Autodesk Design Review 2008: DGN Import Feature Overview

In a previous blog article, I wrote about how JT files can be imported into Autodesk Design Review 2008. This posting is patterned after that one but for DGN.

DGN is the name used for CAD file formats supported by Bentley Systems Microstation and Intergraph Interactive Graphics Design System CAD programs. One of the new features of Autodesk Design Review 2008 is the ability to import a Version 8 2D DGN file. 3D is not supported. DGN files earlier than version 8 are not supported. The file gets converted to a DWF. The ability to import DGN files is available as a plug-in for Autodesk Design Review. It can be downloaded from:

www.autodesk.com/dwf-plugins

A DGN file is imported and converted to DWF by:

1. When you open Autodesk Design Review 2008 without specifying a DWF file, this is what you see:
   

2. Without a DWF file already open, the Import capability is not available from the File menu. Grrrrr!
   
   To work around this, you can open a dummy DWF file. Longtime Autodesk customer, Charles Bliss of Applied Mechanics, has created a dummy DWF file called EmptyBase.DWF explicitly for this purpose.

3. Based on the work for the JT blog posting, I already had a reference to Charles Bliss' file in my recent favorites.
   
   So I could quickly open up an empty file.

4. With a DWF file open, Import is now available from the file menu.
   

5. Selecting import brings up the Import dialog. You can use the pull down to select the desired file type - this case, DGN.
   
   As installed, Autodesk Design Review also imports DWG and DXF files. As demonstrated in the other blog posting, importing of JT files is available via another plug-in that is also available on www.autodesk.com/dwf-plugins. Using the standard Windows browsing technique, you navigate to the desired folder and pick the desired DGN file.

6. One selected, Autodesk Design Review imports the DGN file and converts it to a DWF.
   
   The viewing, printing, markup, and measurement capabilities of Autodesk Design Review are now available for that design data.

Actually in addition to importing a DGN into Autodesk Design Review to convert it to DWF, an AutoCAD 2008 user can import a DGN which converts it to DWG and then publish to DWF.

Like they say, "There's more than one way to skin a cat." I am not sure why they say that, but people do say that.

Having one file format that can house all of your project data, in one file, for all of your project members, that can be shared across the entire life cycle of your project, really makes DWF go beyond the paper. This applies to design data that comes from many sources - including DGN.