Microstation .dgn file import?

[Ethan R.]

Hello,

 

Working ona project and the ground plans are in Microstation .dgn format.

Anyone have any brilliance on how to get into VectorWorks?

 

Thanks!
EJR

[VIRTUALENVIRONS]

It appears there is not yet any first hand knowledge.  

 

If it was me, I would first ascertain what the available export options are on the Microstation end.  They are likely the usual suspects, but could behave differently whether this is 2D or 3D geometry.

As both Microstation and Vectorworks have been around a long time, I would start with DXF first and then look at the others.  STL has also been very good with Vectorworks for me.

 

[rDesign]

A google search for “convert .DGN to .DWG” gives a couple of options for converting online.
The best solution would probably be to download a 14-day trial of Microstation and convert the files to .DWG yourself. 

[Ethan R.]

Yeah - found a few online solutions - was hoping form something simpler and Mac!

 

what I found is:

https://www.autodwg.com/dgn-to-dwg/default.aspx

Edited September 7, 2023 by Ethan R.

[zoomer]

Bricscad can do it.

Bricscad also wants your eMail address for a Trial version

Unfortunately their free, reduced Bricscad "Shape" does not offer DGN import,

only SKP.

 

And as Bricscad uses ODA libraries/SDKs for DGN import, similar as VW uses ODA libraries

for several exchange formats, VW could also do this, if they would see a demand by many

users asking for it.

 

On the other hand, it needed Bricscad several iterations over the years from DGN import

having been first implementen until getting a useful (but still not perfect) DGN 3D import,

as it is now.

And I am not sure if the problem was ODAs slow library improvement or tedious translation

to internal Bricascad geometry generation. So no clue if adding a ODA DGN import to VW

would be very tedious or not.

 

[JuanP]

@Ethan R. , you may want to try the following: