MicroStation vs. Vectorworks Fundamentals

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.

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It is perfectly suited for residential work, and work where the project requires integrated 2d and 3d. It is terrible for integrated energy modeling. This needs to be fixed immediately.

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• 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

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• 3D modeling - no need to start in SketchUp or other more rudimentary programs.
• Seamless import/export with other programs - ideal communication with consultants.
• Superb customer service, training, and tech support.

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• 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.

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• The program is getting a little 'fat', and needs to be slimmed down. It is starting to bog down a bit when doing certain functions. The program of late is more buggy then we are used to seeing.
• I like how smooth Sketchup is in 3D. It would be great to get VW's to be more responsive in 3D.
• The space tool is very clunky.
• I would be great if a texture map could be a video and not just a still image. We could really use that.
• PLEASE get the energy modeling capabilities up to speed. It needs to be much more intuitive and NOT based on Passive House standards. Please include a clear output for a projects Energy Use Intensity (EUI) and how a project is doing relative to the 2030 Commitment.

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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.

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We haven't had to use it for many years, so not able to comment.

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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.

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• 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.

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• Subscription model ensures we always have the latest versions - per-seat license is very affordable.
• Training costs are low (i.e. new hires get up to speed quickly).

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