MicroStation CONNECT Edition Help

(Technology Preview) Using PDF Files

Design data is often shared as PDF files in design projects. If your project workflows involve working with design data that is shared as PDF files, you may want to bring this design data into a DGN and modify it as needed. You can import, open or reference a PDF file in a DGN. Each page in the PDF displays as a separate model in the DGN.

Importing PDF vector data into a DGN

You can import vector data available in PDF files as design elements (eg: Lines, Line Strings, Curves, Polygons, etc.).

Vector elements will display as design elements.

If a PDF contains text as vector data, then this will display as Text in the DGN.
Note: You must set MS_IMPORT_USINGADOBEPDF to 0 to use this functionality. Restart your MicroStation session after setting the configuration variable value, for the changes to take effect.
Note: If Font information for text is missing in the imported PDF then MicroStation defaults to Arial font to display text.

If a PDF has any images (raster elements) along with vector data, then images will display as raster attachments in the DGN and will not be converted to vector elements.



PDF to be imported



PDF file in a DGN model after import

You can use the following keyin to import a PDF with vector data:
import vectorpdf filepath < filepath > < page number >

For example: - import vectorpdf filepath D:\Details\Details.pdf 2

To import, open or attach a PDF as a raster attachment you can use the following configuration variable MS_IMPORT_USINGADOBEPDF.

Opening a PDF with vector data

You can open a single page or multiple page PDF documents in MicroStation, just as you open any DGN, using the File > Open dialog. The PDF will open with each page as a separate model in the DGN. The vector elements in the PDF will display as design elements (lines, curves, arcs, circles, etc.), text elements will display as text and any images (raster elements) will appear as raster attachments in the model.
Note: Opening a PDF in MicroStation will not give the same results as importing it. This means the elements in the PDF after opening will open as read-only and cannot be modified.