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THE WORLD'S LARGEST CIRCULATION MICROSTATION® PRINT PUBLICATION ... Suitable for beginner, intermediate and advanced InRoads users ... Axiom's video-based tutorials for Bentley's InRoads V8i SELECTseries 2 provide an ...
VOLUME 20

THE WORLD’S LARGEST CIRCULATION MICROSTATION® PRINT PUBLICATION

ISSUE 8

MicroStation

®

Even at an early age, learning was my passion. Here is a lesson I learned from my dad that will help you master MicroStation 3D. Page 3.

Tips & Tricks How to Quickly Change a Reference Attachment Clipping Boundary Need to add part of the reference attachment that’s just outside of the clip boundary? Here’s a quick way to do this. Page 3.

TODAY Time-saving MicroStation News

Whether you need an InRoads refresher or need to learn it from the ground up, we have the video tutorials you want. Page 1.

Axiom Releases Over 1,000 Video Tutorials on InRoads V8i SS2 Suitable for beginner, intermediate and advanced InRoads users C l e a r wa t e r , Florida, USA — Axiom announces the release of video tutorials for InRoads V8i SELECTseries 2 (SS2) including the

Axiom’s video-based tutorials for Bentley’s InRoads V8i SELECTseries 2 provide an affordable, effective and easy-to-use learning solution for companies using or moving to InRoads V8i. CHANGE SERVICE REQUESTED PRESORTED STANDARD U.S. POSTAGE PAID TAMPA‚ FL PERMIT NO. 8107

Axiom 1805 Drew Street Clearwater‚ Florida 33765 USA

MicroStation News InRoads V8i Made Easier From the design environment to cross sections, InRoads users now have over 1,000 video tutorials available to them. Page 1.

How I Went from Building a Birdhouse to Mastering MicroStation 3D What’s a birdhouse have to do with learning MicroStation 3D? Find out here. Page 3.

Axiom News PowerDraft Users Get a Break If you use PowerDraft, you now have access to a powerful tool that lets you import spreadsheet and Word data into DGN files with perfect formatting. Page 1.

How many years have you used CAD software?

Less than 2 years

11 to 20 years

2 to 5 years

21+ years

6 to 10 years

Source: www.cadalyst.com

Design Environment, Settings and Managers, Surface Essentials, Horizontal Geometry, Prof i les, Ver tica l Geometry, Typical Sections, Roadway Designer and Cross

Sections.

Not Just Ordinary Video Tutorials

What makes these tutorials so different? • Courses are well orga n i z ed a nd

include a syllabus, work sheet a nd completion form, which can be used by CAD professionals who need to earn professional development

hours (PDH) or continuing education units (CEU).

See “Complete Training for InRoads V8i Users” on page 4.

Axiom Releases Microsoft Office Importer for MicroStation PowerDraft Import spreadsheet data with perfect formatting. C l e a r wat e r , Florida, USA — Axiom announces the release of Microsoft Office Importer for use with Bentley’s Powe rD r a f t V8i . Previously, Microsoft Office Importer was only available for use with MicroStation. Axiom’s Microsoft Office Importer lets users copy data from Excel spreadsheets — even huge ones — into DGN files as real MicroStation line and text elements with the user’s preferred text size, font, color, weight and style. And the data pasted into the DGN file is linked back to the source file so it can be automatically updated in those DGN files in the future, keeping the pasted data continually up to date. It even includes a “column flow” feature,

Microsoft Office Importer allows users to paste data such as spreadsheets into MicroStation PowerDraft with perfect formatting. You can also easily fit tall pastes into short spaces.

which creates and automatically correctly sizes columns on-thefly, when importing Word and Excel data. Microsoft Office Importer is used by MicroStation users — and now PowerDraft users — to paste

various types of project information from Excel spreadsheets into DGN files, including various types of summaries, bills of material and quantity sheets. It is also used to paste notes, specifications and other data

from Word documents into DGN files. Eiren Smith, A x i om’s Pro du c t Visionary, had this to say about the rele as e: “Mic rosof t Office Importer has b een s o successful because it does

something that is useful for virtually any MicroStation shop — and we’ve been

See “Working with Spreadsheets Made Easier for PowerDraft Users” on page 4.

www.AxiomInt.com • Fax 727-442-8344

Page 2 • MicroStation Today

Get Translations Between DGN and DWG Files Done Right the First Time! With Translation Manager,™ you can: • Avoid messy translations between MicroStation and AutoCAD. • Simplify the process of translating files between MicroStation and AutoCAD and improve the results. • Get your translations done right the first time!

Translating files using MicroStation’s or AutoCAD’s built-in translator alone often creates messy files requiring someone to spend hours fixing each file after the translation. In some cases, it’s faster to recreate CAD files from scratch, rather than trying to correct translated design or drawing files. Some of the more common types of problems with translated files include fonts that don’t map correctly, problems with element or entity symbology (such as incorrect style, weight or color), incorrect units (DWG units or MicroStation working units), symbols (such as degree symbols) that come out wrong, lost levels (when translating from MicroStation) and lost layers (when translating from AutoCAD). Axiom’s Translation Manager handles all these problems like magic.

Call 727-442-7774 extension 2334, e-mail [email protected] or visit Axiom on the Web at www.AxiomInt.com now!

Call 727-442-7774 extension 3526 in the United States.

E-mail [email protected].

www.AxiomInt.com • Fax 727-442-8344

Tips & Tricks

Page 3 • MicroStation Today

highlight the clipping boundary for the selected reference.

6. Left-click on your clipping boundary and you’ll see handles show up at the vertices.

Don’t make a new reference attachment clipping boundary! Just change the one that’s there. By Rick Sewell, Axiom’s Resident Service Genius

S Rick Sewell, beloved CAD ace, helps CAD users every day. Give him a call and find out how you can save time on your projects.

o you have your clip set up all nice and neat. Then you’re told that you must also include that little section of the reference that is just outside the boundary. Ah! What a pain to have to re-clip the whole thing. My solution is to not do it! Instead, just adjust the existing clip boundary. Here’s how:

1. Go to File | References. 2. Select the reference that has a clipping boundary you’d like to edit.

Figure 1. The “Hilite Mode” in the References dialog box provides options for controlling the way references are identified.

3. Set the “Hilite Mode:” to “Boundaries”. This will

Figure 2. Notice the pink edge. That is the reference file clipping boundary being highlighted.

You’ll now be able to see the file clipping boundary. If you were to now left-click the clip boundary and drag, you could move the reference and the boundary. 4. Pick the “Element Selection” tool.

Figure 3. Most people don’t realize how much control the “Element Selection” tool has over reference file clipping boundaries.

In the “Element Selection” dialog box, you’ll see a little button off to the right by itself with a “No” symbol (red circle with a line through it) on it. Hover your mouse over it and a fly-over text will display “Disable Handles”. This button defines whether or not you are controlling just the reference attachment boundary or the reference attachment and boundary together. (If you were to now left-click the clip boundary and drag while the “Disable Handles” button is active, you would move both the reference and the boundary together.) 5. Disable the “Disable Handles” feature so that you can modify just the boundary, not the boundary and the reference.

Figure 4. The dashed line on the outside represents where the clipping boundary will end up when you stop dragging.

7. Now, left-click on any of the vertices and drag it to change the location of the point. Doing this modifies the shape and size of your clipping boundary. So, don’t just delete your clipping boundary. Change it!

Want More MicroStation Tips? Call Now!

For more information on cool tips and tricks, check out our LearningBay courses by visiting www. AxiomInt.com/microstation-training. You can also schedule a free demonstration about training solutions or talk with one of our MicroStation Consultants by calling 727-442-7774 extension 3527.

Send Us Your MicroStation Tips!

Send your favorite MicroStation tip or trick to [email protected]. We will give you full credit for the tip and your peers will look at you with reverence. MST

Mastering MicroStation 3D Why it’s like building a birdhouse Mike Arroyo, Philosopher, MicroStation Advocate, and Birdhouse Fan I recently recalled one of my most memorable learning experiences when I was a young boy, while I

me how to use his tools to build a birdhouse. My excitement quickly dissipated to despair when I realized that Dad had a different idea than I did on how this project would go down. Before I could build a birdhouse, he de-

the wood without bending them. He was deaf to my constant question of “When am I going to build a birdhouse?” until I demonstrated that I could lay down an even bead of glue. Just when I was about to quit and leave the

There are over 50 selfpaced video courses that are organized into small, digestible modules with plenty of examples that you watch and then do. There are also 3D DGN sample files with the courses. Some have fin-

Building that birdhouse would be the only time my father and I would build something together. But the lessons I learned while building it still drive me today. was reviewing some of the MicroStation 3D online courses that Axiom has. I didn’t know that building a birdhouse when I was young would be so important to me later in life. But it taught me an excellent lesson in how to teach MicroStation 3D to anyone. My father, a successful machinist who always worked with his hands, set aside a few hours one Saturday morning to teach

manded that I master each of the required tools — one hammer, two saws, an assortment of nails, sand paper, glue and paint brushes. For what seemed like hours, wearing working gloves that were never going to fit, he made me cut scrap lumber and inspected it to see if the cuts were straight. I hammered a hundred nails until I was able to drive them into

garage, he announced that I was ready. He provided the wood I needed and in thirty minutes, I built the best looking birdhouse in Chicago, ready to paint. So how does this story connect with learning MicroStation 3D? It’s really simple. The online courses that I’ve put together teach you how to master MicroStation 3D modeling tools, one concept and tool at a time.

Call 727-442-7774 extension 3526 in the United States.

ished models that are used to present tools or concepts. Others are unfinished models which are used to teach step-by-step instructions on how to finish the model using the commands identified in the lesson. These are your very own scrap pieces of wood to work with. As topics, functions and tools become more complex, the models you create follow in

Mastering MicroStation 3D has more in common with building a birdhouse than you might think.

complexity. Each course is designed to provide you with great modeling experience and confidence. And because each course is presented in small, manageable modules, lessons can be learned in minutes. So, even though the courses are stuffed with all the information you need, you’ll find yourself rapidly getting through them, all at your pace. Learning is my passion and not just my job. Building that birdhouse would be the only time my father and I would build something together. But the lessons I learned while building it still drive me

today. I encourage you to learn MicroStation 3D modeling, one step at a time with our LearningBay courses. I’ll make sure you have everything you need to learn.

Master MicroStation 3D!

For more information on how you can use LearningBay courses to master MicroStation 3D, contact an Axiom MicroStation Consultant today! Call 727-442-7774 extension 3901, e-mail [email protected] or visit Axiom on the Web at www.AxiomInt.com now. MST

E-mail [email protected].

www.AxiomInt.com • Fax 727-442-8344

Page 4 • MicroStation Today

Complete Training for InRoads V8i Users Continued from page 1 • Every course is approximately one hour in length and consists of short video tutorials that allow the user to grasp the information before going to the next step. • LearningBay courses and InRoads can run side by side, allowing students to watch the videos and then do the steps, using the same sample files presented inside the lesson. • Students are exposed

to be st pr ac t ice s throughout the videos and learn the best ways to maximize their production. • Lesson videos are prepared by experienced instructors who are focused on effectively communicating concepts and processes. • Students use e-mail to send questions and receive answers directly from the authors and Axiom support staff. “These are the most complete, self-paced InRoads training courses available

on the Internet. This is the perfect time to learn InRoads V8i SS2!” says Mark Ditko, Zen Engineering’s InRoads Guru.

How to Contact Axiom

For more information on LearningBay’s InRoads and other courses or to see a free, online demonstration, call Axiom at 727-4427774 extension 3889 or email [email protected] or visit Axiom on the Web at http://AxiomInt.com. MST

Working with Spreadsheets Made Easier for PowerDraft Users Continued from page 1 constantly improving it since the 1990’s, so it re-

decade. I’m excited to be able to offer so much help to the PowerDraft community.”

AxiomInt.com or visit Axiom on the Web at http://AxiomInt.com to find out more about

Microsoft Office Importer has been so successful because it does something that is useful for virtually any MicroStation shop. ally sings. With this release, PowerDraft users can finally paste perfectly formatted, automatically updating data from Excel and Word with Microsoft Office Importer the way so many MicroStation users have for over a

How to Contact Axiom

For more information on Microsoft Office Importer including a free download or online demonstration, call Axiom at 727-442-7774 extension 3528 or e-mail 3528@

Microsoft Office Importer and other Axiom tools that will save you time.  MST

Fix any MicroStation File Automatically! Why let file corruption stop production? Here are just a few things that FileFixer can quickly solve: • Problems that cause MicroStation to crash or prevent design files from opening. • Missing elements or elements that are difficult to select, move, copy or delete. • Plotting problems or anomalies. • Fit View problems. • Problems after migrating design files from V7 to V8 or V8i.

Call 727-442-7774

extension 2634 or visit www.AxiomInt.com/file-fixer.

Solve MicroStation Problems Fast!

120

MicroStation Acceleration Garage™

Garage includes tools that allow you to:

• Train on MicroStation, GEOPAK, InRoads, AutoCAD and Revit without leaving your desk. • Fix any MicroStation file automatically. • Import spreadsheet and word processing data into MicroStation with perfect formatting. • Solve any MicroStation reference file problem fast. • Easily edit raster reference files — in color — without leaving MicroStation. • Make unlimited changes to multiple design files quickly and easily. • Achieve title block consistency automatically. • Take control of your MicroStation cell libraries. • Perform quality-assurance checks on your MicroStation files quickly and easily. • Merge a design file and its reference files into a single file.

80

160

200

MPH

(MicroStation Productivity per Hour)

40

240 280

0

320

0

320 280

40 80

(MicroStation Productivity per Hour)

MPH

240

• Quickly view design file differences. • Find details, cells, blocks and more in any number of files — fast. • Save time while working with multiple design files. • Easily control the display and plotting sequence of elements in dozens of design files with a single command. • Use an advanced MicroStation spell-checking program with unparalleled features not found in other spell checkers. • And more! For more information on Garage, call 727-442-7774 extension 1642, e‑mail [email protected] or visit Axiom on the Web at www.AxiomInt.com!

Copyright © 1995–2013 Axiom. All Rights Reserved. Acceleration Garage, FileFixer, LearningBay, Office Importer, RefManager and Translation Manager are trademarks of Axiom. MicroStation and InRoads are registered trademarks of Bentley Systems‚ Incorporated. Neither Axiom nor MicroStation Today are affiliated with Bentley Systems‚ Incorporated. GEOPAK is a registered trademark of GEOPAK Corporation. Axiom is not an affiliate or licensee of GEOPAK Corporation. Other trademarks are held by their respective owners. Not responsible for inadvertent errors.

Call 727-442-7774 extension 3526 in the United States.

E-mail [email protected].