Good day,
I have just started a new job where they have always used MS V7J and used InterPlot to print their maps. They have recently upgraded to V8I and I have never worked with anything other than V8I which is why I was hired. I am not proficient in plotting rules and set up as I have always been fortunate to have the plotting infrastructure set up before I arrived at a job. They have a .pen file that they use from InterPlot; I was wondering how I can get the rules from that file into a .tbl.
Thank you,
CRM
Depending upon the version of V8i, you might be able to use the .pen file in V8i.
Initially, the use of IPLOT pen tables was limited to the Print Organizer - calling it a script.
At come point in V8i's development, the ability to use .tbl or .pen was added to MicroStation.
With that said, if the version you are in does not support .pen files, you would have to try and manually create the logic in a .tbl file.
The issue is that if their .pen file is not well written, it can be almost impossible to create a matching .tbl file.
For example, in a .pen file, you can use multiple if-endif constructs in one file so that every element gets tested and may be acted upon more than once. In a .tbl file, the methodology limits elements to a single match.
In a .pen file, that would be more like an if-else-else-else-endif or the select case approach.
Please realize that the syntax I am using may not be correct for .pen files, but the program flow is more important than the syntax for this discussion.
Charles (Chuck) Rheault CADD Manager
MDOT State Highway Administration
If your company is a select support subscriber send a copy of the iplot pen to support and ask if they can make you a tbl file from that .. they have a better chance than you have of being able to look and work out how iplot works.. its still a bentley ( or is it intergraph) product isnt it?
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
MicroStation V8i SS3 (8.11.9) supports InterPlot design script (.pen) files directly, both in Print Organizer and the single-Print dialog. Some IPLOT features are not implemented, such as design script patterning, but for the most part the transition should be seamless. See the MicroStation documentation for more information.
If you're not using SS3, conversion from a design script to a MicroStation pen table (.tbl) file may be easy or impossible. It depends on exactly what the design script is trying to accomplish.
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Answer Verified By: Clyde Mason
Thank you very much. I was running SS2 and had my system admin ug me to SS3 where I was able to run the .pen as a design script. I printed out a base map to insure compatibility with the old V7J print outs and outside of some very minor line weight issues it works.
Thanks again
Are you saying if we DON'T have SS3 we're out of luck?
I am trying to setup a dgnlib for print styles. I also have access to Interplot Professional. The DOT we do some work for has given us their .pen(s) and I was finally able to create pdfs that look like theirs. Now I am trying to setup print organizer but there is no place for me add a .pen design script.
So, then it seems like without the ss3 version I will have to use interplot professional, correct?
Thank you