After many many years in the Autodesk world, I recently started a job at a firm that uses only MicroStation. Any words of advice? Will I become useless to other employers after a few years? I don't see Bently BIM catching on like Revit!
Revit definitely seems to be a hit but I think Microstation itself is a good program. I have used both autocad and microstation for a long time and it seems that for some big or gov't project, microstation is preferred.
I think Bentley will do really well with their BIM. I'm fairly certain they locked up a big portion of the GSA work. Meaning that they require Microstation BIM files for their archives.
This is why our office is slowly implementing both. (We've worked on both acad and microstation in the past as well)
microstation has vast capabilities, from drafting, modeling, rendering to BIM. all in one. it can handle .dwg, but not the other way around.
lots of places use it. i work at a big place that uses it, and the company's CAD guru (who's worked all over) tells everyone during orientation that Meier and Morphosis use it, among others...
Microstation is just another CAD program. You'll be up to speed in a few months. The good news is its hard to get really fast at it like AutoCAD, so it creates a more level playing field for all the CAD jockeys.
yeah, don't fret. a lot of places do use microstation...believe it or not, as everyone moves to revit and bentley architecture the way the programs work gets more and more similar.
AutoCAD is faster for traditional drafting. Don't have much experience with BIM, although our Microstation office is about to move in that direction. I know in theory it sounds awesome, just don't know how feasible it is for multiple people working on a large, complex project. If anyone has experience to say otherwise, though, I'd like to hear about it.
i love the microstation snaps. also, you can program quick keys and other key-ins.
Lookout Kid, you won't be scarred. programs only take a minute to learn anyway, so wherever you go next, you can pick up what they have in a few weeks and be useful...
The keyins with AutoCAD are fast if you have been working with AutoCAD for 10 years.
Its familiarity.
You can use keyins in Microstation but it is much slower because simply microstation requires fewer keystrokes to do the same task. I have observed people that move from AutoCad to Microstation actually twitching in discomfort because they are used to the physical feedback of both hands going in a flurry of activity. They feel like they are going slower because they are doing less work to do the same task. In the end however familiarity is the main issue. When I use Microstation I never go home tired from ‘Cad Fatigue’ and I use both.
( Although this is becoming less true as Autocad is beginning to incorporate features that Microstation has had for years)
Bim the only issue with BIM ( Microstation Generative Components VS Auto Cad Revit)
is that to use the Microstation you don’t have to learn a new program. Microstation is inherently a BIM solution once you know 3d you are simply using the existing software with a database attached to the pieces you are building.
Don’t mean to sound like I am on the Board of Bently I have simply used both applications and have a good sense their strengths and weaknesses.
I'm feeling comfortable with Microstation now, though I agree that it is slower. I still worry about investing so much time and effort into the non-Autodesk world, and will have to find a way to stay up on things outside of work. Perhaps I'll have to "aquire" Revit on my own to stay up on things...
MicroStation claims to sell the most stations to architecture firms of any CAD software (more than AutoCAD). This is mainly because a few very large firms use it. The US military also uses MicroStation for most architectural projects. So you shouldn't become unemployable in a few years...
But it's just another CAD application. So far I've worked in 7 firms using 5 different CAD applications and rather than becoming unemployable I've found that once I moved past the intern level nobody really cared which CAD applications I knew or how good or fast I was at any of them.
um, microstation has a definite feedback lag compaired to acad. the realtime pan, the osnap settings, the text editing... this is because of its high overhead, it needs a complete rewrite. it's almost a little shell inside the os. the command structure is not at all intuitive. look at the key-in tree. you have to wonder how this came to be.
once you set up your working environment its ok, but it really does have drafting issues. i use the keyboard (all customized with functions and quick keys) its still a dog compaired to acad.
7yrs acad, 3yrs ustation... cad is cad but i enjoy acad and rhino interface MUCH better.
see i had 7 years of MicroStation experience with 1-2 years AutoCAD experience and now a year of Revit experience. I hated switching to AutoCAD. My migration to Revit was comparatively easy because I didn't have 8 years of autocrap crammed down my throat. now I don't have to worry about platforms because I have real world experience in 3 different ones. I will admit that there is a certain stigma in being a MicroStation user in an Autodesk world. It sucks because I think it is SO much better than AutoCAD. Of course working in Revit makes me wonder why people to force feed autocrap down people's throats. Revit or any type of BIM package is most definitely the wave of the future. The sooner you get out there the better off you will be!
my shop is slow on it/tech updates, i still have win2000... ugg. i've heard xm is mo'betta. can't wait... you would think that a well published firm of 120 architects would streamline production... not so. its all about the designers and the managers. pa? what's that? oh yeh, the guys that make it all happen.
the shortcuts in microstation are weird.. q1 q2 q3 for line/ smartline/ polyline? why don't use the first two letters of the words like autocad, makes life easier. and q stands for what? qolyline? qine?
Haven't used Microstation in years. One thing I really did like about it was the 'tentative-click' technique. I still think that was a pretty efficient way of doing things.
XM does fix the pan and zoon so that they are almost entirely the same as AutoCad... But the key commands are related to numbers, and you have to type multiple numbers to key a command. It's not intuitive at all. However, some functions, like referencing and origin, are much more intuitive in Microstation. Now if they would only add a "Copy with base point" command...
Mar 27, 07 12:52 am ·
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MicroStation?!?!?!?
After many many years in the Autodesk world, I recently started a job at a firm that uses only MicroStation. Any words of advice? Will I become useless to other employers after a few years? I don't see Bently BIM catching on like Revit!
I think yes
Revit definitely seems to be a hit but I think Microstation itself is a good program. I have used both autocad and microstation for a long time and it seems that for some big or gov't project, microstation is preferred.
yes is good.
I think Bentley will do really well with their BIM. I'm fairly certain they locked up a big portion of the GSA work. Meaning that they require Microstation BIM files for their archives.
This is why our office is slowly implementing both. (We've worked on both acad and microstation in the past as well)
cheer up lookout, you're not worthless
i use microstation and prefer it over most other drafting programs. i have little experience with bim but i see great potential in it.
microstation has vast capabilities, from drafting, modeling, rendering to BIM. all in one. it can handle .dwg, but not the other way around.
lots of places use it. i work at a big place that uses it, and the company's CAD guru (who's worked all over) tells everyone during orientation that Meier and Morphosis use it, among others...
i prefer it, although it was my first...
Microstation is just another CAD program. You'll be up to speed in a few months. The good news is its hard to get really fast at it like AutoCAD, so it creates a more level playing field for all the CAD jockeys.
AutoCAD, fast? Are you kidding me?
Why spend days DRAWING sections when you can just slice dozens through your beautiful BIM model and be drawing details by lunchtime?!?!?
Everyone seems to be forgetting ArchiCAD as well which incidentally works on Apples as well (for those THAT way inclined).
Haven't used Microstation yet but I'd love to see how it compares. I just started using Vectorworks, and it suuuuucks!
yeah, don't fret. a lot of places do use microstation...believe it or not, as everyone moves to revit and bentley architecture the way the programs work gets more and more similar.
AutoCAD is faster for traditional drafting. Don't have much experience with BIM, although our Microstation office is about to move in that direction. I know in theory it sounds awesome, just don't know how feasible it is for multiple people working on a large, complex project. If anyone has experience to say otherwise, though, I'd like to hear about it.
autocad's fast because of the key ins. the snaps in microstation sucks!!
i love the microstation snaps. also, you can program quick keys and other key-ins.
Lookout Kid, you won't be scarred. programs only take a minute to learn anyway, so wherever you go next, you can pick up what they have in a few weeks and be useful...
good luck.
The keyins with AutoCAD are fast if you have been working with AutoCAD for 10 years.
Its familiarity.
You can use keyins in Microstation but it is much slower because simply microstation requires fewer keystrokes to do the same task. I have observed people that move from AutoCad to Microstation actually twitching in discomfort because they are used to the physical feedback of both hands going in a flurry of activity. They feel like they are going slower because they are doing less work to do the same task. In the end however familiarity is the main issue. When I use Microstation I never go home tired from ‘Cad Fatigue’ and I use both.
( Although this is becoming less true as Autocad is beginning to incorporate features that Microstation has had for years)
Bim the only issue with BIM ( Microstation Generative Components VS Auto Cad Revit)
is that to use the Microstation you don’t have to learn a new program. Microstation is inherently a BIM solution once you know 3d you are simply using the existing software with a database attached to the pieces you are building.
Don’t mean to sound like I am on the Board of Bently I have simply used both applications and have a good sense their strengths and weaknesses.
I'm feeling comfortable with Microstation now, though I agree that it is slower. I still worry about investing so much time and effort into the non-Autodesk world, and will have to find a way to stay up on things outside of work. Perhaps I'll have to "aquire" Revit on my own to stay up on things...
MicroStation claims to sell the most stations to architecture firms of any CAD software (more than AutoCAD). This is mainly because a few very large firms use it. The US military also uses MicroStation for most architectural projects. So you shouldn't become unemployable in a few years...
But it's just another CAD application. So far I've worked in 7 firms using 5 different CAD applications and rather than becoming unemployable I've found that once I moved past the intern level nobody really cared which CAD applications I knew or how good or fast I was at any of them.
microstation Will take over the world. when's bentley coming out with second life compatibility?
um, microstation has a definite feedback lag compaired to acad. the realtime pan, the osnap settings, the text editing... this is because of its high overhead, it needs a complete rewrite. it's almost a little shell inside the os. the command structure is not at all intuitive. look at the key-in tree. you have to wonder how this came to be.
once you set up your working environment its ok, but it really does have drafting issues. i use the keyboard (all customized with functions and quick keys) its still a dog compaired to acad.
7yrs acad, 3yrs ustation... cad is cad but i enjoy acad and rhino interface MUCH better.
see i had 7 years of MicroStation experience with 1-2 years AutoCAD experience and now a year of Revit experience. I hated switching to AutoCAD. My migration to Revit was comparatively easy because I didn't have 8 years of autocrap crammed down my throat. now I don't have to worry about platforms because I have real world experience in 3 different ones. I will admit that there is a certain stigma in being a MicroStation user in an Autodesk world. It sucks because I think it is SO much better than AutoCAD. Of course working in Revit makes me wonder why people to force feed autocrap down people's throats. Revit or any type of BIM package is most definitely the wave of the future. The sooner you get out there the better off you will be!
satan have you used xm (newest version)? Fixed pretty much everything I hated
my shop is slow on it/tech updates, i still have win2000... ugg. i've heard xm is mo'betta. can't wait... you would think that a well published firm of 120 architects would streamline production... not so. its all about the designers and the managers. pa? what's that? oh yeh, the guys that make it all happen.
the shortcuts in microstation are weird.. q1 q2 q3 for line/ smartline/ polyline? why don't use the first two letters of the words like autocad, makes life easier. and q stands for what? qolyline? qine?
Haven't used Microstation in years. One thing I really did like about it was the 'tentative-click' technique. I still think that was a pretty efficient way of doing things.
XM does fix the pan and zoon so that they are almost entirely the same as AutoCad... But the key commands are related to numbers, and you have to type multiple numbers to key a command. It's not intuitive at all. However, some functions, like referencing and origin, are much more intuitive in Microstation. Now if they would only add a "Copy with base point" command...
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