Hi,
I'm an experienced AutoCAD user, brand new to microstation. Using V8i.
First question: Is there any good "If you know how to do it in AutoCAD, here is what you do in microstation" type guide for common tasks? I find that microstation has a very non-intuitive user interface. Things simply don't work the way you expect them to and even simple tasks are an exercise in frustration.
Second question: Snaps not working. I want to snap to end points, midpoints, intersections, and centers. So I went Settings > Snaps > Multi-snap and I checked the appropriate boxes in the Multi-Snap 1 dialog. I then selected Multi-Snap 1 as active and went to start drawing. But it doesn't work. It snaps only to end points, nothing else. So I go back in the menu and I see that Multi-Snap 1 is not selected. Keypoint is selected. I figure that I'm a doofus who forgot to actually turn it on, so I select Multi-Snap 1. Still not working. Go back and see that Keypoint is once again selected. So I select Multi-Snap 1 again. This time I pull down the menu a second time and visually verify that there is a black dot right next to Multi-Snap 1. Ok, its definitely selected this time. Try to use it, still not working, go back to the menu and now keypoint is selected again!!
How to exorcise the demon in the machine that keeps turning my snap back to Keypoint after I select Multi-Snap 1?
Third question: I want to do the microstation equivalent of exploding a polyline into line segments. I have learned that the Microstation calls the explode function "Drop", and calls polylines "line strings".
So I select the line string that I want to drop and I type DROP in the key in. Nothing happens. So then I try pulling down the menu and selecting the drop tool. It displays a do not enter sign when I hover the cursor over the line string that I want to drop.
How can I make it work to drop a line string into lines?
Thanks for your patience.
Hi Josh,
at first, please never (never never never) ask more different questions in the same post. This is common rule for all forums, not specific for this Bentley site, and it one from important rules to ensure efficient communication. Otherwise the whole discussion will become confusing and chaotic quickly. I recommend to split your question to separate posts.
A few comments, maybe they will help you to reformulate your questions a bit in separate posts.
Josh Walker said:Is there any good
I recommend to visit Bentley LEARN server and to check what MicroStation trainings can help you (maybe MicroStation Basics learning path is a place where to start). I remember there was also a special course for AutoCAD user and I also recommend to search Internet, because many different materials can be found (including commercial video tutorials like Lynda.com).
Josh Walker said: I find that microstation has a very non-intuitive user interface.
Yes, if you evaluate yourself as experienced AutoCAD users, some features in MicroStation can look weird, because some fundamental differences exist. But it will be the same also in opposite direction for advanced MicroStation users ;-)
Josh Walker said:Snaps not working.
It works for sure. I recommend (in a new separate post) to post also screen capture to specify when and how you select active snap. Be aware MicroStation offers two different types of snap selection: "next snap only mode" and "standard mode". When you just select a snap from Status bar menu or in Snap toolbar (just click on menu item or icon), it's "next snap only mode" and after a next snap the mode will be returned to standard one. To choose another "standard mode", use Shift in Status bar menu or double click in toolbar.
Josh Walker said:How to exorcise the demon
No demons here ;-) ... but to start using different program without reading manual or attending course is not good idea and will be always confusing and frustrating. Probably similar after years of driving US cars with petrol big size engine and automatic gearbox and moving to Europe with small-sized diesel engines and manual shifting ... it will be just weird and demons like ;-)
Josh Walker said:How can I make it work to drop a line string into lines?
In my opinion the most simple is to start Drop Element tool in Main task and in Tool settings dialog to choose what element type(s) you want to drop.
BTW Correct key-in is not DROP, but DROP ELEMENT (check documentation where the most of key-ins are always mentioned as a part of tools description).
With regards,
Jan
Bentley Accredited Developer: iTwin Platform - AssociateLabyrinth Technology | dev.notes() | cad.point
Answer Verified By: Josh Walker
Hi Jan, Thank you. Holding shift was the solution. That got the multi-snap selection to "stick" and stay selected. You mention "Next snap only" - my experience was not that it worked 1 time and then stopped working, but that it worked zero times. That's more like "No times only" than "Next snap only". Any thoughts on why that might be?
There is also a user preference that can be enabled to save your active snap settings in your user preferences, so if you have multi-snap 1 as your active snap when you close a file, that will be the active snap in the next file that you open. The default is that the active snap is saved per file.
File tab > Settings > User > Preferences > Operation > Use Snap Mode from Preferences.
Marc