Importing GIS data into Bentley Map (Microstation)

Natively, Microstation is a CAD software package, it was not designed to be used as a GIS, nor to work with GIS data.  The Bentley Map extension enables Microstation to act more like a GIS software package and import/export GIS data. 

This functionality is primarily interfaced through the Interoperability window, which can be accessed via a number of different items on the file menu (such as 'File > Open Oracle Spatial', 'File > Import > GIS Data Types', 'File > Export > GIS data Types').

for CSV or text files with multiple fields, or data from a Microsoft Access database, some preliminary steps are required before continuing with the following steps, read about these steps here: Preparing GPS data for import into Bentley Map

To Import geospatial data into Bentley Map through the Interoperability window

1. First open the Interoperability window in Bentley Map

2. When the interoperability window opens, right click the 'Imports' folder and select 'New Import' - a new Import node will appear.

3. Right click the new node and select 'Add File' from the drop down menu that appears.  

This will present a file open dialog, set the type of GIS data you want to import in the File of Type drop-down menu at the bottom of the page and browse to the GIS file and click open.

4. The GIS file will appear under the new import node, right-click the feature node and select show properties>Ungrouped.  This will display the fields of the GIS file, you can check or uncheck which fields you want to import here.

5. To set the geographic extent of the import, click the Import node, then select the geographic extent (All, View or Fence), and which view should be referenced (if you selected View).

6. At the bottom of the Interoperability window, you can define the CAD display options for the GIS data.  

7. Now right-click the Import node and select 'Import'.  This will import either the entire dataset (if geographic extent is set to 'All') or whole features that intersect the Fence or View as specified.

8.  You can save this import specification for re-use by right clicking the import node and selecting 'save as', which will save the import as an '.impx' import xml file.  Re-use it by right-clicking the Import folder in the Interoperability window, and selecting 'Open Import', instead of 'New Import'.

9.  You can re-define your import by first erasing the already imported features, (use the 'Erase Features' button on the spatial toolbox, tools > Geospatial > spatial), then resetting its specifications and re-importing the data.

10.  Remove the import completely from your dgn by right-clicking the import node and selecting 'Remove'.

To view the tabulated and textual GIS data after importing

Once you have imported the GIS data, you can use the data browser functionality to browse, search and filter, and locate individual records.

To be continued...