Microstation User Interface Customization

[3darchitect]

I'm an architecture student at the end of my sophomore year. I've been teaching myself CGI with an architecture emphasis for a few years now. I'm trying to make Microstation my main modeling program (I'm teaching myself 3dsmax with Vray for rendering). MS is nice in a lot of ways, but it lacks a logical work flow in its UI. I've tired customizing it, but its rather counter intuitive in how the customization works. The main things that I'm looking for is a way to create my own tool bars with the buttons that I need (any button). Since MS doesn't use a command line, I have to rely on buttons. This is the main thing I would like to accomplish - so that I can make the buttons that I use for modeling most available. Also, it would be nice to be able to save this interface (to a file possibly) so I can bring it into any other computer I need to work on.

 

I've been fiddling with it for a while, but its getting annoying, so I hope someone on here can help. Thanks!

[Tommy Burns]

Why not setup some shortcuts then. Most of the tools can be opened and docked also they are all there really you just have to open them. Creating your shortcuts is done using the keyin function. I use MS XM all the time and I find it very easy to use especially in 3D because of the accudraw tool

Maybe list some of the problems you have with the UI

[3darchitect]

I'm an ADT person from the very beginning. I love drawing in lines and having the flexibility to manipulate lines. I like MS XM because it offers a lot of great tools for manipulating solids, but its so different than ADT that its clunky for me to use.

 

In ADT I use keyboard shortcuts all the time as well as the command line, so this is one thing that catches me when I go from ADT to MS. I'll try configuring some shortcuts and see if I can get comfortable with it.

 

For specifics, I found a way to make the ESC button cancel a command, but can you make it so ESC is the replacement/equivalent of F12 (deselect)?

 

And I know that MS saves the current interface after you close it, but I'm working on a school computer right now, and I know I'll be moving onto my laptop and desktop soon with MS, so it'd be nice if I didn't have to reconfigure the UI each time I moved to a new machine, or if I changed something in the UI on one machine, and could bring that over to the other computers. I'm thinking along the lines of 3DS Max - you can save a custom UI as a file and use that to transfer your UI between computers.

[apychewicz]

I agree with you on microstation and the toolbars. The quick and easy way to fix this and reduce the amount of space the toolbars take up is to right click on the toolbar itself then go to list. From the list check which tools you use the most and uncheck anyones you dont use. Therefore you will get more space on the screen and its not clustered. As far as setting up the custom interface so you can move from computer to computer is possible but is more complicated. I know at my work we have created our own toolbars and pull down menus which meet our companies needs. I could ask our tech guy to find out how to do this but i recommend just unchecking all tools you dont use.

[Tommy Burns]

To save your UI settings there is a file called microstation.upf and a file that ends with .ucf Find out where these files are on each computer and copy and paste into the right location on each. Although make sure you back them up first and right down the paths as well.

I see your only starting off but your off to a good one if your interested in UI settings. ADT is probably the first program you have learned and it is strange switching to another one. It's the same for everyone but if you give it time you will love how easy MS is especially the XM version.

Be prepared to learn many more throughout your career:)

[3darchitect]

Thanks! This will be a big help. Yes, I learned ADT when I was in high school and began using it more literally when I was an intern. I'm very used to the keyboard/mouse combination of ADT so I've been having trouble adjusting. Most of it is that I simply don't have time to sit down and fiddle with MS for even a few hours. My schedule as a student doesn't leave much time for experimenting and learning new programs on the side. But I believe MS is much more capable for architectural modeling than ADT, and I'm willing to give it a shot.

[j.frampton]

MicroStation XM stores any toolboxes (now called Tasks) that you create in the active DGNLIB file. The file must be in the search path of the configuration variable MS_GUIDGNLIBLIST for you to see the toolboxes in MicroStation (Workspace > Configuration).

 

The easiest way to make customizations is to launch MSTN and in the MSTN manager (lower right corner) click on the Interface drop down and select New, and give it "your name". This creates a folder (your name) and a file (your name.dgnlib) in "C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\Bentley\MicroStation\WorkSpace\Interfaces\MicroStation\". The DGNLIB file can be opened in MicroStation to make your customizations, Workpsace > Customize > TOOLS (tab). Search the help for Tasks and Postional Mapping to understand the GUI better.

 

That folder and its contents can be copied to any other machine and put in the path for MicroStaiton to find the toolboxes you created just select "your name" in the MSTN manager.

 

The UPF and UCF files mentioned earlier contain different items. UPF contains some tool box positions (older toolboxes), as well as the setting that are set under Workspace > Preferences. There is a new file username.docking.xml, that contain the position onf the newer dialogs and tools. The UCF contains any variable changes that you make to MSTN, Workspace > Configuration.

 

HTH,

John

Bentley Systems, Inc.

[j.frampton]

MicroStation XM stores any toolboxes (now called Tasks) that you create in the active DGNLIB file. The file must be in the search path of the configuration variable MS_GUIDGNLIBLIST for you to see the toolboxes in MicroStation (Workspace > Configuration).

 

The easiest way to make customizations is to launch MSTN and in the MSTN manager (lower right corner) click on the Interface drop down and select New, and give it "your name". This creates a folder (your name) and a file (your name.dgnlib) in "C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\Bentley\MicroStation\WorkSpace\Interfaces\MicroStation\". The DGNLIB file can be opened in MicroStation to make your customizations, Workpsace > Customize > TOOLS (tab). Search the help for Tasks and Postional Mapping to understand the GUI better.

 

That folder and its contents can be copied to any other machine and put in the path for MicroStaiton to find the toolboxes you created just select "your name" in the MSTN manager.

 

The UPF and UCF files mentioned earlier contain different items. UPF contains some tool box positions (older toolboxes), as well as the setting that are set under Workspace > Preferences. There is a new file username.docking.xml, that contain the position onf the newer dialogs and tools. The UCF contains any variable changes that you make to MSTN, Workspace > Configuration.

 

HTH,

John

Bentley Systems, Inc.

[j.frampton]

sorry about the double post....

 

Later,

~john

Bentley Systems, Inc.

[apychewicz]

I am in a similar situation being a student and having used ADT for 4 years now. However, Ive been forced to use MS due to work. Truthfully I am not a big fan of it as I am of revit or ADT. Maybe I am just more use to ADT but MS seems to be restrictive or limited in certain areas as far as modeling complex shapes and rendering.

[3darchitect]

I know what you mean. I'm trying to learn MS for architectural modeling only. Rendering I do in 3ds max (because I can import DWG from MS). And then I'm assuming any more complex shapes I'll need in the model would be done in 3ds. I do realize that it could get very cumbersome with switching between programs. But I'm hoping that once I establish a work flow, it'll smooth out more. Right now, I think MS lacks just a few very basic options that would make infinitely more friendly to an ADT user. But I also think it has a lot of powerful tools of solids editing.

 

PS - I'm still fiddling with the UI. I'll post back what my results are when I get farther. Thank you to all who've posted on the UI Customization topic.

[3darchitect]

This is to anyone, but primarily to John from Bentley Systems:

 

I found the new interface, and its saving everything I do just fine. Slight difference than your instructions though. My profile folder with my dgnlib file is in the path "C:\MicroStationV8_9\Workspace\WorkSpace\Interfaces\MicroStation\" I'm not sure if this is because of how it is installed, or because of the version. This is a school computer that I'm working on now, so maybe that has something to do with it.

 

Now, I can't figure out what to do in the Workspace > Customize window. If I go to the Tools tab it says "The editing of tools, tasks, and menus is available when the active file is a configured DGN library." I've done what you said in that I point the MS_GUIDGNLIBLIST to my dgnlib file. So now, I there are 3 files its pointed to - my own and then 2 Triforma dgn files.

 

Sooo...what am I missing? I've been able to move tool bars around and add and remove buttons from them to be what I want, but I was under the assumption that I can actually make my own tool bars (there are some tool bars in the options that have "Custom" at the end, so I'm assuming this is possible in some way)

[3darchitect]

Ok nevermind. I just got it.