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To open an AutoCAD drawing in MicroStation, open the DWG directly: choose File > Open, select the DWG file type, choose the file, and review its DWG Options before opening. Pay particular attention to units and the DGN seed file. The task is opening a DWG drawing in MicroStation—not opening the AutoCAD application inside MicroStation.
Open the DWG and review its options
- In MicroStation, choose File > Open. In the file-open dialog, select a DWG or DXF file type, browse to the drawing, and select it. The available labels and dialog layout can vary by release; Bentley’s detailed instructions are in a support article dated July 15, 2002 and republished for reference (Bentley: Opening and Saving DWG Files in MicroStation).
- Before opening, choose DWG Options and check the units, seed file, display settings, and model-creation options.
- Open the drawing, then inspect its scale, extents, levels, fonts, lineweights, references, and paper-space layouts. Compare them with the source or a known view when accuracy matters.
Check units first if the drawing looks incorrectly scaled
Unit interpretation is a frequent source of apparent size problems. Bentley’s guidance says architectural and engineering DWGs are ordinarily interpreted as inches displayed as feet and inches, and recommends keeping the setting at MicroStation inches unless AutoCAD unit conventions were ignored. Decimal, scientific, and fractional coordinate formats may not make the intended units clear, so establish the source drawing’s units rather than guessing.
If available, check the DWG’s Design Center units as well. Bentley notes that this setting may be absent in AutoCAD formats earlier than AutoCAD 2000 and may be missing or incorrect in some later files. The support article documents the DWG UNITS key-in for inspecting or changing the stored choice. Changing MicroStation Working Units does not change units for DWG/DXF files.
Choose the seed file and model options carefully
MicroStation extracts many settings from a DWG; where the DWG does not contain a setting, the selected DGN seed file can supply it. DWG does not store model or sheet background colors, so choose the desired background in the options dialog.
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Use 2D model creation options only when you know the relevant source content is 2D. Bentley warns that choosing 2D model creation for model space or paper space can flatten 3D geometry onto the XY plane.
Decide whether to open the DWG or reference it
Open the DWG when it needs to be the active design file. If you need it as context in a DGN project without making it the active file, use DWG referencing; Bentley identifies DWG file referencing as an interoperability capability on its MicroStation product page.
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MicroStation has DGN-centered and DWG workflows. Bentley says opening a DWG automatically enables DWG Restriction mode in MicroStation V8, V8i, CONNECT Edition, and 2023, regardless of MS_WORKMODE. This mode disables certain features by default so that MicroStation creates information that can be stored in DWG. You do not need to change the workmode before opening a DWG in those generations. Setting workmode for a DGN file is a separate case.
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Check compatibility if MicroStation will not open the file
Compatibility depends on the DWG format and the RealDWG version used by the installed MicroStation release; do not assume every MicroStation version opens every AutoCAD release. Bentley’s support article describes entering version in MicroStation’s key-in window to see the MicroStation and RealDWG versions. Its historical mapping associates AC1032 with AutoCAD 2018–2023 and AC1027 with AutoCAD 2013–2017; these examples are not a complete current compatibility matrix. Check the installed release’s current support information when the exact format matters (Bentley: DWG File Format Versions Supported by MicroStation).
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As a diagnostic, Bentley says a DWG header begins with an ACxxxx format code; for DXF, inspect the $ACADVER line. Avoid editing or saving a binary DWG in a text editor. Autodesk’s general compatibility rule is that current AutoCAD products can open older DWG formats, while older products cannot open newer formats; that is an AutoCAD rule, not a guarantee about MicroStation (Autodesk: DWG file compatibility).
Save a MicroStation drawing for AutoCAD when needed
If the recipient needs a DWG, use File > Save As, choose DWG, and open Options. Set the target DWG version and units deliberately; Bentley’s guide notes that AutoCAD does not provide a convenient way to change units later. Also review whether DGN references should become DWG references, how fonts should be translated, and how non-default DGN models should map to model space or paper-space layouts.
DGN and DWG concepts do not always map one-to-one. Depending on the drawing and options, unsupported line styles or area patterns may be converted, with patterns potentially expanded into individual entities and increasing file size. Lineweight scaling, level display and symbology can also differ. MicroStation-specific data may be preserved in DWG for later MicroStation editing, but these options do not guarantee identical appearance or behavior in every application. Inspect the saved file in the intended recipient workflow.
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There is no single best workflow for every project. Choose based on whether the DWG is only context or must be edited, which application will edit the result, and what format the recipient needs. If the deliverable is DGN, open or import the DWG and save to DGN only when that fits the project. If the deliverable is DWG, configure save options for the recipient’s version, units, references, fonts, models, and symbology.
Bentley’s 2002 support article states, “MicroStation V8 can natively open and save DWG files.” That sentence describes V8 in its historical context; it should not be read as a current compatibility claim for every release and DWG format.
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