Bentley Institute training

Practice Workbook
This workbook is designed for use in Live instructor-led training and for OnDemand selfstudy.
The explanations and demonstrations are provided by the instructor in the classroom, or in the OnDemand
eLectures of this course available on the Bentley LEARN Server (learn.bentley.com).

This practice workbook is formatted for on-screen viewing using a PDF reader.
It is also available as a PDF document in the dataset for this course.

Using General Tools

This workbook contains exercises that cover the basics of MicroStation, such as using the interface, working
with tools, creating new DGN files, getting information about elements, and measuring elements.

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 Start with MicroStation
This exercise will show you how to start MicroStation, select a workspace, open a DGN file, and open a model in that
DGN file.

1. Launch MicroStation by clicking the Windows Start menu and selecting (All) Programs > Bentley > MicroStation V8i (SELECTseries), or
use the icon on the desktop if there is one.

The File Open dialog opens.

2. At the lower right of the dialog, set the following:

User: untitled

Project: untitled

Interface: default

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 With these options you select a specific workspace. A workspace is a custom MicroStation ‘environment’ or configuration that is set up by
an administrator. By selecting a workspace, MicroStation can be customized for a specific discipline, project, or job. When a workspace is
active, the tools and resource files you need to perform that job are available.

3. In the Look in field at the top, navigate to the folder where you installed the dataset, for example C:\Bentley Training\MicroStation Basic
User\Using General Tools\dgn\.

4. Ensure that the Files of type option at the bottom is set to CAD Files (*.dgn; *.dwg; *.dxf).

With MicroStation, you create DGN files (design files) with the extension .dgn.
It is also possible to open and edit AutoCAD DWG (*.dwg) and DXF files (*.dxf).

5. Click on the file named MicroStation_Essentials_V8i.dgn and click Open.

The MicroStation application window opens, showing a visual index of the selected design file.

The DGN file MicroStation_Essentials_V8i.dgn is the active design file now. You can open only one design file at a time.

A DGN file contains at least one model, but may contain multiple models. A model is a separate graphical space within a DGN file. A
model in a DGN file is equivalent to a worksheet in an Excel file. Or you can think of a model within a DGN file as a separate room within
a house. A model can be 2D or 3D.

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 Generally, only one model is displayed, the active model. That is the model in which you can create or manipulate graphical elements,
such as lines, circles, and shapes. To open a model, you can use the Models dialog.

Hint: Note that you can view other models contained in the active DGN file (or in another DGN file) by attaching them as references to the
active model. This is explained in the module Composing Designs and Drawings.

6. To open the Models dialog click the Models icon, which is the first icon in the Primary Tools toolbox.

Hint: If the Primary Tools toolbox is not displayed, select Tools on the main menu bar and at the top of the menu enable Primary.
This DGN file contains a whole lot of models.

7. In the Models dialog, double-click the Element Creation model in the list to open it.
This is a 2D model.

8. Scroll down in the models list and double-click the Office Building model to open it as the active model.

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 This is a 3D model that is displayed in four different ways, in four view windows.

9. Open the Precision Input with AccuDraw model by double-clicking it in the list.

This model is empty.

10. Close the Models dialog.

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 Open and dock tool boxes and dialogs
MicroStation’s application window by default shows several toolboxes and dialogs. Additional toolboxes can be opened
from the Tools menu or from the Tasks dialog. Most dialogs and toolboxes can be docked to the edges of the
MicroStation application window.

1. Continue in MicroStation_Essentials_V8i.dgn, in the Precision Input with AccuDraw model.

In addition to the Attributes and Primary Tools toolboxes that are displayed at the top, you will also open the Standard toolbox and dock it
to the top of the application window.

2. Select Tools on the main menu bar and at the top of the menu enable Standard.
This opens the Standard toolbox, which contains the Undo and Redo tools.

3. Point at the title bar of the Standard toolbox, press and hold down the left mouse button, and drag the toolbox to the top of the application
window until it docks to the edge.

Hint: You can undock a toolbox by pointing to the dotted line at the left and dragging it off the edge.

The Tasks dialog at the left contains most drawing and editing tools.

Hint: If it is not displayed, select Tools > Tasks in the main menu bar.

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 By default, the Tasks dialog is docked to the left side of the application window, together with the Project Explorer dialog.

4. Undock the Tasks dialog by pointing at its title bar and dragging it off the edge.
5. To redock it within the same docking region as the Project Explorer dialog, drag the Tasks dialog by its title bar, move the pointer to the
center of the center docking indicator on the left, and release it there.

Docking tabs display for each docked dialog, so that you can control which dialog you want to be on top.

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 At the top of the Tasks dialog you find the Main toolbox. This toolbox contains several ‘child’ toolboxes.

6. To activate a tool in a child toolbox, for example, the Move tool, click the third icon in the Main toolbox (probably the Copy tool) and hold
down the mouse button.
7. In the menu that opens, select Move.

The Move tool now replaces the Copy tool in the Main toolbox.

Hint: Another way to activate the Move tool is by pressing the Esc key on your keyboard, then press the 3 key, and then the 2 key.

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 8. If you prefer to open the Manipulate toolbox permanently as a floating toolbox, press the icon again and select Open ‘Manipulate’ as 
Toolbox at the bottom of the menu.

You can also open each task in the Drawing task (or in other tasks) as a floating toolbox.

9. Right-click on the Linear task at the top of the Drawing task and in the menu select Open ‘Linear’ as Toolbox.

Note that you can selectively disable and enable the display of individual tools in toolboxes.

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 10. Right-click on a tool in a toolbox to display a list of the tools available in that toolbox.

11. Uncheck a tool to remove it from the toolbox or check one that is unchecked to have it displayed.

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 Work with tools
In this exercise, you will try out some drawing tools and practice how to use them.
Working with most MicroStation tools consists of the following steps:

 Select a tool.

 Adjust the tool settings.

 Follow the status bar prompts to use the tool.

1. Continue in MicroStation_Essentials_V8i.dgn, in the Precision Input with AccuDraw model.

First, you will draw some lines with the Place SmartLine tool.

2. In the Tasks dialog, in the Drawing task, click the Place SmartLine icon to activate this tool.

3. Read the prompt at the lower left of the application window, in the status bar: Place SmartLine > Enter first vertex.

4. Click somewhere in the empty view window to define the start point of the line. Do not keep the mouse button pressed!
5. Read the prompt again: Place SmartLine > Enter next vertex or reset to complete.
6. Click in the view to define the end point of the line segment.
A point that you place by clicking the left mouse button is called a data point. The left mouse button is called the data button.

7. Continue by defining more vertices, thus creating a line string.

8. To stop placing line segments click the right mouse button.
The right mouse button is called the reset button. You click the reset button to stop with an action and resume from the beginning.

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 Note that the Place SmartLine tool is still active and asks for the first vertex of a new line.

9. Draw some more lines and line strings.

Next, you will create a block.

10. In the Tasks dialog, in the Drawing task, select the Place Block tool.

11. Read the prompt: Place Block > Enter first point.
12. Define the first corner of the block with a data point and move the mouse to see that a block is being created instead of a line.

13. Read the prompt: Place Block > Enter opposite corner.
14. Define the opposite corner to complete the block. Note that you do not need to reset this time.
Let’s create a circle then.

15. In the Tasks dialog, in the Drawing task, select the Place Circle tool.

16. Read the prompt: Place Circle By Center > Identify center point.

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 17. Define the center point of the circle and move the mouse to see that this time a circle is being created.
18. Following the prompt, define the circle radius by entering a data point on the circle’s edge.

Hint: To define an exact distance, you can use AccuDraw. This is explained in the module Using AccuDraw and AccuSnap.
There are other methods to define a circle, for example by defining three points on the circle’s edge. You can select the desired method in
the tool settings window.

19. With Place Circle still active, read the tool settings.

20. Set the method to Edge and read the changed prompt: Place Circle By Edge > Identify first point on circle.
21. Enter a data point to define the first point on the circle’s edge.
22. Read the prompt and enter another data point to define the second point on the circle’s edge.
When you move the pointer, a dynamic circle is displayed.

23. Following the prompt, enter a third data point to complete the circle.

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 Each tool has its own tool settings. When you select another tool, the tool settings are automatically updated.
Always check these first and adjust them, if needed. Then read the prompt and continue with the tool.

24. Select Place Block again and note the tool settings.

25. Set the method to Rotated and create another block, following the prompts.

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 Delete elements and undo actions
In this exercise, you will practice how to select and delete elements, and how to undo or redo actions.

1. Continue in MicroStation_Essentials_V8i.dgn, in the Precision Input with AccuDraw model.

Let’s delete some elements that you have created in the previous exercise.

2. Select the Delete Element tool in the main toolbox at the top of the Tasks dialog.

3. Click on several elements to delete them from the design.

MicroStation remembers everything you do. You can always retrace your steps by using the Undo tool.

4. In the Standard toolbox, select the Undo tool (or press Ctrl + Z on your keyboard) several times until all elements are displayed again.

Hint: In case you have clicked Undo too many times, you can use Redo (or press Ctrl + R) to undo your Undo action.

Instead of deleting elements one by one, you can select multiple elements in advance.

5. In the main toolbox at the top of the Tasks dialog, click the first icon, the Element Selection tool.

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 6. In the tool settings, select the first icon in both rows (Individual and New).

7. With the left mouse button pressed, drag a selection rectangle from left to right around some elements.
All elements that are completely inside the selection rectangle are selected.

Hint: When you drag a selection rectangle from right to left, also the elements that are partly within the selection rectangle are selected
(overlap). To clear the selection set, just click somewhere in the view, but not on an element.

8. Select Delete Element to delete the selected elements.

9. Select Undo (or press Ctrl + Z) to undo the deletion of the elements.

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 Save and compress a DGN file
In MicroStation, you do not have to save your design changes, as MicroStation saves each change as it is made to the
active model in the open DGN file on the local computer or network. But before closing a DGN file or opening another
one, you probably also want to save the design file settings. In addition, you can compress a design file.

1. Continuing in MicroStation_Essentials_V8i.dgn, in the Precision Input with AccuDraw model, ensure that the newly created elements
are displayed.

You will close this DGN file and reopen it, to see what happens.

2. Select File > Close.

The active file is closed and the File Open dialog appears.

3. In the File Open dialog, click Open to reopen the same file.
The file is opened again, but probably a different model is displayed than the one you were working in. That’s because you did not save
the settings. But don’t worry, the newly added elements are automatically saved!

4. Open the Models dialog and double-click the Precision Input with AccuDraw model in the list to open it.

The elements you created earlier are in this model and should be visible again.

5. Select File > Save Settings (or press Ctrl + F) to save the current settings with your design file.
6. Close the DGN file and reopen it.
This time, the Precision Input with AccuDraw model should be opened immediately.

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 Hint: By default, design changes are saved automatically and design file settings are not. You can change these user preferences, if
needed, by selecting Workspace > Preferences, in the category Operation. These preferences are not stored in the DGN file, but in a
separate user preference file.

Before archiving a DGN file, it is a good practice to compress it. Compressing a DGN file reduces its size by purging empty and unused
data. Note that this also clears the undo buffer, so you will no longer be able to undo and redo.

7. Select File > Compress > Design.

8. Select File > Close to close MicroStation_Essentials_V8i.dgn.

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 Create a new DGN file
A new design file is created by copying an existing seed file, which serves as a template. A seed file may contain
certain models (2D and/or 3D), with preset working units and other design file and model settings. A seed file may also
include geometry, for example, a border.

1. Click the New file icon at the top of the File Open dialog.

This opens the New dialog.

Hint: It is also possible to create a file from inside MicroStation by selecting File > New.
The most important thing when creating a new design file is to select the correct seed file. Generally, seed files are prepared by a CAD
administrator. Different seed files can be available for different purposes or projects.

2. In the New dialog, click the Browse button at the lower right to open the Select Seed File dialog.
3. In the Look in field at the top, navigate to the dataset’s seed folder \Using General Tools\seed\.
4. Select the seed file ModelMetricGeneral.dgn and click Open.
The selected seed file is now displayed in the Seed field at the bottom of the New dialog.

5. Ensure that theSave as type setting is set to MicroStation DGN Files (*.dgn), so that the correct extension will be appended to the file
name.

6. In the File name field, type training and click Save.

The new DGN file training.dgn is added to the file list.

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 7. Click Open to open the new file.
The model 2D Sheet is opened.
The seed file that you used contains four models, so this new DGN file contains the same four models.

8. Open the Models dialog to view the list of models.

9. Double-click the 2D Design model to open it.

10. Select File > Save Settings.

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 Explore design file settings
In this exercise, you will explore the most important design file settings. Generally, these settings are already set
correctly in the seed file that you use when creating your design file.
These design file settings are stored within the active DGN file when you select File > Save Settings.

1. Continuing in training.dgn, in the 2D Design model, in the main menu bar select Settings > Design File.
This opens the Design File Settings dialog, where you can change design-file specific settings. Some of these settings are model-
specific, such as the working units.

2. In the left menu, select the Working Units category.

Working units define the real-world units that you work with in the active model. Typically, the working units are predefined in the seed file
and will not require any adjustment.
Working units are composed of master units (MU) and sub units (SU) and can be set to English units or metric units. When using metric
units, you generally only use the master unit.
Changing the working units does not affect the size of elements in the model. You can draw, for example, in feet and inches, and then
change the master unit and sub unit to Meters and Millimeters to get the metric measurements.

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 Hint: Do not change the Resolution setting in the Advanced Unit Settings dialog (opens when you click the Edit button), as this does
affect the size of existing elements.

3. Note that the master unit and sub unit in this model both are set to Millimeters, a metric unit, because you used a metric seed file
ModelMetricGeneral.dgn to create training.dgn.
The Format and Accuracy settings define the coordinate and distance readout in the status bar and dialogs.

4. Ensure the Format is set to MU, so that only master units are displayed.
5. Change the Accuracy to three decimals: 0.123.
This does not affect the accuracy of calculations, only the precision with which the units are displayed.

6. In the left menu, select the Angle Readout category.

This is where you can change the format and accuracy of the angle readout, if needed.

7. Select the Color category.

Here you can set the highlight color with which elements are displayed when you select them.

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 8. Change both the Element Highlight Color and the Selection Set Color to magenta.

9. Click OK to close the dialog.

10. Select File > Save Settings to save the changed design file settings in the active DGN file training.dgn.

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 Get information about elements
In this exercise, you will practice how to get information about elements in a model.

1. Open Measuring_Elements.dgn and the Measuring Elements model.

2. In the main toolbox at the top of the Tasks dialog, select the Element Selection tool.

3. Pause the pointer over one of the circles, without clicking.

Information about the highlighted element appears in a pop-up window: the element type and the level on which the element is drawn.

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 4. Explore some other elements by pausing the pointer on an element.
If you want more information about an element you can use the Element Information tool.

5. In the Primary Tools toolbox, select the Element Information tool.

The Element Information dialog opens, which is empty as long as no element is selected.

6. Select one of the blue shapes around the circle.

The information about the shape is displayed on several tabs in the Element Information dialog. Which tabs are displayed depends on the
type of element that is selected.

7. Explore the information on the tabs.

8. In the view window, select one of the orange steps at the bottom of the design.
This is a complex shape that is composed of two line strings and two arcs.

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 9. At the top of the Element Information dialog, click the + symbol to expand the complex shape.

Hint: Note that you can get information about the separate elements that together form the complex shape, by selecting the element in
the top pane.

10. Close the Element Information dialog and clear the selection.

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 Measure elements
To measure lengths, distances, radiuses, diameters, angles, and areas in your design, you can use the tools in the
Measure toolbox.

1. Continuing in Measuring_Elements.dgn, in the Measuring Elements model, zoom in to the upper part of the design.

2. In the Tasks dialog, at the bottom of the Drawing task, select the Measure Length tool.

This tool makes it very easy to measure the length of an element.

3. Select one of the vertical lines at the top.

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 4. Read the length in the tool settings window: 71.5200m.

In addition, the direction (angle) of the selected line is displayed.

Both length and angle are also shown in the status bar, in the message field.

For a closed element the length of the perimeter is measured.

5. Select one of the circles or shapes and read the length of its perimeter.
If you want to measure the total length of several elements, you can select them in advance.
Let’s measure the length of the figure at the upper right, which is composed of separate lines and an arc.

6. In the main toolbox at the top of the Tasks dialog, select the Element Selection tool.

7. Drag a selection rectangle around the figure to select all elements in it.

8. Select Measure Length and read the prompt in the status bar.

MicroStation asks you to accept or reject the selection.

9. Accept the selection by clicking the left mouse button somewhere in the view, but not on an element.

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 10. Read the total length of the selected elements in the tool settings window (or in the status bar): 206.4675m.
11. Select Element Selection again and clear the selection.
Important: When MicroStation asks you to accept or reject, you can accept by clicking the left mouse button. Consider this the Yes
button: “Yes, I want to continue”.
If you do not want to continue, click the right mouse button, the reset button, to stop the action. You can consider this the No button.
So left-clicking means Yes and right-clicking means No.

There are several ways to measure the distance between two points or elements.

12. In the Tasks dialog, select the Measure Distance tool.

13. In the tool settings, ensure the Method is set to Between Points.

Let’s measure the distance between the two solid vertical lines. To measure the distance exactly you will snap to the end points of both
lines.

14. Move the pointer close enough to the lower end point of the first line until a bold, yellow X displays.

15. Left-click to snap to this point.

16. Move the pointer to the lower end point of the second line until the bold, yellow X displays.
17. Left-click to snap to the second end point.
18. Read the measured distance in the tool settings: 19.2000m.

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 19. To continue measuring distances snap to another point, for example, on the figure on the right.

20. Read the information in the tool settings.

The distance between the last two points (66.4597m) as well as the total distance from the start point (85.6597m) is displayed.

21. Reset to stop measuring.

Hint: By using the other methods of the Measure Distance tool you can measure a distance along or perpendicular to an element, or
measure the minimum or maximum distance between two elements.

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 There are also tools to measure the radius of a circle or arc and to measure the angle between line segments.

22. In the Tasks dialog, select the Measure Radius tool.

23. Select one of the circles, or the arc at the upper right, and read its radius and diameter in the tool settings.

24. In the Tasks dialog, select the Measure Angle tool.

25. Following the prompt, select a first line segment, for example, in one of the blue shapes.
26. Select a second line segment and read the angle between both segments in the tool settings.

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 Finally, you will measure the area of a closed element.

27. In the Tasks dialog, select the Measure Area tool.

28. In the tool settings, ensure the Method is set to Element.

29. Select one of the circles or shapes and read its area and perimeter in the tool settings.

Hint: This tool has additional methods to measure the area defined by overlapping closed elements or by multiple non-closed elements.
You can find more information about these methods in the Annotating Designs module, where hatching and patterning areas is explained.

30. Close Measuring_Elements.dgn.

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