Online DGN Viewer | View DGN Files in Browser

60+

Formats CUBE can view in a project, with this page as the public .dgn route

50 MB

Maximum .dgn size this page accepts

0 licences

No MicroStation® seat needed. No account is required to open the drawing

14 days

How long a file on this viewer is kept before automatic deletion

How to Use This Online DGN Viewer

Two steps from a .dgn on a shared drive to a drawing you can work with. The file is checked on your device, then it opens inside CUBE.

Step 1 of 2

Choose a .dgn File

The browser checks the extension and size before anything leaves your device. Maximum size is 50 MB. Reference files are separate, so choose the design file you need to see.

A .dgn file dropped into the viewer and checked in the browser for format and size, still on your device

Step 2 of 2

View It in CUBE

The drawing opens in the CUBE viewer. Pan, zoom, switch between design and sheet models, toggle levels, measure. Upgrade to share it, raise issues, and run reviews.

What This DGN Viewer Shows in a Drawing

A DGN keeps its content in models and organises it by level, the MicroStation® equivalent of layers. The Online DGN Viewer reads both, so the drawing opens the way the author set it up.

Models and Levels

Design and sheet models appear as tabs when the file has more than one. Levels can be switched on and off to isolate walls, annotation, or reference content.

View Without a Licence

Open the drawing without a MicroStation® seat.

Hand-off Into CDE

Your drawing is already stored in CUBE, not a throwaway preview. Upgrade and it becomes a controlled document with versions, reviews, and transmittals.

Measure

Measure distances in working units. Sharing and issues come with an upgrade.

DGN Viewer Workflow, Step by Step

Upload and preview your files, directly in the browser.

From Dropzone to Viewer

Four steps between choosing a file and working on it in CUBE.

Choose

Extension lock to .dgn and size check at 50 MB, both in the browser. Nothing is uploaded yet.

Upload and scan

The file uploads for this viewing session, visible only to you. Malware scan runs before translation and fails closed.

Translate and view

The CAD translator used in Spaces renders the drawing. Models, levels, and measure load.

Keep or expire

Files are deleted after 14 days. Upgrading keeps them as controlled project documents.

What a DGN File Contains

DGN is the design file format of MicroStation® from Bentley Systems. It is the standard drawing format on many road, rail, bridge, and utility projects, and a number of transport agencies require it for submissions. When a civil or structural consultant sends a .dgn to a building team that works in other CAD tools, a browser DGN viewer is often the quickest way to check it.

There are two generations. V7 is the older Intergraph-era format. V8, introduced with MicroStation® V8 in 2001, stores several models in one file, removed the old limit of 63 levels, and is still what current releases write. This Online DGN Viewer accepts .dgn files under 50 MB and reports a parse error if one cannot be read.

DGN File Map

How a design file is organised, from the container down to the elements on screen.

DGNFILE

Design File

The container for every model, level table, style, and setting the drawing carries.

MODELS

Design and Sheet Models

Each model is its own drawing space. Design models hold the geometry, sheet models hold the printed layouts.

LEVELS

Visibility Groups

Levels group elements for display and printing. In the Online DGN Viewer they appear in the Levels panel.

ELEMENTS

Graphic Content

Lines, shapes, arcs, text, dimensions, cells, and tags placed in a model.

REFERENCES

Attached Files

Other DGN or DWG files attached for context. They are separate files, so they do not travel inside the .dgn.

V7 and V8 DGN

V7 files come from older Intergraph and MicroStation® releases. V8 is what MicroStation® writes today, with more models, more levels, and DWG references.

Two columns comparing V7 DGN with V8 DGN by models, levels, references and releases

2D and 3D Content

A design file is set up as 2D or 3D when it is created. The tools on this page are built for 2D work: plans, sections, and sheets, with levels and measure.

The same building shown as a 2D design model with an 18,000 dimension and as a 3D design model

Common elements the translator expects to render:

Models

Levels

Line

Line string

Shape

Arc

Ellipse

Curve

Text

Dimension

Cell

Shared cell

Multi-line

Tag

Reference

Raster reference

Missing reference files, fonts, or custom line styles can change how a DGN looks outside MicroStation®. The rest of the drawing still loads, and an unreadable file shows a parse error instead of a blank canvas.

DGN Viewer Compared With MicroStation® and Other Tools

Compare with free online viewers that run on someone else's server, and the MicroStation® seat that authored the file.

Need	CUBE DGN Viewer	Free online viewer	MicroStation®
Open .dgn without a licence	Yes. No account and no CAD licence.	Yes, for basic viewing.	No. A paid MicroStation® licence.
File leaves the device	Yes. Uploaded for viewing, scanned, and deleted after 14 days.	Yes. Uploaded to the provider's servers.	Local disk or the project's own storage.
Matches project CDE preview	Yes. Same production translator.	No. A separate viewer.	Native, but not the project CDE.
Models and levels	Yes, when the drawing has them.	Varies by viewer.	Full model and level control.
Edit geometry	No. View only.	No. Viewing only.	Yes in MicroStation®.
Save into a controlled project	Already stored in CUBE. Upgrade to keep and share.	No CDE hand-off.	Manual upload after the fact.

Who Uses a DGN Viewer on a Construction Project

DGN usually arrives from civil, structural, and infrastructure consultants. The people receiving it often work in other CAD tools, or none at all.

Coordination

Architects and Engineers

Open a civil or structural consultant's design file and check it against your own drawings, without a MicroStation® seat.

A drawing sheet with the title block checked and the levels list

On site

Contractors and Site Teams

Open the latest design file on a laptop in the site office. No CAD install and no named MicroStation® user.

A laptop on site showing the drawing in a browser, with no install and no named user

Document control

Document Controllers

Confirm an incoming .dgn opens before it is logged against a transmittal. Unreadable files show a parse error, not a blank page.

A received transmittal list with each file checked: opens, saved to the CDE, or a parse error

Sign-off

Owners and Consultants

Review infrastructure deliverables without buying authoring seats for every stakeholder. Upgrade when the drawing should become the project record.

Three reviewers, an owner, a consultant and a guest, marking up one drawing with no CAD seats

DGN Viewer FAQ

Do I need MicroStation® to use this DGN viewer?

No. CUBE opens .dgn files in Chrome, Edge, Firefox, or Safari. You do not need MicroStation®, a plugin, or an authoring licence to inspect the drawing.

Is the CUBE DGN viewer free?

Yes. Viewing on this page is free. No account is required.

Does this DGN viewer upload my file?

The browser checks the file first, then uploads it so it can be scanned and translated by CUBE’s production CAD engine.

What files does the DGN viewer accept?

.dgn only, up to 50 MB. DWG, DXF, DWF, RVT, and IFC have their own viewer pages, so each page covers one extension.

Can this DGN viewer show models and levels?

Yes. When the file has more than one model, the Online DGN Viewer lists them as tabs, and levels can be turned on and off in the Levels panel.

Does the DGN viewer edit geometry?

No. Moving elements, placing cells, or saving a new DGN is out of scope. Authoring stays in MicroStation® or another CAD seat.

Which DGN versions can the viewer read?

CUBE uses the same translator as the rest of CUBE. Most files today are V8, which is what current MicroStation® releases write. If a file cannot be read, the DGN viewer shows a parse error rather than a blank canvas.

Notes and Trademarks

Trademark notice. Autodesk®, AutoCAD®, Revit®, DWG™, DXF, and DWF are registered trademarks or trademarks of Autodesk, Inc., and/or its subsidiaries and affiliates in the USA and other countries. MicroStation® and DGN are registered trademarks or trademarks of Bentley Systems, Incorporated. IFC is an open standard of buildingSMART International. Chrome, Edge, Firefox, and Safari are trademarks of their respective owners. All other product names, logos, and brands are the property of their respective owners and appear on this page only to identify file formats and compatible software. CUBE is not affiliated with, sponsored by, or endorsed by Autodesk, Inc., Bentley Systems, Incorporated, or any other trademark owner named on this page.

Use of this tool. Use of the CUBE DGN Viewer does not require a CUBE account. It is subject to the CUBE Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. By uploading a file, you confirm that you own the file or are authorised to share it, and that it does not contain material you are not permitted to disclose. Files are used only to generate the preview and are handled as described above.

File retention. Uploaded files are deleted automatically 14 days after upload. You can delete a file yourself at any time before then. Paid plans keep files as controlled project documents.

Preview only. Rendered drawings are provided for reference. Some entities, proxy objects, fonts, or custom objects may not display exactly as in the authoring application. Do not rely on the preview for construction, fabrication, setting out, or measurement without checking the original file. The tool is provided as is, without warranty of any kind.

Availability. This tool is not offered in countries or regions subject to comprehensive U.S. or other applicable trade sanctions, or to persons on restricted-party lists.

Online DGN Viewer for Design & Construction Teams

Drop a .dgn File Here