autocad to microstation.......

[somared]

Is there a problem converting dwg to dgn or vice versa.

[stelthorst]

Is there a problem converting dwg to dgn or vice versa.

Hi somared, (Sorry I don't know your name)

What software and version are you using? With most AutoCAD products (there are a few exceptions) you can not directly convert from dwg format to dgn format. You can convert to dxf and open a dxf in microstation and save it to a dgn. However, I use AMEP and found out that converting to dxf will not create any AMEP objects the only thing that converted for me was linework and solids.

Hope this helps,

[dgorsman]

It can be done (MicroStation can read and write several different versions of AutoCAD dwg and dxf), but don't hold out high hopes for drawing quality on the other side.

[rkmcswain]

Best practice.... do the work in the software that creates the file format you are required to deliver. Conversions generally create a mess at best...

Some approving agencies won't accept "converted" digital files either.

[mmccarter]

Is there a problem converting dwg to dgn or vice versa.

Depends what you mean by "problem".

If you have Microstation you can open or import a dwg into it and then save as a dgn. You can also use the batch convert tool in Microstation for multiple files.

From AutoCAD 2008 (plus 2007 if you download the additional software from Autodesk which is required) you can now open dgn files in AutoCAD.

A lot depends on which version of Microstation you dgn has to be.
If it's v7 then sit down, have a stiff drink and start to cry! If it's v8 then there are a few things to be aware of.
The main problem we find is that text appears totally different in Microstation and AutoCAD and it shifts it slightly out of it's original position. This is not too much of a problem if your drawing is sparse, but in busier drawings it is a nightmare. This can be sorted by editing the translation file in Microstation (.csv format) which allows you to map a certain AutoCAD to a Microstation font of your choice and also move the text in x and y by set amounts - the movement however is likely to be a bit of educated guess work. This file also allows you to map lineweights, colours etc etc and although time consuming, is certainly worth setting up if you are going to carry out the translation process many times.

Another issue which is a constant source of annoyance is Microstations co-ordinate system - the global origin and design plane. Microstation has a design plane, think of it as a square of paper. In the centre of this paper is the origin with co-ordinates of 0,0. This means that only the top right hand corner of the design plane contains positive x and y co-ordinates, the rest will have either a negative x or y value which are undesireable in 99% of work I would imagine.
The problem we encounter is that clients have set values which they want the global origin to be set to, and to change it is probably very easy for experience Microstation users to understand, but for AutoCAD users it goes against everything we know. It is similare I guess to using the BASE command in AutoCAD, but different in so many ways at the same time!

I'm going to stop here before I diverge into another rant about how dificult it is to convert 100% accurately both positionally and graphically from AutoCAD to Microstation and vice versa!
Ooops too late.

[mmccarter]

Oh and if it is 3d work be aware that even though the client may say they want a v8 format file you might need to find out if they are working in v8 or XM. I have found some surfaces created in on version appear differently in the other, even though the file format itself is the same.