Guide to Using DWG and Other Formats
Guide to Using DWG and Other Formats
Guide to Using DWG and Other Formats
Guide to Using DWG and Other Formats
Guide to Using DWG and Other Formats
Guide to Using DWG and Other Formats
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MicroStation line styles are similar to AutoCAD linetypes. The MicroStation line style definitions are stored in line style libraries, which are attached as needed to the active model. You can customize line styles using the Line Style Editor, and save the new definitions to the line style library.
In AutoCAD, linetypes are also stored in an external text file, but only the linetypes used in the current model/layout are loaded into the DWG file and stored there. New linetypes can be created using a text editor, then stored externally. However, while DWG complex linetypes can contain text from SHX files and shapes defined in SHX shape files, they cannot use complex geometry (splines, cells, etc.) as they can in MicroStation. Furthermore, AutoCAD only supports a single spacing option, and does not support dash widths, tapering, and other options available for MicroStation line styles. For this reason, MicroStation custom line styles are not compatible with AutoCAD.
When working with a DGN file that will be saved to a DWG file:
MicroStation's standard line styles (line codes 1–7) are defined in screen units and are independent of the view zoom factor. AutoCAD linetype definitions are always defined in drawing units and are therefore not compatible with the MicroStation's standard line styles. If you have used the standard line styles in a file that will be saved to a DWG file, you should use a line code scale to determine the pattern size in the resulting file. To set this scale, use the Line Code Scale (Design Units/Cycle) on the Save As DWG/DXF Options dialog box. This setting indicates the size, in drawing units, of a cycle of a pattern once it is transferred to AutoCAD.
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Save As DWG/DXF Options, General tab Advanced options | |
To maintain the appearance of line styles that are not compatible with AutoCAD, use the Drop Unsupported LineStyles to Components option on the Save As DWG/DXF Options dialog box. In the output DWG file, the line styles are dropped to their basic geometry elements.
Use the Remap capability on the Save As DWG/DXF Options dialog box Remap tab) to remap line styles to a different style in the DWG file. You can also specify a scale factor and a new DWG line style output file (.lin). For details, see Remapping Data to Other File Formats.
If you are working in a file that will be used as a reference, do not use a global line style scale. (The global line scale is set with the ACTIVE LINESTYLESCALE key-in.) Instead, create line styles at an appropriate size or set the line style scale of the individual elements.
The following issues apply to working with line styles in DWG workmode.
Only line styles that can be exported to DWG files are displayed in the line style selection menu. Due to the limitations of AutoCAD, the number of line styles displayed will be much smaller than in DGN workmode. The standard line styles (line codes 1–7) are unavailable, as are any line styles with features such as widths or offset lines. The line styles may come from MicroStation line style libraries, or they may be imported from AutoCAD .lin files using the Line Style Editor dialog box.
When saving a DWG file to a V7 DGN file, all line styles are written to a file called <DGNfile>_lstyle.rsc. (<DGNfile> is the name of the V7 DGN file being saved.) To see these line styles in any MicroStation version prior to V8.1, put the resource file in a folder that is included in the MS_SYMBRSRC configuration variable. Before V8.1, MicroStation did not support AutoCAD's method of positioning line styles, so symbol location will be slightly different.