Can a 3D Object reference be copy/detached and maintain the "Presentation: Hidden Line" view as the original reference?

Hi Jeffrey,

I think there is no "single step workflow" you can use, but there are at least 2 workflows you can try. They are not equal in terms of functionality and also can be use used only when the active model is (not) 2D / 3D (which is not clear from your question).

When your active model is 3D (I do not see any reason for it, when it seems you are creating 2D final drawing), you can use Display Style. Usually Display Style is applied to the whole design file, but it can be applied to individual elements as well. So when you copy the object from reference to active (when it's e.g. one cell or solid, it's even better), it's created as 3D element, displayed accordingly to the used view display style (wireframe). In Element Properties dialog, you can assign individual display style to the element (e.g. hidden lines).

Personally I prefer the second option, that I guess would work better when active model is 2D. You can convert (using Save as... or Export) DGN V8 to DGN V8. It may sound like nonsense, but this export is supported and it allows to define some operations (conversions) done during this "not quite conversion" ;-)

Both Save as... and Export tools allow to open Save as V8 Options dialog. At References tab, you can define what will happen with references. I think (but I have no data that can be used for testing yours situation) when you will choose External Attachments: Merge to cell and switch on Merge Visible Edges of 3D Attachments (with properly defined method Fast or Exact and its parameters), the referenced DWG files should be imported as visible edges and grouped to cells.

A disadvantage of the second solution is that references cannot be processed selectively, but it's possible to detach temporarily (maybe to display them off is enough) the references that should not be merged.

With regards,

  Jan

Hi Jeffrey,

I think there is no "single step workflow" you can use, but there are at least 2 workflows you can try. They are not equal in terms of functionality and also can be use used only when the active model is (not) 2D / 3D (which is not clear from your question).

When your active model is 3D (I do not see any reason for it, when it seems you are creating 2D final drawing), you can use Display Style. Usually Display Style is applied to the whole design file, but it can be applied to individual elements as well. So when you copy the object from reference to active (when it's e.g. one cell or solid, it's even better), it's created as 3D element, displayed accordingly to the used view display style (wireframe). In Element Properties dialog, you can assign individual display style to the element (e.g. hidden lines).

Personally I prefer the second option, that I guess would work better when active model is 2D. You can convert (using Save as... or Export) DGN V8 to DGN V8. It may sound like nonsense, but this export is supported and it allows to define some operations (conversions) done during this "not quite conversion" ;-)

Both Save as... and Export tools allow to open Save as V8 Options dialog. At References tab, you can define what will happen with references. I think (but I have no data that can be used for testing yours situation) when you will choose External Attachments: Merge to cell and switch on Merge Visible Edges of 3D Attachments (with properly defined method Fast or Exact and its parameters), the referenced DWG files should be imported as visible edges and grouped to cells.

A disadvantage of the second solution is that references cannot be processed selectively, but it's possible to detach temporarily (maybe to display them off is enough) the references that should not be merged.

With regards,

  Jan