Clip background / reference files with an element

Please clarify...

Where are the cells located?

• In a cell library
• In the active DGN model
• In a referenced DGN model

What do you mean by a cell's background?  A cell doesn't normally have a background.  A screenshot would help illustrate your question.

Martin Brimble said:

I'm looking for something to clip reference files in a similar way to text background mask

A text background, if set, is an opaque rectangle.  If such text is placed over another element, the text background obscures or masks the other element.  A reference mask has a special meaning.

If these cells regularly need to be masked, you could edit the cell itself to add a shape with the "BG" (background) color underneath all your cell elements. That will cover over anything behind the cell.

thats what I do but then you have to allow for  element and reference file priority no good if the xref with you cells which have a bg fill underneath if they are  the first file in the ref manager list  that ref needs to be the last file loaded or added to appear ontop of everything else or they need to be place manually in the active drawing  ontop of everything else.. if you use 3d you can give it a really high elevation that you would never  normally encounter 

like   z= 1000.. personally I use the level priority and  ref order if the cells live in a xref... but if stamps like warnings for existing services then my  cell has a BG fill shape behind it and  is part of the cell when I place it ontop of plan sheets...

The issue I was having in getting it to work, was indeed the relative z value of the cells / background survey file,

Thanks everyone for your answers