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Original Article Date: June 11, 2002
Ever have the need to compare the contents of two files? As frustrating as this can be, you can simplify things a bit by using Level Symbology to filter the elements. Let's take a look! Note: The graphics in this article show MicroStation V7. 2005-08-08 Updated to include reference adjustment colours in V8.
This short little article was inspired by a recent event where a user inadvertently copied his reference file elements into the active design file. Of course, by the time he had a chance to pound on the Reset button, several hundred elements were copied through. As frustrating as this can be, you can simplify things a bit by using Level Symbology to filter the elements. Let's take a look! The graphics in the slide below shows a few elements in the active file and a few in the reference file....but which is which? That's pretty hard to tell just by looking at the screen and that's why we'll set up the Level Symbology!
Go to the Level Symbology dialog (from the Settings menu item) and set all levels to green and turn ON the Level Symbology switch from the View Attributes dialog.
From the Reference Files dialog, select Settings > Level Symbology and adjust the colours for all levels of the attached reference file to be red.
When you refresh your screen, MicroStation will draw the elements of the active file first in green followed by the reference file elements in red. Since the reference file elements update last, only those elements that do not live in the reference file will remain green on your screen as shown below.
Even though this is a cool way of comparing graphics of two files, you may want to try and locate a copy of the V7 utility DgnCompr from Systems HK which allows you to easily compare pairs of design files and output the following optional results:
Additional Information: Anthony Cox of Red Box Design offers this alternate use of comparing design files: "If you do a complete archive when you issue drawings, you can unarchive at the time of next issue and compare the two versions of you base draings (you have to save full path on the second one) to exactly know what has changed." For an easy way to compare design files graphically without using Level Symbology, take a look at this great tip from Dick Dudley: An easy and fast alternative to using level symbology can be found in your Reference dialog box. Just highlight the file(s) you wish to manipulate, and select Settings > Adjust Colors. By playing with the Value, Saturation, and Hue sliders, you can make the file appear as any color or gray shade you want. Toggle on the Print Adjusted Colors, and it will print the way it displays! Too easy!
AskInga Article #88