Bentley DGN Preview Handler

The Bentley DGN Preview Handler allows you to see the contents of a DGN file without opening the file inside an application. You can view all types of DGN files (DGN, I.DGN, and OVERLAY.DGN) in Microsoft Windows 10, Microsoft Windows 8, Microsoft Windows 7, and Microsoft Outlook.

The Bentley DGN Preview Handler is installed when you install MicroStation.

The view controls in the top left of the preview pane are used to Pan View, Rotate View, Zoom, Window Area, and Fit View. The same view controls are available from a menu that opens when you right-click in the preview pane.

Clicking the tabs at the bottom of the preview pane allows you to switch between models.

Clicking the four icons in the bottom left and right corners of the preview pane allows you to move through the tabs.

Previewing Files in Microsoft Windows 8 and Microsoft Windows 10

In Microsoft Windows 8 and Microsoft Windows 10, the DGN Preview Handler supports a preview pane that is accessible from a drop-down menu in any folder in your directories.

Previewing Files in Microsoft Outlook

In Microsoft Outlook, the DGN Preview Handler allows you to view message attachments in a preview pane without having to open the attachment.

Attaching a File in Microsoft Outlook

To preview the file using Microsoft Outlook, the file must be attached using the Attached: field in the Outlook header. If the file is attached in the body of the message, the recipient is not able to preview the file.

The following types of items cannot be viewed in the preview pane:

Point clouds
Raster attachments
Protected DGN files
Textures
Geocoordinated references having a different datum

A Configuration is needed to resolve references, therefore only relative paths are resolved.