Translate DGN to DWG workflow using Civil 3D 2016

Last updated: 2020-10-26

Translate DGN to DWG workflow using Civil 3D 2016

This workflow document will outline the steps involved to translate a MicroStation DGN file to AutoCAD 2016 DWG file format. The workflow will be Civil 3D based and the final deliverable will be the DWG file.

Warning: The DGN import and export capabilities are designed to provide a fundamental exchange of information between MicroStation V8 DGN files and AutoCAD DWG files. However, translating data from one format to a completely different format has inherit compromises and substitutions.

Simple elements: Simple geometric objects such as lines, arcs, and circles, and properties such as layer assignments correlate directly between the DWG and DGN data formats.

Elements with custom properties: Data with built-in features or variations are visually approximated. For example, text and dimensions might have specialized formatting, and color definitions might be customized.

Product-specific features: Some data cannot be translated completely. For example, product-specific features such as data fields or dynamic blocks can be represented visually but not behaviorally.

No symbol color: AutoCAD only supports colors for lines so all entities in the DGN file that have a color property set for a symbol in MicroStation lose the symbol color when imported as a block.

Multilines do not retain linetypes: When importing DGN files that contain multilines, any linetypes associated with the multilines do not display.

Closed property of polyline not retained: The closed property of a DGN polygon or closed polyline is automatically set to No when imporproting a DGN file into AutoCAD. This is done to ensure that linetypes display properly.
  1. In AutoCAD Civil 3D create a New drawing.
  2. From the Application Menu Button select Open > DGN. The Import DGN File dialog will appear.
    Command: DGNIMPORT
  3. Select the file you want to convert and then select Open. The DGN Import Settings dialog will appear.
  4. Check ON Import into current drawing and select Ignore duplicate names radio button.
  5. In the External DGN references section of the dialog select the radio button Translate references to blocks or xrefs.

  6. In the Specify DGN units to convert to DWG units select the Master units radio button.

Info:

In the Import DGN Settings dialog box, if you select "Import into Current Drawing" and select the "Translate References to Blocks or Xrefs" option in the External DGN references section, all referenced DGN files are converted to block references. If you do not select "Import into Current Drawing" and select the "Translate References to Blocks or Xrefs" option, then all referenced DGN files are converted to DWG external references.

If you are importing a V7 DGN file that MicroStation V7 DGN file does not have ByLayer setting for color. The user may want to use the Standard DGN mapping rather than the WisDOT one to preserve colors.

  1. Click the WisDOT DGN-DWG IMPORT as the setup.
  2. Click the OK button. The Import DGN dialog will close and the file will be imported.
  3. Zoom extents the drawing and Select All the elements.
  4. Properties dialog
    • Color = ByLayer
    • Linetype = ByLayer
    • Lineweight = ByLayer
  1. In AutoCAD Civil 3D go to the Ribbon and the View tab > Coordinates panel select World icon.

Info:

World aligns the UCS with the world coordinate system (WCS). You can also click the UCS icon and choose World from the origin grip menu.From the pull down menu View > 3D Views > Plan View > World UCS
Command: PLAN [W]Enter

Plan view set to World displays an orthographic view of the XY plane of a specified user coordinate system.

  1. Locate a known coordinate location in the file and verify the coordinates out to 3 decimal points.
  2. Save drawing and then Exit AutoCAD Civil 3D.