Area Tool

Last revised: August 24, 2010
Applies to: MicroStation V8i, MicroStation V8 XM Edition, and MicroStation V8 2004 Edition

Updates, information, and inquiries regarding this Bentley Library Utility can be found in the Bentley Library and Content community on Be Communities.

Description

This application allows you to identify, trace, or place areas and measure them. The resulting area measurements can be placed as text on the drawings. The results could also be used to check the preliminary designs against the architectural program or the gross-to-net area.

Installation Instructions

Place ATOOL.ma in the ..\mdlapps\ folder. Its preferences are stored in the resource file ATOOL.RSC. A configuration variable called BSI_ATOOL can be defined to indentify where the resource file created by ATOOLS resides. If BSI_ATOOL is not defined, ATOOL.RSC file will be written to and read from the MS_DATA directory.

To load ATOOL

Key in: MDL LOAD ATOOL from the Key-in Browser

from Utilities > MDL Applications > Browse, select ATool

When the ATOOL tool box is loaded, the following four icons appear (from left to right):

Measure Area and Place Text
Place Area with Text
Calculate Area
Parameter Settings

Measure Area and Place Text

When this icon is selected you will see three option buttons and a push button. The first option button provides the user with the method for calculating areas. The options are Element, Intersection, Union, Difference, Flood, and Points, which are discussed later in more detail. The next two option buttons are used to define the prefix and suffix to be placed with the area. Customization of these option button values will be discussed later. The push button, labeled "Add Shape", is used to add the shape currently highlighted. The Add Shape command will not add single selected elements or the shape defined by points. To add the shape defined by points, use the Place Area command, which is discussed later. If you have selected the "Place Text Automatically at Center" toggle from the parameters settings dialog after completing the command, the text value of the area will be placed at the center of the resulting shape. If you do not have the "Place Text Automatically at Center" toggle selected, the text will be in dynamics mode, waiting for you to define its location.

Method

Element	Calculates the area of a single closed shape.
Intersection	Calculates the area of two or more intersecting closed shapes.
Union	Calculates the total area of two or more shapes. This method will allow shapes that are disjoint. If the union is disjoint and the "Place Text Automatically at Center" is toggled on, then the text will be placed at the center of the first accepted shape.
Difference	Provides the tool to calculate the difference between two closed elements.
Flood	This function computes the smallest region bounded by the user-entered data point.
Points	This option allows you to measure the area of a user-defined virtual shape. The command first prompts the user to enter data points to define the polygon.

Place Area with Text

This command lets you place a closed shape or a block while it calculates the enclosed area dynamically. The prefix and suffix options with this command are identical to the Select Shape to Measure, and will be discussed later.

Calculate Area

The area calculator provides a mechanism for the user to calculate cumulative area measurements of closed shapes in a design file. The user has the option of adding or subtracting areas to the total area measurement. Areas selected for addition will be diplayed in green, while those areas subtracted will be displayed in red. For example, suppose you want to calculate the usable square footage of an office building. The Add button can be used for selecting the offices, while space reserved for stairs and other items could be subtracted. When the process is complete, press the Place Text button to place the total value of the areas selected.

Parameter Settings

The Area Parameter icon on the Area Tools tool box allows you to customize how the area measurements are placed in the design file. There are four tabs in the Area Tools Parameters dialog; Text, Settings, Prefix, and Suffix.

Text
The user has the option of redefining the text parameters color, level, weight, font, text height, text width, graphic grouping, and placement.
Settings
Define the Tolerance, Conversion Factor, and Decimal Accuracy:
- Tolerance: When used with Union, Intersection, and Difference method, it represents the maximum allowable error when calculating intersections between curved elements. When used in conjunction with the Flood method, it is the maximum allowable gap between adjacent boundary elements. When calculating areas, Tolerance is the stroke/meshing tolerance. For curved elements, area properties are computed from a polygonal approximation to the original. Tolerance is the maximum distance between the actual curve and the approximating vectors. The accuracy of the area properties therefore improves as the tolerance becomes smaller. A small tolerance will result in high accuracy at the expense of increased processing time.
- Conversion Factor: The value in this field is used to divide the area's result. For example, if your design file working units are set up for feet and inches and you desire square yards, then set the conversion value to nine (9).
- Decimal Accuracy: Determines the number of decimals used when the text area value is created.
Prefix and Suffix
The Prefixes and Suffixes portion of this dialog deserves special attention. Here, you can create custom prefixes and suffixes for use throughout the Area Tool application. To create a prefix or suffix, just put focus in the text item of the corresponding folder. Once you have entered the text, press the Add button, and the list box on the right side of the folder will show the newly created prefix or suffix. To have no prefix or suffix on the text string, you must define a blank prefix or suffix. To create a blank prefix or suffix, just press the Add button when no value is entered in the text item. Then select the blank option button for the prefix or suffix. Deleting prefixes or suffixes is as easy as selecting the values on the string list and pressing the Delete button. You can select multiple values and also disjoint values.

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