Batch import .dgn

Hi,

I have been asked to take several (a few thousand) .dgn-files and output as one merged .dwg-file. This is something that I will have to to on a regular basis.

I know that I can use the "dgnimport" command, but that only allows me to import one file at the time - it will take forever!

Is is possible to do some sort of batch-import?

Any suggestions are very appreciated.

//Jenny

Am I reading that correctly? Take several thousand .dgn files and merge them into ONE .dwg file? No way. What would be the typical number of .dgn files that would have to be merged into one .dwg file? Ten? Fifty? One hundred?

One thing you may notice is that AutoCAD does not tolerate Microstation linetypes well and drawing files tend to balloon immensely.

I don't know what the typical numer of files are, but the data I have been asked to merge into one .dwg consists of 5806 dgn-files divided into 107 different folders.

It may not be possible, but I had to make sure before turning the idea down.

I'm still having trouble figuring out what you mean. 5806 .dgn ---> 1 .dwg? Mind boggling to say the least. 1 .dgn ---> 1 .dwg I could believe.

5806 .dgn files divided by 107 folders = 54.26 .dgn files per folder. Even 54 .dgn files merged into 1 .dwg file seems like an awful lot.

Maybe you ought to check back with the client and find out exactly what they want. Then come back and explain it to us again.

Together the files form a detailed city map. The map is divided ino about a houndred different pieces (folders). Each folder then contains diffent files for each structure (streets, street names, houses, trees, bridges, stairs, lamp posts ... and on). I have now been asked to output the entire city map as a .dwg.

This job seems more suited to a program like ArcGIS where one could take advantage of spatial analysis.

If you are going to do this in plain AutoCAD you might want to look into using xrefs.

Second Remarks answer Autocad Map can handle large data sets better than plain Autocad where you can have multiple dwgs and it will bring them in as required say draw a circle on a skeleton map then say 9 dwgs are loaded.

Using this approach my version of Map I have done a click zone via lisp and all relevant dwgs come in again say using xref. It asked for zone then what series of maps required road lots buildings etc.

I think as a 1st pass convert each dgn to a single dwg in say a new folder same directory as dgn.

Writing a script is easy to do 100's

Dxfin \mydire\dgn1\dwg1 saves \mydire\dgn1\dgndwg\dwg1 close

Dxfin \mydire\dgn1\dwg2 saves \mydire\dgn1\dgndwg\dwg1 close

I would look at scriptpro or http://www.lee-mac for writing scripts or as I do I use CMD old fashioned DOS and Word to make in a few minutes.

As a personal thing we have just created a city map based on real field survey for a cbd some 30-40 dwgs pretty heavy edited first, dwg is around 60mb. Xrefs were considered. Its a pretty picture no more than that.

Lastly Dgn-dwg whilst its touted as doable expect head aches like Remarks comment, you really need to look at conversion tables this helps immensly to the conversion process in my time I have only really seen this done really well by 1 guy.

Thank you both for the input!

I will have to think this through and see if I can make this work some way or another.

//Jenny

You could always run a test. Take three Microstation drawings and form them into one AutoCAD drawing. What's the result? What problems, if any, are encountered? What are the pros and cons of such a method?