Bentley Batch Convert Utility

[Anonymous]

Hi Guys,
Has anyone ever used this software to convert from AutoCAD to Microstation format files? We have a very demanding client who have their own CAD standards & aren't negotiable on format or delivery of files at the end of the job. We'll continue to doc in AutoCAD to the standards but we are seriously concerned about the ability of such a software to convert line types, colours & layers accurately. I don't want to end up drawing everything twice. Anyone else had a similar headache?
Cheers

[Anonymous]

if the client demands the files to be delivered in DGN format its usually more efficient to simply do the work in Microstation....if you really have to use AutoCAD and then convert to DGN for delivery purposes its best to develop some workflow guidelines at the outset to ensure as smooth as possible translation as the way you do things in AutoCAD will have an impact on how successful the translation will be i.e. keep things as simple as possible for example only use 1 model and 1 layout per file, avoid special characters, annnotative scales, use lineweights not colour for line thickness....

[Anonymous]

Depending on which version of ustn they are using, they can read and convert
ACAD files pretty accurately. Ustn can easily handle multiple layouts in a
DWG. Annotation scaling and custom objects like tables, dynamic blocks and
some other entities may cause a problem. Also they don't support 2010 format
yet. You might buy a seat of Power Draft, a lower cost version that lacks
some of more advanced 3D functionalty of ustn. It will handle the
translation as well as it's big brother. Also you might need to get some of
their recource files for fonts. linetypes, etc.

wrote in message news:6245034@discussion.autodesk.com...
if the client demands the files to be delivered in DGN format its usually
more efficient to simply do the work in Microstation....if you really have
to use AutoCAD and then convert to DGN for delivery purposes its best to
develop some workflow guidelines at the outset to ensure as smooth as
possible translation as the way you do things in AutoCAD will have an impact
on how successful the translation will be i.e. keep things as simple as
possible for example only use 1 model and 1 layout per file, avoid special
characters, annnotative scales, use lineweights not colour for line
thickness....

__________ Information from ESET NOD32 Antivirus, version of virus signature
database 4375 (20090827) __________

The message was checked by ESET NOD32 Antivirus.

http://www.eset.com





__________ Information from ESET NOD32 Antivirus, version of virus signature database 4375 (20090827) __________

The message was checked by ESET NOD32 Antivirus.

http://www.eset.com

[Anonymous]

Thanks guys, thats all very helpful.
My understanding of Microstation is pretty limited but I've been told that the reference files are editable within the model space without opening the source file. Our client is asking that we deliver "live" functional drawing files. So the question is, if we convert a DWG with xrefs, will the converted DGN file be fully editable or will the DWG x-refs appear as non editable blocks?
Cheers,
L

[Anonymous]

the reference files are editable within the model space without opening the source file.......NO, if you want to edit the reference file you can "exchange" to it which will open the source file.
Unlike AutoCRAP Microstation does not treat reference files as 1 large block the reference file is "as is" i.e. you can copy / offset / querry individual elements from reference files and i think this is what you are refering to

[Anonymous]

To add to Mark's reply, Microstation references are like Autocad references
in that they are not "live" in the host drawing. While you can select and
copy elements from a reference in a DGN, you have to open the source file to
make any other edits. You might want to get clarification as to what your
client means. You could interpret what they say as, they don't want
references at all, IOW each drawing must contain live elements in model
space. I don't agree with that stipulation if that is what they mean, but it
is their prerogative.



__________ Information from ESET NOD32 Antivirus, version of virus signature database 4377 (20090828) __________

The message was checked by ESET NOD32 Antivirus.

http://www.eset.com

[Anonymous]

> My understanding of Microstation is pretty limited but I've been told that the reference files are editable within the model space without opening the source file. Our client is asking that we deliver "live" functional drawing files. So the question is, if we convert a DWG with xrefs, will the converted DGN file be fully editable or will the DWG x-refs appear as non editable blocks?

You can choose how the xref is treated at conversion, as either a reference file or a block.

[Anonymous]

You can use Bentley's "msbatch.bat" (which is located on the program root folder when you install microstation) to convert dgn to dwg and vise versa. This is a DOS batch file that can be launch without the microstation gui. A file "*.BNCV" is what you need to control the batch file. In this bcnv file, you would specify the locations of the .dgn and .dwg seed/template files(2D and 3D), autocad fonts, a *.csv file that have all the conversion options (ability to map or rename layers/levels, color, blocks/cells, text/fonts, etc. ), and the list of files (*.dgn/*.dwg) to convert and where to put the converted files. As a side note, Microstation v8.5.235 and autocad2005 sp1 seems to be the best combination.

Sample syntax:
msbatch batchconvert C:\Temp\MyBatchConvert.bcnv
or
"C:\Program Files\Bentley\Program\MicroStation\msbatch.bat" batchconvert C:\Temp\MyBatchConvert.bcnv

A BCNV file is a normal .txt format and should look like the one below. It is a working .BCNV file that I can almost guarantee to work as long as you have the required .dgn, dwg, csv files path correctly. You can name the bcnv file anything you want as long as it has a .bcnv extention. In this example, the word "DESTFMT" dictates the conversion format. I have file1.dwg to convert to dgn and file2.dgn to convert to dwg.


[DEFAULTDESTINATIONDIR=C:\Temp\
[DEFAULTDESTINATIONFILETYPE=DWG]
[LOGFILE=MS_TMP:batchconvert.log]
[CLEARLOGFILE=1]

[SETTINGS=dwgOpenGlobals]
designBackgroundColor.red=0
designBackgroundColor.green=0
designBackgroundColor.blue=0
sheetBackgroundColor.red=255
sheetBackgroundColor.green=255
sheetBackgroundColor.blue=255
dgnSeedFile=C:\transeed.dgn
archEngUnitsMode=1125
decimalUnitsMode=2075
normalCellMode=0
flags.openPaperSpaceAs2D=0
flags.openModelSpaceAs2D=0
flags.disableUnitsDialog=0
flags.setAxisLockFromOrthoMode=0
flags.disallowLogicalNameFromXRefBlockNames=0
flags.useWeightMap=1
flags.displayWeightsInInches=0
flags.discardInvalidEntities=0
dgnToDWGLineWeights[0]=0
dgnToDWGLineWeights[1]=13
dgnToDWGLineWeights[2]=30
dgnToDWGLineWeights[3]=40
dgnToDWGLineWeights[4]=53
dgnToDWGLineWeights[5]=70
dgnToDWGLineWeights[6]=80
dgnToDWGLineWeights[7]=100
dgnToDWGLineWeights[8]=106
dgnToDWGLineWeights[9]=120
dgnToDWGLineWeights[10]=140
dgnToDWGLineWeights[11]=158
dgnToDWGLineWeights[12]=158
dgnToDWGLineWeights[13]=158
dgnToDWGLineWeights[14]=200
dgnToDWGLineWeights[15]=211
dgnToDWGLineWeights[16]=211
dgnToDWGLineWeights[17]=211
dgnToDWGLineWeights[18]=211
dgnToDWGLineWeights[19]=211
dgnToDWGLineWeights[20]=211
dgnToDWGLineWeights[21]=211
dgnToDWGLineWeights[22]=211
dgnToDWGLineWeights[23]=211
dgnToDWGLineWeights[24]=211
dgnToDWGLineWeights[25]=211
dgnToDWGLineWeights[26]=211
dgnToDWGLineWeights[27]=211
dgnToDWGLineWeights[28]=211
dgnToDWGLineWeights[29]=211
dgnToDWGLineWeights[30]=211
dgnToDWGLineWeights[31]=211
[SETTINGS=dwgSaveGlobals]
dwgVersion=9
unitsMode=1001
dwgSeedFile=C:\Design_Model_seed.dwg
hatchMapFile=
shapeFilePath=C:\Program Files\AutoCAD\fonts
convertFonts=0
regionMapping=2
convertReferences=0
levelDisplayMode=0
useLevelSymbologyOverrides=0
linearPatternedComponentMapping=0
constructClassMapping=1
patternClassMapping=0
linearPatternedClassMapping=0
flags.disallowScaledBlocksFromCells=0
flags.createExtrusionsFromProjectedSolids=0
flags.saveEntitiesFromNewerVersions=0
flags.noCreateSingleBlockFromDuplicateCells=0
flags.createOverlaysFromAllAttachments=1
flags.dropUnsupportedLineStyles=0
flags.createSolidsFromTriForma=0
flags.createPolylinesFrom3Or4SidedShapes=0
flags.noDropUnsupportedAreaPatterns=0
flags.saveApplicationData=0
flags.saveMicroStationSettings=0
flags.saveReferencePath=1
flags.convertEmptyEdfToSpace=0
flags.disallowSetUCSFromCurrentACS=0
fflags.createBlockDefinitionsOnLayer0=0
flags.createBlockDefinitionsWithByBlockColor=0
flags.createBlockDefinitionsWithByBlockWeight=0
flags.createBlockDefinitionsWithByBlockStyle=0
flags.disallowSaveXData=0
flags.disallowBlockNameFromTriForma=0
flags.disallowSaveDimensionSettings=0
flags.saveFrontBackClip=0
flags.forcePositiveExtrusionForClockwiseArcs=0
flags.saveSheetsToSeperateFiles=0
flags.createADTObjectsFromTriForma=0
referenceMergeOptions.view=0
referenceMergeOptions.mergeSelfAttachments=1
referenceMergeOptions.mergeNonDefaultModelAttachments=1
referenceMergeOptions.mergeExternalAttachments=1
referenceMergeOptions.mergeMaskedAttachments=1
referenceMergeOptions.mergeSheetAttachments=0
referenceMergeOptions.copyLevelMode=1
referenceMergeOptions.initialized=1
referenceMergeOptions.copyNestedAttachments=1
referenceMergeOptions.allowOptimizedClip=0
nonDefaultModelMode=2
codepage=1252
previousOSCodepage=1252
dxfPrecision=16
elementMapping.initialized=1
elementMapping.planarLineStrings=0
elementMapping.nonPlanarLineStrings=0
elementMapping.curvedSolidsOrSurfaces=0
elementMapping.flatSolidsOrSurfaces=1
filledMapping.initialized=1
filledMapping.triOrQuad=4
nfilledMapping.polygon=2
filledMapping.complexShape=2
filledMapping.groupedHole=2
unfilled2dMapping.initialized=1
unfilled2dMapping.triOrQuad=0
unfilled2dMapping.polygon=0
unfilled2dMapping.complexShape=0
unfilled2dMapping.groupedHole=1
unfilled3dMapping.initialized=1
unfilled3dMapping.triOrQuad=4
unfilled3dMapping.polygon=0
unfilled3dMapping.complexShape=1
unfilled3dMapping.groupedHole=1
lineCodeScale=0.000000
lineWeightScale=0.275000
polyfaceStrokeAngleTolerance=30.000000
constructionClassSuffix=(Construction)
patternClassSuffix=(Pattern)
linearPatternedClassSuffix=(Linear Patterned)
lineStyleMapping=
textStyleTemplate=
[SETTINGS=g_remapOptions]
remapFileName=C:\lvlmap.csv
destV8.remapLevels=1
destV8.remapFonts=1
destV8.remapLineStyles=1
destV8.remapColors=0
destV8.remapWeights=0
destV8.remapCellNames=0
destDwg.remapLevels=1
destDwg.remapFonts=1
destDwg.remapLineStyles=1
destDwg.remapColors=0
destDwg.remapWeights=0
destDwg.remapCellNames=0
destV7.remapLevels=0
destV7.remapFonts=0
destV7.remapLineStyles=0
destV7.remapColors=0
destV7.remapWeights=0
destV7.remapCellNames=0
[SETTINGS=gMergeOptions]
mergeV8.view=-1
mergeV8.mergeSelfAttachments=0
mergeV8.mergeNonDefaultModelAttachments=0
mergeV8.mergeExternalAttachments=2
mergeV8.mergeMaskedAttachments=0
mergeV8.mergeSheetAttachments=0
mergeV8.copyLevelMode=0
mergeV8.initialized=0
mergeV8.copyNestedAttachments=0
mergeV8.allowOptimizedClip=0
mergeV7.view=-1
mmergeV7.mergeSelfAttachments=0
mergeV7.mergeNonDefaultModelAttachments=0
mergeV7.mergeExternalAttachments=0
mergeV7.mergeMaskedAttachments=0
mergeV7.mergeSheetAttachments=0
mergeV7.copyLevelMode=0
mergeV7.initialized=0
mergeV7.copyNestedAttachments=0
mergeV7.allowOptimizedClip=0
convertReferencesV7=0
convertReferencesV8=0
allowOptimizedClip=0
noRelativePathsV7=0
noRelativePathsV8=0
noRelativePathsDWG=0
dontRemapRefNamesV7=0
dontRemapRefNamesV8=0
dontRemapRefNamesDWG=0

[SOURCE=C:\Temp\FILE1.dwg]
DESTFMT=V8
DESTDIR=C:\Temp\_CONVERTED_DGN
[SOURCE=C:\Temp\FILE2.dgn]
DESTFMT=dwg
DESTDIR=C:\Temp\_CONVERTED_DWG

[Anonymous]

...in the same way as many other people already said, conversion is possible, but you need to be alert how intelligent the resulting files are. defintely not smarter. hopefully not as dumb of only consisting of lines and circles. the goal is to translate the more software-immenent objetcs such as text remains text, blocks stay blocks etc. autocad's reference file structure should be seen in the same light.
Sometimes third parties have better tools to translate betwee formats. I used 'CAT S' to translate from DGN to DGN many years ago. It worked very well. Maybe the engine inside AutoCAD and Microstation are better now or the 3rd party vendors are still in business with an even better product.

Check out http://www.dgnlink.com/