General Information

Raster Manager, overall, favors the use of raster references. The Raster Manager dialog box looks like the “Reference Files: Raster Files” dialog box and can be accessed by selecting File > Raster Manager in MicroStation´s main menu. Another option is to select the Raster Manager tool in the Raster Control tool box.

All existing Raster Reference key-ins are supported. While there still is a “ref.ma” MDL application, the raster portion of “ref.ma” is now carried out by “rastmgr.ma.” The mdlRastRef API has been replaced by the mdlRaster API.

Raster Project users should note that Raster Manager now imports Raster Projects as Type 90 elements. All new raster attachments are forced into the Raster Reference attachment type. Raster Project attachment types are now imported through the File > Project > Import menu item and are no longer manipulated by Raster Manager. See the chapter on Managing Projects for more information.

Previously, raster reference users were forced to create a new raster file after every raster modify operation. For example, after clipping or warping an image, users were forced to create a new image. This was costly, both in time and storage space, but is no longer necessary in Raster Manager. Instead, all modifications are non-destructive meaning that they are kept inside the design file, unless a new image file is saved. Your raster file remains the same, and modifications are applied, dynamically, to the image. The first time that you warp or clip an image, you will appreciate this improvement.

Dynamic rotation of images is now supported. When the view rotates, so does the raster image file. This feature was part of Image Manager, and is now part of Raster Manager. Previously, however, those using raster references did not have this feature. Since some users appreciate the fact that the raster references do not rotate with the view, an option is included in Raster Manager (in the Display/Print tab of the Attachment Settings dialog box). This setting, Apply Rotation and Affinity to Raster, lets you enable/disable rotation of raster attachments in a view(s).

Take note that Rotation and Affinity values are not applied to image(s) when they are attached with the “Place Interactively” toggle set to ON.

Raster Manager´s Modify tool now is the way to move, scale or rotate a raster file. Previously these were separate tools in raster reference and they were not as easy to use.

Raster Manager supports warping and aligning, but you must use Bentley Descartes' Registration tool for higher-order warping, and for properly dealing with residuals. One difference is that the Helmert warping in raster reference has been renamed to Similitude warping in Raster Manager. This was done because Similitude, technically, is more correct since this warp supports scaling.