Image MIME Reference
DGN
MicroStation Design File
image/x-vnd.dgn
VS
JPEG XS Codestream
image/jxsc
JPEG-XS-Codestream
A complete technical comparison of MicroStation Design File and JPEG XS Codestream — covering compression, feature support, browser compatibility, magic bytes, and when to choose each format.
Equal browser support
Feature Support
| Feature | DGN | JPEG-XS-Codestream |
|---|---|---|
| Transparency (Alpha) | Yes | Yes |
| Animation Support | ✕ No | ✕ No |
| Progressive Loading | ✕ No | ✕ No |
| HDR Support | ✕ No | Yes |
| EXIF Metadata | ✕ No | ✕ No |
| ICC Color Profile | ✕ No | ✕ No |
MicroStation Design File
image/x-vnd.dgn
Extension
.dgn
Container
Microsoft OLE Compound File (V8) / IGDS (V7)
Compression
Uncompressed / OLE Structured Storage
Algorithm
None
Color Depth
Indexed Color (V7), 24-bit True Color (V8)
Developed by
Intergraph (Originally) / Bentley Systems (Currently)
Released
1980
Magic Bytes
D0 CF 11 E0 A1 B1 1A E1 (For V8 DGN)
JPEG XS Codestream
image/jxsc
Extension
.jxsc.jxs
Container
None (Raw Codestream)
Compression
Lossy (Visually Lossless) / Mathematically Lossless
Algorithm
JPEG XS (ISO/IEC 21122-1)
Color Depth
8-bit, 10-bit, 12-bit, 14-bit, 16-bit
Developed by
Joint Photographic Experts Group (JPEG) / intoPIX
Released
2019
Magic Bytes
FF 10
Browser Support Comparison
| Browser | DGN | JPEG-XS-Codestream |
|---|---|---|
Chrome
|
✕ | ✕ |
Firefox
|
✕ | ✕ |
Safari
|
✕ | ✕ |
Edge
|
✕ | ✕ |
IE (Legacy)
|
✕ | ✕ |
DGN
DGN Strengths
- Exceptionally robust at handling massive, coordinate-heavy infrastructure models that would frequently crash older versions of competing CAD software
- Deeply entrenched as the absolute standard format for many global departments of transportation and civil engineering firms
- V8 architecture supports boundless design plane coordinates, eliminating the physical scaling limitations of V7
Limitations
- Deeply proprietary format requiring complex third-party libraries (like the ODA SDK) to parse or write programmatically outside of the Bentley ecosystem
- V8's reliance on the archaic Microsoft OLE Compound File container makes file introspection cumbersome
- Cannot be rendered natively in web browsers without converting to WebGL/Canvas formats or SVG
JPEG-XS-Codestream
JPEG-XS-Codestream Strengths
- Eliminates container overhead, maximizing parsing speed and minimizing latency to fractions of a millisecond
- Highly optimized for direct hardware implementation in FPGAs and ASICs
- Perfect for continuous data streaming over IP networks without needing to establish file headers
Limitations
- Lacks standard container metadata (EXIF, XMP, ICC profiles), meaning color space and orientation data must be handled externally or out-of-band
- Zero support in web browsers or standard consumer operating systems
- Often requires specialized broadcast hardware or custom software libraries to decode
When to choose which format
DGN
Use DGN when…
- Civil Engineering and Plant Design
- Large-scale Architecture and Construction (AEC)
- 2D/3D Infrastructure Modeling
JPEG-XS-Codestream
Use JPEG-XS-Codestream when…
- Hardware Decoding Pipelines (FPGA/ASIC)
- Live Broadcast Infrastructure
- Video over IP Transport
- Embedded Camera Systems