	Product(s):	Promis.e, Bentley Substation
	Version(s):	through 08.11.13.96
	Environment:	N/A
	Area:	PowerPlatform Support
	Subarea:	N/A

Background

It is often necessary to bring a drawing file that was created in another application into Promis.e or Bentley Substation. Typical reasons for "importing" a drawing include:

Using it as the basis of a symbol or title block
To insert a logo on a title block
To incorporate a drawing as a project page.

This document describes how to insert a drawing file into Promis.e or Bentley Substation.

Note: Drawings inserted with this procedure are not automatically "intelligent" drawings. After graphics are inserted, title block variables would typically be added to title blocks, and insertion points, connection points, and attributes would be added to symbols using their respective design tools.

If importing graphics for a symbol from a drawing that is the same format that the software natively uses (.DGN for the MicroStation/PowerDraft platform, .DWG for the AutoCAD platform) then the "New Symbol (Import Symbol Graphics)" option can be used in the [[Create Symbol]] tool instead of manually inserting a cell or block. This option also has the ability to map attributes in the drawing to Promis.e/Bentley Substation attributes.

Similarly, if inserting a logo from a drawing file of the native format, the Logo step of the [[Title Block Designer]] can be used to insert the drawing. With this method, however, the drawing will not be embedded in the title block's drawing file. When creating pages that use such a title block, the logo drawing file must be present and accessible in the location from which it was inserted. To embed the logo/drawing into the title block, follow the procedure below.

Steps to Accomplish

For Promis.e Standalone / MicroStation / PowerDraft and Bentley Substation

Start the function in which the drawing is to be inserted, such as [[Title Block Designer]] or [[Create Symbol]], and proceed to the step where a drawing is opened and elements can be drawn. If "importing" the drawing into a project as a page, create a new page in the project using Project Manager.
Select Element > Cells from the pull-down menus along the top of the application. The Cell Library dialog will appear.
Select File > Attach File on the Cell Library dialog.
Select the appropriate file type for the "Files of type" field. To import AutoCAD drawings, select "Autodesk(R) DWG Files (*.dwg)".
Browse to and select the drawing file, then click the Open button. The file name should then appear in the Cell Library dialog.
Right-click the name of the drawing on the Cell Library dialog and select Place, or double-click the name of the drawing.
The drawing being inserted will appear at the mouse pointer and a Place Active Cell settings box will appear where the Element Selection box normally appears. Configure the settings, such as scale, as desired.
Click the desired point of insertion on the destination drawing area to place the drawing.
Reset (right-click) or select another command to end the insertion.

To break up the inserted cell into individual elements for further editing, use the Drop Element tool (select Tools > Manipulate > Drop > Drop Element or key in DROP ELEMENT). It may be necessary to unlock or unfreeze levels before Drop Element will work. This can be done with the Level Manager.

For promis.e for AutoCAD

For promis.e on AutoCAD, the procedure is essentially the same as the one for Promis.e Standalone/MicroStation/PowerDraft, except the Insert Block tool (INSERT) or Import tool (IMPORT) would be used instead of attaching a cell, and the Explode tool (EXPLODE) would be used instead of Drop Element.

Inserting Drawings

Background

Steps to Accomplish

For Promis.e Standalone / MicroStation / PowerDraft and Bentley Substation

For promis.e for AutoCAD

See Also