# Installation

## Setup

Requirements:

-   Supported operating systems:
    -   Microsoft Windows XP
    -   Microsoft Windows Server 2003
    -   Microsoft Windows Vista
    -   Microsoft Windows 7 or later
-   Bentley MicroStation 7J

Administrator rights are required on each computer in order to install CAXperts **dgn2pdf**. **Run as** is not supported.

## Working with dgn2pdf

When you start **dgn2pdf**, the main window shows up:

![](./media/dgn2pdf_image9.png)

The tree view in the middle of the window can show up to three subtrees:

one for drag-and-drop objects, one for drawings, and one for piping data from the PDS project. Drawing subtrees contain drawing-type sub-items, which contain individual drawings. Piping subtrees contain areas, which contain models, which in turn contain ISOs.

The main menu provides the following items:

## File

### Select Project

When the user clicks **Select Project**, a dialogue appears for selecting the PDS control file and project. After a project has been selected, the project structure is displayed in the tree view of the main form.

![](./media/dgn2pdf_image10.png)

### Load DGN files

The **Load DGN files** menu item allows DGN files to be selected.

![](./media/dgn2pdf_image11.png)

### Most Recently Used Projects

If the user has already used **dgn2pdf** on this computer, the most recently used projects are displayed here.

### Exit

**Exit** closes **dgn2pdf**.

## Tools

### Folder Monitor

![](./media/dgn2pdf_image12.png)

**dgn2pdf** includes a monitoring function for keeping all DGN files in a folder up to date:

After selecting the folder and choosing the scan interval, click **Start** to monitor this folder. **dgn2pdf** then looks for outdated PDFs and replaces them with new versions generated from the DGN files in the folder.

Additional check-box options:

-   Monitoring subfolders

-   DGN output to the monitored folder or folders

## Options

The **Options** menu contains one item:

### Settings

**Settings...** opens a configuration dialogue for **dgn2pdf**:

#### Output

The output tab contains controls for the **dgn2pdf** file output.

![](./media/dgn2pdf_image13.png)

##### Output Path

Use the **Browse** button to set the output directory for the PDF and zipped PDF files.

##### Grouping Options for PDS Projects

**dgn2pdf** provides grouping for drawings and pipings.

For drawings, the following options are available:

-   Group all Drawings

-   Group by Drawing Types

-   No group

For piping data, the following options are available:

-   Group all Pipings

-   Group all Areas

-   Group all Models

-   Group all ISOs

-   No group

##### Zipping

The PDF output can also be zipped by **dgn2pdf**. To do this, select **Autozip PDFs** and specify a target file name.

##### Filename conflicts

For automatic handling of file-name conflicts, select **Solve filename conflicts automatically**. The following options are available for the new file and the existing file:

-   Skip file

-   Rename file

-   Overwrite file (existing file)

#### PDF Format

This tab provides formatting options for the PDF output.

![](./media/dgn2pdf_image14.png)

The following paper sizes are available:

-   DIN A0

-   DIN A1

-   DIN A2

-   DIN A3

-   DIN A4

-   Broadsheet

-   Ledger

-   Executive

-   Legal

-   Letter

-   ANSI D 22x34

Orientation can be **Portrait** or **Landscape**.

If **Margins** is selected, **dgn2pdf** shrinks the drawing and adds margins on all sides.

The content of the **Watermark** text box is printed across the drawing in the size specified by **Font size**.

Use **Line Thickness** to fine-tune the thickness of the vector lines.

**dgn2pdf** includes a headline assistant for composing the headline of the PDF document.

Drawings:

![](./media/dgn2pdf_image15.png)

Pipings:

![](./media/dgn2pdf_image16.png)

Drag & Drop:

![](./media/dgn2pdf_image17.png)

#### DGN Input

![](./media/dgn2pdf_image18.png)

On the **DGN Input** tab, the plotting range for the DGN files and the HPGL plotter `.plt` file for MicroStation can be selected. This HPGL plotter file is required for printing the DGN files to HPGL files. These HPGL files are then converted into PDFs. The following options are available:

-   **Fit**: all visible elements are plotted and scaled to the paper size

-   **Autosearch**: if the DGN file is a drawing and a reference file in slot 31 named `BORDER` exists, the largest rectangle in the border file is fitted to the paper size. If not, the behaviour is the same as for **Fit**. If the file is not a drawing, the largest rectangle in the master file is fitted to the paper size.

-   **Extract from shape in level n**: fits and prints the largest shape in level `n`

-   **Manual**: the printing area must be selected manually, in MicroStation units of resolution

#### Automatic Print

If **Automatic Print** is selected, **dgn2pdf** sends PDF files directly to a printer.

If **Scale to paper size** is selected, **dgn2pdf** scales the output to match the selected printer's paper size.

![](./media/dgn2pdf_image19.png)

#### Export Settings

The **Export Settings** button allows all settings to be stored in an `.ini` file.

#### Import Settings

**Import Settings** loads all settings from an `.ini` file.

## Help

The **Help** menu contains two items:

### About

**About** shows the **dgn2pdf** information window.

![](./media/dgn2pdf_image20.png)

### Update Licence

![](./media/dgn2pdf_image21.png)

::: {.Definition}
> **Update Licence** shows a dialogue in which you can enter and test your licence key.