The translation utility in MicroStation SE will convert all AutoCAD file formats thru Release 14.

Using MicroStation Manager is the simplest way to translate an AutoCAD dxf/dwg file to dgn format. The disadvantage is that it doesn't allow the user to have much control over how the translation is done.

Use the same steps for either dxf or dwg files:

1. Get into MicroStation Manager either by double clicking on the MicroStation icon on the desktop or by getting into any dgn file and then selecting File > Close from the pulldown menus.

2. In the MicroStation Manager dialog, use the List Files of Type option button (located a little more than half way down the dialog) to select either AutoCAD DXF Files (*.dxf) or AutoCAD Drawing Files (*.dwg), whichever applies.

3. Use the Drives and Directories controls to locate and highlight the dxf/dwg file that you want to translate.

4. Hit the OK button in the MicroStation Manager and MicroStation will automatically create a new dgn file and draw the elements into that dgn file without any further input from the user. The dgn file will have the same base filename as the dxf/dwg file, but with a .dgn file extension (e.g., whatever.dxf --> whatever.dgn). The dgn file will be in the c:\win32app\ustation\out\dgn\ directory.

This method is slightly more complicated than using the MicroStation Manager, but it allows the user to have much more control of how the dxf/dwg file is translated to dgn format. If you want to control the settings in the target dgn file (i.e., MU:SU:PUs, the global origin, and if necessary, how far to shift the AutoCAD file coordinate system to get all the elements to fit on the MicroStation design plane) this is the way to go. If you have several dxf/dwg files that are supposed to be overlays for one another, and they have coordinates outside the standard dgn design plane (i.e., North or East coordinates less than 0 or more than 4,294,967), then this is the only way to do the translation correctly.

Use the same steps for either dxf or dwg files:

1. Create a new dgn file from a seed file with the MU:SU:PUs and global origin set up the way you want them.

2. Get into the empty dgn file and select File > Import > DWG or DXF... from the MicroStation pulldown menus. This will bring up the Open AutoCAD Drawing File dialog. Select the dxf/dwg file you want to import into the dgn file you're in and hit the OK button.

3. If the range of coordinates in the dxf/dwg file won't fit on the design plane of the dgn file, then the Alert box shown below will pop up. If the Alert box does pop up, it's is only a warning box, so just hit the OK button.

   For example, assume the dgn file is set up so that the lower left-hand corner of the design plane is x=0 y=0 and the upper right-hand corner of the design plane is x=4,294,967 y=4,294,967 (the standard FLH set up). If the dxf/dwg file has elements with coordinates that are negative or if it has elements with coordinates greater than 4,294,967 then you'll see this warning box.

   

   If the coordinates of all the elements in the dxf/dwg file fall on the design plane then the warning box won't appear.

4. The DWG/DXF Import dialog box (shown below) will pop up next.

   

   If you didn't see the Alert box in step 3, then just hit the Open button in the DWG/DXF Import dialog and the elements in the dxf/dwg file will be translated and drawn into the dgn file you're in, and you're done.

   If the Alert box did pop up in step 3, then make note of the minimum and maximum coordinates shown in the DWG/DXF Import box and continue on with step 5. (Notice in the above example dialog that the maximum Y coordinates is 4,466,894 which is off the design plane -- the maximum Y value for the standard dgn file is 4,294,967.)

5. If the Alert box did pop up in step 3, then you need to decide whether to let MicroStation automatically position the drawing on the design plan in the dgn file, or to specify where to position the drawing yourself.
   1. If you have several dxf/dwg files that are overlays for one another (e.g., one dxf file that has the roadway drawn in it, a second dxf file that has parking areas, and a third that has signage) and any of the coordinates are off the design plane, then you'll want to specify where to position the drawing yourself. Step 6 explains how to do this.

   2. If you only have one dxf/dwg file, or if you have several dxf/dwg files that aren't overlays for one another, and some of the coordinates are off the design plane, then the easiest thing to do is to just hit the Open button in the DWG/DXF Import dialog box and you're done. (By doing this you are telling MicroStation to shift the coordinate system in the dxf/dwg some some arbitrary distance it wants to in order to fit the drawing on the design plane.)

6. If the situation in step 5a applies (i.e., coordinates in the dxf/dwg file are off the design plane plus you have several dxf/dwg files that overlay one another) then in the DWG/DXF Import dialog use the Settings > General option from the pulldown menu to bring up the dialog box shown below.

   

   Use the Origin section of this dialog box to set the amount you want to add or subtract from the dxf/dwg coordinate system in order to get the drawing to fit on the dgn file design plane. You'll have to do some math here to figure out how much to add or subtract to get the dxf/dwg drawing to fit on the design plane. The standard dgn file is set up with x=0 y=0 at the lower left-hand corner and x=4,294,967 y=4,294,967 at the upper right-hand corner. Compare the Maximum and Minimum coordinates listed in the Import Drawing File dialog (step 4) to the limits of the design file coordinates and decide how much you need to add or subtract to get the drawing to fit on the design file. The values you put into the X, Y, and Z fields will be added (for + values) or subtracted (for - values) from the dxf/dwg coordinates. In the example above the dialog is set up so that the X coordinates from the dxf/dwg file will be unchanged, the Y coordinates will have 230,000 subtracted from them (i.e., the Y coordinates were off the design plane, but by subtracting 230,000 from them they will all fall within the design plane), and the Z coordinates will be unchanged. Make sure the Shift Global Origin box is checked; if it isn't the origin correction won't be applied.

   If you have several files that overlay one another, then you need to make sure you use exactly the same values in the Origin XYZ fields for each of the dxf/dwg files -- if you don't, they won't match up when you reference the resulting dgn files together.

   Once you've got the XYZ corrections set up in the Import Drawing File Settings dialog, then hit the OK button. This will drop you back to the Import Drawing File dialog. Hit the Open button and the dxf/dwg file will be imported into the dgn file you're in.