View DGN files with AGX 1500?

Question

We have a Use Case where a user receives local DGN files and wants to view them in AGX 1500.

Q1) Can AGX 1500 view DGN files natively or with any pre-existing Expansion Packs or Add-Ins?

Q2) If not Q1, what are some alternative approaches that could work with AGX 1500? Can we create a GP service that allows users to input ("upload") a local DGN file and return a shapefile as output?

Q3) If not Q1, is viewing DGNs in the pipeline for future releases of AGX?

Thanks.

danan · Answer

Hi,
It's possible DGN files might be viewable in Explorer if added as a Layer File (this means creating the Layer File in ArcMap). Alternatively, as you suggest, another approach would be to create a GP service which takes a DGN file and returns some form of Layer - I'd suggest a Layer Package because then you could define the rendering for the data to view in Explorer. Perhaps it's possible to import the rendering from the DGN file itself? (I'm not familiar with the technical implementation of that format).

Regards
Mike

Thanks Mike. I think the assumption for this use case is that a user only has access to AGX and not ArcMap. He or she receives DGNs and wants to view them. We'd like to avoid having another class of user (one having ArcMap) be required to create Layer Packages for users who only possess AGX.

Is there any chance DGNs (and other CAD formats) might be supported in a future release? Perhaps through another Data Expansion pack? Given AGX is a free product I wouldn't presume it. But it sure would be nice to have.

MichaelBranscomb · Answer

Hi,

It's possible DGN files might be viewable in Explorer if added as a Layer File (this means creating the Layer File in ArcMap). Alternatively, as you suggest, another approach would be to create a GP service which takes a DGN file and returns some form of Layer - I'd suggest a Layer Package because then you could define the rendering for the data to view in Explorer. Perhaps it's possible to import the rendering from the DGN file itself? (I'm not familiar with the technical implementation of that format).

Regards

Mike