How to Create Cell Library Notebooks

Trying to remember the appearance, name and location of specific cells can consume valuable production time. This time factor multiplies itself when the above is done continuously by every user at a MicroStation site. Axiom’s CellManager solves this problem by plotting a cell library notebook containing the graphic and non-graphic details (name, description, levels used, etc.) of each and every cell in the library. This month, MicroStation Tips walks you through the steps involved in creating a cell library notebook from MicroStation.

1. From the Axiom menu in MicroStation, select CellManager.

   

2. Select the cell library from which you’d like to create a cell library notebook.

   

3. Depending upon whether the cell library is 2D or 3D, CellManager chooses the appropriate seed file to generate a “work” file — the design file in which CellManager draws your cell library notebook before printing or plotting.

   

4. Next, choose a work file or accept the default name that displays when you put the cursor in the “Work File:” field. The <Select…> button next to the field lets you do this graphically.

   

5. On the main CellManager dialog box, click the <Draw Pages…> button. You’ll see the “Draw Pages” dialog box appear.

   

6. From its “Configure” menu, select “Settings…”.

   

7. Then select the radio button for “Plotter” and click the <Select…> button next to the “Config File:” field to select a plot driver that will allow MicroStation to plot (or print) to the device of your choice.

   

8. Select the radio button next to “Page”. This lets you select the number of cells you’d like CellManager to plot per page. The choices are 1, 4, 9, 16 and 25. Once you’ve made your choice, click on the <Close> button.

   

9. From the “Draw Pages” dialog box, click on the “Draw Pages” button. In seconds, CellManager generates a design file containing all the cells in your cell library and any detail information you might want. Click the <OK> button on the “Process complete” box when CellManager is done with the process.

   

10. Now, from the “Draw Pages” dialog box, click on the <Create Plots> button. Click on the <OK> button when the “Process complete” box appears.

    

11. Next, click on the <Submit Plots> button. Once the submittal process is completed, click the <OK> button on the “Process complete” box.

    

12. In minutes, you will have a cell library notebook complete with detailed information about each cell including a table of contents showing each cell name, description and the page in the notebook which contains it.

    

CellManager boosts your MicroStation productivity in many other ways. It is capable of copying cells from one library to another without opening a single design file, rescaling some or all cells in a cell library at the touch of a button, quickly locating and eliminating duplicate cells in cell libraries, renaming, deleting and modifying cells while viewing them graphically and much more.