Copy & Increment Text

Hi,

Something that has bugged me for years with the copy & increment text is that you can only use the command in a verb-noun mode, not in a noun-verb mode.  Here's my regular situation...  I have a detail sheet with a grid of lines.  A certain distance from each intersection of the grid, I have a detail number.  Of course the detail numbers are each incremented by one.  So if I used a standard copy element command, I would select my text element, hit the copy element icon, pick my grid intersection as my "from" location, and then pick my next grid intersection as my "to" location.  (Select element first, then select tool to use with that element--noun-verb).  With the Copy & Increment Text tool, I can not select my element first.  So if I want to use it, I have to zoom way out, so that when I snap to my grid intersection, the detail number is in the locate circle and then I can zoom back in to place my copies.  Why can't the Copy & Increment Text tool work in both verb-noun, and noun-verb modes?

--Thanks,
--Robert

P.S. I've also see forums asking for a "number of copies" option.  This would be useful on occasion.

  • Hi,

    Don't you hate it when there are no right answers?  

    The check spelling command ignores all invalid elements...

    When would a person want to increment more than one text element by the same increment at the same time?  I guess if on my detail sheet I had the top detail numbers filled in, I could increment them all by one as I'm going to the next row...

    For me and my little issue, I would be fine limiting the selection to a single element.  As an alternate, Microstation could have a a prompt saying to use Ctrl-Click to set a new origin in the verb-noun mode, or something like that.. Or if you allowed the noun-verb, ctrl-click to add elements to selection.

    I have no good answers, just ideas.

    --Thanks,

    --Robert

  • Sorry for resurrecting an old thread, but one post spoke about number of copies. Here is my workflow:

    When setting up files where there are multiple sheets and need sequential numbers, I always use AccuDraw to set them up at a specific spacing which can vary depending upon the scale. For arguments sake, lets assume these are 200 master units horizontally or 100 units vertically.

    After I place my starting number. I select the copy and increment tool and data point on my number. Next, I key in:

    DX=200,0|[number of copies needed] if I am using horizontally spaced sheets, or

    DX=0,100|[number of copies needed]

    Note: the character between the DX= and the [number of copies needed] is the pipe or vertical bar | character.

    This works for other types of copy commands too.


    Charles (Chuck) Rheault
    CADD Manager

    MDOT State Highway Administration

    • MicroStation user since IGDS, InRoads user since TDP.
    • AutoCAD, Land Desktop and Civil 3D, off and on since 1996
  • Drat!

    I was going to tell him all about the pipe command ie |  

    It works for me with the copy increment text and te pipe command.... I use it to label parking bays a lot!

    Lorys

    Started msnt work 1990 - Retired  Nov 2022 ( oh boy am I old )

    But was long time user V8iss10 (8.11.09.919) dabbler CE  update 16 (10.16.00.80) 

    MicroStation user since 1990 Melbourne Australia.
    click link to PM me 

  • Other cad programs have a simple beginning/end numbver butn or switch and also alha/numeric switch.

    Start with these simple options first.

  • Agreed, first/last and number/text should be enough options for most that find this tool lacking. Optionally a number of copies field could be added, even though the pipe workaround seems to be there for the people that need it. It could be nice to have though, and certainly wouldn't hurt.