Likelihood to Recommend GrabCad Workbench is well suited for group projects, where all my team members can view the designs at the same time, and by integrating it with CAD software like SolidWorks, all my team members can see the live changes in the projects based on the recommendations received. I can also do conversations with my team, which are project-specific, thus reducing time in email and video conferences. For assemblies, I can generate a Bill of materials with a single click. However, there are some drawbacks like every member needs to have an account in order to sync files with everyone, and the platform requires good internet connectivity otherwise file uploading will be time-consuming.
Read full review MicroStation is THE program to use for roadway and corridor modeling. Most departments of transportation and municipalities in my region require that the models be delivered in the dgn format, so it is MicroStation or bust. It is an absolute pain to use some of the add-in features though. Things that are easy in other programs like making smart tables that update with the latest information usually necessitate the use of
Axiom or similar outside programs/add-ins. I design storm sewer systems, and it takes us 6 months to train up new hires on this software, because it is NOT intuitive. You need to know which buttons to press, since it is not designed to be easily command-based like AutoCAD
Civil 3D .
Read full review Pros GrabCAD is the source of truth for the files being used GrabCAD is free Easy to use and get started Read full review Plethora of design alternatives to choose from right from design to completed models Detailed approach towards parametric, mesh and surface modelling Well integrated modelling workflows Intelligent parametric components with 2D and 3D designs Read full review Cons The software is not intuitive. You must have an account to share files. Read full review Some of the more complex models have had a few issues exporting. We've struggled with external consultants using the custom Autocad engineering tools, and it plays nicely with MicroStation. Read full review Usability MicroStation is very hard to use for our newest employees. It is not intuitive, and you need to know where to find the buttons to perform the commands you would like to perform instead of typing in the commands like other similar modeling programs. Also, it has no good traffic turning add-ins. We continue to run ALL our turning in Autoturn, since this is not a usable feature with MicroStation.
Read full review Support Rating Never needed.
Read full review We haven't had to use it for many years, so not able to comment.
Read full review Alternatives Considered It’s the bottom of the barrel.
Read full review The only general purpose CAD program that you can compare MicroStation with would be
AutoCAD . MicroStation, in my opinion, is a superior product in every way but one. That one issue is that there are just more people who have and know how to use
AutoCAD than there are ones who know MicroStation. This makes
AutoCAD easier to get up and running for most firms.
Read full review Return on Investment GrabCad Workbench is the best in terms of integration with other CAD software like SolidWorks where live changes can be made to a product. GrabCad Workbench has a common parts library, which allows us to use repetitive parts without redesigning them again and again. Hence saving a lot of time. I can do all the conversations in the file itself, reducing time in email and other modes. It automatically generates BOM for my assembly files. It tracks versions, all the files are updated automatically for all members once a new version is created. It would be good if it can be updated to read drawing and sketch files. The team needs to improve the stability of the platform. Read full review MicroStation usage is primarily necessitated by our major client who also uses the program. Without using MicroStation there would be many times where we would not be able to provide our clients with what they need. Therefore, MicroStation has had an incredibly positive impact on the business I work for as its usage has continued to secure contracts. Read full review ScreenShots