiple instances of the same property and you do not want to use the default property, before drawing the element use the appropriate toolboxes to select “secondary” properties that match those in the template.

    It would be noted that there is no any dependency or linkage between active template and a selection of parameters implemented, so if multiple properties are defined in the template definition, it's not indicated anywhere and user is not aware of it. In my opinion it makes the whole concept of multiple elements pretty ineffective and hardly usable. The only tool which accepts and works with multiple properties is Standard Checker.

    With regards,

      Jan

  • The orignal poster  Mark stated  and I quote "fill and shape all applied to different levels" 

    I must not be understanding this  but as far as I can tell templates may offer you multiple options but it cannot create

     a shape or polygon that the fill and  out line are on different levels to eachother..

    Lorys

    Started msnt work 1990 - Retired  Nov 2022 ( oh boy am I old )

    But was long time user V8iss10 (8.11.09.919) dabbler CE  update 16 (10.16.00.80) 

    MicroStation user since 1990 Melbourne Australia.
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