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Schem SPI Symbol Editor Users Guide
Schem SPI Symbol Editor Users Guide
Symbol Editor
User's Guide
Version 2013
March 2013
DSPI2-PE-200015B
Copyright
Copyright © 2000-2013 Intergraph® Corporation. All Rights Reserved. Intergraph is part of Hexagon.
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Intergraph Corporation
P.O. Box 240000
Huntsville, AL 35813
Terms of Use
Use of this software product is subject to the End User License Agreement ("EULA") delivered with this software product unless
the licensee has a valid signed license for this software product with Intergraph Corporation. If the licensee has a valid signed
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technical product descriptions. Intergraph Corporation is not responsible for any error that may appear in this document.
The software discussed in this document is furnished under a license and may be used or copied only in accordance with the
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EVALUATION AS TO THE USEFULNESS OF THE SOFTWARE IN HIS OWN ENVIRONMENT.
Intergraph is not responsible for the accuracy of delivered data including, but not limited to, catalog, reference and symbol data.
Users should verify for themselves that the data is accurate and suitable for their project work.
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names are trademarks of their respective owners.
Contents
Symbol Editor .............................................................................................................................................. 5
Index ........................................................................................................................................................... 77
Placing Symbols
The main use of the Symbol Explorer is to drag symbols from a directory to the current
document. The Symbol Explorer acts much like the Windows Explorer. To view symbols, you
can type the name of the directory in the Address Box at the top of the Symbol Explorer; or
you can click the Explore Elsewhere button and set the directory path that the Symbol
Explorer looks in.
If you click Home at the top of the Symbol Explorer, it displays the home page for the symbols
that are associated with the template on which the active document is based. You can override
this property by setting a new address with Properties on the File menu. On the Properties
dialog box, you click the Browser tab to set the option.
After the Symbol Explorer displays the symbols, you can drag a symbol from the Symbol
Explorer to the current document.
Window Options
Back - Takes you backward to the previous location of the Symbol Explorer, either a web
page or a directory path.
Forward - Takes you forward to the previous location of the Symbol Explorer, either a web
page or a directory path.
Home - Takes the Symbol Explorer back to the home page that you set with Properties on
the File menu. If you do not set the home page with this command, the Symbol Explorer opens
the symbols directory associated with the template that the active document is based on.
Explore Elsewhere - Accesses the Browse for Folder dialog box so that you can locate
another directory for the Symbol Explorer to look in. You can use the dialog box to look in
directories on your hard drive or a network drive.
Address - Sets the current location for the Symbol Explorer. You can type in a directory or a
World Wide Web address and then press Enter. Some examples of what you can type in are as
follows:
http://www.intergraph.com
C:\PROGRAM FILES\DRAWINGS\
If you want to view an HTML page on your hard drive, you must enter the entire path and
filename in the address box.
If you set the path of the Symbol Explorer to a directory, you can see a tree view, a shell
view, and the Attribute Viewer. If you set the path to an HTML page, you can see the
symbols of that page in the style of Microsoft Internet Explorer 4.01 or earlier, if that version
is installed. If Microsoft Internet Explorer is not installed, the software prompts you to install
it.
See Also
Close the Symbol Explorer (on page 9)
Move the Symbol Explorer (on page 9)
Open Documents from the Symbol Explorer (on page 9)
You can filter the view of documents in the Symbol Explorer. If you want to view just one
type of document, such as symbols, right-click in the Symbol Explorer window and select
the document type. On the shortcut menu, click View, and then File Type.
If you double-click a document in the Symbol Explorer, the software that created the
document opens and displays the document. For example, if you double-click the
SYMBOL.sym document, the software opens and displays the SYMBOL.sym document.
Or, if you double-click a document with an .htm extension, the Microsoft Internet Explorer
opens.
If you open or create a document while the Symbol Explorer is open, you must click Home
to display the symbols directory associated with the current document.
You can filter the view in the Symbol Explorer window to display only certain types of
documents, such as MicroStation, AutoCAD, or other types. You can click View File Type
on the shortcut menu in the Symbol Explorer window.
For example, to display only AutoCAD documents, select the AutoCAD option for .dwg
documents. When you set this option, the Symbol Explorer window displays only .dwg
documents.
If you set the path of the Symbol Explorer to a directory, you can see a tree view and a
shell view., a shell view, and the Attribute Viewer., a shell view, and the Attribute Viewer.
If you set the path to an HTML page, you can see the symbols of that page in the style of
Microsoft Internet Explorer 4.01 or earlier, if that version is installed. If Microsoft Internet
Explorer is not installed, the software prompts you to install it.
You can use many of the same tools to view web pages that are available in the Windows
Internet Explorer. For example, if you click Back at the top of the Symbol Explorer, the
Symbol Explorer returns to the previous page.
If you open or create a document while Symbol Explorer is open, you must click Home to
display the symbols directory associated with the current document.
You can drag any document that supports OLE 2.0 from the Symbol Explorer to the
drawing sheet.
If you set the path of the Symbol Explorer to a directory, you can see a tree view, a shell
view, and the Attribute Viewer. If you set the path to an HTML page, you can see the
symbols of that page in the style of the Microsoft Internet Explorer 4.01 or earlier, if that
version is installed. If Microsoft Internet Explorer is not installed, then the software prompts
you to install it.
If the Symbol Explorer is displayed as a separate window from the main window,
double-click the bar at the top to make it part of the main window again. You can dock the
Symbol Explorer at any place in the window.
If you resize the Symbol Explorer and then double-click it to make it part of the main
window, the Symbol Explorer size remains the same.
After you have selected an item type, only macros appropriate for that item type are
available for the symbol.
For an I/O card, select Wiring Equipment as the item type.
For an OPC, select Document as the item type.
11. Add macros, text labels, and connection points to the symbol as needed. For details, see:
Add a Macro to a Symbol File (on page 18).
Add Connection Points to a Symbol File (on page 18).
12. Save the file.
Before creating these symbols, make sure that you have first specified a path for the Symbol
Editor where your symbols will be located by default. For details, see Specify a Path for the
Symbol Editor (on page 11).
You must start Symbol Editor from within SmartPlant Instrumentation in order to establish a
connection to the database.
1. Start the Symbol Editor from the SmartPlant Instrumentation program.
2. Open a new drawing sheet and draw an outline for the location, which can be a site,
building, floor plan, or room as you require.
3. Select the outline that you have drawn.
4. Click Symbols to display the symbol ribbon bar.
5. On the symbol ribbon bar, click Create Symbol . The mouse pointer changes to a
cross-hair icon.
6. Click a suitable point on the drawing sheet to define the origin of the symbol.
You must specify accurately the position of the symbol's origin so that the symbol is
placed correctly relative to the page origin; usually, this is the lower left corner of the
drawing sheet.
The Save As dialog box automatically appears at this point. You do not need to use
Save As on the File menu to open this dialog box.
7. On the Save As dialog box, select the folder where you want to save the symbol.
8. Type the name that you want for the symbol.
9. Draw the panels as desired using the location outline as a guide and save each panel
drawing as a separate symbol.
Use rectangles to represent common sizes of panels such as 80 x 80 cm enclosures,
and so forth.
10. Return to the location symbol and click Actions > Assign Item Type.
11. In the Assign Item Type dialog box, from the Item type list, select Location.
12. Add macros as needed and save the symbol.
Before creating these symbols, make sure that you have first specified a path for the Symbol
Editor where your symbols will be located by default. For details, see Specify a Path for the
Symbol Editor (on page 11).
You must start Symbol Editor from within SmartPlant Instrumentation in order to establish a
connection to the database.
1. Start the Symbol Editor from the SmartPlant Instrumentation program.
2. Open a new drawing sheet and draw an outline for a panel with appropriate rack columns.
3. Select all the components of the panel that you have drawn.
4. Click Symbols to display the symbol ribbon bar.
5. On the symbol ribbon bar, click Create Symbol . The mouse pointer changes to a
cross-hair icon.
6. Click a suitable point on the drawing sheet to define the origin of the symbol.
You must specify accurately the position of the symbol's origin so that the
symbol is placed correctly relative to the page origin; usually, this is the lower left corner of
the drawing sheet.
The Save As dialog box automatically appears at this point. You do not need to use
Save As on the File menu to open this dialog box.
7. On the Save As dialog box, select the folder where you want to save the symbol.
8. Type the name that you want for the symbol.
9. Draw a rack using the panel outline as a guide and save the rack drawing as a separate
symbol.
You must specify the position of the symbol's origin at the starting point where each rack
is to be added to the panel, for example, the top left corner.
Make a note of the dimensions of the rack so that you can use it to specify the correct
Symbol displacement value when specifying the start points on the panel.
10. Return to the panel symbol and click Actions > Assign Item Type.
11. In the Assign Item Type dialog box, from the Item type list, select Panel.
12. Add macros as needed.
13. On the Actions toolbar, click Place Starting Points .
14. On the Starting Points ribbon bar, from the Placement order list, select one of the
following options:
Left to Right
Right to Left
Top to Bottom
Bottom to Top
15. Enter values for the Symbol displacement and Symbols per row / column properties.
As an example, suppose that you want to add the racks in stacks of up to 8 racks in
vertical columns, starting from the top of the panel. In this case, you select from Placement
order the option Top to Bottom, then for Symbols per row / column, type 8. For the
Symbol displacement property, type a value of 1.00 to specify a height allowance of 1 inch
for each rack.
16. Click the mouse pointer at each point where you want to add a starting point. Note that the
Row / Column number value increments by one each time you add a new start point.
17. Save the panel symbol.
18. Open the rack symbol and assign to it item type Rack.
19. Add macros as needed.
20. Save the rack symbol.
21. In SmartPlant Instrumentation, associate the panel symbol with a panel that has one or
more racks, selecting Panel Layout report as the name of the report type. For details, see
Associate a Symbol with an Item in the Enhanced Report Utility User's Guide.
22. Associate each rack in the selected panel with the rack symbol that you created, selecting
Panel Layout report as the name of the report type.
The order in which the software places the racks is determined by the rack Sequence
property.
Although this procedure refers to strips and terminals, you can apply it to any situation
where you create a symbol with sub-symbols. For general details of how to create
individual custom symbols, see Create a User Defined (customized) Symbol (on page 11).
You must start Symbol Editor from within SmartPlant Instrumentation in order to establish a
connection to the database.
1. On the SmartPlant Instrumentation main menu, click Tools > Symbol Editor.
2. Create a new terminal symbol.
7. Click a point on the drawing sheet to define the origin of the symbol.
The symbol's origin point is important in this case because the software places the
sub-symbols relative to one another within the main symbol.
The Save As dialog box automatically appears at this point. You do not need to use
Save As on the File menu to open this dialog box.
8. On the Save As dialog box, select the folder where you want to save the symbol.
9. Type the name that you want for the symbol.
10. Assign item type Terminal Strip for the symbol.
11. Add macros as needed on the strip symbol.
12. Open the Symbol Browser and drag two or more terminal symbols into the strip outline.
When dragging the terminal symbols, the software assigns the symbol order of
each terminal in sequence. For this reason, it is essential that you place the terminals in the
order that you want their numbering to be assigned.
13. Save the strip symbol.
14. Open a new drawing sheet and draw an outline for your panel.
15. Create a panel symbol from the drawing.
16. Assign item type Panel for the symbol.
17. Add macros as needed on the panel symbol.
18. Drag two or more strip symbols into the panel outline in the desired order.
19. Save the panel symbol.
20. In SmartPlant Instrumentation, associate the panel symbol with the desired panel. For
details, see Associate a Symbol with an Item in the Enhanced Report Utility User's Guide.
If you generate an Enhanced SmartLoop report using the Custom by Loop or Custom
by Signal generation methods, and no suitable custom symbol is associated with a particular
wiring item that includes standard terminals, the software uses the symbol FirstTerm.sym as the
default symbol for the first terminal in a group of terminals, and the symbol Term.sym for all
subsequent terminals - provided that these symbols already exist in the custom symbol folder
specified in the SmartPlant Instrumentation Preferences dialog box for the Enhanced
SmartLoop report. FirstTerm.sym includes macros for the panel, strip, and terminal; Term.sym
includes macros for the terminal only.
For further information, see Add Connection Points to a Symbol File (on page 18).
When the symbol is of type Connector, the Connection Point ribbon is inactive as
there is no left or right terminal side.
i. Click to add macros. For more information, see Add a Macro to a Symbol File (on
page 18).
j. Click and close the symbol.
2. Now do the following to create a terminal strip symbol and combine it with the connector
symbol:
a. Repeat steps a to f of part one of this procedure.
b. Click and in the Assign Item Type dialog box select the item type for the symbol.
In this case Terminal Strip.
c. Click to add macros.
d. On the Symbol Explorer, locate the connector symbol that you created.
e. Drag and drop the connector symbol on to your terminal strip symbol.
f. Click and close the symbol.
3. Finally do the following to create a wiring equipment symbol and combine it with the terminal
strip symbol:
a. Repeat steps a to f of part one of this procedure.
b. Click and in the Assign Item Type dialog box select the item type for the symbol.
In this case Wiring Equipment.
c. Click to add macros.
d. On the Symbol Explorer, locate the terminal strip symbol that you created.
e. Drag and drop the terminal strip symbol on to the wiring equipment symbol you created.
f. Click and close the symbol.
Select the Show all macros for assembled symbols from the Enhanced SmartLoop .>
View preferences in SmartPlant Instrumentation, if you want to display all macros associated
with assembled symbols on a report. Do not select this preference if you want to display only
those macros associated to an assembly that are connected to a signal.
Hold down the CTRL key while selecting each object individually.
The first graphical element that you select is the one with which all the other selected
graphical elements are aligned.
2. Click Actions > Alignment > By Objects.
You can also access this command by clicking Align Objects on the Actions
toolbar.
3. On the Alignment ribbon, click one of the following icons according to the alignment you
require:
Align left edges
Align right edges
Align top edges
Align bottom edges
Align to center horizontally to first selection
Align to center vertically to first selection
Align tangent objects horizontally
Align tangent objects vertically
Space evenly horizontally
Space evenly vertically
The alignment commands use the first object selected as the base to align the other objects.
The Space Evenly commands require at least 3 objects to be selected. The spacing is then
based on the first two objects selected.
You can add more than one connection point on each terminal side if needed. If you do
so, it is recommended that you place the points alongside one another or specify a
different connection angle for each point.
Graphical symbol elements are defined on the Default layer and these elements
determine the symbol boundaries. Connection points are defined on the Connection
layer, which means that placing connection points beyond the symbol boundaries does
not affect the calculation of spacing between symbols in drawings.
5. Click the mouse pointer to place the second connection point in a similar way.
6. If you require, add wire macros to each connection point. For details, see Add Wire Macros
to Connection Points (on page 19).
7. On the toolbar, click Finish.
8. Click File > Save.
Graphical symbol elements are defined on the Default layer and these elements
determine the symbol boundaries. Macros are defined on the Macro layer, which
means that placing macros beyond the symbol boundaries does not affect the
calculation of spacing between symbols in drawings.
For terminals that have connections on both sides, if you want the cable macro names
to appear between the connection points, it is recommended that you place cable macro
names on one side of the symbol only to avoid duplication for each terminal to which the
cable is connected.
10. Click File > Save.
The software only displays wire macros for connection points that actually have
connections.
If you delete a connection point, the software automatically deletes from the symbol all
macros belonging to that connection point.
Customize a Symbol
1. Do one of the following:
On the SmartPlant Instrumentation main menu, click Tools > Symbol Editor.
On the Windows Taskbar, click Start > Programs > Intergraph SmartPlant
Instrumentation > Symbol Editor.
In any file browser, double-click the .sym file you want to open. (For this option to work,
the file type must be registered to open with the Symbol Editor.)
If you use the last two methods of opening a file, you will not be able to perform
certain actions that require connectivity to the SmartPlant Instrumentation database, for
example changing the item type. For this reason, it is generally recommended that when
customizing a symbol, you open the Symbol Editor from within SmartPlant Instrumentation.
2. Customize the symbol as you require. You can make any of the following changes:
Edit graphical elements.
Change the item type.
Add, modify, or delete SmartText.
Add, modify, or delete macros.
Add, modify, or delete connection points (for terminals).
Add, modify, or delete starting points (for panels with racks).
3. Click File > Save.
If you change a symbol's item type, the software automatically deletes from the symbol all
macros belonging to the original item type.
See Also
Add a Macro to a Symbol File (on page 18)
You can also add or edit text in the OPC Label from the Enhanced Report Utility.
Click the Text tab, if you want to adjust the formatting of the label text.
6. Click OK, the cursor changes to cross-hairs.
7. Click on the OPC symbol where you want the label to appear.
8. Save and close the OPC symbol.
Text
Caption —Type the text that you want to appear on the OPC Label text box.
You can leave this blank and add text later in your loop drawing.
Options
Set various options for how the SmartText is displayed.
Set as watermark (not available with OPC Label) — Select the box if you want to use the text
as a watermark, which means that it appears behind other drawing items.
Set as Off Page Connector (OPC) (Only available in the Symbol Editor) — Select the check
box to add an OPC Label text box to the OPC symbol.
Off Page Connector Name (Only available when Set as Off Page Connector (OPC) has been
selected and the OPC has been associated with a drawing.) — Displays the target loop name of
an associated OPC, as the name of the OPC, creating a unique name for the OPC. You can add
text to this field if required. This field holds up to 50 characters.
Textbox display
These options are only available when you add SmartText for the first time.
Current sheet (not available with OPC Label) — Click to display the SmartText item on the
current drawing sheet only.
All sheets (not available with OPC Label) — Click to display the SmartText item on all the
drawing sheets.
Update an Assembly
An assembly is a symbol created by combining a number of symbols to form one symbol. After
making changes to a symbol that is a component of an assembly symbol, the changes are not
automatically displayed in the assembly symbol. You must run the Update Assembly
Command for the changes made to the component symbol to become part of the assembly
symbol.
This procedure cannot be reversed! It is advisable to make a backup of your symbols before
proceeding with updating the assembly.
The Update Assembly Command checks the assembly's component symbols for changes
in their original source folder. If you have copied the component symbols to another folder or
drive, for example from you C: drive to a network drive so that other users have access to
the symbols, and made changes to the copied component symbols, then the changes are
not updated in the assembly. You must delete the original symbols from their source folder
for the Update Assembly Command to update the copied symbols, or make your changes
to the original symbols.
1. Make the required changes to the component symbols, not to the assembly, and save them.
2. Click Tools > Macro.
3. On the Custom Command dialog box, in the Look in field, navigate to the Smart Plant
Instrumentation installation folder and click SmartPlant > Instrumentation >RAD.
4. Select the .dll UpdateAssemblyCmnd90.
5. Click Open.
6. On the Update Assembly dialog box, navigate to the folder where you saved the
component symbol.
7. Do one of the following:
From the Select file pane, select the symbols you want to update.
Click Select all to select all the symbol files.
8. Click OK.
You must close and re-open the drawing to view the changes made to the assembly.
You can add the Update Assembly Command to your toolbar by clicking Tools >
Customize and from the Customize dialog box selecting the UpdateAssemblyCmnd90.
Customize Command
Allows you to customize toolbars or menus to fit your workflow. This command is available only
on the Tools menu.
Preview — Lists the menus. Double-click on a menu name to see all the commands on a menu.
When you click Add Command, Add Menu, Place into selected menu, or Remove, the
changes show up on this list. This list also changes to allow you type in a name for the new
menu that you want to add.
Place into selected menu — Places a command or macro that you selected in the Commands
box on the menu that you selected in the Preview box. If you do not set this option, then the
macros or commands that you are adding are placed before or after the command or menu that
you selected in the Preview box.
Reset All — Restores all menus and the main menu bar to the original settings.
Add Command — Places a command or macro on a menu or the main menu bar. This button
is available only when you select a command or macro in the Commands box.
Add Menu — Places a menu on an existing menu or the main menu bar. When you add a menu
with this option, you can add commands to the new menu later. If you add a menu to an existing
menu, this creates a cascading menu. After you click this button, you can type the name that
you want in the Preview box and then click away from the name to enter it.
Remove — Removes the command or menu that you selected in the Preview box.
Description — Displays a description or result of the options that you selected before you apply
them to a menu.
Browse — Opens the Select Macro Directory dialog box where you can navigate to the
directory containing the macro you want to add to an Instrumentation menu. Browse appears
only when you click Custom Commands in the Categories box.
General Tab
Sets general properties for dimensions.
Color - Sets colors for a driving, driven, or error dimension.
Driving Dimension- Sets the color used for driving dimensions.
Driven Dimension- Sets the color used for driven dimensions.
Error Dimension - Sets the color for error dimensions. Error dimensions are driving or
driven dimensions that the software cannot recalculate correctly after parametric attributes
on driving dimensions are changed.
Scale Mode - Sets the scale mode to automatic or manual.
Automatic - Determines a correct dimensional value based on the scale set in the drawing
view.
Manual- Scales the dimensional value. The scale value determines the dimensional value. For
example, for a scale of 1:100mm, set the manual value to 0.01.
Manual mode only works with dimensions that are set to Driven.
See Also
Modify Dimension Style Dialog Box (on page 61)
New Dimension Style Dialog Box (on page 54)
Units Tab
Sets the primary units for dimensions.
Linear — Specifies the unit settings for a linear dimension.
Units — Sets the primary units for linear dimensions.
Unit Label — Sets the unit label. You can type up to 20 characters for a unit label.
Subunit Label — Sets the subunit label. You can type up to 20 characters for a subunit label.
Round-Off — Sets the round-off for the value. This control is sensitive to the unit setting
(decimal or fractional) and contains values appropriate for the unit. This control is also sensitive
to the dimension that you place and contains values appropriate for the dimension.
Maximum Subunits — Sets the maximum subunits value. You can type a value up to 255. This
value applies to feet and inches. For example, if you type 13, the dimension appears as 13
inches and not 1 foot and 1 inch.
Angular — Sets the units for an angular dimension.
Units — Sets the primary units for angular dimensions. Options are Degrees, Deg-Min-Sec, or
Radians.
Round-Off — Sets the round-off for the value. This control is sensitive to the unit setting
(decimal or fractional) and contains values appropriate for the unit. This control is also sensitive
to the dimension that you place and contains values appropriate for the dimension.
Zeroes — Specifies if a zero is on the left or right of the decimal in a dimension.
Leading — Places a zero to the left of the decimal point if no numbers appear to the left.
Trailing — Places zeros to the right of the decimal point. The number of zeros placed is based
on the active setting for Round-Off. For example, if the dimensional value is .5, and the
round-off setting is .1234, the dimensional value appears as .5000.
Delimiter — Specifies the decimal delimiter for a dimension.
Period — Sets a period as the decimal delimiter.
Comma — Sets a comma as the decimal delimiter.
Space — Sets a space as the decimal delimiter.
See Also
Format Dimension Dialog Box (on page 28)
Modify Dimension Style Dialog Box (on page 61)
New Dimension Style Dialog Box (on page 54)
Maximum Subunits — Sets the maximum subunits used for secondary subunits in drawings
with dual unit display.
Zeroes — Specifies if a zero appears on the left or right of the decimal in a dimension.
Leading — Places a zero to the left of the decimal point if no numbers appear to the left.
Trailing — Places zeros to the right of the decimal point. The number of zeros placed is based
on the active setting for Round-Off. For example, if the dimensional value is .5, and the
round-off setting is .1234, the dimensional value appears as .5000.
Dual Unit Display — Selecting/Activating this checkbox displays secondary units for
dimensions in drawings. For example, the primary unit can be inches, while the secondary unit
is millimeters. Both units display when you place the dimension. The software derives the
secondary unit by converting the primary unit.
See Also
Format Dimension Dialog Box (on page 28)
Modify Dimension Style Dialog Box (on page 61)
New Dimension Style Dialog Box (on page 54)
Text Tab
Sets the text options for dimensions.
Text - Sets text options for a dimension.
Font - Sets the font type for the dimension text.
Font Style - Specifies the font style to use for the text in a dimension.
Font Size - Sets the size for text in a dimension.
Orientation - Sets the orientation for the text on a dimension. For example, the dimension text
looks like the following picture when you select Vertical.
Position - Sets the position where text appears in relation to the base line. The base line is an
imaginary horizontal line directly under a line of text. For example, when you select Above, the
dimension text looks like the following picture.
Tolerance Text - Sets options for text in certain types of dimensions that have related
tolerances. You can set the dimension type on the dimension ribbon bar.
Size - Sets the size of the text for tolerance text. The value is a ratio of the dimension text size.
For example, if you enter .5, the size of the tolerance text will be half the size of the dimension
text.
Limit Arrangement - Sets the text arrangement on limit dimensions.
See Also
Format Dimension Dialog Box (on page 28)
Modify Dimension Style Dialog Box (on page 61)
New Dimension Style Dialog Box (on page 54)
Spacing Tab
Sets dimension spacing options. All options are a ratio of the dimension text value.
Text Clearance Gap — Sets the space between the text and the dimension line.
Dual Display Vertical Gap — Sets the space between the primary and secondary units when
dual unit display is active. You can set Dual Unit Display on the Secondary Units tab so that
dimensions display two units.
Line Spacing — Sets the amount of space between the superfix or subfix and the dimension
text.
Dimension Above Line Gap — Sets the space between the dimension text and the dimension
line.
Horizontal Tolerance Gap — Sets the space between the dimensional value and the tolerance
on dimensions.
Vertical Tolerance Gap — Sets the space between the upper and lower tolerance value on
dimensions.
Vertical Limits Gap — Sets the space between the upper and lower dimensional values on limit
dimensions.
Symbol Gap — Sets the space between the symbol and the dimension line. You can also set
the space between the symbol and the dimension text.
Prefix/Suffix Gap — Sets the amount of space between the prefix or suffix and the dimension
text.
Horizontal Box Gap — Sets the space between the dimension text and the horizontal edges of
the box on dimensions.
Vertical Box Gap — Sets the space between the dimension text and the vertical edges of the
box on dimensions.
See Also
Format Dimension Dialog Box (on page 28)
Modify Dimension Style Dialog Box (on page 61)
New Dimension Style Dialog Box (on page 54)
Arrow (Hollow)
Arrow (Open)
Back Slash
Blank
Circle
Dot
Slash
Freespace Type — Sets the terminator type for a dimension with a terminator placed in free
space.
Size — Sets the size of the terminator. The value is a ratio of the dimension text size. For
example, if you set Font Size on the Text tab to be .2 cm and Size to be 2, the terminator is
twice the size of the dimension text.
Origin Type — Sets the terminator type used on the origin of a linear dimension.
Inside Limit — Controls the terminator position relative to a dimension's projection lines. The
Inside Limit is calculated as a constant times the dimension font size. For example, if the font
size is 0.125 inches and the Inside Limit is set to 3 (3 x font size), any dimension with a value
greater than or equal to 0.375 inches positions its terminators on the inside of the projection
lines. Any dimension with a value less than 0.375 inches positions its terminators on the outside
of the projection lines.
This setting affects dimensions only at placement. You can change the terminator's
position after placement by dragging the terminator to the other side of the projection line.
In the example below, the inside limit value is 3, the font size is 0.1 in., and the dimension line is
.317 in. in length. Therefore:
Dimension value > 3 (inside limit) * .01 (font size)
The inside limit affects newly-placed dimensions only. The setting has no effect if the
dimension value is changed because of changes in the parent geometry.
Datum Type — Sets the terminator type for datum frames. If you select Normal, the datum
frame uses the active terminator type for dimensions. If you select Anchor, the datum frame
uses an anchor terminator.
Display — Specifies which end of the terminator displays or if both ends display. You can set
the display to none (off), origin, measurement, or both origin and measurement. The following
picture shows the display when you select Origin and Measurement.
The maximum cap height of the first formatted text line of each line defines the text area capline,
even if the line has been clipped out of the text box.
The line baseline is a font metric that describes an imaginary line for location of characters. The
largest descender for any font on the line defines the baseline. Therefore, the largest descender
of the fonts used on the last line defines the text area baseline, even if the line is clipped out of
the text box.
The following graphic illustrates text cap area (a) and text baseline (b) for horizontal justification
(A) and vertical justification (B).
You must define horizontal and vertical components together. These components apply to both
single-line and multi-line text. For multi-line text, the cap height of the first line is used for the
capline of the text, and the descender of the last line is used for the baseline of the text.
Horizontal — Specifies horizontal placement at six options based on shape (text box), text
area, and the text within the text box at left, center, and right positions.
Vertical — Specifies vertical placement at 10 options based on shape (text box), text area, and
the text within the text box.
Text Baseline — Specifies the text area baseline.
Text Top — Specifies the top of the text area, which begins at the bottom of the top margin.
Text Capline — Specifies the text area capline.
Text Half Ascender — Specifies half the distance from the text area baseline to the top of the
text area.
Text Half Cap — Specifies the distance half way between the text area capline and baseline.
Text Center — Specifies the center of the text area.
Text Bottom — Specifies the bottom of the text area.
Shape Top — Specifies the top edge of the shape.
Shape Center — Specifies center of the shape.
Shape Bottom — Specifies the bottom of the shape.
Text Alignment — Specifies the placement of formatted text within the shape (text box).
You must define horizontal and vertical components together.
Horizontal — Specifies how each paragraph is aligned within the block of formatted text. Values
for horizontal alignment include Left, Center, and Right.
If Text Orientation is horizontal, you modify all the paragraph alignment properties for all
paragraphs within the text box. (These properties appear in the Text Alignment area of the Info
tab.)
If Text Orientation is vertical, you modify the shape alignment properties. (These properties
appear in the Text Alignment area of the Info tab.)
Vertical — Places the block of formatted text at Top, Center, Bottom, or Justify area of the
text box.
If Text Orientation is horizontal, you modify the shape alignment properties. (These properties
appear in the Text Alignment area of the Info tab.)
If Text Orientation is vertical, you modify all the paragraph alignment properties for all
paragraphs within the text box. (These properties appear in the Text Alignment area of the Info
tab.)
Margins
Sets the distance between the edge of the shape and the edge of the text area. Margins are in
the same units as the text box.
Top — Sets the distance between the top edge of the shape and the top edge of the text area.
Bottom — Sets the distance between the bottom edge of the shape and the bottom edge of the
text area.
Left — Sets the distance between the left edge of the shape and the left edge of the text area.
Right — Sets the distance between the right edge of the shape and the right edge of the text
area.
Language — Lists and applies a language for text in a text box. If you use text characters from
more than one language in a text box, the option you specify in this box determines the way the
lines wrap in the paragraph.
Units space — Sets the paragraph to paper units or to world units. You can change this control
only when you are creating new styles from the Format Styles or Format Text Box dialog
boxes. When you view this control from the Properties dialog box, it is read-only. You can
change the control from the Info tab because all paragraphs contained within a text box must
exist in the same units.
Within the drawing environment, "world units" is synonymous with the term "model units"
found in other CAD packages.
Font size type — Specify the method for measuring font size: Ascender, Cap, or Tile.
Single sets the line spacing for each line to display the largest font in the line.
1.5 sets the line space for the line to one-and-a-half that of single lines.
Double sets the line spacing for the line to twice that of single lines.
Paragraph spacing — Specifies the amount of space before and after paragraphs. No spacing
exists before the first paragraph and or after the last paragraph.
Before — Adds space before a paragraph. This value is set in the current working units, not in
points.
After — Adds space after a paragraph. This value is set in the current working units, not in
points. You can set the units using Units on the Format menu.
As an alternative for controlling auto returns within the text body, you can restrain the width of
the box during placement or through the Text Box Properties dialog box.
New Command
Creates a new document or template. You can use a template to create the document.
See Also
New Dialog Box (on page 40)
Options Command
Changes settings that control screen appearance, document location, user information, and so
forth. This command is available only on the Tools menu.
You can use the Options command to set options for importing MicroStation or AutoCAD
documents into the software.
See Also
Options Dialog Box (on page 40)
Dimension Keyin Values Automatically - Places dimensions for recognized step values or for
values you type in a ribbon field while drawing a geometric element. For example, select
Rectangle on the Draw toolbar. On the ribbon, type a value in the Width, Height, and/or Angle
fields, press <Enter> or <Tab>, and then click the location in the Drawing sheet where you
want to place the rectangle.
Display Unit Of Measurement Labels - Displays the units of measurement in the value field.
Set printer paper size to sheet size - Automatically sets the printer paper size to match the
sheet size (if the printer supports that size).
Display XY coordinate readout - Displays the XY coordinate of the cursor position in the right
side of the application window status bar.
Undo Steps - Sets the number of operations that can be undone.
Middle Button Operation - Sets up the middle mouse button so that it can be used for either
scrolling or panning. The default action of the middle mouse button is Windows Scrolling.
See Also
Options Dialog Box (on page 40)
Solid 0 Normal 9
Dotted 1 Dashed 10
Medium Dotted 2 Dotted 11
Long Dotted 3 Dash Dot 12
Dot Dash 4 Dash 2Dot 13
See Also
MicroStation Import Options Dialog Box (on page 45)
Line Width Tab (MicroStation Import Options Dialog Box)
Maps the MicroStation weights to line widths in the software.
See Also
MicroStation Import Options Dialog Box (on page 45)
MicroStation Export Options Dialog Box
Controls how a document will be translated to a MicroStation file format.
To use this functionality, you must install the Translators option.
See Also
General Tab (MicroStation Export Options Dialog Box) (on page 47)
Font Tab (MicroStation Export Options Dialog Box) (on page 47)
LineStyle Tab (MicroStation Export Options Dialog Box) (on page 48)
Line Width Tab (MicroStation Export Options Dialog Box) (on page 48)
Layer Tab (MicroStation Export Options Dialog Box) (on page 48)
Normal 9 Solid 0
Dashed 10 Dotted 1
Dotted 11 Medium Dotted 2
Dash Dot 12 Long Dotted 3
Dash 2Dot 13 Dot Dash 4
See Also
MicroStation Export Options Dialog Box (on page 47)
Line Width Tab (MicroStation Export Options Dialog Box)
Maps the software line widths to MicroStation weights.
See Also
MicroStation Export Options Dialog Box (on page 47)
Layer Tab (MicroStation Export Options Dialog Box)
Layer Mapping Table - Displays an alphanumeric ordered list of the layers.
See Also
MicroStation Export Options Dialog Box (on page 47)
Select Scale — Sets the drawing scale to a standard ratio. The specified ratio defines the size
of the drawing in relation to the size of the real-world object. For a 2:1 ratio, the 2 represents the
size of the drawing and the 1 represents the size of the real-world object.
Custom — Defines a custom or scale ratio. The first value defines the distance on the drawing
sheet and the second value defines what this distance is equal to in the real world.
Paper units — Sets the paper units for the drawing sheet.
Units — Controls the display of numeric values in dialog boxes that define the size of
non-scaled objects. Some examples of non-scaled object values are text height and line width.
This setting does not affect dimension units.
Only value boxes use this option. For example, if you are working in feet and inches, you can
specify that you want to read and enter values for text height in fractional inches. (1/8" instead of
0.00'-0.125")
When printing or plotting a drawing sheet, the non-scaled items appear on the printed
document with the exact size that you specify.
Precision — Sets the number of significant figures to display, or the accuracy of the unit
readout value. The precision setting does not change the numbers that you can type in the
fields, only the display of the numbers in the field. Values ending in 5 are rounded up to the next
whole number.
For example, if you set this control to .001 and you draw a line that is 2.1056 inches, then the
line length value is rounded. The length value appears as 2.106 inches. If you set this control to
0.01 and you type a line length value of 3.5 mm, the length value appears as 3.50 mm.
Style Command
Modifies, creates, deletes, or applies styles.
Name Tab
Names a style when you create or modify a style. This tab appears only when you click New or
Modify on the Styles dialog box.
Name — Names the style. Style names can contain up to 253 characters (including aliases and
separators) and can include any combination of characters and spaces, except the backslash
character (\), semicolon (;), and braces ({ }). Style names are case sensitive.
Based On — Displays the name of the style that the current or new style is based on.
Description — Displays a description of the formatting options.
General Tab
Sets general properties for dimensions.
Color - Sets colors for a driving, driven, or error dimension.
Driving Dimension- Sets the color used for driving dimensions.
Driven Dimension- Sets the color used for driven dimensions.
Error Dimension - Sets the color for error dimensions. Error dimensions are driving or
driven dimensions that the software cannot recalculate correctly after parametric attributes
on driving dimensions are changed.
Scale Mode - Sets the scale mode to automatic or manual.
Automatic - Determines a correct dimensional value based on the scale set in the drawing
view.
Manual- Scales the dimensional value. The scale value determines the dimensional value. For
example, for a scale of 1:100mm, set the manual value to 0.01.
Manual mode only works with dimensions that are set to Driven.
See Also
Modify Dimension Style Dialog Box (on page 61)
New Dimension Style Dialog Box (on page 54)
Units Tab
Sets the primary units for dimensions.
Linear — Specifies the unit settings for a linear dimension.
Units — Sets the primary units for linear dimensions.
Unit Label — Sets the unit label. You can type up to 20 characters for a unit label.
Subunit Label — Sets the subunit label. You can type up to 20 characters for a subunit label.
Round-Off — Sets the round-off for the value. This control is sensitive to the unit setting
(decimal or fractional) and contains values appropriate for the unit. This control is also sensitive
to the dimension that you place and contains values appropriate for the dimension.
Maximum Subunits — Sets the maximum subunits value. You can type a value up to 255. This
value applies to feet and inches. For example, if you type 13, the dimension appears as 13
inches and not 1 foot and 1 inch.
Angular — Sets the units for an angular dimension.
Units — Sets the primary units for angular dimensions. Options are Degrees, Deg-Min-Sec, or
Radians.
Round-Off — Sets the round-off for the value. This control is sensitive to the unit setting
(decimal or fractional) and contains values appropriate for the unit. This control is also sensitive
to the dimension that you place and contains values appropriate for the dimension.
Zeroes — Specifies if a zero is on the left or right of the decimal in a dimension.
Leading — Places a zero to the left of the decimal point if no numbers appear to the left.
Trailing — Places zeros to the right of the decimal point. The number of zeros placed is based
on the active setting for Round-Off. For example, if the dimensional value is .5, and the
round-off setting is .1234, the dimensional value appears as .5000.
Delimiter — Specifies the decimal delimiter for a dimension.
Period — Sets a period as the decimal delimiter.
Comma — Sets a comma as the decimal delimiter.
Space — Sets a space as the decimal delimiter.
See Also
Format Dimension Dialog Box (on page 28)
Modify Dimension Style Dialog Box (on page 61)
New Dimension Style Dialog Box (on page 54)
Text Tab
Sets the text options for dimensions.
Text - Sets text options for a dimension.
Font - Sets the font type for the dimension text.
Font Style - Specifies the font style to use for the text in a dimension.
Font Size - Sets the size for text in a dimension.
Orientation - Sets the orientation for the text on a dimension. For example, the dimension text
looks like the following picture when you select Vertical.
Position - Sets the position where text appears in relation to the base line. The base line is an
imaginary horizontal line directly under a line of text. For example, when you select Above, the
dimension text looks like the following picture.
Tolerance Text - Sets options for text in certain types of dimensions that have related
tolerances. You can set the dimension type on the dimension ribbon bar.
Size - Sets the size of the text for tolerance text. The value is a ratio of the dimension text size.
For example, if you enter .5, the size of the tolerance text will be half the size of the dimension
text.
Limit Arrangement - Sets the text arrangement on limit dimensions.
See Also
Format Dimension Dialog Box (on page 28)
Modify Dimension Style Dialog Box (on page 61)
New Dimension Style Dialog Box (on page 54)
Auto-Jog — Turns the jog control on or off on the Dimension ribbon. You can use this option
only when you place a coordinate dimension. If you set Auto-Jog and the distance between two
dimensions is less than the value set for Stack Pitch, then you can place the dimension with a
jog in the projection line.
Common Origin — Sets the symbol type for the common origin on coordinate dimensions. You
can set the symbol type to dot, circle, or none.
Text Position — Positions text in a coordinate dimension.
Stack Pitch — Sets the distance between stacked dimensions. The value is a ratio of the
dimension text size.
Projection Line — Sets options for the projection line of a dimension.
Display — Controls the display of projection lines on linear dimensions. You can set the display
to none (off), origin, measurement, or origin and measurement. You can use this option to hide
projection lines when they overlap and you are using a pen plotter.
Element Gap — Sets the distance that the projection line is set back from the element you want
to dimension. This value is a ratio of the dimension text size.
Extension — Sets the distance that the projection line extends beyond the dimension. This
value is a ratio of the dimension text size.
Angle — Sets the slant angle of the projection lines on dimensions. This option is useful when
you need to place a dimension on isometric drawings.
Center Mark — Places a center line automatically when you dimension a nonlinear element.
Extend Center Mark — Displays projection lines on center marks. Extend Center Mark only
works when the Center Mark option is selected as well.
See Also
Format Dimension Dialog Box (on page 28)
Modify Dimension Style Dialog Box (on page 61)
New Dimension Style Dialog Box (on page 54)
Spacing Tab
Sets dimension spacing options. All options are a ratio of the dimension text value.
Text Clearance Gap — Sets the space between the text and the dimension line.
Dual Display Vertical Gap — Sets the space between the primary and secondary units when
dual unit display is active. You can set Dual Unit Display on the Secondary Units tab so that
dimensions display two units.
Line Spacing — Sets the amount of space between the superfix or subfix and the dimension
text.
Dimension Above Line Gap — Sets the space between the dimension text and the dimension
line.
Horizontal Tolerance Gap — Sets the space between the dimensional value and the tolerance
on dimensions.
Vertical Tolerance Gap — Sets the space between the upper and lower tolerance value on
dimensions.
Vertical Limits Gap — Sets the space between the upper and lower dimensional values on limit
dimensions.
Symbol Gap — Sets the space between the symbol and the dimension line. You can also set
the space between the symbol and the dimension text.
Prefix/Suffix Gap — Sets the amount of space between the prefix or suffix and the dimension
text.
Horizontal Box Gap — Sets the space between the dimension text and the horizontal edges of
the box on dimensions.
Vertical Box Gap — Sets the space between the dimension text and the vertical edges of the
box on dimensions.
See Also
Format Dimension Dialog Box (on page 28)
Modify Dimension Style Dialog Box (on page 61)
New Dimension Style Dialog Box (on page 54)
Arrow (Hollow)
Arrow (Open)
Back Slash
Blank
Circle
Dot
Slash
Freespace Type — Sets the terminator type for a dimension with a terminator placed in free
space.
Size — Sets the size of the terminator. The value is a ratio of the dimension text size. For
example, if you set Font Size on the Text tab to be .2 cm and Size to be 2, the terminator is
twice the size of the dimension text.
Origin Type — Sets the terminator type used on the origin of a linear dimension.
Inside Limit — Controls the terminator position relative to a dimension's projection lines. The
Inside Limit is calculated as a constant times the dimension font size. For example, if the font
size is 0.125 inches and the Inside Limit is set to 3 (3 x font size), any dimension with a value
greater than or equal to 0.375 inches positions its terminators on the inside of the projection
lines. Any dimension with a value less than 0.375 inches positions its terminators on the outside
of the projection lines.
This setting affects dimensions only at placement. You can change the terminator's
position after placement by dragging the terminator to the other side of the projection line.
In the example below, the inside limit value is 3, the font size is 0.1 in., and the dimension line is
.317 in. in length. Therefore:
Dimension value > 3 (inside limit) * .01 (font size)
The inside limit affects newly-placed dimensions only. The setting has no effect if the
dimension value is changed because of changes in the parent geometry.
Datum Type — Sets the terminator type for datum frames. If you select Normal, the datum
frame uses the active terminator type for dimensions. If you select Anchor, the datum frame
uses an anchor terminator.
Display — Specifies which end of the terminator displays or if both ends display. You can set
the display to none (off), origin, measurement, or both origin and measurement. The following
picture shows the display when you select Origin and Measurement.
Name Tab
Names a style when you create or modify a style. This tab appears only when you click New or
Modify on the Styles dialog box.
Name — Names the style. Style names can contain up to 253 characters (including aliases and
separators) and can include any combination of characters and spaces, except the backslash
character (\), semicolon (;), and braces ({ }). Style names are case sensitive.
Based On — Displays the name of the style that the current or new style is based on.
Description — Displays a description of the formatting options.
General Tab
Sets general properties for dimensions.
Color - Sets colors for a driving, driven, or error dimension.
Driving Dimension- Sets the color used for driving dimensions.
Driven Dimension- Sets the color used for driven dimensions.
Error Dimension - Sets the color for error dimensions. Error dimensions are driving or
driven dimensions that the software cannot recalculate correctly after parametric attributes
on driving dimensions are changed.
Scale Mode - Sets the scale mode to automatic or manual.
Automatic - Determines a correct dimensional value based on the scale set in the drawing
view.
Manual- Scales the dimensional value. The scale value determines the dimensional value. For
example, for a scale of 1:100mm, set the manual value to 0.01.
Manual mode only works with dimensions that are set to Driven.
See Also
Modify Dimension Style Dialog Box (on page 61)
New Dimension Style Dialog Box (on page 54)
Units Tab
Sets the primary units for dimensions.
Linear — Specifies the unit settings for a linear dimension.
Units — Sets the primary units for linear dimensions.
Unit Label — Sets the unit label. You can type up to 20 characters for a unit label.
Subunit Label — Sets the subunit label. You can type up to 20 characters for a subunit label.
Round-Off — Sets the round-off for the value. This control is sensitive to the unit setting
(decimal or fractional) and contains values appropriate for the unit. This control is also sensitive
to the dimension that you place and contains values appropriate for the dimension.
Maximum Subunits — Sets the maximum subunits value. You can type a value up to 255. This
value applies to feet and inches. For example, if you type 13, the dimension appears as 13
inches and not 1 foot and 1 inch.
Angular — Sets the units for an angular dimension.
Units — Sets the primary units for angular dimensions. Options are Degrees, Deg-Min-Sec, or
Radians.
Round-Off — Sets the round-off for the value. This control is sensitive to the unit setting
(decimal or fractional) and contains values appropriate for the unit. This control is also sensitive
to the dimension that you place and contains values appropriate for the dimension.
Zeroes — Specifies if a zero is on the left or right of the decimal in a dimension.
Leading — Places a zero to the left of the decimal point if no numbers appear to the left.
Trailing — Places zeros to the right of the decimal point. The number of zeros placed is based
on the active setting for Round-Off. For example, if the dimensional value is .5, and the
round-off setting is .1234, the dimensional value appears as .5000.
Delimiter — Specifies the decimal delimiter for a dimension.
Period — Sets a period as the decimal delimiter.
Comma — Sets a comma as the decimal delimiter.
Space — Sets a space as the decimal delimiter.
See Also
Format Dimension Dialog Box (on page 28)
Modify Dimension Style Dialog Box (on page 61)
New Dimension Style Dialog Box (on page 54)
Maximum Subunits — Sets the maximum subunits used for secondary subunits in drawings
with dual unit display.
Zeroes — Specifies if a zero appears on the left or right of the decimal in a dimension.
Leading — Places a zero to the left of the decimal point if no numbers appear to the left.
Trailing — Places zeros to the right of the decimal point. The number of zeros placed is based
on the active setting for Round-Off. For example, if the dimensional value is .5, and the
round-off setting is .1234, the dimensional value appears as .5000.
Dual Unit Display — Selecting/Activating this checkbox displays secondary units for
dimensions in drawings. For example, the primary unit can be inches, while the secondary unit
is millimeters. Both units display when you place the dimension. The software derives the
secondary unit by converting the primary unit.
See Also
Format Dimension Dialog Box (on page 28)
Modify Dimension Style Dialog Box (on page 61)
New Dimension Style Dialog Box (on page 54)
Text Tab
Sets the text options for dimensions.
Text - Sets text options for a dimension.
Font - Sets the font type for the dimension text.
Font Style - Specifies the font style to use for the text in a dimension.
Font Size - Sets the size for text in a dimension.
Orientation - Sets the orientation for the text on a dimension. For example, the dimension text
looks like the following picture when you select Vertical.
Position - Sets the position where text appears in relation to the base line. The base line is an
imaginary horizontal line directly under a line of text. For example, when you select Above, the
dimension text looks like the following picture.
Tolerance Text - Sets options for text in certain types of dimensions that have related
tolerances. You can set the dimension type on the dimension ribbon bar.
Size - Sets the size of the text for tolerance text. The value is a ratio of the dimension text size.
For example, if you enter .5, the size of the tolerance text will be half the size of the dimension
text.
Limit Arrangement - Sets the text arrangement on limit dimensions.
See Also
Format Dimension Dialog Box (on page 28)
Modify Dimension Style Dialog Box (on page 61)
New Dimension Style Dialog Box (on page 54)
Spacing Tab
Sets dimension spacing options. All options are a ratio of the dimension text value.
Text Clearance Gap — Sets the space between the text and the dimension line.
Dual Display Vertical Gap — Sets the space between the primary and secondary units when
dual unit display is active. You can set Dual Unit Display on the Secondary Units tab so that
dimensions display two units.
Line Spacing — Sets the amount of space between the superfix or subfix and the dimension
text.
Dimension Above Line Gap — Sets the space between the dimension text and the dimension
line.
Horizontal Tolerance Gap — Sets the space between the dimensional value and the tolerance
on dimensions.
Vertical Tolerance Gap — Sets the space between the upper and lower tolerance value on
dimensions.
Vertical Limits Gap — Sets the space between the upper and lower dimensional values on limit
dimensions.
Symbol Gap — Sets the space between the symbol and the dimension line. You can also set
the space between the symbol and the dimension text.
Prefix/Suffix Gap — Sets the amount of space between the prefix or suffix and the dimension
text.
Horizontal Box Gap — Sets the space between the dimension text and the horizontal edges of
the box on dimensions.
Vertical Box Gap — Sets the space between the dimension text and the vertical edges of the
box on dimensions.
See Also
Format Dimension Dialog Box (on page 28)
Modify Dimension Style Dialog Box (on page 61)
New Dimension Style Dialog Box (on page 54)
Arrow (Hollow)
Arrow (Open)
Back Slash
Blank
Circle
Dot
Slash
Freespace Type — Sets the terminator type for a dimension with a terminator placed in free
space.
Size — Sets the size of the terminator. The value is a ratio of the dimension text size. For
example, if you set Font Size on the Text tab to be .2 cm and Size to be 2, the terminator is
twice the size of the dimension text.
Origin Type — Sets the terminator type used on the origin of a linear dimension.
Inside Limit — Controls the terminator position relative to a dimension's projection lines. The
Inside Limit is calculated as a constant times the dimension font size. For example, if the font
size is 0.125 inches and the Inside Limit is set to 3 (3 x font size), any dimension with a value
greater than or equal to 0.375 inches positions its terminators on the inside of the projection
lines. Any dimension with a value less than 0.375 inches positions its terminators on the outside
of the projection lines.
This setting affects dimensions only at placement. You can change the terminator's
position after placement by dragging the terminator to the other side of the projection line.
In the example below, the inside limit value is 3, the font size is 0.1 in., and the dimension line is
.317 in. in length. Therefore:
Dimension value > 3 (inside limit) * .01 (font size)
The inside limit affects newly-placed dimensions only. The setting has no effect if the
dimension value is changed because of changes in the parent geometry.
Datum Type — Sets the terminator type for datum frames. If you select Normal, the datum
frame uses the active terminator type for dimensions. If you select Anchor, the datum frame
uses an anchor terminator.
Display — Specifies which end of the terminator displays or if both ends display. You can set
the display to none (off), origin, measurement, or both origin and measurement. The following
picture shows the display when you select Origin and Measurement.
The software recognizes relationships based on elements within the locate zone so that you do
not have to move the pointer to an exact position. For example, if part of an element is within the
locate zone, the software recognizes a Point On relationship. The size of the locate zone is
indicated by a circle around the center of the pointer crosshair. Values from 3 to 12 pixels are
valid.
Intent Zone — Sets the size of the intent zone radius. Intent zones allow drawing commands to
interpret your intentions as you draw. Values from 3 to 12 pixels are valid.
Preview — Shows the size of the locate zone and the symbol for the selected relationship.
The Preview option does not apply to changes made to intent zone values.
World units indicate real world distances, but can be scaled down to fit a sheet of paper.
Within the drawing environment, "world units" is synonymous with the term "model units"
found in other CAD packages.
Justification — Specifies the placement relationship between the origin and the shape (text
box) according to the horizontal and vertical components.
The inside text area is an area that the margins of the text box define. That is, margins are
inside the outside edges of the text box.
The following graphic illustrates top (1), right (2), bottom (3) and left (4) margins around the text
box for horizontal justification (A) and vertical justification (B).
The maximum cap height of the first formatted text line of each line defines the text area capline,
even if the line has been clipped out of the text box.
The line baseline is a font metric that describes an imaginary line for location of characters. The
largest descender for any font on the line defines the baseline. Therefore, the largest descender
of the fonts used on the last line defines the text area baseline, even if the line is clipped out of
the text box.
The following graphic illustrates text cap area (a) and text baseline (b) for horizontal justification
(A) and vertical justification (B).
You must define horizontal and vertical components together. These components apply to both
single-line and multi-line text. For multi-line text, the cap height of the first line is used for the
capline of the text, and the descender of the last line is used for the baseline of the text.
Horizontal — Specifies horizontal placement at six options based on shape (text box), text
area, and the text within the text box at left, center, and right positions.
Vertical — Specifies vertical placement at 10 options based on shape (text box), text area, and
the text within the text box.
Places the last line of the last paragraph at the bottom of the text area.
Places remaining paragraphs at equal distance between the first and last paragraphs.
Margins
Sets the distance between the edge of the shape and the edge of the text area. Margins are in
the same units as the text box.
Top — Sets the distance between the top edge of the shape and the top edge of the text area.
Bottom — Sets the distance between the bottom edge of the shape and the bottom edge of the
text area.
Left — Sets the distance between the left edge of the shape and the left edge of the text area.
Right — Sets the distance between the right edge of the shape and the right edge of the text
area.
Single sets the line spacing for each line to display the largest font in the line.
1.5 sets the line space for the line to one-and-a-half that of single lines.
Double sets the line spacing for the line to twice that of single lines.
Paragraph spacing — Specifies the amount of space before and after paragraphs. No spacing
exists before the first paragraph and or after the last paragraph.
Before — Adds space before a paragraph. This value is set in the current working units, not in
points.
After — Adds space after a paragraph. This value is set in the current working units, not in
points. You can set the units using Units on the Format menu.
As an alternative for controlling auto returns within the text body, you can restrain the width of
the box during placement or through the Text Box Properties dialog box.
Shadow — Places a shadow around the borders of text in a text box.
Shadow offset — Specifies a distance to offset the shadow in paper or world units of the text
box.
Fill color — Displays the color of a solid fill on an element boundary. This value overrides the
style of the fill. Transparent is the default. When you set the fill color to transparent, no fill is
visible on the boundary. You can also apply a fill color option with a fill pattern. Filled elements
always cover other elements when they overlap. A fill color always appears behind the fill
pattern when you apply both to the same boundary.
Value — Sets the value for the attribute. The value that you can enter is based on the type that
you selected in the Type box.
Add — Adds an attribute to the attribute set. After you click Add, the attribute appears in the
table.
Delete — Removes an attribute from the attribute set. You can select an attribute by clicking a
row in the table.
Variables Command
Accesses the Variable Table, which operates much like a software spreadsheet. The
Variable Table allows you to define and manipulate drawing variables and their values, as well
as establish functional relationships between the design variables. For example, you can use
the Variable Table to create expressions for dimensional values. You can restrict the display of
variables in the table using Filter on the Variable Table window to display only the variables for
dimensions that the software created, display variables that are associated with elements in the
current document or the active window, or display a set of elements that you have selected in
the document.
You can use Tools > Customize to place the Variables button on a toolbar.
The software provides a set of standard mathematical functions. You can also select Visual
Basic functions that you wrote and saved. The functions can be typed in with the proper syntax
or you can use the Function Wizard to select and define the inputs to the function. If the
function does not contain proper syntax, the software displays a message indicating that there is
an error in the formula.
A F
Add a Label to an OPC • 21 File Locations Tab (Options Dialog Box) •
Add a Macro to a Symbol File • 18 42
Add Connection Points to a Symbol File • Font Tab (MicroStation Export Options
18 Dialog Box) • 47
Add SmartText to a Symbol File • 17 Font Tab (MicroStation Import Options
Add Starting Points to a Symbol File • 20 Dialog Box) • 46
Add Wire Macros to Connection Points • 19 Foreign Data Tab (Options Dialog Box) • 45
Align Drawing Objects • 17 Format Dimension Command • 28
Assign Item Type Dialog Box • 23 Format Dimension Dialog Box • 28
Format Line Command • 34
B Format Line Dialog Box • 34
Format Text Box Dialog Box • 34
Background Tab (Sheet Setup Dialog Box) •
52
Border and Fill Tab (Text Box Properties G
Dialog Box) • 38, 72 General (SmartText Properties) • 21
Browser Tab (File Properties Dialog Box) • General Tab • 28, 55, 61
51 General Tab (File Properties Dialog Box) •
49
C General Tab (MicroStation Export Options
Dialog Box) • 47
Close the Symbol Explorer • 9 General Tab (MicroStation Import Options
Colors Tab (Options Dialog Box) • 41 Dialog Box) • 46
Create a User Defined (customized) General Tab (Options Dialog Box) • 41
Symbol • 11 Groups Dialog Box • 39
Create Symbols for a Location Layout
Report • 12
Create Symbols for a Panel Layout Report • I
13 Info Tab (Text Box Properties Dialog Box) •
Create Symbols for an Enhanced 35, 68
SmartLoop Report • 14
Creating a Wiring Equipment Symbol L
Assembly • 15
Creating User Defined (customized) Layer Groups Command • 39
Symbols for Specific Reports • 12 Layer Tab (MicroStation Export Options
Cursor Tab (SmartSketch Settings Dialog Dialog Box) • 48
Box) • 67 Layers Tab (Display Manager Dialog Box) •
Customize a Symbol • 20 27
Customize Command • 23 Line Width Tab (MicroStation Export
Customize Dialog Box • 24 Options Dialog Box) • 48
Line Width Tab (MicroStation Import
Options Dialog Box) • 47
D Lines and Coordinate Tab • 31, 57, 64
Delete Connection Points • 19 Linestyle Tab (MicroStation Export Options
Display Manager Command • 25 Dialog Box) • 48
Display Manager Dialog Box • 25 Linestyle Tab (MicroStation Import Options
Dialog Box) • 46