Original Article Date: September 2001
Updated: April 2003, February 2004, March 2006
Below is a summary of the element types found in the MicroStation Design file format. This overview is gathered from several MS and IDGS manuals and files. Please note that the ISFF column (Intergraph Standard File Format) indicates whether this format has been published and copyrighted by Intergraph.
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Element Type | Level | Description | ISFF | New V8 |
| 1 | - | Library Cell Header | Yes | - |
| 2 | - | Cell Header | Yes | - |
| 3 | - | Line | Yes | - |
| 4 | - | Linestring | Yes | - |
| 5 | - | Group Data Element | No | - |
| - | 1 | Color Table Element | Yes | - |
| - | 2 | Font Library Data | No | - |
| - | 3 (pattern component) | Named View Element | Yes | - |
| - | 3 (primary class) | Auxiliary Coordinate Data | Yes | - |
| - | 7 | Mechanical Data (unused/unsupported) | ?? | - |
| - | 9 | Reference File Attachment Element | Yes | - |
| - | 11 | InterPro Window Data | ?? | - |
| 6 | - | Shape | Yes | - |
| 7 | - | Text Node | Yes | - |
| 8 | - | Digitizer Setup | No | - |
| 9 | - | Design File Header | No | - |
| - | 1 | Extended Design File Header | No | - |
| - | 8 | Design File Header | No | - |
| 10 | - | Level Symbology | Yes | - |
| 11 | - | Curve | Yes | - |
| 12 | - | Complex Chain Header | Yes | - |
| 13 | - | Conic Element | No | - |
| 14 | - | Complex Shape Header | Yes | - |
| 15 | - | Ellipse | Yes | - |
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Element Type | Level | Description | ISFF | New V8 |
| 16 | - | Arc | Yes | - |
| 17 | - | Text | Yes | - |
| 18 | - | 3D Surface Header | Yes | - |
| 19 | - | 3D Solid Header | Yes | - |
| 21 | - | B-Spline Pole Element | Yes | - |
| 22 | - | Point String | Yes | - |
| 23 | - | Circular Truncated Cone | Yes | - |
| 24 | - | B-Spline Surface Header | Yes | - |
| 25 | - | B-Spline Surface Boundary | Yes | - |
| 26 | - | B-Spline Knot Element | Yes | - |
| 27 | - | B-Spline Curve Header | Yes | - |
| 28 | - | B-Spline Weight Factor Element | Yes | - |
| 33 | - | Dimension Element | No | - |
| 34 | - | Shared Cell Definition | No | - |
| 35 | - | Shared Cell Instance | No | - |
| 36 | - | Multiline | No | - |
| 37 | - | Tag Data | No | - |
| 38 | - | MS/J - Smart Geometry, V8 - DgnStore Component | No | - |
| 39 | - | DgnStore Component | No | Yes |
| 40 - 48 | - | Reserved | No | - |
| 49 - 65 | - | Application Element | No | - |
| 66 | - | MicroStation Application Element | No | - |
| - | 1 | MicroStation Dimension Data | No | - |
| - | 5 | MicroStation Reference File Attachment Element | Yes | - |
|
Element Type | Level | Description | ISFF | New V8 |
| - | 6 | MicroStation Level Name Data | No | - |
| - | 7 | MicroStation View Data | No | - |
| - | 8 | MicroStation Digitizer Element | Yes | - |
| - | 9 | MicroStation TCB Data | Yes | - |
| - | 10 | Application Startup Element | Yes | - |
| - | 10 | Database Control element - XBase | No | - |
| - | 10 | Database Control element - dBase | No | - |
| - | 11 | Database Control element - Informix | No | - |
| - | 12 | Database Control element - RIS | No | - |
| - | 13 | Database Control element - Oracle | No | - |
| - | 14 | Database Control element - INGRES | No | - |
| - | 15 | Database Control element - Sybase | No | - |
| - | 16 | Database Control element - ODBC | No | - |
| - | 20 | Application Data Element | Yes | - |
| - | 21 | Start MDL Element | No | - |
| - | 22 | MicroStation MultiLine Data | No | - |
| - | 23 | MicroStation Name Map Data (Style) | No | - |
| - | 24 | MicroStation Tag Set Definition | No | - |
| - | 25 | MicroStation Extended TCB Data | No | - |
| - | 26 | Map Level ? | No | - |
| - | 27 | Reserved Level ? | No | - |
| - | 28 | MS BREP ? | No | - |
| 87 | - | Raster Header Element | Yes | - |
| 88 | - | Raster Data Element | Yes | - |
|
Element Type | Level | Description | ISFF | New V8 |
| 90 | - | Binary Raster Header, Raster Reference Attachment | No | - |
| 91 | - | Raster Reference Component | No | Yes |
| 92 | - | Raster Hierarchy Element | No | Yes |
| 93 | - | Raster Hierarchy Component | No | Yes |
| 94 | - | Reserved for Raster Data | No | Yes |
| 95 | - | Table Entry Element | No | Yes |
| 96 | - | Table Header Element | No | Yes |
| 97 | - | View Group Element | No | Yes |
| 98 | - | View Element | No | Yes |
| 99 | - | Level Mask Element | No | Yes |
| 100 | - | Reference Attach Element | No | Yes |
| 101 | - | Matrix Header | No | Yes |
| 102 | - | Matrix Int Data | No | Yes |
| 103 | - | Matrix Double Data | No | Yes |
| 105 | - | Mesh Header | No | Yes |
| 106 | - | Graphical Extended Element (complex) | No | Yes |
| 107 | - | NonGraphical Extended Element (complex) | No | Yes |
| 108 | - | Reference Override Element | No | Yes |
| 109 | - | Application Elements | No | - |
| 110 | - | Named Group Header | No | Yes |
| 111 | - | Named Group Component | No | Yes |
| 112 - 125 | - | Application Elements | No | - |
| 126 | - | User Defined | No | - |
| 127 | - | End Of Design Marker | - | - |
Additional Information:
Intergraph's Projection Manager stores the projection parameters in a Type 56 element.
Element Types 49 through 127(with the exception of Type 126) can used by Intergraph applications.
Element Type 126 is reserved for use by Intergraph customers.
Element Types 61 and 62 are used as application headers for saving parameters between design sessions, EWS, Schematic Design product (Type 61) and the EWS Panel Design product (Type 62).
Element Type 57 is for the storage of setup parameters for stereoplotters.
Element Type 66 is for the storage of some parameters, which were active during a design session with MicroStation.
AskInga Article #23