Bentley MicroStation Design Writer Feature Type Parameters

To access feature type parameters, click the gear icon on a feature type in the workspace. This opens the Feature Type Parameter Editor.

Tip  To always display the editor in FME Workbench, you can select View > Windows > Parameter Editor.

General

All feature types share similar General parameters, which may include Feature Type Name, Reader or Writer information, and Geometry.

In most Writer Feature Type parameter dialogs, you can also control Dynamic Schema Definitions. Some database formats accept Table or Index Qualifier prefixes on the output table feature type.

Important  These parameters apply only to a selected feature type, not to the entire writer. If a feature type parameter listed here conflicts with a writer-level parameter, then the writer parameter will be ignored and this feature type parameter will be used.

Level

In V8, the feature type is always taken as the Level Name. When the Write Tags parameter is set to Yes in the Writer Parameters, then the feature type will also be the tagset name. (For more information, see Tags.)

Levels are created with this name and the level numbers are assigned from the feature type. (However, for backwards compatibility, a feature’s igds_level and igds_level_name overwrite the level_number and feature_type.)

The following protocol is used when processing levels:

  • If the level is already provided in the seed file, then it is left as-is. For cells or shared cells to be written, the related members will also be written to the seed file level.
  • If the feature type has a corresponding feature type parameter, and if that level is not already in the seed file, then that level is created with symbology as defined on the feature type. This allows users to create levels with the desired symbology.

For cells or shared cells to be written, the related members will either be written to the default level of 0, if specified, or they will be written to levels that will be created in the destination to match the levels in the cell definitions in the cell library.

  1. If the feature type has a corresponding feature type parameter, and if the value of Level Number is undefined and the feature type (Level Name) is not Default, then the writer assigns it level number 1 (Level1).

Level

Feature Type Parameter

Description

Corresponding IGDS Attribute

Color

 

The color of the destination level.

Used for elements that set their color by level.

igds_level_color

 

Comment

The comment of the destination level.

igds_level_comment

Display

 

The display property of the level to be created, which affects the display or visibility of the elements on it.

igds_level_display

Freeze

 

The freeze property of the level to be created, which affects the display or visibility of the elements on it, including nested or complex elements which may have their own level information.

igds_level_freeze

Lock

The lock property of the level to be created, which affects the ability to manipulate the elements on it.

igds_level_lock

Number

The level number corresponding to the feature type. Note that feature type is treated as level name.

igds_level

Style

 

The style of the destination level.

Used for elements that set their style by level.

igds_level_style

 

Level Weight

 

The weight of the destination level.

Used for elements that set their weight by level.

igds_level_weight

Level Overrides

FME Workbench Feature Type Parameter

Description

Corresponding IGDS Attribute

Color

 

The color of the additional symbology, called override symbology, for the destination level. This is set in combination with Use Color, which flags this override for use.

If set to From_Seed_File, the override color is taken from the value for level override color in the seed file. If this value is not found in the seed file, the default seed file level is used.

igds_level_override_color

 

Level Weight

 

The weight of the additional symbology, called override symbology, for the destination level.

This is set in combination with Use Level Weight, which flags this override for use.

If set to From_Seed_File, the override weight is taken from the value for level override weight in the seed file. If this value is not found in the seed file, the default seed file level is used.

igds_level_override_weight

 

Style

The style of the additional symbology, called override symbology, for the destination level.

This is set in combination with Use Style, which flags this override for use.

If set to From_Seed_File, the override style is taken from the value for level override style in the seed file. If this value is not found in the seed file, the default seed file level is used.

igds_level_override_style

 

Use Color

The flag that indicates that override color should be used as a part of level override symbology. This is set in combination with the Color parameter, which specifies the override color value.

If set to From_Seed_File, the override color flag is taken from the default level in the seed file.

igds_use level_override_color

Use Style

 

The flag which indicates that override style should be used as a part of level override symbology. This is set in combination with the Style parameter, which specifies the override style value.

If set to From_Seed_File, the override style flag will be taken from the default level in the seed file.

igds_use level_override_style

 

Use Level Weight

The flag which indicates that override weight should be used as a part of level override symbology. This is set in combination with the Level Weight parameter, which specifies the override weight value.

If set to From_Seed_File, the override level weight flag is taken from the default level in the seed file.

igds_use level_override_weight

Examples

Open the Writer Feature Type Parameters:

DGNV8 writer feature type dialog, with example parameters

Note that if any feature being written to this level is intended to have symbology by_level, then the attributes igds_color_set_bylevel, igds_style_set_bylevel, and igds_weight_set_bylevel must be exposed in the Format Attributes tab:

DGNV8 writer feature type dialog, with exposed format attributes

The level override values on the Feature Type are separate from the feature attributes. They form an additional symbology for a written level, which is used with the Level symbology setting, taken from the seed file.

Note  Writer feature types are treated differently for V7 and V8. Version 7 always sees the writer feature types as level numbers, and Version 8 sees them as level names. For V8, the attribute igds_level_name overwrites feature_type.