Interoperability

MicroStation V8.1 features increased interoperability with AutoCAD.

Interoperability with AutoCAD 2004

(effective with V8.1.2) MicroStation's support for AutoCAD file formats extends to the AutoCAD 2004 DWG format. You can open an AutoCAD 2004 DWG file in MicroStation in read-only mode. If you wish you can then save the file as a MicroStation DGN file and proceed to modify it.

Attaching references to levels in DWG files

When attaching a reference to a model in a DWG file, you can specify a level for the attachment.

Specifying XREF paths

MicroStation enables you, when saving a DGN file as a DWG file, to control the path stored with XREFs derived from reference attachments.

Controlling DXF precision

You can control the precision of entity location coordinates when saving design data to a DXF file. As many as 16 decimal places are allowed. The greater the precision, the larger the resulting DXF file.

Specifying layer assignment for cells and reference attachments

(effective with V8.1.1) To specify the layer to which normal (unshared) cells and reference attachments are assigned when saving design data to a DWG file, set the configuration variable MS_DWGINSERTLAYER.

Saving planar line strings

(effective with V8.1.2) If the configuration variable MS_DWG_PLANARPOLYLINES is set to “3DPOLYLINE,” planar line strings in the open DGN file that are not parallel to the X-Y plane or that have non-zero elevations will be saved to 3D polylines when the file is saved as a DWG file.

Displaying invisible geometry

For compatibility with AutoCAD's options for displaying the control polygons of B-spline curves, invisible edges of mesh elements, and other invisible geometry, the MicroStation key-in SET INVISGEOM enables you to globally control this geometry's display. Element-based invisible geometry display control, which is available for DGN data through the B-splines and 3D dialog box (Element > B-spline and 3D), is not enabled in DWG workmode.

Enter data fields

(effective with V8.1.2) To prevent text elements containing only empty enter data fields from being saved when the open DGN file is saved as a DWG file, set the configuration variable MS_DWG_CREATE_SPACE_FROM_EDF to the value “1.”

Font naming

(effective with V8.1.2) You can specify a naming template to apply to MicroStation fonts when saving DGN files in DWG format by defining the configuration variable MS_DWGSAVETEXTSYLETEMPLATENAME.

Remapping fonts

(effective with V8.1.2) The remapping table controls how element parameters such as levels, symbology, fonts, or cell names are remapped to different values when the file is saved to another format. The Fonts section of the remapping table includes three new remapping qualifiers:

ElementType
OutputWidthFactor — the width of every remapped text or tag element is multiplied by this factor
OutputHeightFactor — the height of every remapped text or tag element is multiplied by this factor

Using AutoCAD commands

To ease the transition of AutoCAD users, MicroStation's key-in language incorporates many of the same keywords as one would use to enter commands in AutoCAD. Many of these key-ins have DWG as their first keyword.

Transition help

The MicroStation for AutoCAD Users section of the product help document relates AutoCAD concepts and commands to their MicroStation counterparts.