Connecticut State Department of Transportation

CTDOT CONNECT DDE GUIDE VOLUME 13 - CONTRACT PLANS PRODUCTION


   M.4.4 Place Welding Symbol


Description

The tool Place Welding Symbol can be accessed through OpenBridge Designer that comes with the ProStructures component. It’s important to note that users that only have OpenBridge Modeler and OpenRoads Designer installed will not be able to access this tool. This is how Bentley has decided to program and license this tool and it is no longer available as the “Detailer” MDL Application that ran on the MicroStation V8i platform.  CTDOT put in a request to Bentley for a rewrite of this MDL Application to work across all their CONNECT Edition CAD programs, but they have decided to only offer it through OpenBridge Designer/ProStructures.  CTDOT spent a considerable amount of time trying to get the Place Welding Symbol tool to work as well as the old MDL Detailer Application.  We came up with this workflow to outline the workarounds needed until Bentley addresses the issues.

Three tools have been created on the CTDOT Workflow; Bridge Tab too address the workarounds settings for the Welding Symbol placement.

❶ Set Welding Symbol Detail Accuracy

❷ Label (Weight 0)

❸ Open Welding Finishing Symbols

We have also placed access to the ❹ Place Welding Symbol tool on the CTDOT workflow.

 

Steps:

1. Open the DGN File that will be used to place Welding Symbols.

2. Select the CTDOT Workflow, Bridge tab.In the Detail section select the Set Units pull down and choose Set Welding Detail Accuracy. This will set the Working Units to what is needed to have the numbers show correctly in the Welding Symbol.

These are the settings that will be auto updated by the Set Welding Detail Accuracy tool:

  • Format: MU
  • Master Unit: Inches                 Label: in
  • Sub Unit: Inches                        Label: in

3. Remain on the CTDOT workflow Bridge tab, Detail section and select: Annotate > Label (Weight 0), this will set the needed Text Style.

4. To add a welding symbol, remain on the CTDOT workflow Bridge tab, Detail section and select: Annotate > Place Welding Symbol

5. Select the  Help button at the bottom of the dialog box to access Bentley’s online help. This will cover in detail the use of the Weld Styles Dialog Box.

6. Under Level select ANNOT_Label_Proposed.

7. Select and fill in the following:

  • Weld Style, note: if the style needed is not listed just pick the closest one and this can be edited after placing the initial note.
  • Welding Thickness (add top side and bottom side if they are both needed)
  •  Weld Group Settings

8. Select  Add Welding Symbol and follow the prompts to place the symbol.

9. After placement the Symbol can be easily edited by double clicking on the symbol in the DGN. Edit as needed in the Welding Symbol Properties, when complete select the Green OK check box.

Please Note:

  • The Towards Position button and options do not work to CTDOT standards so do not toggle this on, Finishing Symbols will be added using cells from a cell library (see step 10).
  • The Fraction style can also be customized to use either Horizontal or Diagonal Stacking.

10. To add finishing symbols, remain on the CTDOT workflow Bridge tab, Detail section and select: Annotate > Open Welding Finishing Symbols

A Cell Library will open, select as needed and follow the prompts to place the cell near the welding Symbol.

11. When you are done placing Welding Symbols select Save Settings to hold the Design Files settings for the next time you open the file or select other Design Files settings, working Units options as needed for other call outs.