HALO or Outline for Text

To work with mapping and other issues like Architectural files with background images.  We need HALO text as that has proven to be the best method to display the text.  ESRI has done this with TTFonts for a long time.  How about Mstation?

  • Eric,

    the halo tool Karsten provided works, but it has it shortcomings. It is scale dependant as it is only a thick line. If you zoom out, the halo will alter its size.

    If you need a real halo effect, like it is provided in many GIS tools,  than contact me.

    The halo effect is part of my product spatialgateway, but I could provide a standalone tool also.

    It creates one or more "real" halo shapes.

    Best regards,

    Stefan.

  • Unknown said:

    To work with mapping and other issues like Architectural files with background images.  We need HALO text as that has proven to be the best method to display the text.  ESRI has done this with TTFonts for a long time.  How about Mstation?

    Are you able to find and copy the Esri true type font  that does this then put it in the  mstn fonts / font path?

    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.
    click link to PM me 

  • Here is a small Macro I wrote some time ago. If you need more Mapping features you should take a look on Bentley Map as Andrew suggested.

    These Macro creates a copy of selected Elements with actual Color, Line weight and Display Priority -10. The new Elements are in a named group called halo_elements, so they could easily deleted.

     

     

     

    halo_new.mvba



  • Not neccessarily  my oldIT had restrictions on anything in the programs  folder which msnt  by default installs to so you could not put anything or change anything  to the  mstn folders.. in order to get around this I had to get the IT depart to instal mnst to c:\Bentley\etc

    That  way it wasnt in a Restricted  programs folder  however this is not the best situation but the best compromise  between IT security protocal and user ability to customise things...

    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.
    click link to PM me 

  • Unknown said:
    I think Eric means its external data

    You're probably right — but that's not what Eric wrote.  Since this is a public Forum and not a private conversation I sought to clarify the difference between data and software.

    MS_FONTPATH

    Unknown said:
    I had similar IT data security restrictions where I last  worked...

    It's not uncommon: IT departments are sometimes over-zealous in their enthusiasm to impose restrictions upon users in the name of security.  In this case, the \Fonts folder is a subdirectory of the Windows\System folder, which an IT department often wants to lock.  That's one reason that Bentley Systems introduced the MS_FONTPATH configuration variable: it lets you drop TTF fonts into a non-Windows folder.

    From MicroStation help: MicroStation searches for TrueType fonts in your Windows system fonts directory (%SYSTEMROOT%\Fonts), in directories specified by MS_FONTPATH, and in the same directory as the design file requesting the font.

    In other words, Eric could put a TTF halo font into his DGN folder without compromising IT's lock on the Windows folder.

     
    Regards, Jon Summers
    LA Solutions