Text and Annotations

 

Text nodes are placed in the seed file as placeholders for attributes and reports on the drawing. The text nodes also set the properties for the text, such as font, size and justification. Text Nodes are invisible during normal operation, viewing and printing.  

Seed File – Opening

 

Each Isometric Style includes a seed file (template file) that is used to set paper size, drawing area, etc.

Many sections of this document require the modification of the seed file. To avoid repetition, sections requiring seed file modifications will refer to this section of the document.

 

1. Open the Isometrics Configuration tool

2. From the Isometric Configuration dialog:

1. 1. Select the Isometrics Style tab
   2. Style – Select the relevant style from the dropdown
   3. Select Advanced from the left pane
   4. Click Open Seed File

Text Size and Font

 

1. Open the Seed File

2. From Isometrics Manager:

a. Open the View Attributes dialog

3. From the View Attributes dialog:

a. Click Text Nodes
b. Close the dialog

4. From Isometrics Manager:

a. Select the Text Node to be modified
b. Right-click on the text node
c. Select Element Information

5. From  the Element Information dialog:

a. Modify the required Formatting properties
b. Select another field or click in the view to accept the changes

6. Close the seed file

Adding Attributes to the Drawing

 

This section describes the process to add additional text nodes (attributes) to the seed file.

 

1. Open the Seed File

2. From Isometrics Manager:

   1. Select IsoExtractor > Text Node Editor from the menu
      
      

      The Text Node Editor shows all available attributes that can be displayed in the isometric drawing. The Text Node Number column shows to which text node an attribute is mapped.

1. • If no text node number is defined, then the attribute will not be displayed in the drawing.

   • If a text node number is defined, but the seed file contains no text node with that same number, then the attribute will not be displayed in the drawing.

3. From the Text Node Editor dialog:

1. 1. Right-click on the attribute to be placed

   2. Select Place Text Node

      

4. From the Text Node No. dialog:

1. 1. Enter the desired Text Node Number

   2. Click OK

      
      

 

Note:     The value displayed for Text Node Number is the next available node number. Alternatively you can specify a different node number, for instance enter “100” when you want to specify a new series of node numbers ranging from 100 upwards.

 

5. From Isometrics Manager:

6. Select a placement point for the Text Node 

Removing Attributes from the Drawing

 

1. Open the Seed File

2. From Isometrics Manager:

   1. Select the text node to be removed

   2. Right-click on the text node

   3. Select Delete Element

3. Close the seed file

Fixed Text

 

Fixed text is text that does not differ between drawings. For example the titleblock labels of Unit, Service, Line no, etc. The attributes for these properties, defined with text nodes, do change but the labels do not.

Use MicroStation commands to place and edit the fixed text as required.

 

Labels

 

The connection, diameter and rotation labels can be modified as required.

 

Use the steps below to modify the switch.

 

1. Open the Isometrics Configuration tool

2. From the Isometric Configuration dialog:

1. 1. 1. Select the Isometrics Style tab
      2. Style – Select the relevant style from the dropdown
      3. Select Labels from the tree
      4. Modify the required labels
      5. Click Save

User Labels

 

Overview

 

Lists the properties for the selected label. You can change their values by entering a new value into the field. A description for the selected property is displayed at the bottom.

The following attributes define the setup of a label:

 

• • Name: name for the label definition

  • Include: component types to be included for label placement. For labels only on valves, enter IE_TYPE=CT_VALVE_STRAIGHT. You can find the CT_ type of a component by opening the isometric drawing, and using the Isoextractor > Show Tag data tool. If you want to have the tags on more valve types (angular vales for instance, you need to add additional conditions, separated by:

     

So, for example: IE_TYPE=CT_VALVE_STRAIGHT;IE_TYPE=VT_VALVE_ANGLE.

 

Example: This would be the definition for a valve tag:

 

• Exclude: component types not to be included for label placement. If no component types are excluded leave the field empty.

• Example: $(BANGLE)==$(ANGLE) in the exclude section of the elbow label will prevent the placement of an angle label if the elbow is not trimmed.

• • Text: Text to be displayed in the Label. This definition should basically hold a reference to an internal component property, e.g.: $(SPOOLID). Extra customization text can be added before or after the $(SPOOLID) when needed. Multiple line placement can be done by adding an (extra) $ sign in the definition. 

Example: The following definition would place the text “TAG=” on the first line of the valve tag label, and the actual tag on the second.

 

 

 

• • Type: Defines the label type. Predefined types include: NOTE, WELDID, SPOOLID, TAG, CUTID. The user can specify a new type for his own purpose. This attribute is for future use.

  • Cell Name: Name of the cell in the cell library that will be used to place spool labels. The cell should hold a so called enter data field where the spool-id text will be inserted.

  • Flags: Define S to make the label spool aware, i.e. only one label will be placed per spool. (Not one label per component.) Define P for PIPE cut labels. 

Add New Label

 

Add new user label at the bottom of the list. Click on the label to set its properties. 

Remove Label

 

Removes the selected label from the list. 

Sort Properties

 

The Sorting buttons let you sort the properties either Alphabetically or by Category.

 

The design intention was (and is) to handle this in: Configuration > User Labels. It can be done in many ways using the exclude rule.

 

First of all a little explanation of what can be done with rules, not only for labels but also reports etc. 

Rules in IsoExtractor

 

This is a basic rule: <rule> = <attribute_name> <operator> <expression>

Operator	Description	Remarks
>=	Greater or equal	Numerical comparison. The expression needs to resolve to a numerical value
<=	Smaller or equal	Numerical comparison. The expression needs to resolve to a numerical value
>	Greater than	Numerical comparison. The expression needs to resolve to a numerical value
<	Smaller than	Numerical comparison. The expression needs to resolve to a numerical value
==	Equal	Numerical comparison. The expression needs to resolve to a numerical value
!=	Not equal	Numerical comparison. The expression needs to resolve to a numerical value
=	Regular expression comparison	This is a string comparison using regular expressions

 

Examples for expressions:

• • $(BANGLE)==$(ANGLE): resolves to TRUE when the component attribute BANGLE equals the value of the component attribute ANGLE

  • BANGLE > 89.8: resolves to TRUE when the value of the attribute BANGLE is greater than 89.9

  • IE_TYPE=CT_PIPE|CT_BEND: This is a regular expression that resolves to TRUE when the value of the component attribute IE_TYPE is either CT_PIPE or CT_BEND. Please google for regex to see more exotic possibilities.

One can use logical operators to combine rules:

<rule1> && <rule2>: resolves to TRUE of rule1 and rule2 both resolve to TRUE.

<rule1>; <rule2>: resolves to TRUE if one of the rules resolves to TRUE.

 

A more complex example would be something like:

<rule1> && <rule2>; <rule3 && rule4>; <rule5>

 

Which would resolve to TRUE in any of these cases:

"#1 and #2 are TRUE

"#3 and #4 are TRUE

"#5 is TRUE

• • Specials: the ! operator to test on attribute existence

  • attrname = ...: the rule will resolve to TRUE when the attribute is not defined for the component independent of the expression

  • !attrname = ...: the rule will resolve to FALSE when the attribute is not defined for the component.

See Also

User may also refer the sub article by expanding this wiki for case to case basis and with real time use for easy references.

Still a Problem

If there is still some problem with modifying Test or Annotations, then please create a Service Request and contact Bentley Product Advantage group along with the list of all relevant details to get in depth analysis and for possible solution or workarounds. 

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