multiple document handling

Unknown said:

Can we open multiple dgn files in MicroStation?

No version of MicroStation can open multiple files for editing.  I believe that it was a deliberate decision by Bentley Systems to avoid the Multiple Document Interface (MDI) approach.  Neither does the latest version, MicroStation CONNECT, provide an MDI.

As you have observed, you can start several instances of MicroStation, each handling a different file.

MicroStation's reference attachment capability is especially useful.  Often, we want to view one DGN model in the context of another DGN model.  Referencing implements that wish.

See the attached file, it contains file name at the top P1.dgn and at view group its showing two more files open i.e. learn.dgn & P2.dgn.

View Groups

Unknown said:

...file name at the top P1.dgn and at view group its showing two more files open i.e. learn.dgn & P2.dgn

You have opened file P1.dgn.  You have previously opened files learn.dgn and P2.dgn and added them to a View Group.

You can read more about View Groups in MicroStation help:

View Groups Window

Used to manipulate view groups and view windows and to navigate between models that have been active at some point during the current design session.

A view group is a named collection of eight view windows that allows you to set up your desktop to display your preferences, including number of open view windows, window size, and view orientation. Most commonly, each view group is associated with a model, making it easy to access and navigate through different models in the active DGN file, via the View Group drop-down menu

If you have questions about View Groups, please start a new thread.

you can also make  multiple model spaces in your active  file  and  ref attach the other  files into these separate submodels, then jump from model to model like acad does even merge them if you want to easily edit them or leave them  as ref files and  use activate command from the ref manager and  similar to acad  swapping  from view port  into the modelspace you are now  in the ref file without leaving the  the model session and  can edit the  ref file directly .. ( I prefer to merge it so I can use all the  level manager features) but you can do most edit feature tools....later you can delete the sub models and all the refs if you used activate ref  will have  had changes made in them  as if you had multisessions  or multiple files open like acad does...

microstation  multi modelspace single sheet model ( I think) in same  file  and  one  file  per session

acad single modelspace multi sheet  model in same  file and many files / models 

I have  been able to have  2 or 3 files open at the  same time and jump between them without  closing  but they  are all separate sessions of mnst  so you can run out of memory and performance  depending  on file contents and  pc power...

you can also make  multiple model spaces in your active  file  and  ref attach the other  files into these separate submodels, then jump from model to model like acad does even merge them if you want to easily edit them or leave them  as ref files and  use activate command from the ref manager and  similar to acad  swapping  from view port  into the modelspace you are now  in the ref file without leaving the  the model session and  can edit the  ref file directly .. ( I prefer to merge it so I can use all the  level manager features) but you can do most edit feature tools....later you can delete the sub models and all the refs if you used activate ref  will have  had changes made in them  as if you had multisessions  or multiple files open like acad does...

microstation  multi modelspace single sheet model ( I think) in same  file  and  one  file  per session

acad single modelspace multi sheet  model in same  file and many files / models 

I have  been able to have  2 or 3 files open at the  same time and jump between them without  closing  but they  are all separate sessions of mnst  so you can run out of memory and performance  depending  on file contents and  pc power...

Lorys,

In Microstation you can have multimodels (2D or 3D), multisheet (2D or 3D) and many more, in fact, if we want we can have all the project in a single file with everthing. But that depends from each company standars.

Regards,