Export to CAD Fails to Preserve Linetype

[Anonymous User]

In using the Export to CAD tool, I've specified my Linetype field to match a design standard for our MicroStation software within my organization. When I run the Export to CAD tool the resulting Linetype for the newly created DGN is all "Solid". Has anyone run into this before? If so how did you get line styles to export accurately?

Thanks in advance for any responses.

(Shapefile Linetype field before conversion)

(DWG Polyline Linetype field after conversion)

[AdrianWelsh]

Hi Jacqueline,

This seems to have been an issue since the beginning of time. The short answer is that there isn't a good way to do this. One brief solution is to export your dgn to a dwg file and bring that dwg into ArcGIS. This usually delivers one more distinct attribute that can allow for better line type symbology (at least in my experience).

But, what I have seen more and more agencies doing is employing FME software to take these raw dgn files, do some behind-the-scenes-magic, and bring them into GIS that way. Of course, this is not an option for everyone due to costs, time, and expertise. So, really there is not a good solid answer from what I can tell.

In your world, do you have access to FME? And if you export to a dwg, does this help?

#fme‌

[Anonymous User]

Hi Adrian Welsh‌,

Thanks for getting back to me. The process I'm working on needs to export feature classes to DGN for use in Microstation. I'm attempting to adhere to design standards specified by our Microstation users in the DGN output I'm creating. I'm hoping to create a Python process to merge, format and export the feature classes to a DGN matching the standards set by our organization.

We do not have access to FME here, so I need to use only out of the box ArcMap tools. Unfortunately, exporting to DWG does not help in preserving the line styles.

Thanks again for your response!

Jacqueline

[AdrianWelsh]

Jacqueline,

I would be curious to see what you come up with regarding a Python tool to do this kind of export. One thing that kind of works for me is exporting the dgn to a KML or KMZ file. This usually keeps all the linetypes and such together. But, I have had issues when it comes to custom linetypes (which is all we use, so it's kind of a loss for me...)

[Anonymous User]

Hi Adrian Welsh‌,

Unfortunately since we're going from a feature class to DGN, it's impossible to preserve any line styles as far as I can tell. Instead of a Python process for this, I setup ArcMap editing templates that contain domain values for each of our line types, colors, levels and other attributes, then export from feature class to DGN using the Export to CAD tool. 

I appreciate your responses to my post!

Jacqueline

[AdrianWelsh]

I see. I guess I was confused on which direction the files were going. I have rarely had success in exporting feature classes to dgn. My surveyors have gotten used to importing a shapefile into MicroStation that has attributes and especially a coordinate system. I am glad it is somewhat working for you!