Question:
I am only using five levels turned on or off for plotting in my DGN file. Why are there more than 50 levels in
the same DGN file being turned on for plotting in my iPlot Organizer IPS file?
Answer:
After talking it over with Ed Williams of NCDOT CADD Services, a simple explanation for this condition is iPlot
is listing all levels saved in the actual DGN file, regardless of whether they are used or not.
It is important to distinguish the difference between turning on levels for plotting and used/unused levels.
Here are some of the default behaviors of iPlot and iPlot Organizer when it comes to plotting levels.
1. All used and unused levels (element once used the level then the element got deleted), will carry over into
iPlot and iPlot Organizer.
2. All used and unused levels that are turned on in the DGN file will be turned on for plotting, the instance the
plot files are created.
3. All used and unused levels that are turned off in the DGN file will be turned off for plotting, the instance
the plot files are created.
4. All new levels added to the DGN file after the plot files have been created are turned on for plotting.
5. All new levels added to the DGN file after the plot files have been created are turned on or turned off for
plotting according to the state of the DGN file ONLY after the levels have been updated.
Note that #4 and #5 are common with Hydro's DRN files.
To resolve issues with unused levels being turned on for plotting, even though they have no effect but just
clutter the level list, as an option checked on "Delete Unused Levels" under the Microstation
File >>> Compress >>> Options menu item.
Now every time the DGN file is compressed, such as in the case of clicking on the RD_DSN Exit button, all
unused levels in the active DGN file will be deleted. Note that this setting change is stored in the UPF file
and will reset back to default each morning when logging into your workstation if not stored in the master .BAK.
Also to avoid some of the unused level being saved in the actual DGN file, when possible, we stress the importance
of using the NCDOT Design File Generator and creating a brand new file, instead of copying an old file and
renaming it.
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