Cell Tool for MicroStation V8 XM Edition
Last revised: April 7, 2006
Description
The CellTool application provides some very useful extensions to the standard cell placement tools in MicroStation and MicroStation PowerDraft. CellTool gives you the ability to:
- Place Active Cell with an interactive rotation angle
- Place Active Cell on a selected element with interactive rotation angle
- Place Active Cell on an element by partial deleting the target element to fit the cell.
- Place multiple copies of the active cell along or offset from a selected element at a given distance between each copy.
For each of these tools, a series of standard datafields are used to control their operation.
Installation Instructions
CellTool.ma and CellTool.dll should be copied into the ..\mdlapps\ folder.
To load CellTool
Key in: MDL LOAD CELLTOOL from the Key-in Browser
or
from Utilities > MDL Applications > Browse, select CellTool
This loads the MDL application containing CellTool's tools. Although you can key in the individual names of the tools, most users will likely find it easier to work with CellTool's user interface.
To load the CellTool palette:
- Key in:
DIALOG PALETTE CELLTOOL
- Select the appropriate tool
- Enter name of cell to be used
- Set the angle of the active cell (optional)
- Follow prompts for specific tool operation
Place Cell and Rotate
The simplest of the CellTools, Place Cell and Rotate mimics the standard Place Cell tool with one notable difference. After placing the active cell, this tool puts the cell into an interactive rotation or spin mode around the cell's origin.
To place a cell and rotate it:
- Select the Place Cell and Rotate tool
- Enter a data point to position a cell
- Enter a data point to define the rotation angle
or
Reset to place the cell at the Active Angle.
Place Cell On and Rotate
Similar in function to the previous tool, the Place Cell On and Rotate tool utilizes an existing element for locating the origin point and initial angle of the selected cell.
To place a cell on an element and rotate it:
- Select Place Cell On and Rotate tool
- Identify an existing element on which you want to place the cell
- Enter a data point to accept it
- Enter a data point to define the rotation angle of the cell
or
Reset to place the cell at the Active Angle with respect to the existing element.
Place Cell On
This tool works in a similar fashion as Place Cell On and Rotate with one very important difference. When the cell is placed on the selected element, the original element is partially deleted to remove that portion obscured by the cell. This can result in two or more new elements replacing the original element.
To place a cell on an element with trim:
- Select Place Cell On tool
- Identify an existing element on which you want to place the cell
- Enter a data point to accept it
- Enter a data point to define the rotation angle of the cell
or
Reset to place the cell at the Active Angle with respect to the existing element.
Place Cell Along
Acting like a tape measure, Place Cell Along will place cells at a set distance along the entire length of a selected element. In addition to placing the active cell on the selected element, this tool can be configured to place the cell offset from the centerline of the element. This is accomplished with the Offset tool setting.
To repeatedly place a cell a set distance along an element:
- Select the Place Cell Along tool
- Set the Spacing, Offset and Angle tool settings to the values desired
- Identify the existing element at the point where you want the repeating cells to start
- Enter a data point to accept it
NOTE: This offset is calculated from the normal direction of the chosen element (from the first endpoint entered). This direction is determined by the order in which the element’s coordinates were placed. If your offset appears on the wrong side of the element, select the Undo command and try a negative offset value.
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