AutoCAD Civil 3D 2014: Hidden Command – Export to DGN

At Ideate we are always digging and searching information to help improve your workflow. Have you ever needed to export your drawing to DGN because your work is going to be consumed by Microstation users without AutoCAD and hence no way to open a DWG? Read on for your options:
 
AutoCAD Civil 3D includes AutoCAD Map functionality and has historically included a command MAPEXPORT (not available in Civil 3D 2014 ribbon interface) to export to DGN and other formats listed in the picture below.

While this command is still available, Civil 3D now includes a newer command, DGNEXPORT (Application Menu > Export < DGN), to export to DGN. This command has options to specify the seed file and mapping setup such as layer, linetype – see picture below. Read the Help file to learn more about exporting to DGN and its limitations.

Tip: Before exporting Civil 3D objects to DGN, export the Civil features to AutoCAD using the appropriate EXPORTTOAUTOCAD (Application Menu > Export > DWG) command. In the resultant file, if need be, use BURST to reduce any blocks that remain to AutoCAD entities as well. Burst is similar to explode but maintains attributes and block entity layers and is well suited for this purpose.
 

You can access the same command using the command EXPORT (Application Menu > Export < Other Formats) and pick the appropriate DGN format.
 

Read further in the Help file about all the commands to import/export DGN files and associated system variables.

If you have to use MAPEXPORT and it does not work, follow the steps per this Autodesk technical solution.

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Gaurav Bagga
Ideate Infrastructure Solutions Application Specialist

Gaurav is a well rounded Application Engineer and Project Manager for Infrastructure Solutions at Ideate based out of San Francisco. He has over 15 years experience in construction industry and has been helping numerous small, medium and ENR 500 firms maximize their CAD investment for the last ten years. Gaurav is an Autodesk Certified Instructor and Autodesk Civil 3D Implementation Certified Expert. He has taught at several conferences, CAD Camps and Autodesk University. He has taught AutoCAD, Civil 3D, Land Desktop and Map 3D to thousands of students and helps Ideate develop the Infrastructure Services curriculum and courses. With his extensive CAD technology background he helps Bay Area engineering and surveying firms analyze and improve their design and drawing production process thereby improving productivity and the bottom line. Follow Gaurav on Twitter: @BeGeez

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Dealing with CAD Files in Revit

Did I link it or did I import it? Was the box checked for “Current view only” selected or not? Where is it! It wasn’t exploded was it??? Do these phrases come to mind when asked these questions? I don’t remember? I think I did? I have no clue…, I hope not! I recently had a conversation with a client who wanted to search for CAD files within a Revit Model and had  these very questions. With the latest release of Ideate Explorer for Revit you’ll be able to answer these  questions and more…

Did I Link or Import the CAD file?
Within the Revit products the only way to know if a user linked a CAD file is to go to Insert tab and select the button then the CAD Formats tab.   Using this function in Revit gives the user an idea of what CAD Files in the Revit Model have been Linked. Note that it does NOT provide any information about files that have been imported!

Ideate Explorer informs the user if CAD Files are Linked or Imported by separating them out into two distinct categories: CAD Imports & CAD Links.

Was the box checked for “Current view only” selected or not?
 Within the Revit products the only way a user knows if the “current view only” option has or hasn’t been selected is when the CAD File shows up in a view other than the inserted view. That is of course, as long as a team member hasn’t turned it off with the various Revit graphic tools. 

Ideate Explorer informs the user through separating out the CAD files into DWG File or DWG File <View-Specific> whether they are linked or imported.

• DWG File = CAD Files found in this section informs the user that these CAD Files may be found in multiple views because the “Current view only" option wasn't used during insertion/linking.
• DWG File <View-Specific> = CAD files found under this section informs the user that these CAD Files can only be found in the view that they have been inserted in, or there was a check in the box for “Current view only”.

Where is it!  It wasn’t exploded was it????

To find a linked or imported CAD file within the Revit products it is truly a "hunt and peck" process for the user.

One of  the method that could be used to find an Import is by using the Line Stylestool found in the Manage Tab > Settings panel.  Within this tool the user is able to tell if an imported CAD file has been exploded by the presence of certain line styles. 

When using Ideate Explorer a user can quickly determine if an imported CAD file has been Partially or Fully exploded.  My two favorite ways within Ideate Explorer are:1. Searching for symbols = Within Ideate Explorer CAD Imports category I look for DWG files that repeat multiple times with symbol name at the end.

2. Search for Line Styles – Within Ideate Explorer I look at the Lines > detail Lines category looking for CAD Layers names like DEFPOINTS etc.

Ideate Explorer can quickly find elements in the model like imported CAD Files.  Ideate Explorer has a Show Elements tool which when selected will zoom to the item in Revit that you’ve.  This is similar to the “Highlight in Model” function in Revit schedules.  Users can access the Show Elements several different way.  My favorite method is as follows:

• Select an element in the Results window  

• Select the Show Elements (Zoom to Selected) button from the Top right of the Results window.

Happy searching! If you would like to make suggestions on what you would like to see in future releases of Ideate Explorer for Revit send us your ideas.

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Eugene . O’Day, IX
AEC Application Specialist
Eugene A. O’Day, IX, with more than 25 years of architectural and mechanical experience, offers a trained focus on all things Revit and BIM. Teaching is a passion of his. Eugene has been an instructor in undergraduate degree programs, has traveled worldwide teaching Autodesk solutions to major corporations, has taught at accredited ATCs throughout the Northwestern region, and is a frequent and popular instructor, speaker, and presenter for AUGI® CAD Camps, Revit – and related product user groups. He has also been a trusted public school district advisor on new drafting instructor hires. At Ideate, Eugene provides training and support for Revit Architecture, Revit Structure and AutoCAD. Eugene is also a Revit Architecture Autodesk Certified Professional.

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MEP Content Display Settings in AutoCAD MEP and Navisworks

Recently I ran into a support case with a customer where they were bringing their AutoCAD MEP drawing into Navisworks 2012 (which by the way now supports native .DWGs, no more NWDOUT from AutoCAD). Everything looked good except for their pipe. It was coming in as a line instead of a 3D object. The solution as it turned out was fairly simple, but because of the myriad of visual settings in both applications it could’ve been easily missed.

I took a look at their CAD file and it looked pretty standard, and didn’t find anything wrong with it. But when I opened the file in Navisworks this is what I saw.

All other MEP content like duct, cable tray, and conduit were displaying as they should, except for pipe.

The view settings on the Navisworks end looked fine, so I went back to the DWG in AutoCAD MEP and dug a little deeper. As it turned out, the office CAD standards specified that all piping less than 12" diameter would be represented as a single line. The setting can be found in the Pipe System Definition and  affects all views including any view in and out of AutoCAD, such as Navisworks. I opened up the Pipe System Definition for that pipe and and unchecked the single line display boxes under the Single Line Graphics tab; saved the drawing and brought it back into Navisworks. Everything looked good. All MEP content, including pipe, were now displaying as 3D.

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Derek Wielkopolski
Technical Support Manager/Application Specialist
Derek holds a Bachelor of Architecture degree from Roger Williams University, Rhode Island. He is experienced working within the AEC industry from concept design through construction administration for both small and large scale projects. As Ideate’s Support Manager he ensures a timely and quality response to support requests and questions. Follow Derek on Twitter: @dwielk

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