Controlling The Grid Orientation In MicroStation V8


 Product:MicroStation
 Version:N/A
 Environment:N\A
 Area:View
 Subarea:General

MicroStation V8's grid orientation now has the ability to align itself to different views. If elements in the file are rotated, the grid will move as well. When in a 3D seed file, all views can be used to align the grid. However two of the five views are not applicable in a 2D seed file. Throughout this article, you will notice that the grid has the same functionality as previous versions of MicroStation, with some added features. Our example will have the following settings:

Grid Orientation

The grid settings allow for evenly spaced points to be displayed on the design plane. It is typically set up with the working units and the size of the design file in mind. In the grid master field, you can enter the distance (in working units) between the points in the grid. For the grid reference field, you will need to enter the number of grid points that will lie between the master points. Keep in mind that the reference points can increase or decrease the distance between the master points.

The working units can effect how the grid master and reference points are spaced. The grid master points, for example, can be spaced every foot with the reference points spaced every inch. To accomplish this task, the grid master needs to be set to <0:1> (See Figure 2). The active grid units are now set to one sub-unit. If I place a one for the master-unit and a zero in the sub-unit location, the grid master points will be spaced every twelve feet. If an extra colon and zero are added after the sub-unit, the positional units will be read-in as well.

 

Figure 2: Working Unit Settings. The Working Units can effect the Grid unit settings.

Key-in: ACTIVE GRIDUNIT

The grid configuration field still has the following three options:

1. Orthogonal - sets lines perpendicular to design planes X-axis and Y-axis.

2. Isometric - sets lines at 30° from design planes X-axis and Y-axis. In this setting the reference points do not play a factor with the spacing.

3. Offset - places the grid point at half the distance between horizontal grid points. This will display the grid in a non-traditional placement and the grid will represent a diamond shape.

Key-in: ACTIVE GRIDMODE [ISOMETRIC | OFFSET | ORTHOGONAL]

The Grid Aspect field sets the ratio of Y-axis grid points, and bases them on the X-axis grid points. This means that if you double the size of your grid, it will become two times the size of your master points in the vertical (Y) direction. The horizontal (X) ratio will not be affected by these changes. If the aspect ratio were set to 1.0 between the master points, it would measure one foot. By doubling the size of the aspect field it will measure two feet in Y-axis, and remain one foot in the X-axis. In the Isometric configuration this ratio is fixed, because the X- and Y-axis have been disabled.

Key-in: ACTIVE GRIDRATIO


Figure 3: The Grid Aspect ratio set to 1.000


Figure 4: The Grid Aspect ratio set to 2.000

Setting the Orientation of the Grid

The grid orientation in MicroStation V8 now allows for a more versatile rotation of the 3D-design file. Once the view has been set in the design file, the Rotate View tool (From the View Control dialog box) can display how the grid will align to the elements. As the elements are being rotated, the grid will move in the same direction as your crosshairs. At anytime throughout the design process the orientation of the grid can be changed to suit your needs.

By selecting a different view, the grid will display in a new rotation. In a 2D-design file the Right and Front views are not applicable for rotation. When rotating a 2D file, the grid points will rotate only when the orientation is set to Top or ACS views. If the orientation is set to View the grid will display like previous versions of MicroStation.

The options for setting the orientation of the grid are as follows:

View - The grid is always aligned to the view and passes through the global origin

Front - Allows the grid to be aligned to the Right side view. This extends along the Y- and Z-axis from the global origin.

Right - The grid is aligned to a Right view. This extends along the Y- and Z-axis from the global origin.

Top - The grid is aligned to a Top view. This grid extends along the X- and Y-axis from the global origin.

ACS (Auxiliary Coordinate System) - The grid is aligned to the active ACS. If the ACS is rotated, only the grid will rotate along the X- and Y-axis. To rotate ACS select Tools >Auxiliary Coordinates and use Rotate Active ACS.

Displaying the Grid

The grid display can be viewed one window at a time, or in all views with one click. These options will be found in the View Attributes dialog box. Under the Settings menu, select View Attributes or use the shortcut key to display the dialog box. In the View Attributes dialog the grid toggle will be found in alphabetical order. To set the grid per view, select the View Window and select Apply. To apply the grid to all views, select All. To de-select the grid in each view window at a single shot or all at once, use the same steps you used to apply the grid.


Figure 5: View Attributes dialog controls the display of the Grid.


Figure 6: AccuSnap Settings can effect grid constraints.
Setting the Grid Locks:

Applying a Grid Lock will force elements to be constrained to the grid points. The only case where this may not be true is if AccuSnap settings have been enabled. When working in a drawing that is extremely detailed, AccuSnap can automatically locate and snap to a tentative point without constraining it to the grid. To disable AccuSnap, select Settings from the main Menu Bar >Snaps >AccuSnap >toggle off Enable AccuSnap. To control the grid lock settings, again go into Settings >Locks >Full >toggle Grid Locks.

Key-in: LOCK GRID [OFF | ON | TOGGLE]

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 Original Author:Bentley Technical Support Group