These instructions apply to Bentley® MicroStation® CONNECT Edition Update 10 and describe how to load georeferenced Nearmap imagery using Web Map Service (WMS).
Rather than import a single image of a small area, WMS allows MicroStation to request the imagery directly from the Nearmap server in a variety of map projections. WMS access is available on Nearmap business subscriptions only.
Authentication
To consume Nearmap imagery via WMS, you must first create a Simple or Custom WMS Service, which generates a URL for you to copy to your computer's clipboard. Once you have done that, you can conveniently paste it into your application as required.
For more information, check out the WMS 2.0 Integration documentation.
Open Raster Manager
Open your project, then go to the Attach Tools tab and select Raster Manager:
Connect WMS
Once you have opened Raster Manager, connect to WMS:
Change Default Settings
For optimal performance you should change some of MicroStation's default setting.
Coordinate System
Nearmap's WMS is offered in a variety of coordinate systems, and by default MicroStation selects Web Mercator, WGS84 (EPSG 3857). For best horizontal accuracy, if working in US State Plane Coordinate System, you should change the default projection to UTM NAD83 and your UTM Zone:
Image Format
By default MicroStation chooses the image format of PNG. For best performance and efficiency, it is crucial to change the format to JPEG, as a PNG is 4 times larger than a JPEG, and results in very minimal increase in image quality:
Enable Caching
Another important step in setting up the imagery is enabling caching. This will store data on your machine that you have already loaded, therefore will greatly improve performance and reduce consumption.
Open the Cache Manager:
Adjust the cache setting:
Advanced Function: Clip Imagery
In some cases it may be beneficial to clip the WMS Layer so that it only includes your AOI.
This is an advanced function that can be done with WMS, and any queries into how this function works should be directed to Bentley Support Staff.
Create a Fence using the Shape option for irregular sized areas. It is difficult to see, but in the screenshot above there is a fence drawn around an irregular area.
Once you have drawn the fence and completed the polygon, go ahead and X out the dialog box for the fence, the fence will persist on the map.
In the Raster Manager dialog box, you can see the option for Clip, which is highlighted in the following screenshot above:
Click on Clip.
You can now see that the WMS has been clipped only to your area of interest. This feature will be useful when working on corridors, or small areas where you only need access to certain areas of the imagery.
You can clip very large areas when at a large scale, when you zoom into a smaller scale, the imagery will still render as usual and deliver 3” resolution when at the appropriate scale.
