Associating CAD model with MX

Hello,

Could anyone help me with associating CAD files/models with MX?. While I am opening display/drawing file from 3D DGN file (file with survey) and setting the active group from MX to Model (from DGN), an Application focus in MX turns red (background) and an comment appears: "Current CAD model is not associated with MX". How can I associated it with MX?

 Thank anyone for help

Parents
  • Hello Aleksander,

    try the following workflow:

    1. Create a new empty MX plan drawing
    2. Reference the DGN or DWG (ideally using coincident world)

    If you want to convert some of the elements to MX...

    1. Select the elements you want to convert
    2. Copy those elements into the MX DGN
    3. Use the standard MX Conversion toolbar to send the data to MX

     Hope this helps.

    Best Regards

    Wolfgang

     

Reply
  • Hello Aleksander,

    try the following workflow:

    1. Create a new empty MX plan drawing
    2. Reference the DGN or DWG (ideally using coincident world)

    If you want to convert some of the elements to MX...

    1. Select the elements you want to convert
    2. Copy those elements into the MX DGN
    3. Use the standard MX Conversion toolbar to send the data to MX

     Hope this helps.

    Best Regards

    Wolfgang

     

Children
  • Wolfgang.

    Your dog's bigger than mine!

    I have an AutoCAD drawing. If I open this drawing using CAD > File > Open I get the message Aleksander mentioned and the display is blank. (Sometimes) if I re-open the dwg the display is correct and (sometimes) I can convert elements to MX. Almost without fail when I try to display the new model MX hangs and even the MX Status Monitor hangs.

    Do you know what the message, CAD model not associated with MX, means and how we solve it? This may also solve the other problems.

    S

  • Who bought dogs into this thread? Now back to horses even if my horse is rather small! Is it something that only appears when there are no MX elements from the model in the drawing or when data have been edited in CAD? Mike
  • Mike,

    In answer to your question I have to say, "nay". I get the message when I open an AutoCAD dwg; if I reference the dwg into a display (dpw) with or without an existing MX model displayed then I can't convert any elements as they're not actually "in" the display. When I do manage to convert one or more elements if I then try to display the new MX model (or any other model) in the same display then MX hangs.

    S
  • MX works in a defined Microstation Model - by default 'MX'. This can be changed using the config variable 'MX_ACTIVE_MODEL' if required. So when you open a 3rd party dwg or dgn the active model in the drawing will invariably not be 'MX' so you typically end up with a empty display and start playing the 'game of hunt the graphics'.

    For a DGN when opening the active MX drawing is opened as this is required for MX display, however this will be empty if the model name is different from the one MX is expecting.

    For a DWG the situation is slightly harder as MX does not support DWG workmode. When the DWG is opened a corresponding dpw is created, this initiates the creation of the required dgn and both these are empty. As Scott mentioned opening the dwg again can leave the drawing open but you've tricked it into DWG workmode and are heading for a realm of pain that is un-necessary.

    When you are not in the MX active model the MX / CAD toggle on the MX Contols toolbar will highlight red to indicate the incompatible state with MX. Trying to convert elements from a non active model to MX can be done but it is not recommended and some of the config options need to be changed - like display on convert (off) as this tries to open the MX model to display the new entity.

    Solution
    For both the above situations I always recommend referencing in the dwg or dgn into a MX drawing. If you want to then import the data merge the reference into the current drawing, this way the original drawing is retained as a backup.

    For the forth coming SELECTseries1 we have added the ability to add reference files in a MX session using the MX script Manager and via input files.

    I hope this helps
    Ian

    PS I'm not going to post a pic of my dog, you'd laugh but you kids would love it....

     



  • It is never so easy... Standard MX conversion is a good solution but only when it is concerning several elements and I have got a several thousand of them :) Otherwise, in my version of MX (MX V8i Build 08.11.05.40) this operation is unable to proceed at any time. While executing it my MX fails and I have got to restart it (sometimes I need to restart PC).

    MX conversion of thousands of Point features from DGN is rather hard to proceed for me :)

    And problem of Associating models is still open ;)

    Best regards