Save As DWG/DXF Options References tab

Controls how references are handled when you save a DGN file to a DWG or DXF file.

The DWG file format does not support all the reference attachments possible in MicroStation.

Save As DWG/DXF Options, References tab

For information on references, see Using References.

External Attachments

Controls how standard attachments to the default model are handled when you save a DGN file to a DWG/DXF file. Generally, it is better to retain these types of attachments as XREFs (the default). You can also choose to merge the default model and its attachments into a single file.

• Retain
— Keeps the attachments to the output file. In AutoCAD, these attachments will be XREFs.

• Merge
— Merges the attachment geometry into the output file as individual elements.

• Merge to Cell
— Merges the attachment geometry into the output file as a single cell.

• Omit
— Omits the attachment from the output file.

Self Attachments

Controls how self-attachments are handled when you save a DGN file to a DWG/DXF file.

A self-attachment is a reference attached to itself. In MicroStation, self-attachments are often used to create detailed sections of a drawing. AutoCAD does not support self-attachments. You must merge self-attachments to preserve their display.

• Merge
— Merges the attachment geometry into the output file as individual elements.

• Merge to Cell
— Merges the attachment geometry into the output file as a single cell.

• Omit
— Omits the attachment from the output file.

Non-Default Models Attachments

Controls how attachments of non-default models are handled when you save a DGN file to a DWG/DXF file.

AutoCAD's support for multiple models within a file is much more restrictive than MicroStation's. AutoCAD is limited to one default model per file with one or more sheets (“paper space” models) displaying views of that model. AutoCAD's XREF attachments can only display the default model.

• Merge
— Merges the attachment geometry into the output file as individual elements.

• Merge to Cell
— Merges the attachment geometry into the output file as a single cell.

• Omit
— Omits the attachment from the output file.

Masked Attachments

Controls how clipping masks in attachments are handled when you save a DGN file to a DWG/DXF file.

AutoCAD does not support XREFs with clipping masks. Therefore, saving a masked attachment to a DWG file (Retain) removes any clipping masks applied to that attachment. When you use merging, the clipping masks are applied to the geometry as it is merged.

• Retain
— Keeps the attachments to the output file. In AutoCAD, these attachments will be XREFs. The clipping mask will be removed.

• Merge
— Merges the attachment geometry, including the clipping mask, into the output file as individual elements.

• Merge to Cell
— Merges the attachment geometry, including the clipping mask, into the output file as a single cell.

• Omit
— Omits the attachment from the output file.

Copy Levels During Merge

Describes how levels are handled when you merge references from the DGN file into a DWG/DXF file.

• If Not Found
— Levels from the reference are merged into the output file only if they (or a level with the same name) do not exist in the active model.

• If Overrides Exist
— Levels from the reference are merged into the output file if the level does not exist in the active model, or if the settings for the active model level are different than those of the attachment. Differences include overrides that have been applied to the attachment levels, or differences between the levels as defined in the active model and reference.

• Always
— Levels from the reference are merged into the output file even if an identical level exists within the active model.

Convert Reference Files

If on, when saving a DGN file to a DWG file, all references are converted to DWG files.

• When saving a DWG file to another DWG file, this setting is ignored. Since the file format for the master file is not converted, the file formats for references are not converted.

• If the master file is saved to a different directory, all references are also saved to that directory. If the master file is saved to the same directory, then each reference is saved to its original directory.

Allow Optimized Clip for Reference Merge

If on, maintains the surfaces and solids and shapes when they are clipped during the merge process. If off, the surfaces and solids are dropped to their boundary/wireframe elements.