Automatically Drop Cells?
John Martens
I was wondering if anyone knows if there is a way to drop a cell prior
to placing it into the design file. (similar to autocad's *<blockname>
prior to insertion).
I have cell selector button that will automatically place a standard
note that requires the user to add some additional information, and
after the cell is placed it needs to be dropped prior to editing it.
Can anyone help?
Thanks!
John Martens
Scott Grant
I am not sure about automatically dropping the cells but I would
try in any case to do what you are trying to achieve without dropping the
cells, as the main benefits of creating cells will be lost. You can always
edit the text in the cells without dropping them using the Edit >
Find/Replace Text utility or you could even define tags or data fields to
allow you to have editable text entities within the cell upon placement.
Generally with MS you will get better results if you avoid trying to emulate
the procedures you would use in ACAD, as it can place unnecessary restraints
on your working methods.
Regards,
Scott
John Martens wrote in message <35F19136...@email.sps.mot.com>...
JHardt
I second Scott's suggestion not to drop the cells in the first place.
In our office we define our cells to contain "data fields" which can be filled
in after placement without droping having to drop the cell. To do this, simply
create a cell with underscore symbols (_) as place holders for the text you
want your users to fill in. For example a cell may contain the text: Scale:
1/_" = 1'-0". Then after placement, your users can use the "fill in single
enter data field" tool to fill in the place holders with the appropriate info.
(The tool is found in the text toolbox). As a bonus, there is also a "copy and
increment data field" tool which allows you to click on one field after another
and have each place holder automatically filled in with the next higher number.
This is great for door or room numbering and the like.
I realize this doesn't really answer your question directly, but I hope it
helps.
JHardt
Steve Wohlford
Have tried:
text nodes - must be dropped or editted through element information
which bites
tags - appears invalid to use tags in Cell Libraries. At least
last time I tried them. Lots of cell library corruption.
data field - not to bad, BUT you must know in advance how many
characters you will have or have two sets of data fields
in every cell (if you want the text centered).
SO-
We have gone back to text nodes. We use a macro called "celltogg" from
the Bentley site to place cells. It drops them, but leaves them a
Graphic Group. The down side is that it places the active cell at the
active scale. There is no dialog. So I have created monster palletes
of all our cells (kinda nice to pick cells graphically, btw) and these
custom tools set the scale, active cell, and invoke "Celltogg". As
a bonus to doing it this way, my custom tools also set the active
level for ceratian cells that are always supposed to be on a
certain level and color etc. In addition, the last bit of the tools
key-in invokes the text edit tool, so immediately after placing the
dropped and grouped cell you are set to edit the text.
Works pretty well for us so far......
NOTE TO BENTLEY: Make a tool to edit text in Cells. Obviously its
possible sinceyou can do it thru the Element Info. Also, make tags work
in Cells. Please.
AKSeidel
>
> Hello!
>
> I was wondering if anyone knows if there is a way to drop a cell prior
> to placing it into the design file. (similar to autocad's *<blockname>
> prior to insertion).
>
> I have cell selector button that will automatically place a standard
> note that requires the user to add some additional information, and
> after the cell is placed it needs to be dropped prior to editing it.
>
> Can anyone help?
>
> Thanks!
>
> John Martens
>
>
> Name: vcard.vcf
> Part 1.2 Type: text/x-vcard
> Encoding: 7bit
> Description: Card for Martens, John
I would suggest a simple macro that drops the cell just after you place
it and then puts you into the edit mode that you want. Since you are
using the cell selector, edit the command line for the cell placement to
execute the macro.
One might try a sightly different approach - a macro that drops the
status of the last element placed in the file. This might be a better
idea. The cell selector command line would be:
1) place the cell
2) call the macro that drops the status of the last item
3) run the proper edit command.
Such a macro might be usefull for other purposes.
Allan Seidel
Daemon Noir
Information Tool. This cures all those text in cell problems!
--
When sending me email, delete the "nospam." portion from my address. I'm
getting way to much spam.
John Martens wrote in message <35F19136...@email.sps.mot.com>...
G. Scott Caudle
Another solution might be to write a macro that allows the user to
locate the cell and then edit the text in the cell. The only drawback
is that each line of text in a cell is a seperate text element.
On Sat, 05 Sep 1998 12:29:58 -0700, John Martens
<r41...@email.sps.mot.com> wrote:
>This is a multi-part message in MIME format.
>--------------2B4F15ABDAE7802E597FBD05
>Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
>Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit
>
>Hello!
>
>I was wondering if anyone knows if there is a way to drop a cell prior
>to placing it into the design file. (similar to autocad's *<blockname>
>prior to insertion).
>
>I have cell selector button that will automatically place a standard
>note that requires the user to add some additional information, and
>after the cell is placed it needs to be dropped prior to editing it.
>
>Can anyone help?
>
>Thanks!
>
>John Martens
>--------------2B4F15ABDAE7802E597FBD05
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>fn: John Martens
>n: Martens;John
>org: Motorola
>adr;dom: 1300 North Alma School Road;;;Chandler;AZ;85224;
>email;internet: r41...@email.sps.mot.com
>title: CAD Designer, Facilities Engineering
>tel;work: (602)814-0520
>tel;fax: (602)814-3367
>x-mozilla-cpt: ;0
>x-mozilla-html: FALSE
>version: 2.1
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>
>
>--------------2B4F15ABDAE7802E597FBD05--
>
Scott Caudle
CADD Manager
Graeber, Simmons & Cowan
Chad Berreau
solution than the ctrl-i route. Especially considering many cells have more than
one element within them.
The other issue, with regard to cells, is. Do you use notation cells. Such as
section markers. Little key symbols with a linear extension pointing to or
passing through something. Most of the times such a cell is used, it will need
to be customized with regards to length. Which then becomes an issue of where
nesting cells bottoms out.
If left as a cell, one can only use fences to modify the length of the linear
element. Or shape. Shapes, more than two axial directions we are now
condidering. Depending upon how the shape was created. The effect a tool has on
modifying it becomes another issue to deal with.
I suppose, one might consider to use dimension drive cells with this key-symbol
cell scenario.
Then use the find/replace text tool to edit the text.
Although, it would be just so much nicer to have a tool which could extract the
text into an editor for the user to manipulate it.
I guess the developers need to know that: We don't all live, and our office
standards, and our design files don't exist in static bubbles.
I guess the developers need to know that: Just because the spec is written a
certain way, doesn't mean it fails to provide us with the functionality desired
or necessary to make our daily lifes enjoyable.
btw, I would much rather leave the elements in a cell status than drop them.
But I would also like more tools to manipulate them when it is necessary.
Last, Is it possible to have cells place shared and non shared in the same file?
Why not? We can place complex attributes. Have complext cells, Live in complex
societies. Then why can we not have shared and non shared cells in the same
file. (in the future, i know the dgn thing, but really...) Can't we all just get
along.
Daemon Noir wrote:
> See the Stoopid tricks posting about editing text in cells using the Element
> Information Tool. This cures all those text in cell problems!
>
> --
> When sending me email, delete the "nospam." portion from my address. I'm
> getting way to much spam.
>
> John Martens wrote in message <35F19136...@email.sps.mot.com>...
Bernhard Leicher
regarding your question of shared and non shared cells in the same dgn file:
Yes, of course it's possible. Just depends on toggle "Use Shared Cells" in
Cells dialog (keyin: set sharecell on|off). You can place cell "A" as a
normal cell, then as shared cell, then again as normal cell....
In addition a shared cell can be dropped to a normal cell with "Drop
Element" tool and Option "Shared Cells" set to "To Normal Cell".
Regards, Bernhard Leicher
Chad Berreau <"chad_b"@wc:--:la.com> schrieb in Nachricht
<6tf0lu$rf1$1...@blackice.winternet.com>...
(...)
G. Scott Caudle
Another solution is to write a macro that allows the user to locate
the cell and then edit the text. It is fairly easy to do. The only
draw back is each line of text in a cell is treated as a seperate text
element.
On Sat, 05 Sep 1998 12:29:58 -0700, John Martens
<r41...@email.sps.mot.com> wrote:
>This is a multi-part message in MIME format.
>--------------2B4F15ABDAE7802E597FBD05
>Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
>Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit
>
>Hello!
>
>I was wondering if anyone knows if there is a way to drop a cell prior
>to placing it into the design file. (similar to autocad's *<blockname>
>prior to insertion).
>
>I have cell selector button that will automatically place a standard
>note that requires the user to add some additional information, and
>after the cell is placed it needs to be dropped prior to editing it.
>
>Can anyone help?
>
>Thanks!
>
>John Martens