Manage Reference Models ( Modeling )
Tool summary :
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To link to a new model, press " Link to New File ." |
- To open the Reference Models window (in Modeling ):
- Method 1 : Click the Manage Reference Models icon, which is pictured above. The icon can be taken from the group named ' Model ' and placed on a toolbar (classic) or the ribbon (lightning).
- Method 2 : If " Modeling layout style " is ' Classic ', you can use the menu system to choose Model > Reference Models .
- Method 3, 4 or 5 : Manage Reference Models can also be configured to be invoked using a keyboard shortcut , the context menu , or a mode . For the lightning interface, this configuration is done using Customize Interface .
- See (on this page):
- " Unlink " (
) " Refresh " ( ) " Last Updated " " Sequence " " Color " ( )
- " Visible " " Filename " ( ) " Link to New File " ( ) " Refresh List " " Close "
- The Linked Model ...Options window (rotation and translation options for import or re-import)
- " Unlink " (
Also see :
- Reference model member (member type to which a reference model attaches)
- Model Tree (lists visible reference models)
- Selection filters (' All ', ' Legacy default ', ' Members ', and ' Reference Model ' filters permit selection of reference models)
- DWF 3D Import (pressing " Link to New File " may be used to import a DWF file)
- Modeling (where Reference Model is a tool)
- Import Model (alternate way to import a DGN, DWG, IGES or STEP reference model)
- Move/Stretch Members (can be performed on a reference model member to relocate that reference model's position)
- Move/Stretch Members, Include Material (same as Move/Stretch Members , but often better)
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Press the
button associated with a particular reference model " Filename " to remove that reference model from your current Job . After you have done an " Unlink ," you can get that model back by using " Link to New File ."
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Press the
button associated with a particular reference model " Filename " to re-import the reference model from that file. For example, if you have received an updated DGN, DWF, DWG, IGES, STEP or IFC file with the same " Filename " as the file that the reference model links to, you can replace that file with the new file, then press " Refresh " to update the model. The entry made to " Last Updated " for the refreshed file updates to show the current date and time. For further instructions on using the " Refresh " button to import a DGN, DWG, IGES, STEP or IFC file, go to step 4 of the " Link to New File " procedure. For further instructions on using " Refresh " to import a DWF file, click here .
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The " Last Updated " column shows you the date (yy-mm-dd) and the time (hh:mm, military time) when the " Filename " file was originally imported (using " Link to New File " or Import Model ) or last refreshed (using " Refresh ").
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The " Sequence " column tells you the " Sequence " that was applied to the reference model member when the member was first added (using " Link to New File " or Import Model ) or last refreshed (using " Refresh ").
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Press the
button associated with a particular reference model " Filename " to display that model in a color of your choosing. Doing so can help you to distinguish between one reference model and another. You select or define the color on your operating system's color picker window, which opens when your press this button. The color of the text on this button changes to the color that you pick. The materials that are part of the reference model also change to that color.
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Checking the box associated with a particular reference model " Filename " displays that model in a solid form . A reference model cannot be displayed in stick form since a reference model does not have a stick member associated with it. This box must be checked to show the reference model in the Model Tree .
Unchecking the box associated with a particular reference model turns off the display of the reference model. In other words, the model is made invisible in both the model and the Model Tree .
Alternative way to hide a reference model: Hover the reference model, then right-click and select " Hide Reference Model " on the context menu .
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A " Filename " is the file path to the DGN, DWF, DWG, IGES, STEP or IFC file that was linked to using the " Link to New File " button or by importing the reference model using Import Model . For example, C:/folder/subfolder/filename.ifc or C:/Desktop/filename.dgn .
The file name of the linked file is the same name that is assigned as the piecemark to the reference model member that the reference model is attached to. You can verify this in the Model Tree , where the reference model will be listed as a " Reference model ."
File name highlighting . . .
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Press the " Link to New File " button to import a DGN, DWF, DWG, IGES, STEP or IFC file as a reference model . These instructions assume that you are already in Modeling and have opened the Reference Models window. Note that only steps 1, 2 & 3 of these instructions apply to importing a DWF file. Click here to see steps 4 to 8 of the DWF import instructions.
1 . Before pressing the " Link to New File " button, the DGN, DWF, DWG, IGES, STEP or IFC file needs to be placed in a folder that your workstation has access to. If you are importing a file other than an IGES file, you may also want to exit Modeling and use the Change File Sizes utility to allocate additional room for the materials (3D submaterials) you will be importing. Since an IGES reference model will consist of only one member and one material, you probably will not have to Change File Sizes before importing it.
2 . Press the " Link to New File " button.
3 . A selection window opens. Note that you can choose to display " DGN (.dgn, .DGN) " or " DWF (.dwf .DWF .dwfx .DWFX) " or " DWG (.dwg .DWG) " or " IGES (.igs, .IGS, .iges, .IGES) " or " STEP (.stp or .STP or .step or .STEP) " or " IFC (.ifc, .IFC, .zip, .ZIP, .ifcZIP, .IFCZIP, .IFCZIP) " files. Navigate to the folder that contains the file you want to import, then select the file.
4 . A different window opens for each type of file you selected in step 3. For a DWF file, click here and follow the instructions for steps 4 to 8. For a DWG, IFC, DGN, IGES or STEP file, make the choices that you want on this window, then press " OK " and go to step 5.
This window is named Linked Model DWG Options or Linked Model IFC Options or Linked Model DGN Options or Linked Model IGES Options or Linked Model STEP Options . The top two options shown here apply only to the Linked Model IFC Options window. The " Curve approximation error " option is found only on some windows.
5 . A progress bar is displayed while the reference model is being imported from the file you selected. You may also get warning messages. On the Link External Models window, a new entry will be made to the " Filename " column, showing the path to the DGN, DWG, IGES, STEP or IFC file that you selected in step 3. See the tip below.
Tip: To zoom into the reference model you just linked to or refreshed , select the reference model member in the Model Tree , then choose Navigate > Zoom to Fit .
This example shows an IFC reference model. You can tell because the reference model member is named after the IFC file name. Another indication is the multiple dummy materials that are attached to the member. If this was, for example, an IGES file, only a single dummy material would be attached to the member.
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Pressing the " Refresh List " button updates the information that is shown on the Reference Models window. It brings the Reference Models window into the same state it would be in if you were to " Close " the window then choose Model > Reference Model to reopen it again.
For example . . .
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The " Close " button closes the Reference Models window. Choices you have made on the window will continue to be applied to a reference model even after the window is closed. For example, if you assigned a color to a reference model, that reference model will continue to be displayed in that assigned color after you press " Close ."
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The Linked Model ... Options window (rotation and translation options for import or re-import)
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This window is named Linked Model DWG Options or Linked Model IFC Options or Linked Model DGN Options or Linked Model IGES Options or Linked Model STEP Options . The top two options shown here apply only to the Linked Model IFC Options window. The window can be opened using " Link to New File " or " Refresh ." |
Import fasteners: This applies to IFC files, not to DGN, DWF, IGES, STEP or DWG files.
If this box is checked (
If the box is not checked (
Ignore and save site location: or . This applies to IFC files, not to DGN, DWF, DWG, IGES or STEP files. A site location is an offset to an IFC file's member coordinates. By default, this option is checked, since checking this box gets around the 100-mile limit for translation transformations.
If this box is checked (
If the box is not checked (
Assign sequence: Any sequence name from the Sequence Names setup list can be entered here.
To assign the sequence, you can type in its name, or you can press the "file cabinet" browse button (
) and double-click a sequence name that is on the list.
The sequence entered here is reported in the " Sequence " column on the Reference Models window. Assigning a reference model member a sequence gives you the ability to color code, isolate or mask that member using Status Display > General status options > Sequence or Zone . Assigning a sequence to a reference model member is much like assigning a " Sequence " to any other member.
Curve approximation error: A positive distance in the primary dimension " Units " or other units . This applies to IFC, IGES and STEP files.
A small " Curve approximation error " such as 1/32 inch results in a large number of polygons being generated to more accurately represent curved surfaces. Increasing the distance results in fewer polygons being generated and can potentially decrease Modeling memory use. The down side of increasing this distance is that doing so results in curved surfaces being modeled less precisely.
The name used in geometry for "curve error" is. "sagitta" and is sometimes abbreviated as "sag."
X translation: 0 or a +/- distance (in the primary dimension " Units " or other units ). This applies to DGN, DWG, IGES, STEP or IFC files -- not to DWF files. Translations may be up to +/- 1,000,000 inches (25,400,000 mm) from the 0,_,_ point. This option can be used to adjust the global X axis coordinate of the reference model.
Entering a positive distance results in that amount being added to the X coordinate information that is in the .DGN, DWG, IGES, STEP or IFC file.
Entering a negative distance results in that amount being subtracted from the X coordinate information in the file.
Tip: Performing Model > Member > Move/Stretch or Model > Member > Move/Stretch Include Material on a reference model member are other ways to translate that reference model's location.
Y translation: Same as " X translation ," except that the translation will be done with respect to the global Y axis . Translations may be up to +/- 1,000,000 inches (25,400,000 mm) from the _,0,_ point.
Z translation: Same as " X translation ," except that the translation will be done with respect to the global Z axis . Translations may be up to +/- 1,000,000 inches (25,400,000 mm) from the _,_,0 point. You should only use Z translation if you want the reference model to be brought to a higher or lower elevation.
Rotation (degrees) : X and/or Y and/or Z rotations can be entered. This applies to DGN, DWG, IGES, STEP or IFC files -- click here for info on rotating a DWF file.
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| Tip: To tell which global axis is which in a particular Modeling view, you can add an axes box to your toolbar. | ||||||||
These are global axes . For example, the Z axis is the elevation axis. It is oriented vertically.
Entering a positive number of degrees to " X " or " Y " or " Z " rotates the reference model counterclockwise about that axis. A negative number rotates it clockwise about the axis.
" OK " closes the Linked Model ... Options window and applies the choices you made to it. See step 5 of the link/refresh procedure for more information.
" Cancel " ends the " Link to New File " (or " Refresh ") operation without generating (or regenerating) a reference model.
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