[GRASS-user] How can i open vector files having dgn format

[Maciej Sieczka]

Nitin wrote:
> hello pawan, OGR is not capable of finding geo refrence information
> about DGN files.

True [1]. However, you could use v.transform to georeference your GRASS
vector created by loading DGN into GRASS.

> DGN being a properitry format is not revealed
> completely specially type56 element( contains datum and projection
> information).

On [2] one can request DGN V8 specification; supposedly. They proudly
call this OpenDGN, but it certainly does not deserve the name. Even
considering the procedure to obtain the document alone (register, print
the form, mail/fax it, wait). What's worse, when I applied for stage
one (register), I kept on getting "You do not have permission to view
this page" just trying to download the registration form (sic!).

Luckily there is FME which supports DGN v7/v8 [3]. Fairly cheap, 2
weeks fully functional trial available [3]; not free software though.
Using it one should be able to convert his DGN into something OGR can
digest, thus GRASS too.

[1]http://www.gdal.org/ogr/drv_dgn.html
[2]http://www.bentley.com/en-US/Products/MicroStation/OpenDGN/
[3]http://www.safe.com/products/fme/formats-supported/index.php
[4]http://www.safe.com/evaluation/index.php

Maciek