The Complete SolidWorks to DGN Conversion Guide.

August 01, 2025

General Information

This guide is part of the RapidPipeline 3D Formats Knowledge Database. It shows how to convert SolidWorks to DGN, if you'd like to know more about the formats, please check out the following links:

Converting and Optimizing SolidWorks Files to DGN

There are various ways to convert between SolidWorks and DGN. With RapidPipeline, you can easily convert and and optimize SolidWorks files, at scale. It supports DGN, as well as many other file formats (examples: FBX, glTF, OBJ, PLY, STL, USD, USDZ, VRM), at high quality.

Below you can find a video explaining how to convert your files:

What are SolidWorks and DGN files commonly used for?

The SolidWorks file is a format mostly used for Professional 3D CAD software for mechanical design and product development.
The DGN file is a format mostly used for CAD and infrastructure design data.

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Comparison of Features Supported by SolidWorks and DGN

FeatureSupported by SolidWorksSupported by DGN
Morph TargetsNoNo
Rigid AnimationsYesPartial0
Skinned AnimationsNoNo
AnimationsYesPartial1
Free-Form SurfacesYesYes
Geometry CompressionNoNo
Quad MeshesYesYes
Basic 3D GeometryYesYes
PBR MaterialsYesPartial2
Transparent MaterialsYesYes
Vertex ColorsPartial3Yes
MaterialsYesYes
Scene CompositionYesYes
Hierarchical Scene GraphYesYes
Scene NodesYesYes
Standardized FormatPartial4Partial5
Embedded TexturesPartial6Partial7
Multiple UV ChannelsPartial8Partial9
Normal MappingPartial10Partial11
Procedural TexturesPartial12No
Texture CompressionNoNo
Texture TransformsYesYes
TexturingYesYes

0 - Basic animation for construction sequencing
1 - Simple animation support for design sequences
2 - Limited PBR support in newer versions
3 - Limited vertex color support, mainly through part coloring and appearance assignments rather than per-vertex color data.
4 - SolidWorks uses proprietary file formats, though it supports many industry-standard import/export formats like STEP, IGES, and others.
5 - Open specification with some proprietary extensions
6 - Textures can be embedded in appearances but with limited format support compared to dedicated 3D graphics formats.
7 - Textures can be referenced or embedded
8 - Limited multi-UV support, primarily through appearances and materials for visualization rather than game development workflows.
9 - Limited multi-texturing capabilities
10 - Basic normal mapping support through SolidWorks Visualize and appearance properties, but not extensively used in typical CAD workflows.
11 - Basic normal mapping for visualization
12 - Limited procedural texture capabilities, mainly through basic material properties and appearance settings.

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Limitations of SolidWorks Files to DGN Conversion Workflow

The following limitations should be taken into account when converting SolidWorks files to DGN format:

SolidWorks Feature (not supported by DGN)Limitation Details
Procedural Textures

Procedural Textures Support:

SolidWorks: Partial support | DGN: No support

Procedural Textures illustratedlack of support for Procedural Textures illustrated

SolidWorks Notes:

Limited procedural texture capabilities, mainly through basic material properties and appearance settings.

Impact:

Procedural texture allow the modeling of surface details through mathematical functions, along with artistic control over various parameters. Typically, they are used for patterns like wood grain or other semi-regular structures. Since they are not using any pixels as source data, procedural textures have, in principle, infinite resolution and are very lightweight to describe. In this example, a procedural texture is used to model the look of a wooden material. Without support for this feature, in this case, the wooden parts won't show any visible details.

PBR Materials

PBR Materials Support:

SolidWorks: Full support | DGN: Partial support

PBR Materials illustratedlack of support for PBR Materials illustrated

DGN Notes:

Limited PBR support in newer versions

Impact:

PBR materials enable Physically-Based-Rendering (PBR) for a standardized, photorealistic look of rendered images. PBR uses concepts like metallic-roughness or specular-glossiness properties and a microfacet-based modeling of the surface, using a concept called BRDF (Bi-Directional Reflectance Distribution Function). In this example, PBR materials are used to achieve realistic looking plastic and metal materials. Without support for PBR materials, only basic colors and shading can be used (for example, based on more simple shading models, such as the Blinn/Phong model).

Animations

Animations Support:

SolidWorks: Full support | DGN: Partial support

Animations illustratedlack of support for Animations illustrated

DGN Notes:

Simple animation support for design sequences

Impact:

Animations are an important part of many interactive 3D assets, for example in real-time rendering (including games, XR training, assembly instructions, product demos, and other use cases). There are various kinds of animations that can be used on 3D models. In this example model, a rigid animation is used to make the gears spin. Without support for this feature, in this example, the gears won't move.

Rigid Animations

Rigid Animations Support:

SolidWorks: Full support | DGN: Partial support

Rigid Animations illustratedlack of support for Rigid Animations illustrated

DGN Notes:

Basic animation for construction sequencing

Impact:

Rigid Animations are typically used to animate mechanical parts. In this example, the door of this 3D model of a microwave can be interactively opened or closed, using a rigid animation that gradually changes the 3D transformation of the door. Without support for this feature, in this example, the door will just stay in place and won't move.

What's the best way to get SolidWorks files into my 3D applications, and are there alternatives to using DGN?

Doing 3D conversion right, especially at scale, can be tricky, as 3D data is in general a rather complex (yet very powerful!) medium. This also applies to SolidWorks and DGN files - the conversion guide above provides a rough first idea about that. Once you know what you would like to do, tools like RapidPipeline can help you perform the necessary steps, and to even automate the process for thousands or even millions of files.

Especially when introducing pipelines and workflows at scale in an enterprise context, it is usually good to rely on dedicated tools and expertise, making sure you do not introduce any steps into your 3D workflow that are detrimental to the final output's quality, or that take your team too much time (and money).

If you're interested to hire dedicated expertise from the best in the field to help your company reach your goals fast and reliably, please do not hestitate to contact DGG. Being the creators of RapidPipeline, and ambassadors for open 3D standards for more than a decade, we have been building some of the world's most advanced 3D pipelines, having processed many millions of 3D assets.

Therefore, our expertise will help you to reach your goals faster, at scale, and with the least possible friction, since we are focused on maximum interoperability.

To get started with 3D data conversion and optimization today, sign up for a free account!

If you have any questions, feel free to chat with our human team.

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3D Knowledge Team

3D Technical Artists

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