How to Insert a Cell in Microstation?

Understanding Cells in MicroStation

Cells in MicroStation are essentially predefined groups of elements that can be reused across projects. They facilitate efficient design by allowing you to create complex shapes or symbols, which can then be inserted into various locations within your project with ease. Utilizing cells helps maintain consistency and minimizes repetitive tasks.

Inserting a Cell into Your Drawing

To successfully insert a cell into your MicroStation drawing, follow the step-by-step process outlined below.

Step 1: Open the Cell Library

1. Navigate to the “Element” menu at the top of the MicroStation interface.
2. Select “Cells” from the dropdown menu. This action will open the Cell Library dialog, where you can view all available cells.

Step 2: Select a Cell

1. In the Cell Library dialog, you will see a list of cells organized by category. Scroll through the list or use the search functionality to locate the desired cell.
2. Click on the cell you wish to insert to highlight it.

Step 3: Place the Cell

1. After selecting the cell, click the “Place” button located in the lower part of the Cell Library dialog.
2. Move your cursor to the drawing area; you will see a preview of the selected cell.
3. Click in the drawing area to place the cell at your desired location.

Step 4: Adjust Placement Options (if needed)

1. If you need to modify how the cell is placed (for example, to rotate or scale it), access the "Tool Settings" dialog that appears.
2. Adjust parameters such as rotation angle or scale factor before final placement.
3. Click to confirm placement after making adjustments.

Exploding a Cell

To modify or edit the individual elements of a cell after inserting it, you may need to "explode" it. Follow these steps to break a cell back into its component parts:

Step 1: Select the Cell

1. Use the Power Selector tool to click on the cell you want to explode.
2. Ensure it is highlighted for the next step.

Step 2: Use the Drop Element Tool

1. Navigate to the “Tools” menu, and select “Drop.”
2. Choose “Drop Element” to open the tool settings.
3. Confirm that the ‘Cells’ option is selected within the settings to ensure you’re breaking down a cell.

Step 3: Execute the Drop

1. Click on the cell to explode it. The cell will now revert to its original, individual components for further editing.

Editing a Cell

If you wish to make changes to a specific cell’s design, you can edit it directly from the Cell Library:

Step 1: Access the Cell Library

1. Go back to the “Element” menu and choose “Cells” to open the Cell Library again.

Step 2: Select and Edit the Cell

1. Locate the cell you want to edit.
2. Click on it to highlight, and then find the “Edit” button in the dialog box.
3. Click “Edit” to access the item’s properties. Here, you can modify the name, description, or even the graphical elements.

Step 3: Save Changes

1. After making the desired changes, click the “Modify” button to save the updated cell in the library.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Can cells be resized after they are inserted into a drawing?
Yes, cells can be resized. After placing a cell, you can use the scale tool to adjust its size as needed within your drawing.

2. Is it possible to create custom cells in MicroStation?
Absolutely. You can create your own custom cells by grouping elements together and saving them into the cell library for future use.

3. How do shared cells differ from standard cells in MicroStation?
Shared cells are stored once in the DGN file, meaning any edit made to one instance of a shared cell will reflect in all instances. Standard cells, on the other hand, are stored individually, and changes do not affect other copies.