Crazy behaviour: Element Templates association get lost by certain actions

Hallo,

we managed to get a workaround for placing a cell with the right element template definition inside. 

The problem is, that if you don´t have all templates in the current file, while inserting a cell, this is not working. In our company all templates are in the DGNlib-File as it is recommended and not in the current file. 

Note: If the element template is not in the current file the element template info is deleted. It Would be better if the element template would be changing to internal element template by inserting the cell, like it is if you draw a line on a template from DGNlib. Than afterwards the template become internal. Should be the same on inserting a cell. If you want to reproduce the issue, you have to drop the cell to see the element template association in the cell.

The same problem occurs, if you make a cell about create new cell, than the Element Template association is not in the cell, even if all the templates are in the dgnlib. The element template is only in the cell-library if you have before copied the element template definition in the .cel. 

This took us some hours to find out. Hopefully this will change in the near future. 

Kind regards

Gerd

Hallo,

we managed to get a workaround for placing a cell with the right element template definition inside. 

The problem is, that if you don´t have all templates in the current file, while inserting a cell, this is not working. In our company all templates are in the DGNlib-File as it is recommended and not in the current file. 

Note: If the element template is not in the current file the element template info is deleted. It Would be better if the element template would be changing to internal element template by inserting the cell, like it is if you draw a line on a template from DGNlib. Than afterwards the template become internal. Should be the same on inserting a cell. If you want to reproduce the issue, you have to drop the cell to see the element template association in the cell.

The same problem occurs, if you make a cell about create new cell, than the Element Template association is not in the cell, even if all the templates are in the dgnlib. The element template is only in the cell-library if you have before copied the element template definition in the .cel. 

This took us some hours to find out. Hopefully this will change in the near future. 

Kind regards

Gerd

Hello Gerd,

Have you considered to use Customize dialog? Your definition of Element Templates could be integrated and functional. Here enclosed the video file for reference.

Regards,

Hyung

How about fixing the issues with Templates so that people can use the product out of the box and get the results they (reasonably) expect? If the most appropriate location for resources, such as templates, is in DGNLIB files, then perhaps we shouldn't have to "Customize" Microstation for those templates to be used and applied correctly throughout the software. I understand that Bentley cannot think of every possible application for every possible resource, but it's a pretty logical assumption that a template used to create the cell would be added and retained when that cell is placed in a drawing.

While I don't use templates much at this point, and I'm not using CONNECT in production (because...reasons) I can't think of too many places where I would NOT want a template association to be retained by the element. If the template is being used for a reason, then it should be as "permanent" a part of the element definition as level and color. For the template association to be "lost" so often through fairly common drafting procedure makes them useless, if not laughable. That kind of unreliability is just another reason not to pursue what has the potential to be a really useful tool.

Standards checker heavily relies on templates and  if the association is lost it simply ignores these elements. Also there is no cell checking. Basically it renders template association quite unuseful. Who need standards anyways right?