Tutorial: Creating a 3D Mesh from a Contour Shapefile in Bentley MicroStation

In this tutorial, we will learn how to create a 3D surface mesh in MicroStation from a topography or contour shapefile (.shp file)

This process does not take long and can be completed in two steps:

Create a 3D Mesh in MicroStation using a Shapefile

Step 1: Source Your Topography Data

If you already have a topography or contour shapefile (.shp), you can skip down to Step 2. If you need a contour shapefile, follow the steps below to generate a .shp file using Equator .

1. Locate your project site by using the Search tab or simply zooming into your site.
2. Create your site boundaries by clicking on the +NEW SITE button on the bottom left of the screen. Use one of the predefined boundary boxes or create a custom boundary. Don’t forget to name your project site.
3. Under the Data tab, click on the Contours option.
4. The Contours dialog box will appear. Select your project site, source dataset and any customizations such as contour resolution and interval. Then click Generate.
5. The contours for your project site will appear within the site boundary.
6. To export the contours out of Equator as a .shp file, go to the Layers tab and click the download button beside the contours layer.
7. The Customize Download dialog box will appear. Select SHP as your format, set your coordinate system, and press Process.
8. Your contours shapefile (.shp file) will download into your Downloads file.

Sourcing your shapefile through Equator, Steps 1-7

Step 2: Import Shapefile (.shp) into MicroStation and Create 3D Mesh

Note: This tutorial is created using MicroStation 2023 (version 23.00.00.108)

1. Open your contour shapefile by going to File > Open
2. File will open as read-only. If you using a file that is not from Equator , it may not have z coordinates. Check this by viewing the file from the front. If you need to assign elevation attributes, check out this tutorial: https://communities.bentley.com/products/microstation/w/microstation__wiki/16058/gis-files-elevation-data
3. Resave your shapefile as a .dgn by going to File > Save As
4. Create your 3D mesh using your new .dgn file. In the Mesh Surfaces tool box, select Mesh from Contours. Select all your contours.
5. Your 3D mesh will be created. You can change the visualization of it by changing the Display Style in the Presentation menu.

Importing your shapefile into MicroStation, steps 1-5

Ready to Create Your 3D Mesh in MicroStation? Find Topography Data for Your Site at Equator.