MicroStation and AccuDraw 3D

Tine Lai Andersen, LEARNing Consultant, Bentley Systems

TineLai.Andersen@Bentley.com
2014 Bentley Systems, Incorporated
 F11

F11 = Focus in AccuDraw

AccuDraw needs focus.

If you have customized function

keys, use: ESC > Space

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 T, F, S and E

T = Top
Rotates the drawing plane to align with
the axes in a standard Top view.

F = Front
Rotates the drawing plane to align with
the axes in a standard Front view.

S = Side
Rotates the drawing plane to align with
the axes in a standard Right view.

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 E

E = Rotate compass 90
Successively pressing E rotates the
drawing plane:
first 90about its x-axis,
then 90about its y-axis,
and then back to its original rotation.

This is useful for working with any drawing

plane orientation, particularly where the model
is rotated relative to the drawing file axes.

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 Practice 1

Open file: AccuDraw_3D_workshop, and

open the model: 01_AccuDraw

Select Place Block

In top view draw a rectangle with the dimensions:
1.25 x 1.5

Draw another rectangle in your isometric view

Snap to the left corner, rotate AccuDraw compass to Front
<F> and Accept with a datapoint.
Move the cursor against the opposite corner, snap, enter
<X> to lock the length of the rectangle
Move the cusor upwards, and enter:
0.5, and accept with a datapoint.

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 Practice 1

Continue in the isometric view, and draw another

block.
Enter: <F11> to get focus in AccuDraw
Enter: <S>, to rotate the AccuDraw compass to side
rotation
Snap and accept with a datapoint in the lower right corner
Move the cursor to the upper corner of the front-block

Draw the other faces of the box

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 Practice 2

Open model: 02_AccuDraw

Select Place Block
Enter the first point of the block at the upper corner,
as shown here on the first picture

Enter: <T> to rotate the AccuDraw compass to Top Plan

Snap to the lover right corner, as shown on the second

picture.
Notice where the rectangle wants to be placed
Move the cursor to the lower left corner
Notice again, how the rectangle will be placed

Enter <E> to se the different locations and rotations

options for the same snap point.
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 Enter

Enter = Smart Lock

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 O

O = Set Origin

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 Practice 3

Open model: 03_AccuDraw

Select Place smartline with these settings: Enter: ENTER, to lock the direction
(DO NOT ENTER A DATAPOINT!)
Segment Type: Lines
Vertex Type: Rounded
Snap to point point 2, and accept with a datapoint
Rounding Radius: 1.5
Join Elements: Enabled

Start the line at point 1

Enter: <T> to change to top plan

Move the cursor in the red direction (X)

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 Practice 3

Move the cursor against point 2, Enter: ENTER, to lock the direction
(Y-axis)

Snap to point 3, an accept with a datapoint

Move the cursor in Y-direction (Green), and lock the direction with
ENTER

Snap to point 4 and accept with a datapoint.

Move the cusor in Y-direction (green), and lock with ENTER.

Snap to point 2, and accept with a datapoint > Reset

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 Practice 4
Open model: 4_AccuDraw

The objective is to draw one linestring that goes

straight through the holes.
The line must be joined, and all line rotations must
be aligned to global: Top, front and Side

Select Place Smartline

Enter the first vertex at: start here!.
The distance from the edge of the box and line-ends are 3
units.
The result can be checked by rotateting your view to: Top,
Front og Right
All lines must be horizontal or vertical
Use the AccuDrawshortcuts: T, F, S, E, O and Enter

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 Z

Z = Lock Z

Temporarily lock AccuDraw Z, when

used once it will unlock, unless
sticky Z lock is enabled.

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 LZ

LZ = Sticky Z
Same settings as: Settings >
AccuDraw > Sticky Z Lock

When this using sticky Z lock, the

AccuDraw Z will continue to be locked
until unlocked.
You can see an extra compass inside
the AccuDraw compass if sticky Z lock
is enabled.

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 Practice 5

Open model: 05_AccuDraw

Select place a smartline
Begin the line at point 1
Rotate to Top
Lock Z, and continue to point 2, 3, 4
and 5.
the goal is to keep the Z value locked.
Try with and without Sticky Z, and
notice the difference

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 Practice 6

Open model: 06_AccuDraw

Select place a smartline
Begin the line at point 1
Rotate to Front
Lock Z, and continue to point 2, 3, 4
and 5.
the goal is to keep the Z value locked.
Try with and without Sticky Z, and
notice the difference

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 RQ

RQ = Rotate Quick
Used to quickly and temporarily rotate the
drawing plane with a single point.

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 Practice 7

Open model: : 07_AccuDraw

Select Place Block
Press F11 and then press <T> for top rotation.
Following the status bar prompt, snap to the
upper left vertex of the vertical face and accept
with a data point.

Press <RQ> and, following the status bar

prompt, snap to the lower left vertex of the
base, then accept the new rotation with a data
point.

Snap to the right lower vertex of the base and

accept the new block with a data point.

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 RE

RE = Rotate Element
Rotates the drawing plane to match the orientation
of a selected element.
The rotation will stay until you select another rotation or
reset with <T>

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 Practice 8

Open model: 08_AccuDraw

Select Place Circle
Snap to and place center of the circle on the
center of the rotated block on top

Press <RE> to rotate the compass

Snap to the edge of the block, and accept with
a datapoint

Press .25 to set the radius, and accept with a

datapoint

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 RX, RY, RZ

When the drawing plane is rotated to orientations other than the standard Top, Front, and side,
often it is useful to be able to access planes at 90 to the current orientation.
AccuDraw has keyboard shortcuts that rotate the drawing plane 90 about its individual axes.

These shortcuts <R>,<X> or <R>,<Y> or <R>,<Z> can be used to spin the drawing plane
through 90 about the selected axis, any number of times, until its orientation is exactly as you
desire.

RX = Rotates the drawing plane 90about its x-axis.

RY =Rotates the drawing plane 90about its y-axis.

RZ =Rotates the drawing plane 90about its z-axis.

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 Practice 9

Open model: 09_AccuDraw

Select Place Block
Snap to the upper left vertex of the
vertical face and accept with a data
point. and make sure that the
AccuDraw compass is aligned to the
top face (Practice 8)
Press <RY> and notice that the
AccuDraw compass rotate
Snap to the upper right vertex of the
face and press <O>
Move the curser upwards, and set the
hight to: .5 and accept with a datapoint
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 RA

RA = Rotate ACS
Used to permanently rotate the
drawing plane by three points.
Because it rotates the active ACS, this
rotation will still be active after the tool
in use is exited.
If on, the tool setting Use Current
Origin causes the drawing plane origin
to be used as the x-axis origin, thereby
eliminating the need to enter an extra
data point. Of course, in many cases it
is desirable to be able to define the x-
axis origin at a different location than
the drawing plane origin.
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 RA

1. With the focus in the AccuDraw window, press

<R>,<A>.

2. Enter a data point to locate the x-axis origin.

3. Enter a data point to define the direction of the x-

axis.
As a result, the plane of the y-axis relative to the x-
axis is implied (perpendicular to the x-axis). All
that remains, is to define the direction of the y-axis
in that plane.

4. Enter a data point to define the direction of the y- Left: Defining the x-axis direction.
axis about the x-axis. Right: Defining the y-axis direction (only necessary in 3D).

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 WA, GA, RC

WA = Write ACS

GA = Get ACS

RC = Rotate to Current ACS

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 Practice 10

Open the model 10_AccuDraw

Press <F11> to get focus in AccuDraw
Press: <RA> to define/rotate an ACS
Enter the new ACS origin at point 1.
Define the xaxis by placing a data point on
point 2.
Enter a data point on point 3 to identify the
yaxis direction, and the new ACS will display.
To create a new ACS, Get focus in AccuDraw
<F11>, <WA> to give the ACS a name i.e.
CornerACS
Draw a circle on the corner, and notice the
AccuDraw compass rotation rotation.

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 Practice 10

Now define and save Auxiliary coordinate

systems that is placed on:
Top
Bottom
Front
Right

Place new elements, and use the

different saved ACSs. Recall the ACS
with Accudraw shortcut: <GA>

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 LP, LA, LS, LZ
LP = or F8 = Lock ACS Grid Plane
Toggles ACS Grid Plane lock, which toggles the ACS Plane and ACS Plane Snap locks, and the Grid view attribute for
all views.
LP = LA + LS + Turn on grid

LA Toggles the ACS Plane lock.

Controls whether viewing operations and AccuDraw shortcuts for <T>, <F> and <S> are relative to the design
coordinates or the ACS.

LS Toggles the ACS Plane snap lock.

If on, and AccuDraw is active, the first snap point is forced to lie on the Active ACS's xy plane (z=0). Further snap points
then are controlled by AccuDraw's settings. Using AccuDraw's Sticky Z setting, you can force all further snap points to
remain at the same Z level (Sticky Z on) or you can float in the Z direction (Sticky Z off).
If on, and AccuDraw is not active, all snap points are forced to lie on the Active ACS's xy plane (z=0).

LZ Toggles the Sticky Z Lock, which is used in conjunction with ACS Plane Snap. Lock to force a series of snap
points to lie on the active ACS' XY plane (Z=0).
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 Practice 11

Open model: 11_AccuDraw

Select Place Smartline
Snap the corner of the shape (point 1),
and accept with a datapoint
Rotate AccuDraw compass to Top
<T>, and press <LP> to lock ACS Grid
Plane
Snap and accept at point 2 and 3, and
notice which depth the new line is
placed at.
Press <LP> to unlock ACS Grid Plane

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 Practice 12

Open model:12_AccuDraw
Check that your ACS is rotated, and
aligned to one of the faces
Rotate the view to top view,
Notice how the model looks like
Now activate AccuDraw <F11>, and
press <LA>
Rotate again to Top view,
With the ACS Plane lock activated, the
top view is the ACS top view
Unlock with <LA> Top view with Top view with
No ACS Plane Lock ACS Plane Lock

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 Practice 13

Open model:13_AccuDraw
Check that your ACS is rotated, and
aligned to one of the faces
Place a smartline at point 1,2 and 3.
Reset

Place a new smartline at point 1,

Then press <LS>
And continue the line in point 2 and 3,
Unlock with <LS>

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 RV

RV = Rotate view
Rotates the active view to match
the drawing plane.

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 Practice 14

Open model: 14_AccuDraw

Draw a smartline from point 1 to 2
With focus in AccuDraw press:
<RV>
Notice that the view rotates, and the red
direction is now the view X-axis, and green is
view Y-axis.

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 Thanks!

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