Product(s):	OpenBuildings Designer
	Version(s):	CONNECT Edition and 2023
	Area:	General
	Subarea:	Crash

Problem

I have a .dgn file that I opened in Microstation where I can see that it’s quite big and consists of ACIS elements that are not native to Bentley applications. Opening it in OpenBuildings Designer takes a long time to load and causes the application to freeze and / or close. There is no log file created so I am not able to analyze what went wrong. How can I open this file in OpenBuildings Designer?

Solution

The workflow below should allow you to open a .dgn file with many ACIS elements without OpenBuildings Designer freezing and / or closing.

1. Open the file with the “Openbuildings Microstation CONNECT Edition” shortcut. This is automatically installed on your machine and has a grey icon. You can find it through the search bar.
   
   
2. In OpenBuildings Microstation CONNECT Edition use the command "convert acistoparasolid all" in the Key-in dialog. This will convert all ACIS elements into Parasolid elements that are native to OpenBuildings Designer.
   
   
   
   
3. Make sure you have completed the operation by checking the Message Center. Then save the file and close it.
   
   
   
   
4. Open the file using the OpenBuildings Designer shortcut. Now it should take less time to load and not automatically close.