Set files provide an easy and flexible way of defining default plotting parameters for your plots.

You can use set files to:

• Store plotting parameters so that they can be easily reused. For example, if you always plot at a particular size with a specific pen table, then those qualifiers can be placed into the default set file that Iplot automatically reads.
• Establish settings that pertain to the entire plot set, such as a printer name.
• Enforce drawing standards. By using set files you can force on/off particular levels or display parameters, use particular scales, or pen tables.
• Assist novice users. Set files can reduce the need to navigate through dialog boxes entirely.

All workspaces should contain a default set file called iplotEnglish.set (iplotMetric.set for Metric projects) found under your units workspace. An example for a Metric Project would be as follows:

NCDOT_MSJ_WORKSPACE\"UNITS_STDS"\Metric (or English)\plot

Any set files that you create have to be placed in the ‘plot’ folder (both metric and english folders). When you open Iplot in Microstation, the UnitProjectCfg.dat file located in the NCDOT_MSJ_CONFIG\NcdotWorkSpaceFiles directory is read. This configuration file tells Iplot where to look for set files.

To see if your set files are read correctly, open MicroStation and activate Iplot. Your dialog box should look something like this:

In the Status field, it should tell you which setting file is being used. If the status window is blank or if you click on File → Set Workspace… and you get the following dialog box where the Workspace is set to NONE, your set files are not being read properly.

Your workspace should ALWAYS read either Metric or English!

When you select a printer, Iplot searches for a set file with the same name as the selected printer. You can create a printer set file for each printer and use unique qualifiers such as scale, rotation, attach pen tables and color tables, or turn levels on or off.

For example, suppose you have a printer named ds-dboce34 that you send full-size plots and a printer named ets-trn4mvb that you send half-size plots. Below are examples of two different set files that would be used. The first example (with its name) is for the full-size plot and the second example (with its name) for the half-size plot.

# English IPLOT settings file for 22 X 34 black and white queue on dboce34

project=english

units=inches

paper_size=NONE

pen_table=c:\ncdot_msj_workspace\ncdot_stds\english\plot\ncdot_e.pen

display[iplot_all]=[dimension,area_fill, pattern, weight]

nodisplay[iplot_all]=[construction, enter_data, points, text_nodes, width]

rotation=90.000000

scale=50:1

environment=[COMPUTERNAME]

ets-trn4mvb.set