ORD referenced raster transparency

On most of my projects, I create a DGN that contains a bunch of aerial photo JPG or JP2 raster attachments. I reference this file into my other files. When I'm working in those other files, if I try to set the transparency of the aerial DGN attachment using Reference Manager, the transparency that actually occurs on the screen makes no sense. It's almost as if the transparency setting is compounded.

For example (screenshots attached):

  1. In Reference Manager, I set the transparency of my aerial photo DGN to 20. On screen, the referenced rasters become about 20% transparent (good!)
  2. I select 20 again. On screen, the referenced rasters become even more transparent.
  3. Repeat step 2 until the rasters are completely transparent and not visible at all, even though the Reference Manager still says 20.
  4. When I set the transparency back to 0, nothing happens. The attachment is still completely invisible. I have to detach and reattach it to get it back.

This is not the behavior that I'm used to from V8. Is there some sort of compounded transparency setting in ORD that I'm not aware of?

This has been nagging at me for years now and this behavior isn't limited to one file or workspace.

  • Hi Steven

    Try the following key-in for resetting the reference transparency back to 0:

    REFERENCE SET TRANSPARENCY=0 filename.dgn

    Does that work for you?

    You could also try resetting your ORD to default:

    https://communities.bentley.com/products/microstation/w/microstation__wiki/8671/restore-microstation-to-factory-defaults

    My understanding is there should be no such compounding effects on transparency, if changed in the same dialog window (especially when they're not reversible)

    Please note, that transparency will be compounded if you set it independently for levels / elements / references. In such case, the resulting transparency will be calculated in the following manner:

    Effective transparency = 1 - (1 - level transparency) * (1 - element transparency) * (1 - reference transparency)

  • Hi Grzegorz, thanks for the reply.

    No, that key-in did not work to reset the transparency to 0.

    I'm not setting transparency independently for anything besides the one reference file in the Reference Manager window.

    This problem is not limited to ORD; I opened the same file and am experiencing the same compounding transparency problem and inability to reset to 0 in Microstation PowerDraft 10.14.02.01 and Bentley View 10.14.00.109. The problem does not occur when the exact same file is opened with Power InRoads V8i 08.11.09.918.

    I'm reluctant to reset ORD to defaults because: a) I'm having the same problem in different CONNECT software packages with different settings (or no special settings at all, such as Bentley View), b) I've been experiencing this problem for years now in ORD at different employers with different computers, c) it's not a serious enough problem to warrant disrupting my daily work, and d) I'm 99% sure it won't do anything.

    If anything, it's a problem with my workflow that works with V8 but doesn't work with CONNECT.

    I believe that the problem is related to the fact that the reference that I'm modifying the transparency of is just a blank container file with Nesting = 1. This container file references another DGN that has the actual raster references. These raster references use a different Geographic Coordinate System than the project (and the DGN), so the heavy lifting of translating between coordinate systems is handled by Raster Manager. The purpose of the container file is to slightly offset the aerials by a few feet in the X & Y so that the aerial lines up perfectly with the survey. I'm a perfectionist and I've found that this particular source of aerial photos is always slightly off and requires just a hair of horizontal adjustment to be perfect. I realize that this isn't the only way to adjust aerial photos and I also know that even in V8 there are limitations on combinations of nested references and geographic reprojections - but I've used this method in V8 for a long time without problems, until now.

    I do not have the same compounding transparency problem when I'm in the container file and adjust the transparency of the reference DGN that contains the actual raster references. I only have the problem when I'm in a DGN that references the container file with Nesting = 1.

  • UPDATE: The problem has nothing to do with Geographic Coordinate Systems. It's all about nesting.

    The screenshot below shows three dummy files that I just created from scratch:

    File1.dgn: Contains a raster reference. It's a photo of a bird (a jpg) that I placed interactively.

    File2.dgn: References File1.dgn with a little bit of offset and a little bit of rotation.

    File3.dgn: References File2.dgn with Nesting = 1.

    Within File3.dgn, every time that I click on Transparency = 20 for File2.dgn, the bird gets progressively more transparent until it disappears.

    I opened File3.dgn in both ORD and Bentley View. Both have the same compounding transparency problem.

    I also opened it in Power InRoads V8i and the problem does not occur. I can select Transparency = 20 all day and it does nothing (because the transparency is already at 20).