Parametric Cell placement issues with custom line styles

Hey all,

I'm working on creating some parametric 2D Cells for our detailing environment in Microstation Connect. I have the cells functioning properly, but I have run across an issue in placing them. I have noticed, unlike other cells, they don't take the active element template properties, and will only take the level name and color properties but will not take the line style properties when placed. I also noticed that if I use a custom line style other than the "out of the box" line styles Bentley provides, I am not able to select the parametric cell once placed. The only way to select it is to press Ctrl A. However, if I place it using any other element template or level with a default line style, I can select it and change it to the level I need with a custom line style and it works just fine. The issue only comes upon placement of the cell

Is anyone else having this issue? I'm trying to determine if I set something up wrong of if Bentley has yet another bug in their product. 

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  • Here's the cell library file. I should also reiterate that this issue is in OpenBridge Modeler 10.08.2.45 which should be using Power platform 14. If I'm not mistaken, that should be based on the most current version of Microstation Connect yes? if not, then maybe the issue is that the versioning is still behind any fixes that have been made to MS Connect._WSDOT_Girders.cel

  • Thanks for the file and all the other information, Cory.

    We fixed defect 1037945 and also implemented some enhancements about parametric cell levels in Update 15. With those changes, when placing parametric cell, the cell display will use the level symbology(color, line style and line weight) defined in the definition(library) file.(Previously it uses the active level symbology), this requirement came from some users and also it will be consistent with normal cell and shared cells. The fix will also be available in Update 14 escalation release build. In your cell library file, the shape profile is on Default level, please select a different level then place it as cell in new dgn file, if you see the parametric cell display is consistent with what it's in the cell library file, that means the changes are in your build, otherwise, please wait for next update to check.

    I tried placing your file as cell, didn't see the Cannot selection problem you mentioned earlier, but when checking your cell library file, I did see there is something wrong with level having custom line style, because it's not related to parametric cell place, can you please create a new post for it for better tracking?

    Regards,

    Grace 

  • Alright, I'll go ahead and create a new post to help better track this issue. I will say I did what you said and it still did not work. I will also point out (and maybe I misunderstood you) that I want the cell to take on the active cell attributes as these cells may be placed on different girder levels that we use (such as new or existing) and I wouldn't want to have to create the same cell multiple times just to be able to use different levels. From what I understand above, the new enhancement removes that capability and forces the cell library to carry the level?

  • Hi Cory, making parametric cells to honour the bylevel symbology of their contents - and not forcefully taking up all the settings of the level they are placed on - was one of the most asked change from our user base (and of that of other Open products') in this product area.

    The vast majority of our users would work with catalogs where each component has been defined with either bylevel or per-element symbology and the need is for these standards to be maintained when the cell is placed in the design file as both the cell libraries and the design file generally follow the same standards. This behaviour is also now aligned to that if other types of cells.

    The cells display status can be toggle on-off for the whole part through the level onto which the cell is placed on but you can also control the display status of the cells sub-components through their own levels.

    I am not sure I understand correctly but the cell can still be placed on a level but it won't change its definition symbology to that of the active level of the design file. In this case you need to have two copies of the girder box, one for the "existing" and one for the "new" levels with the correct symbology, This could be done by importing the levels in the cel file and simply applying the right level to each model.

  • Unfortunately, the parametric cells aren't taking on ANY level attributes, whether they are assigned within the cell, or if being placed on an active level, it will come in with everything set to "0". Other cells seem to work either way. I can set levels and styles within the cell OR I can set everything to "by level" and it will take on the active level attributes of the level I place it on. that's the way it SHOULD work. But if you are saying that I need to make multiple versions of the same cell library in order to place them on different levels, that  creates maintenance and change management issues as now if parameters or variants of certain cells change, rather than change it in one library, I have to change it in 2, or 3, or 5 different libraries. Levels shouldn't dictate geometry, only style and visibility. Unless I'm misunderstanding things here. I would imagine that if the level attribute defaults in the library are set to "(by level)" they should take on the active level attributes when placed, otherwise if attributes are defined in the level, they should retain that when brought into a dgn.