Posts Tagged ‘RefWriter’

The importance of integrating CAD and IT – An interview with Ken Shigemitsu

Friday, 7 December 2007

Washington, DC, USA — As Director of IT at Shalom Baranes Associates, the lead design firm working on the Pentagon after the terrorist attack of 2001, Ken Shigemitsu knows the importance of keeping everyone on the same page. The project, when it is finished in 2012, will have rebuilt space equivalent to two Empire State Buildings. As busy as Ken is, we managed to persuade him to take a few minutes to answer some questions for MicroStation Today.

From karate to mountain climbing to 3D, Shalom Baranes’ Ken Shigemitsu loves a challenge

MicroStation Today: Hi Ken, you work on a variety of high-profile MicroStation projects at Shalom Baranes — like rebuilding the Pentagon, for example. What are some of the problems you encounter in your position?
Ken: There have been plenty. I mediate and coordinate technical issues with our consultants and clients regarding CAD standards and IT-related issues. Technical issues such as translation between various CAD programs have become very common. There have been several occasions where large projects required that we incorporate the CAD standards specified by the client into the drawing set. In one situation, the implementation of the CAD standards established by the client’s CAD department was required for all of our consultants working on the team. Many of our clients have become very CAD savvy and understand the importance of CAD quality control. Therefore, our clients have started to require that we submit a set of coherent CAD drawings that adhere to their standards. Because of this, it has become imperative that our CAD applications are interoperable and offer the capability to quality-control check the CAD drawings we produce.

We use a variety of tools on a daily basis to help us accomplish these objectives. One of these invaluable tools is Axiom’s MicroStation Productivity Toolkit. We use CellManager, I and I (to name a few) to manage the working drawings. These tools allow us to automate processes, which saves us many laborious hours. As an example, I provides us with the capability to manage and repair problematic cells used throughout the drawing set. I allows our CAD coordinator to ensure the quality of the DGN/DWG files and compliance with the CAD standards required by the project. We have just started to use RefWriter and Title Block Manager to manage reference and sheet files to ensure that the most current changes made in the reference files are being updated on the sheet files. These applications are essential because they improve our users’ productivity by many times. We are exploring other tools that Axiom offers and are hoping to incorporate these applications soon.

MST: Shalom Baranes has worked on the restoration of the Pentagon, the Treasury Building and Washington National Airport among other major facilities. What are some of the issues with working on those projects?
Ken: One of the common requirements for government projects is to produce a set of CAD drawings compliant with the CAD standards published by the government. The demand to produce a set of coordinated and organized CAD files, from pre-construction to post-construction, is becoming more and more common. For this type of project, we must implement an additional set of CAD standards to satisfy the requirement.

On one of the projects, we actually developed and distributed the CAD standard to all of our consultants working as a team. We then used SpecChecker to monitor, update and manage the files.

Another challenge was to convert, audit and repair various versions of DWG (r14 – 2004) and DGN (J and V8) files. In early 2000, we also realized the importance of creating 3D visualization models. Since then, we have utilized various 3D applications to help us address these design issues. The 3D tools range from an interference detection application to virtual walk-through.

Lastly, we are preparing ourselves to be BIM-ready by closely following the National Standard for Building Information Modeling published by the National Institute of Building Sciences (NIBS).

MST: How did you get into CAD/IT?
Ken: After receiving my master’s degree in architecture, I worked as an architect for five years. During that time, I became fascinated with the digital revolution, specifically in CAD, 3D modeling/rendering, computer networking and the Internet.

I began my IT career in the Washington, DC metropolitan area, working for a variety of AEC firms in the early 1990s. I then accepted a full-time position as an architect/CAD specialist at Shalom Baranes in the mid 1990s. I am now the Director of IT there.

It has been a blessing for my career to have been given the opportunity to work with so many talented architects, engineers and IT professionals. I have learned a great deal of invaluable working knowledge regarding CAD/3D, graphics and IT systems. This has helped me set my foundation to be more involved in the CAD/IT management arena. Shalom Baranes has a reputation for its expertise in government, commercial, residential and institutional design. We work with a variety of consultants and clients who use various types of CAD applications. This has made us extremely versatile and competitive in dealing with CAD/IT issues, regardless of the size of the project or the application required by the project. I enjoy these CAD/IT technical challenges because it keeps us on the cutting edge.

MST: What would you like to be doing in ten years?
Ken: For work, I hope that our in-house 3D training will have made a difference so that in ten years everyone, including the designers, would be proficient in various 3D applications. I hope that my day-to-day challenges will switch from dealing with 2D drafting issues, to solving complex 3D design issues.

When I am away from work, I enjoy many different types of outdoor sports. I am also an active Karate practitioner, which keeps me physically and mentally fit. I hope to be able to continue to climb mountains and stay fit so I can enjoy other outdoor sports that I have not yet tried.

MST: What’s a book you wish you’d written?
Ken: A fiction novel regarding space travel beyond our universe. But more realistically, I wish that I had written a technical reference book. Based on my previous consulting experiences, I have noticed that although CAD and IT share so much common ground, they are often not integrated to work seamlessly. An IT manager may need to rely on a CAD manager for application configurations, whereas a CAD manager may need to rely on an IT manager to understand how to integrate CAD as part of the network to share the resources. For this reason, I wish I had written a user’s reference book about system integration — a reference book that would help bridge the gap between CAD (transition between 2D and 3D files), graphics (use of graphics in CAD applications) and IT (integration of CAD and Network environments)..

“I am hoping that space travel will become common and inexpensive in the near future, so the average person would have a chance to view Earth from space.”

MST: If you could trade places with anyone for just one day, who would it be?
Ken: Neil Armstrong. I don’t need to be the first human on the Moon, but I sure would enjoy being able to stand on the Moon and look toward the beautiful Earth we live on. I am hoping that space travel will become common and inexpensive in the near future, so that at least the average person would have a chance to view Earth from space.

MST: What do you predict will be the “next big thing” in CAD?
Ken: A lot has happened since the digital revolution in terms of how computers have become an essential tool. But at the same time, very little has helped us to be more productive as a user. The divide between a designer (using 2D and pen and paper), a CAD architect (a 2D user) and a 3D modeler is still apparent. However, I do see changes taking place and it is encouraging. A variety of easy-to-use 3D applications are increasingly becoming more intuitive and popular for those who have limited capabilities in using a complex 3D application. The more 3D exposure a designer gets, the better chance that they will become more proficient in the 3D environment. As much as BIM is being talked about, I think it will still take a while for the industry, as a whole, to figure out exactly what BIM is all about. For those who are interested in this subject, there is an interesting short article written by Nigel Davies, dated 26 March 2007 at this Web address: http://www.eatyourcad.com/article.php?incat_id=1478

I think that as the easy-to-use 3D applications become more advanced, more designers will start to use 3D applications as design tools, as opposed to using just drafting tools. As the CAD application becomes more 3D friendly, a designer would be able to quickly produce a variety of massing study models and they could be transitioned into a more precise and complex 3D model for rendering. [Editor’s note: a “massing model” is a simple, exterior-only, 3D model.] The process from creativity to visualization has always been 2D (a designer using pen and paper) to 3D (a modeler using sophisticated 3D application), and I think the creative process may become fully 3D in the not-too-distant future.

MST: Thank you, Ken. I hope you can find the time to write that book.

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Mississippi Department of Transportation CAD Manager’s three favorite design tools: FileFixer, RefWriter and Microsoft Office Importer.

Wednesday, 7 March 2007

Jackson, Mississippi, USA — This month the MicroStation Today user spotlight shines on John Ward from the Mississippi Department of Transportation (DOT). John gave us an overview of how he uses FileFixer, RefWriter and Microsoft Office Importer to keep Mississippi DOT’s CAD standards up to par.

John Ward of the Mississippi Department of Transportation

MicroStation Today: Please give a brief description of your CAD history.
John: I graduated with special honors from a local community college in 1982 with an Associate’s Degree in Drafting and Design. Straight out of school, I started working with the Highway Department’s Roadway Design Division.

In the late 1980s, our state legislators passed a transportation bill that provided the funding to upgrade highways across the state. I was fortunate enough to be selected as one of the design team leaders to provide support as CAD was implemented throughout all of our departments.

So, here I am today as CAD Applications Manager for the Mississippi Department of Transportation (DOT) Roadway Design Division. Our division is responsible for the design and drafting of all the state highway construction plans.

With the help of those around me, I created our CAD standards and used them to implement all the MicroStation-related menus and program add-ons we now use to design in MicroStation. The changes that I have been through over the years have all been exciting, challenging and sometimes frightening, but I have been able to move forward with enhancements and maintenance of our in-house standards and design tools.

Looking back, I feel honored to have been able to work with the people at Mississippi DOT and companies such as Intergraph, Bentley and Axiom to help me take part in building what I think is a successful use of CAD throughout the years. If I’m lucky, maybe I’ll have a few more left ahead.

MST: What are some of the problems you encounter and how do Axiom products help solve those problems?
John: I have used Axiom products for a long time. FileFixer has been extremely helpful for helping me repair MicroStation V7 design files. I could stumble my way through the EdG utility, but in many cases FileFixer was the only way I could have repaired some of the design files.

Another Axiom product that we have used over the years is RefWriter. Our users have to use a lot of reference files in their workflow and RefWriter significantly reduces time spent switching between multiple files. Users just click on an element in the reference file and it becomes the active design file where changes can be made.

We also have to do a lot of quantity calculations. Spreadsheets really improve the speed and quality of doing calculations. Microsoft Office Importer does a superb job of bringing that data into MicroStation design files and automatically updating the design file when the spreadsheet changes.

MST: What would you like to be doing in 10 years?
John: I hope I can retire from regular work around that time. My oldest son should be out of the house by then. My youngest daughter is nine, so hopefully in ten years she’ll be getting close to moving out also! Then I can find something relaxing to pass the time such as drawing, painting and photography so I don’t drive my wife crazy.

MST: What’s a book you wish you’d written?
John: It’s ironic, I write technical manuals all the time, but I don’t like to write. It definitely wouldn’t be anything computer-related. I love good action and adventure stories, so it would have to be something along the lines of Star Wars, Indiana Jones or James Bond.

MST: Any predictions for the future of CAD?
John: I’m not very good at predictions. I’m almost always wrong! However, if I had a wish, I would like to see a better way to communicate with computers. I think the keyboard and mouse have to be replaced with something better. Perhaps voice controlled computers, but that would have to be improved with better “AI” [artificial intelligence]. If someone could solve this, it could definitely be the next big thing in everything we do with computers.

MST: Thank you, John.
John: Thank you.

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Time travel is possible, if you use RefWriter.

Wednesday, 7 March 2007

Is time travel possible? Does my time end if I don’t beat this deadline? The Axiom labs have discovered ways to bend time, meet deadlines and stop the neighbor’s dog from barking. This article will show you one method for traveling to and from reference files while shortening the time line between them.

Using Axiom’s RefWriter is like taking a shortcut through a wormhole.

How does this work?
Using Axiom’s RefWriter, the time saved editing reference files and returning to the master file is like taking a shortcut through a wormhole (a “wormhole” is a hypothetical phenomenon that is essentially a “shortcut” through time and space.) Let us consider the steps needed without RefWriter. Notice that in MicroStation an element in a reference file can’t be modified. Here are the steps to modify the element using MicroStation V8 without RefWriter.

  1. Place the cursor over the reference element to display the reference file name.
  2. Select the “References” tool from the “Primary Tools” toolbox.
  3. Find that reference file in the “References” dialog box.
  4. Right-click on that reference file attachment to display the reference tools.
  5. Select the “Exchange” command. The reference file opens up displaying the area, settings and view that were active the last time someone saved settings in it.
  6. Turn on or off levels to display needed elements or to hide elements obscuring the view.
  7. Window area or zoom to display only the relevant elements.
  8. Attach additional reference files if necessary to ensure changes on your reference file are accurate (this alone requires multiple steps).
  9. Modify the element.
  10. Select the original file from the recently used file list on MicroStation’s file menu.

Lab tests took 25 mouse clicks. You may have a few more or less depending on the state of the reference file.

Then, we did the same operation with RefWriter:

  1. Select RefWriter from the Axiom menu.
  2. Click on the “Select reference file by double-clicking element” icon.
  3. Select the reference element. The selected reference file automatically opens, with the same area, level settings, view settings, tool settings and reference files as the design file that you just left. These settings are applied temporarily. Upon exiting the reference file, settings remain as they were saved before opening it with RefWriter.
  4. Modify the element.
  5. Click on the RefWriter command “Return to previous master design file”.

Lab tests report that RefWriter saves at least 15 mouse clicks each time a reference file must be edited. Newtonian physics and Einstein’s theories have failed to explain how RefWriter warps time and reduces mouse clicks. Using networked supercomputers and advanced conversion formulas, time saved equals 907.18474 kilograms (1 ton). This conversion gives us the following equation: Time saved with RefWriter = a ton. Your results may vary.

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Cedric Hider shares how he saves Cobb, Fendley & Associates $500 per week.

Sunday, 7 May 2006

HOUSTON, TEXAS, USA — Cobb, Fendley & Associates are no strangers to implementing strategies to maximize profits while keeping costs down. Twice ranked in the University of Houston Small Business Development Center’s Top 100 fastest-growing privately owned businesses, CFA keeps their focus on providing high-quality engineering services by adopting time-saving and productivity-boosting strategies in the design phase of a project.

Cedric Hider and his son ready to go to a Dallas Mavericks basketball game

Cedric Hider, Design and Project Engineer for CFA, took some time to share with MicroStation Today how he uses Axiom’s RefWriter to save valuable production time and to keep contributing to the firm’s commitment to quality, integrity and engineering excellence.

MicroStation Today: Tell us about yourself and your duties.
Cedric: I started out as Design Engineer for Dallas Water Utilities in 1997. Two years later, I was promoted to Project Engineer. In the fall of 2000, I accepted a position as Design and Project Engineer at CFA. As the Design and Project Engineer in the Utility Coordination Department, I am responsible for analyzing roadway projects to ensure that the designs of underground telecommunications conduits and underground utilities are in strict adherence to our project standards.

MST: We hear you are quite fond of RefWriter?
Cedric: RefWriter has been a huge time-saver. It would be rather hard for me to go back to using the Reference Exchange command now. Without the main drawing (master design file) being displayed on the reference file when I switch to it, it becomes difficult to determine how to handle items in the reference file without overlapping the items in the main design file. RefWriter maintains all of the view settings of the main drawing, so that when I’m altering the reference files, I won’t impact the main drawing.

MST: How much money and time do you think RefWriter saves your company?
Cedric: By using RefWriter, I don’t have to open and re-open drawings and toggle between sheet drawings and reference files which can take anywhere from two to three minutes per toggle. Any given day I may toggle between main drawing and reference drawings 20 or 30 times, depending on the project. So, we are looking at about an hour per day of toggling. If a project takes five days worth of work — and the average rate per hour for an engineer is around $100 — we are looking at $500 worth of savings per week!

MST: What do you do with your time when you are not working?
Cedric: I enjoy spending time with friends and family. My son is one year old and it is a joy just to spend time with him and watch him play. Also, I am a big fan of music. I play the saxophone and I usually find myself listening to jazz when I am relaxing. In addition, I love to work out. I work out at the neighborhood gym four to five times a week.

MST: Thank you for sharing your story with us!
Cedric: Thank you very much.

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Duty of the CAD Manager

Sunday, 7 May 2006

CLEARWATER, FLORIDA, USA — When facing tough deadlines, it’s often the CAD manager who takes responsibility for getting a project completed on time. CAD managers have been known to go to great lengths — from extensive MicroStation training for users to pulling all-nighters — to avoid costly project delays.

Always in the forward-thinking CAD manager’s corner, MicroStation Productivity Toolkit offers a multitude of software programs to boost everyday user productivity, as well as tools to automate time-draining modifications that need to be performed in bulk. This article highlights some of the MicroStation Productivity Toolkit components that can increase the quality of work of any MicroStation-using design team, and thus increase the peace of mind of the CAD manager.

RefWriter
RefWriter offers MicroStation users the unique ability to instantly modify any reference file they wish with a single mouse-click. When using RefWriter, a MicroStation user can double-click on any element in a reference file and make that reference file active. RefWriter makes the master file a reference file and reattaches all the reference files so that all the same elements are displayed as before switching into the reference file. RefWriter utilizes the master files’ view, reference, level and tool settings when the reference file is made active. That way, the portion of the reference file that the user needs to edit is readily available and the user eliminates the need to modify the view with fit, zoom in or zoom out in order to find the elements that need to be modified. The view looks exactly as it did before, only now the reference file is the active file. The user can now update or modify the reference file and use one mouse click to return to the master file, again with no change in how the view looks.

Microsoft Office Importer
For users who import Excel spreadsheets or Word documents into their design files, Microsoft Office Importer is an invaluable program. Microsoft Office Importer enables MicroStation users to import and link nearly unlimited quantities of spreadsheet and word processing data into MicroStation with ease, precision formatting and reliability. On one test, Microsoft Office Importer had no problem pasting a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet containing 14 columns and 700 rows of data with a single paste.

Always have your imported spreadsheet data synchronized with the source Excel file. Microsoft Office Importer can automatically update your pased information when you open the design file.

Microsoft Office Importer allows the linked data in the MicroStation file to be updated automatically each time it is opened or on command from the user. Also, Microsoft Office Importer provides total formatting control of the elements it creates in MicroStation. Elements like grid lines, text size, italics, bolding, underline, line spacing and other visual aspects of the spreadsheet or word processing file being placed are retained upon importing and are maintained after updates.

SpecChecker
The purpose of SpecChecker is to ensure design file consistency by detecting, reporting and automatically correcting elements that do not comply with project, client or company CAD standards. SpecChecker will save you hundreds or thousands of hours of tedious proofreading and improve the quality of your design files.

The user simply tells SpecChecker to automatically generate a “rule file” (file SpecChecker uses to determine on-standard element criteria) from a design file that already meets the CAD standards. Then, using the rule file, SpecChecker checks any number of design files and shows the user all the elements that do not comply with the rules. Better yet, SpecChecker will automatically correct the errors it finds.

Carefully proofing a single large design file can take a human proofreader hours or days. SpecChecker can do the same job in seconds catching every violation with no mistakes.

SpellCheckerPlus
SpellCheckerPlus can check and correct all text elements in the active design file, in all cells and in all reference-file elements. In addition, SpellCheckerPlus uses an advanced file-locking system that lets MicroStation users share a project dictionary over the network. Users can add any word to their own personal dictionary or to a shared project dictionary. This feature eliminates the wasted time of having to re-enter words already entered by another project member. SpellCheckerPlus is delivered with robust English and Spanish dictionaries.

SpellCheckerPlus automatically zooms in on each potential misspelling it finds so users can see the full visual context of each suspected error. SpellCheckerPlus automatically handles view rotation and dialog box placement so that your view of the text being checked is never obscured.

RefManager
Using RefManager is the fastest way to manipulate, debug, organize and control your MicroStation reference file attachments. RefManager specializes in the manipulation of reference file levels. RefManager has the ability to control and standardize the display of levels in project reference file attachments for one or all project master files and the ability to change level symbology for all attachments in all project master files in one processing run.
In addition, RefManager’s reports provide an overview of vector and raster reference file attachments in any number of design files. Having these reports allows anyone to quickly determine the exact status of an entire project’s attachments or figure out how the hundreds of project files are interrelated.

RefManager’s Cross-Reference Report lets users know which design files are refernced to which master files.

Ever forget to include a reference file along with a project submission? Is allocating time for staff to manually verify that all reference files are included in a submission to a client part of the routine? Instead of hoping all references are included in a submission, RefManager’s Missing Attachments report can immediately identify missing attachments in one or all master design files long before the drafting team is seeing “red” (missing attachments) in MicroStation’s References dialog.

Empower Yourself!
Every MicroStation CAD manager or team leader should be familiar with all the solutions available to increase the quality and quantity of output of his design team.

By learning about Axiom’s MicroStation Productivity Toolkit, the CAD manager will empower himself with the information needed to solve almost any MicroStation problem or emergency that may arise to threaten project submittal.

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Enhancing MicroStation Productivity Toolkit.

Wednesday, 7 December 2005

Axiom staff is working overtime!

CLEARWATER, FLORIDA, USA — Axiom’s Development and Certification personnel are in a continuous blur of activity keeping up with client demands – Axiom has recently maintained an average of one or more new releases every week.

Each new release is promptly sent at no charge to Axiom maintenance holders for their immediate deployment and boosted productivity. MicroStation Today readers may already be aware that MicroStation sites with active maintenance have seen four major releases of FileFixer during their most recent 12-month maintenance period. Also they have seen six releases of Microsoft Office Importer, four releases of Title Block Manager and two major releases of RefManager.

Plus, there are a number of unsung Toolkit heroes we haven’t had a chance to mention until now – read on!

RefWriter
Axiom recently announced the release of new versions of RefWriter for both V7 and V8.

RefWriter makes reference files instantly writable with a double-click – indispensable on any project that uses reference files. Just double-click on a reference file element and RefWriter opens the attachment as the active design file and then temporarily attaches the original master file and its associated references to display exactly as they did when the original master file was open. This allows MicroStation users to edit reference file elements in the context of the master file to which they are attached.

To accomplish this without RefWriter, the user would have to manually attach the master file to the reference file, scale, move and rotate the view and adjust the view settings – then repeat this process with all other reference files which were attached to the original master file (tedious and time consuming). RefWriter handles all of this instantly and effortlessly with a double-click.

The newest version of RefWriter addresses a number of customer requests, including enhanced handling of view settings when switching from a 3D master file to a 2D reference file (in V8), enhanced support for clipped and rotated attachments, improved support for mirrored reference files and a docking toolbar.

Axiom Windows installer
Earlier this year the Axiom development team invested considerable blood, sweat and tears implementing a completely re-vamped, fast, easy installation procedure for Axiom applications. Supporting installation with MicroStation versions from SE through V8 for all Axiom V7 and V8 applications was no small feat.

And just recently the Axiom product installer was updated to support the new default location for user workspaces with MicroStation XM – the first significant change to MicroStation’s directory tree since MicroStation/J was introduced.

Axiom Menu
The Axiom menu (which is placed on the main MicroStation menu bar during Axiom product installation) has just been enhanced to allow users to launch MDL programs and Windows programs from any location, not just from the Axiom directory. MicroStation users can now customize the Axiom menu to include programs installed in various locations. This enhancement was requested by Axiom clients who want consistent access to applications, some of which are installed locally while others are installed on a server.

Axiom File List Processor
Axiom strives to maintain consistency in the user interfaces of its Toolkit applications, as well as conformity with MicroStation and Microsoft Windows. The goal is seamless transitions from Axiom applications to MicroStation or Windows. Axiom also maintains consistent user interfaces in the V7 and V8 versions of each Toolkit application to make the transition from V7 to V8 as straightforward as possible.

One of the most common user interface activities is selection of one or more files to be processed. It is particularly common to select multiple project files to be processed by Axiom Toolkit utilities such as FileFixer, RefManager, Global File Changer, SpecChecker (and others).
To improve the file selection experience, the Axiom development team recently completed implementation of a new Axiom file selector. This new tool allows users to:

  • Select, drag and drop project files from Windows Explorer.
  • Search for files by wildcard, date range and even regular expression.
  • Build, save and re-load lists of project files to be processed.

FileFixer owners will be the first to see the new file selector, but during the upcoming months this tool will be integrated into other Toolkit applications. In addition to providing a consistent, familiar interface across multiple Toolkit applications, project file lists can be saved and interchanged amongst Toolkit applications.

Oops – ran out of room again!
Don’t miss upcoming issues of MicroStation Today for announcements about upcoming releases of the frequently demanded DgnCompare for V8, Duplicate Element Remover for V8, Global File Changer for V8, SpecChecker for V8 as well as enhancements to the V7 originals of each of these Toolkit favorites.

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Small Texas civil engineering firm saves 50 hours per project using Axiom software.

Wednesday, 7 September 2005

BEAUMONT, TEXAS, USA — If you go east from Houston on Interstate 10, about two hours into your journey you’ll come across the City of Beaumont. Beaumont is a city of about 114,000 people, and is a part of the area known as the “Golden Triangle” — an area of Southeast Texas rich in petroleum and natural gas bordered by Beaumont, Port Arthur and Orange — due to the economic prominence of the petrochemical industry in the area. Beaumont has a rich history (Beaumont was the site of the first major oil-field discovery in the United States in 1901, and in the 1920s, they overcame a bout with the Bubonic plague and survived a crippling flood) and a culturally-diverse atmosphere (equal parts Texan and Cajun cultures).

This month’s MicroStation Today user spotlight shines on a resident of this land of crawfish and crude oil.

Mark Kelly, Drafting Supervisor for Mark W. Whiteley Associates

We’d like you to meet Mark Kelly, Drafting Supervisor for Mark W. Whiteley Associates, a five-person a civil engineering firm in Beaumont. He took some time from his busy day to chat with MicroStation Today about his background in CAD and his successes using Axiom tools.

MicroStation Today: Mark, please tell you a bit about your CAD background and your everyday duties.
Mark: I started out drafting on a drafting board in 1981. I began using AutoCAD version 9 in 1987 and have since progressed to AutoCAD 2006. I started using MicroStation in 1995 with MicroStation 95 and I now use MicroStation V8.

I convert field notes from the survey crews into MicroStation drawings. The types of projects that I work on are highway right-of-way drawings, pavement designs, highway designs and real estate surveys. Our clients vary from private citizens, to petrochemical plants, to state and municipal governments.

MST: Who are your biggest clients?
Mark: Some of our biggest jobs are Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) highway designs, which include right-of-way acquisition drawings, adjacent property parcels, pavement design, storm sewer design, water design and sewer design.

MST: Can you tell us about your successes using Axiom’s time-saving tools?
Mark: A set of plans for one of our recent projects had approximately 150 sheets. When we received comments from our client, we had to renumber the sheets individually. That’s when I started looking for a program to do this automatically and found Title Block Manager. What had been taking me about three hours to complete now takes 15 minutes.

Another time-saver is RefWriter. It is great to be able to go in and edit a reference drawing without having to get out of the original drawing and then get back in to the drawing. Also, it is great to be able to see the master drawing behind the reference drawing when you’re editing the reference file.

MST: If you had to quantify how much time you saved using Axiom software during one project, how much would it be?
Mark: On this one TxDOT highway design project alone, Axiom products saved us approximately 50 hours of drafting. That’s pretty typical.

MST: What is your favorite TV show?
Mark: “American Chopper” [Editor's note: "American Chopper" is a documentary series on the Discovery Channel about the goings-on behind the scenes at Orange County Choppers, a custom motorcycle fabrication company located in Rock Tavern, New York.]

MST: What is the one thing we should know if we ever visit Beaumont, TX
Mark: Try out the seafood. It is some of the best you will ever eat.

MST: What would you do if you won $10 million in the lottery
Mark: If I won $10 million, I would pay all my bills and take a long, long vacation.

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Axiom releases RefWriter for V8.

Wednesday, 7 January 2004

MicroStation V8 users can now have the same ease of editing reference files in V8 that they had in V7.

CLEARWATER, FLORIDA, USA — In response to demand by MicroStation users who work extensively with reference files, Axiom announces the release of RefWriter, its popular V7 tool, in a version for V8. With RefWriter for V8, MicroStation V8 users can edit attached reference files almost as easily as they can edit the active design file.

RefWriter for V8 allows users to make any reference file writable while still seeing all of the associated elements from the original master file and its other references. In fact, users will not notice a visible change on the screen. After modifying the reference file, clicking a button returns the user to the original master file.

RefWriter for V8 includes all the features of the V7 version and has an almost identical interface. Additionally, RefWriter for V8 handles features introduced in V8 such as models, DWG format files, live nesting and V7 mode seamlessly so that no special training is required. For example, making a DWG format reference file (xref) writable – with RefWriter for V8 — is no different in procedure from making a MicroStation V7 or V8 format reference attachment writable.

One beta tester, Carlos Bravo of the City of San Diego, said, “I found the latest version of RefWriter for V8 to work just fine in MicroStation V8.1. The interface is easy to use, and it looks the same as in previous versions. This means not having to re-train ours users on it. The transition between master and reference files is fine and accommodates our workflow. RefWriter for V8 works perfectly for our workflow and needs.”

From the second icon on the RefWriter for V8 toolbar, users can make a reference file writable.

Features
Like the V7 version, with a double-click of the mouse, RefWriter for V8 lets you activate and edit any attached reference file. The reference file is made active, and the original master file temporarily becomes a reference to it. Master file and reference view settings are carefully managed to ensure that screen elements look exactly as they appeared before making the reference file writable. When users are finished with the changes, a single click returns them to the original master file with all original attachments intact.

Users may click on the fourth icon to return to the original master file.

RefWriter for V8 also allows users to select reference files attached to the active file from a list.

In the RefWriter for V8 screen shot image below, you can see that the active file has three reference attachments (in slots 1, 2 and 3). The reference attachment in slot 3 itself has a live nested reference in its own slot 1. RefWriter shows this attachment indented.

Any reference file can be selected and made writable with RefWriter for V8. Various options exist for changing the view settings, level display, reference attachments and tool settings of the file that is made writable.

These default settings retain the screen view as it was before making the switch to a reference file.

The fifth icon in the RefWriter for V8 toolbar highlights the original clipping boundaries of reference file that has been made the active design file.

About clipped reference attachments
When a user makes a reference file writable, it temporarily becomes the active design file. Active files cannot be clipped, but users can view the original clipping boundary by clicking the fifth icon on the RefWriter for V8 toolbar.

Latest addition to MicroStation Productivity Toolkit for V8
RefWriter for V8 is the latest addition to Axiom’s MicroStation Productivity Toolkit for V8 and also is available for standalone purchase.

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