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Shape files to Microstation V8i

Barry Lindau II
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I'm trying to import county GIS data (shape files) into microstation and all of the line work comes in great. The only problem is the addresses and street names do not show up. They show up as nodes and all of the county data is associated with the nodes. Is there anyway the text can be imported into microstation along with the shape file? Or what would be the best way to resolve this problem?

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    You can't import text with a CAD software since shape file is point, line or polygone. There is no text. As stated below, you need our GIS tool, which is Bentley Map and import your shape file using the Map Interoperability dialog.

    Sebastien Cote

    Regards

  • 0 Offline in reply to Barry Lindau II

    Bentley Map V8i (SELECTseries) is available free for a 30-day evaluation, as are all Bentley products.  Download it and see if the Labeling & Annotation capabilities will suit your needs.  (SELECTseries 3) in English is listed as the 09.107 version.



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    As an alternative method, you may also export an Annotation Feature Class (layer) from ArcMap.

    e.g. as within ESRI ArcMap 10.2

    a) [ArcMap > Table of Contents] > [Layer Context Menu]

    - Access the contextual (context) menu of a given layer.
    - Engage 'Label Features'

    This should:
    - cause your annotation to become displayed within the Data Frame
    - enable the context menu item 'Convert Layers to Annotation'

    b) [Layer Context Menu]
    - Choose 'Convert Layers to Annotation'

    c) [Convert Layers to Annotation]

    Note the name of the 'Annotation Feature Class' to be used.
    - Store Annotation: In the map
    - 'convert'

    This should:
    - result in addition of the newly created Annotation Feature Class layer to the Table of Contents the for the active *.MXD.

    d) [ArcMap > Geoprocessing > ArcToolbox…]

    Launch the 'Export to CAD' tool: … {Conversion Tools} > {To CAD} > {Export to CAD}

    e) [Export to CAD]

    - Input Features: (select the Annotation Feature Class named within 'c')
    - Output Type: DGN_V8
    - Output File: (your choice)
    - (OK)

    f) Result:
    Go to the Output File location specified within 'e' and await generation of the *.dgn.
    The file will not actually be produced (will not appear) until processing completes.

  • 0 Offline

    If SHP is opened or converted to DGN in vanilla Microstation then attributes are listed only as graphical element properties and without symbology. Technically the attributes are exposed as so called Items (ECObjects) and attached to each element. Items can be reviewed, browsed, searched and edited but not labeled. Items can’t be attached by standard tools in v8i version but will be more usable in future versions .

    Manually the points can be labeled using Insert Field tool in Text editor.

    1. Open Text editor (Place Text tool)

    2. Right click in text window and choose Insert [Text] Field.

    3. Field Type set to Element Properties and choose element to be labeled.

    4. From Fields editor choose Property to be labeled.

    5. Place Text.

    Regarding VBA there are some limitations as there are no public API  in any of MicroStation's development languages, for text fields. Using VBA recorder it is possible to add fields but it will work very slow.

  • 0 Offline in reply to Oto

    To add a more details / explanations to Oto's answer:

    Unknown said:
    ...and without symbology

    It's because SHP contains geometry only, not any information about the symbology.

    Unknown said:
    Items can be reviewed, browsed, searched and edited but not labeled.

    To create labels (convert non graphic attributes to placed text) can be done using VBA. It's pretty huge task to create such completely general application working with any SHP and data structure, but not very complex to do it for specific SHP.

    Unknown said:
    Items can’t be attached by standard tools in v8i version but will be more usable in future versions .

    That's true, but also there is a way (workaround) how to attach existing item definition to a new element. But the workflow is key-in based and not very user friendly.

    Regards,

      Jan

    Bentley Accredited Developer: iTwin Platform - Associate
    Labyrinth Technology  |  dev.notes()  |  cad.point

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