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What capabilities have Autocad to read and reference .dgn

Thomas Voghera
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Sometimes I get fed up with exporting to dwg - and I have read, and seen, that Autocad can open .dgns.

Question is to what extent? Is it reliable? etc

Can I say to my E, M etc consultants  - hey you can reference 2d-dgns with simple linework - I don't have to translate.

But what about Bentley speak 'Drawings' e.g. 2d-models?

3d-models with ABD-content.

And I talk only about referencing - not import and edit.

My consultants use Revit and MagiCad (2d/3d E and Mech application on Autocad).

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    To the best of my knowledge Auto cad cannot open a DGN file, it must be done via xref or import.
    communities.bentley.com/.../304670

    Here is some other information that may be of use to you going forward to answer your question with regard to what extent, and reliability, and some other facts that you may not be aware of.
    MicroStation - AutoCAD Compatibility.

    This is a users experience about this issue, to alert some users to what they should and should not do when working in one software, Micro Station or AutoCAD, and sharing files with the other. We are currently working both programs in different disciplines on all projects. These are some of the things he has mentioned that he have found.

    • Rotated, other than 90 degrees, SHEET FILES are not supported in AutoCAD, only PORTRAIT & LANDSCAPE.
    • AutoCAD attributes can be named with up to 256 characters while Micro Station only allows 32 character names for TAGS.
    • Micro Station will allow MULTIPLE MODELS in a file, while AutoCAD only allows one MODEL.
    • Reference file MASKING in Micro Station is not allowed and is not bi-directionally compatible with AutoCAD.
    • ANNOTATION SCALE, while implemented in both programs, is not bi-directionally compatible.
    • MASKED TEXT can be SINGLE LINE TEXT & MULTI LINE TEXTNODES in Micro Station, but only MTEXT is capable to be MASKED in AutoCAD.
    • LEVEL DISPLAY by view is available in Micro Station, but AutoCAD only used GLOBAL DISPLAY.
    • AutoCAD will only allow XREFs of MODELS and not PAPERSPACE (SHEETS).

    Here is some additional information about the file format and best practices for 2D /3D referencing.
    communities.bentley.com/.../dwg-fidelity-and-dwg-workmode

    communities.bentley.com/.../26537

       

  • Offline in reply to stan.white

    AutoCAD can open DGN files, it uses the Import capabilities though (Feature Solids and Smart Solids are not supported). Please see communities.bentley.com/.../131360

    Also you can turn ON/OFF something by view, that should be done in the Sheets using Freeze or Thaw in Current Viewport.

  • Offline in reply to Nasir Ghani
    thanks again Nasir - for some reason I didn't find it by search.

    regards / Thomas Voghera

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