How to display the DGN file name that corresponds to the project page on the title block?

Background

Currently, there is no title block variable for the file name. This article describes how to display the file name by inserting a text field, which is a feature of MicroStation.

Thanks to Michael Elwell for this tip.

Steps to Accomplish

Add the File Name field to the title block

1. Open Title Block Designer.
2. Select the desired title block or specify none to create one from scratch. Click Next.
3. Select the Place Text tool from the Drawing area of Tasks, or Tools > Text > Place Text from the main pull down menus. A Text Editor - Word Processor dialog and a Place Text settings box should appear.
4. Set the text settings such as font and height on the Place Text settings box.
5. Right-click on the typing area of the Text Editor - Word Processor dialog and select Insert Field.
   
6. On the resulting Field Type dialog, select File Properties and click OK.
   
7. On the resulting Fields Editor dialog, select the File Name row.
   
8. In the File Name Format area that appears on the right hand side of the Fields Editor dialog, set the options as desired. It is possible to control whether the path, file name, and/or extension is included for the file name, and whether the case is forced to upper or lower case, etc. The effect of the settings is previewed at the bottom of the dialog.
9. Click OK. The name of the current DGN file, typically DrawingTmp0.dgn or similar, will appear in the Text Editor.
10. Select a data point (left-click) to choose the position of the text on the title block.
11. Finish and save the title block.
12. Use Review/Revise > Replace > Replace Title Block to update existing pages that use the title block.

Set the DGN file to update fields automatically

Use the procedure described in the Set DGN files to update fields automatically article on existing pages that use the title block and seed files. If that procedure is not done, the file name field added to the title block will only update manually (Tools > Text > Update All Fields).

Test a modified seed file by creating a new page. On the New Page dialog, specify an Initial Mode that uses the modified seed file, and specify the Title Block to which the File Name field was added. When the page is first created, the file name will not be updated. Close and reopen the page and it should show the correct file name.

Other Notes

Fields are identified by their gray background color. This color is not displayed on printed output. To hide the background color on the screen, set the Hide Field Background check box on Workspace > Preferences > Text.

An alternative to using a text field is to use pen tables, but that method only displays the file name on printed output.