Microstation Tips and Tricks: Controlling the Design File Update Order Tutorial

Microstation processes elements in the order they were created. Therefore more recently placed elements will always sit on top of earlier elements. This may not suit and there are a number of options for altering the presentation of overlapping elements.

1. Select the item to move to top and key-in the following in the command window:
   wset add;wset drop
2. If all elements with certain attributes need to brought to the top, the edit > 'select element by attributes tool' can be used. This allows the user to highlight all elements of a certain color/ weight/ style etc. Once the elements have been highlighted, use edit > 'bring to front' (V8 only) or the wset add;wset drop key-in for Microstation /J.
3. For printed output, pen tables allow the user to control the processing of elements. On launching the plot dialog box, a new pen table can be created under the pen table drop down menu. Use 'element criteria' to group elements of certain attributes then under output criteria give the lowest priority (0) to the elements to be overwritten by other elements. Create additonal selection / output criteria for all items that need to be placed in a stacking order.