Is Bentley's MicroStation the retarded half sister of AutoCAD?

Question

Why the heck do companies continue to use crappy MicroStation? Is it like a tenth the cost of AutoCad or something?

Answer 1

Wait a minute you guys give Bentley a chance...they were the solid model pioneers .In 1990 they were hands away better at a product called EMS (engineering modelling system) and their Finite Element Solver was even better . The reason for the run towards ACAD is that it ran on a pc and MSV4/5 and EMS didn't .You needed a linux workstation and they were out of the range of most folks pocket book . A single seat of EMS was 30K dollars and MS was 12k dollars. With the hardware costing aROUND 100k that was just more than the market could handle. The Bentley system you might get now will run fliudly on a PC for GIS workings and will even power the terrain following missiles used in our defense program. Bentley also helped pioneer the software for parts on the patriot missile (the one that knocked down the scuds in the gulf war)....I know because i was one of those guys at Huntsville Ala who was doing that sort of stuff... Along the way there was a \company called Intergraph which hosted the systems and was disolved some time ago just because Sun could do it so much cheaper in Delhi...Outsourcing a huge price tag and lack of understanding of the software was the problem. Microstation V8 is one of the best all round 3D Boolean soft modelers that has ever come out . It has a round corner feature that makes Acad's Algorythyms cough and whease. And when it comes to really big bad engineering solutions MSV8 is still my choice..So why is it that i use Acad well its just like i said . Price and graphical information exchange between platforms (DGN,DWG) are still problamatic and its because you use it and i can send you a file and you can view it...Yea i know there is a translator but when you get rid of the GUI's and look at the programs guts the data just isn't the same..I'm not going to say drop Acad but i will say this If Bentley had gone ahead with their operation to make a real PC screamer similiar to V5 and Microsoft had picked it up well there would have been a lot of people who would be asking just what you asked about MSV8. Also in closing when you talk about about a crappy program I know you couldn't have meant MSV5or V8 . Well i just love these questions ......I have some models of complete buildings animated for your viewing pleasure that i might just post ...that was done in microstation...Welllllll Have a good one.....From the E.....

Answer 2

Just like you said, it's because of cost. the other thing, from what I gather is, in MicroStation you tend to program more stuff and you'll have to create much for you own compared to AutoCAD where much is already in there.

Answer 3

Autocad has gotten way too expensive.