MS_CELL is a variable that is designed to act as a search path when attaching cell libraries and when a file is opened with a saved attached cell library. If you have a well defined set of paths in MS_CELL, you can attach a cell library with RC=[cell library name] or attach library [cell library name]. Traditionally, MicroStation did not save paths for any attached files (reference, cell, etc.) in the DGN file since at one time, the OS's that MicroStation ran on used very different path designations. In fact, today, one of my users was having issues with simply using MS_CELLLIST as there are duplicate cell names in some of the client supplied cell libraries and the software was finding the wrong cell for certain items in a field survey. So I setup a personal function key menu for him and made Alt+F2 = rc=psd_tope.cel so he could quickly attach the needed cell library for any file. Since our workspace defines MS_CELL as a series of paths that includes the location of that cell library, it allows us to easily attach that cell library without using a long and complicated path. And if he saves settings, the next time that file is opened in that workspace, the cell library will still be attached. An additional benefit is that the attached cell library is searched before any of the cells in the MS_CELLLIST libraries are searched. As a result, his survey software became much more responsive as it no longer was wasting time searching for cells, since they all existed in the attached cell library. I consider MS_CELLLIST a tool for casual users and MS_CELL something for advanced users.
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