Convert DGN to E00 Online - Free & Fast

What is DGN?

DGN (Design) is the native file format of Bentley Systems MicroStation, used for storing CAD drawings and GIS data in infrastructure projects such as roads, bridges, and utilities, supporting 2D and 3D design elements with level-based organization.

What is E00?

ArcInfo Exchange (E00) is a proprietary interchange format developed by ESRI for exporting and importing Arc/Info coverages, encoding vector topology, attributes, and raster data in an ASCII text file for data migration between GIS systems.

When Should You Use DGN vs E00?

DGN vs E00: Key Differences

• •DGN uses lossy compression while E00 uses lossy compression — both take the same approach to file size management.
• •Neither format changes compression philosophy — both are lossy compression — so any size differences are due to encoding efficiency, not a shift in quality approach.
• •Transparency: Yes - E00 is an ASCII text format
• •DGN files are typically 100KB to 1GB depending on design complexity while E00 files range 100KB to several GB depending on coverage complexity
• •DGN is optimized for civil engineering, infrastructure mapping, transportation gis while E00 is designed for legacy arcinfo data migration, gis archival data recovery — choose based on your specific workflow needs

Advantages of DGN

• ✓DGN uses lossy compression tailored for Civil engineering, infrastructure mapping, transportation GIS.
• ✓DGN is supported natively on virtually every device, browser, and operating system.
• ✓DGN files are compact and quick to transfer, even over slow connections.
• ✓DGN integrates seamlessly with all major creative tools and workflows.

Advantages of E00

• ✓E00 applies lossy compression specifically calibrated for Legacy ArcInfo data migration, GIS archival data recovery.
• ✓E00 enjoys broad native support across operating systems, browsers, and creative tools alike.
• ✓E00 delivers impressive compression ratios, shrinking files dramatically while keeping visual quality high.
• ✓You will find E00 support built into virtually every tool that handles Legacy ArcInfo data migration, GIS archival data recovery — no plugins or converters needed.

Common Use Cases for DGN to E00 Conversion

Industry Applications

Best Practices for DGN to E00 Conversion

• →When converting DGN to E00: confirm the coordinate reference system (CRS / projection) is preserved or explicitly reprojected
• →Keep attribute tables and feature metadata intact — E00 should retain all fields from DGN
• →Check geometry types (point, line, polygon) map cleanly between the two formats
• →Verify that z/elevation values and topology survive the conversion when working with terrain data
• →Always keep a backup of your original files before converting
• →Choose the appropriate quality settings for your specific use case

Troubleshooting DGN to E00 Conversion

• !Topology errors in the converted E00 → self-intersecting polygons or duplicate vertices may not transfer cleanly between formats
• !The E00 file coordinate values shifted slightly → datums (WGS84 vs NAD83) differ even when the projection looks similar
• !Time field values were corrupted after converting DGN to E00 → date and time field formatting varies across GIS formats
• !Null geometry features appear in the converted E00 → empty or null-shape records in DGN may cause validation errors in some formats

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