Getting Started with AreaAnnotator

AreaAnnotator™ CONNECT Edition is an AddIn or App that adds functionality to Bentley Systems MicroStation^® CONNECT. It's a tool for architects, engineers, planners and technicians.

Once you've loaded AreaAnnotator, key-in command AREA HELP DOCUMENT. That opens your default web browser at the AreaAnnotator web help page.

Example DGN File

AreaAnnotator-example.dgn is a simple office plan. It contains a number of offices and other rooms annotated using AreaAnnotator. It contains a number of doors annotated using DoorKeeper.

Download AreaAnnotator-example.ZIP then extract AreaAnnotator-example.dgn.

AreaAnnotator ToolBox

After installing AreaAnnotator its MicroStation toolbox becomes available. If you don't see that toolbox, consult your MicroStation administrator. You can open the toolbox using MicroStation key-in CUSTOMIZE OPEN TOOLBOX AreaAnnotator …

Each button in the toolbox starts one of AreaAnnotator's more commonly-used commands. To see all the commands available with AreaAnnotator, see the Command Table.

Looking at the toolbox screenshot above, here's a brief description of each tool, going from left to right.

Label Shape

Click this button to start annotating area elements. An area element is any planar closed shape. This includes MicroStation shape elements, complex shapes, ellipses and B-spline surfaces.

The AreaAnnotator Tool Settings dialog opens …

AreaAnnotator prompts you to choose a shape. This operation is similar to other MicroStation tools that require you to identify an object. MicroStation's tool settings changes to show relevant dialog items. You can define …

• An area ID (e.g. Room 101)
• An area Purpose (e.g. Office Space)
• An area type (e.g. Enclosure or Void)
• Whether the area is occupied (e.g. When annotating office space)

Once you've adjusted the tool settings to your requirements, give a datapoint  to place the new label. This completes area annotation.

The current command remains active, waiting for you to label more areas.

Query Area Feature

Click this button to examine annotated Area Features. An Area Feature is any planar closed shape that you have annotated using AreaAnnotator. This includes MicroStation shape elements, complex shapes, ellipses and B-spline surfaces.

This tool lets you choose only those elements that have AreaAnnotator data attached.

Remove Area Feature Data

AreaAnnotator prompts you to choose an Area Feature. On confirmation, AreaAnnotator removes its data from the chosen element and deletes the annotation label.

Use the Label Shape command if you want to annotate that shape once again.

Create a Report

This command starts MicroStation's Report utility.

Place a Table

This command starts MicroStation's Create Table from Report utility.

Settings Dialog

See the Settings page.

Return to the AreaAnnotator main page

Return to the AreaAnnotator main page.