THE PLAN and PROFILE LABELERS

The Plan Labeler took on a new look in Geopak 98.  It had a bit of a face lift for Geopak 2000, but the coolest modification is the addition of the Profile Labeler.  Both work very similar, so I intend to only talk about the Plan Labeler here.  Instructions to invoke both are shown below.  I've set up a file (western.lsf... located on the server under F:\Resource\Geopak\Bin\Metric) that contains many of the most commonly used labels and they are set up at the agency design drafting standards as well.

There are 2 ways to invoke the Labeler:
1.   Click on Applications > Geopak Road > Plans Preparation > Plan View Labeling or Profile View Labeling
2.   Use the Plan Labeler icon available through the GEOPAK ROAD Tools palette.   It is shown by clicking HERE
3.   Use the Profile Labeler icon available through the GEOPAK ROAD Tools palette.   It is shown by clicking HERE
 

Click HERE to view the Plan Labeler as it appears initially.  Rather than have a huge dialog box, the Labeler is broken into 6 different views available by clicking on one of tabs displayed across the top.   The tabs are organized as follows: Text, Parameters, Shape, Leader, Rotate and Style.   Each of these tabs will be discussed separately.

The initial view appears showing the Text tab by default, with the Computed Inserts selected.   The computed inserts that appear initially are the ones setup for DP, (data pointing or snapping to specific points).   Additional Computed Inserts are available for identifying elements, such as Radii, Delta, Bearings, etc...   These computed inserts are available by first clicking on Identify Element and then data pointing the element.

I'll quickly review each of the Tabs and their options and then explain how to create and/or use custom label styles, (another cool enhancement).
The "Tabs":

Text:

This tab basically allows the user to create 2 types of text within the label:

• Computed Text that is extracted from elements and positions within the plan view.   These are created with the Computed Inserts toggled ON.

 
• User Text is created by having the User Inserts toggled ON.  It is now very easy to edit/select/sort the ASCII file that contains these inserts by using the icons on the palette.

 

This tab allows the user to select exactly how the text is to be configured.   In addition of selecting the individual aspects of the text, the user can set the text and it's label 3 ways:

• By Current... Click on this to set the text parameters and attributes to the current MicroStation settings.

 
• By Element... Click on this and select any text to set the text parameters and attributes, or click on this and select any element to simply change the text attributes.

 
• Set All...Click on this to set all components of the label to the current symbology shown on the active tab.

 

This tab allows the user to select exactly how the shape looks that surrounds the text label.

• By Current... Click on this to set the shape attributes to the current MicroStation settings.

 
• By Element... Click on this and select any text or element to set the shape attributes.

• Set All...Click on this to set all components of the label to the current symbology shown on the active tab.

This tab allows the user to select the Leader Type (it's symbology) and Terminator.

• By Current... Click on this to set the leader attributes to the current MicroStation settings.

 
• By Element... Click on this and select any text or element to set the leader attributes.

• Set All...Click on this to set all components of the label to the current symbology shown on the active tab.

Rotate:

This tab allows the user to place the label at a user defined angle determined 3 different ways:

• Current Angle... The label will be placed at whatever angle is shown to the right of this option.

 
• Element Angle... The angle of the label can be determined 3 ways:

DP... Click on this and data point to places on the screen to set the angle.

Element... Click on this and data point any element in view to set the angle.

AA... Click on this to set the label angle to the current MicroStation active angle.

• Alignment Angle...Click on this to place the label tanget or perpendicular to the alignment for situations such as "Station/Offset".  These four default angle settings (0, 90, 180, 270) can also be changed to any user defined angle.

 

This tab allows the user to either create or use previously created label styles for fast custom labeling.   Farther down the page, I explain how to create custom label styles.

For now... I've already set up several custom labels for you to use.   The file is named western.lsf and is located in the famous BIN directory.   If you need help creating your own, give me a call.

The Plan Labeler Pulldowns:

Style Files:

This pulldown basically allows the user to Open/Save a label style file or exit the application.

Options:

This pulldown allows the user 5 options;

• Minimize dialog... When "checked", the Labeler collapses after a label is placed.

 
• Use Reference File Coordinates... When "checked" on this simply allows the user to place reference file coordinates, should they be different from the root file.  This is useful in labeling plan profile sheets that were clipped with the "rotate reference" option.

 
• Use DP Element Association... When "checked" this enables a new feature since Geopak 2000.  If this is checked prior to labeling an element, such as a simple line, and the line has been DP labeled... if the line is moved, the labels will be moved and updated right along with the line when the new feature ("Label Updater" available under the Tools pulldown) is used.

 
NOTE:  This also works if the elements are NOT moved, but instead the position of the chain moves, (line shift).  When the Label Updater is used, the label contents will change, reflecting the new postion of the chain.  Very cool!
 
• Label Tools... When "checked", this invokes the Plan View Label Control palette.   This palette offers a plethora of label manipulation tools, such as moving the label after it is placed.   These are all fairly self explanatory, so I don't intend to go into detail at this time.

 
• Label Viewer... When "checked", allows the user to view the label prior to placing and has an optional "Automatic Label" mode.

This pulldown basically just allows the user to change the label scale.

Tools:... (Not currently available with the Profile Labeler)

This pulldown allows the user 2 options;

• Selection Set Labeling... This allows many lables to be updated all at once, once selected as a selection set.

 
• Label Updater... If the elements were labeled using the DP Element Association available from the Options pulldown, and the elements were later moved, (or if the chain is shifted) the labels can also be moved and/or updated automatically using this tool.  There are many options within this tool and are really self explanatory.

TO PLACE A LABEL USING A CUSTOM STYLE:

(For this example I'll use the computed inserts associated with DP rather than Identify Element).

1. Invoke the Plan Labeler and click on the Styles tab.   Select the custom label style file using the pulldowns:

Style Files > Open and select F:\Resource\Geopak\Bin\Metric\western.lsf.
 
2. Double click on Labels and Plan Labels.

 
3. Double click on the desired style shown in blue, such as Station & Offset.

 
4. Click on DP (back on the Text tab or by using the Labeling tools available from the pulldowns...Dialog Options > Label Tools).

 
5. Snap to the position in the plan view and accept it.

 
6. Click on Place Label and slide the label into position.   Data point the screen and move the cursor around.   You'll notice that the leader can be started from a variety of locations around the label shape.   Once the position for the leader is established, data point the screen again.   A compass similar to AccuDraw will appear and allow you to manipulate the leader into position.

 
7. Data point the screen one more time to release the leader from the cursor.

 
8. Subsequent labels can be placed by simply repeating steps 5 through 7.

TO CREATE/SAVE A CUSTOM STYLE:

The tricky part here is that you must first create and place the label.   The label can then be saved as a New Style.

For this example... let's create a label that looks like this:

• Click on the Text tab and click on Clear.

 
• Click on DP and data point the screen, (a small circle should appear).

 
• Click in the white window at the upper right of the Labeler and Click on User Inserts to display the "User Text". Double click on Sta, or simply type Sta.

 
• Click on Computed Inserts to display the "Computed Text".Double click on Station. Click on Return.

 
• Type in Offset=

 
• Click on Space. Click on Computed Inserts and double click on Offset.

 
• Click on Space and double click on LT / RT

 
• Click on the Params. Tab and set the parameters as desired.

 
• Click on the Shape tab, pick the Shape and it's symbology.
NOTE: The Shape Offset field sets the spacing around the text inside the label.
• Click on the Leader tab and pick the Leader Type and Terminator.
NOTE: The AT (active terminator) is selected from the MicroStation cell library palette.
• Click on the Rotate tab and set the angle of the label, (Current Angle and 0.00 for this example)

 
• Click on the Styles tab, click on Place Label and place the label.

 
• Under the Item Selector window, click on the appropriate folder for the label to be saved within until the New Style button is "unghosted".

 
• Click on New Style, type in the Style Name in the Create Style window and click on OK at the bottom of it's window.

THAT'S IT!