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OpenRoads Designer

OpenRoads Designer

Overview

What is OpenRoads Designer?

Bentley Systems offers OpenRoads Designer, their civil engineering and design platform which replaces the former GEOPAK Civil Engineering Suite, InRoads, MX, and PowerCivil.

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Recent Reviews

TrustRadius Insights

Users have found that software like InRoads, GEOPAK, and OpenRoads Designer are highly beneficial for increasing efficiency and …
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Pricing

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What is OpenRoads Designer?

Bentley Systems offers OpenRoads Designer, their civil engineering and design platform which replaces the former GEOPAK Civil Engineering Suite, InRoads, MX, and PowerCivil.

Entry-level set up fee?

  • No setup fee

Offerings

  • Free Trial
  • Free/Freemium Version
  • Premium Consulting/Integration Services

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Alternatives Pricing

What is Civil 3D?

Autodesk's Civil 3D is a computer aided design (CAD) application designed to support a variety of civil infrastructure projects including rail, roads and highways, land development, airports, drainage, storm and sanitary, and civil structures.

What is AutoCAD?

AutoCAD is a CAD product from Autodesk. It allows designers to work in 2D and 3D, and is available on Windows and Mac, but with extensive online collaboration tools.

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Product Details

What is OpenRoads Designer?

OpenRoads Designer Technical Details

Operating SystemsUnspecified
Mobile ApplicationNo
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Comparisons

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Reviews and Ratings

(5)

Community Insights

TrustRadius Insights are summaries of user sentiment data from TrustRadius reviews and, when necessary, 3rd-party data sources. Have feedback on this content? Let us know!

Users have found that software like InRoads, GEOPAK, and OpenRoads Designer are highly beneficial for increasing efficiency and productivity in engineering jobs. These software solutions allow users to complete tasks in a shorter amount of time, saving them from tedious calculations and manual modeling processes. They are particularly useful for highway design, land development calculations, and visualizing designs in the surrounding environment. With features like 3D modeling, these tools provide a visualization of designs, enabling modifications based on the model. Additionally, they assist with road drainage and stormwater management, roadway design, and verifying super elevation runouts. By eliminating redundancy and design errors, these software solutions make project setups cleaner and more efficient. Users also find them helpful in reviewing what-if scenarios and quickly updating profiles and ditch grades. Overall, engineers have experienced significant time savings and improved design capabilities by utilizing these software solutions in their projects.

Reliable Performance: Many users have praised the product for its reliable performance. They state that it consistently meets their expectations and performs well over time. Whether it's handling demanding tasks or running smoothly during extended use, users appreciate the product's ability to deliver consistent and dependable performance. User-Friendly Interface: Several reviewers mention the user-friendly interface of the product. They appreciate how easy it is to navigate and use, making their experience enjoyable and hassle-free. The intuitive layout, clear menus, and responsive controls make it effortless for users to quickly access features and customize settings according to their preferences. This streamlined interface enhances overall usability and ensures a positive user experience. Good Customer Support: Some users express satisfaction with the customer support provided by the company. They find the support team helpful, responsive, and prompt in addressing any queries or concerns. Whether through email, phone calls, or live chat, customers report receiving timely assistance from knowledgeable representatives who go above and beyond to resolve issues effectively. The quality customer support adds value to their overall experience with the product

Lack of Development: Users have mentioned that elements of the program are lacking and in need of further development. Some users find it challenging to format the workspace effectively and extract maximum value from the product. They also mention that tools for subsurface utilities could be improved.

Difficulty Learning and Using: Several users have expressed difficulties in learning and using the software. They find it challenging to learn without investing in training, with many steps to remember. The lack of direct commands like AutoCAD makes vertical alignment tedious, and operations in the software can be time-consuming and prone to mistakes, leading to poor construction outcomes.

Software Issues: Many users have reported various issues with the software itself. They have experienced frequent crashes, glitches, and file corruption problems. The software is slow at times, hangs frequently causing annoyance and consuming time. Additionally, some tasks that were easy to do in previous versions are much harder now, causing frustration among users.

Users commonly recommend the following three suggestions for improving and utilizing InRoads software:

  1. Compare and Evaluate: Users suggest taking a thorough look at the software and comparing it to competitors before making a commitment. They emphasize the importance of understanding its functions and capabilities in relation to other options available.

  2. Training and Exploration: There is a strong recommendation to undergo proper training to fully comprehend and utilize all the functions of InRoads. Users also emphasize exploring the multiple tools and features it offers, especially when transitioning from other software platforms.

  3. Good CAD Manager and Configuration: It is recommended to have a knowledgeable CAD manager who can effectively set up configuration variables and workspaces within InRoads. This ensures optimal performance and a tailored experience for each project.

Attribute Ratings

Reviews

(1-4 of 4)
Companies can't remove reviews or game the system. Here's why
Ronald Nordmeyer | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 1 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
We design highways. I feel ORD is a failure and it does not allow you to predicted time and cost. From my experience, you have a working model one day then the next day the model is corrupted upon opening. We feel we spend more time debugging and fixing problems than we spend on actual production. We open a model to preform a 5 minute task and due to ORD failures it will take 8 hours to get the model fixed before you perform your 5 minute task. In my opinion ORD is garbage. Stay away.
  • I feel ORD fails at being reliable.
  • I feel ORD fails at being useful
  • I feel ORD fails at controlling production time
  • I feel ORD fails at controlling production cost
  • Reliability
  • not corrupting work
  • having a UI that does not require a minor in computer science
I have not found scenarios where OpenRoads Designer (ORD) is well suited.
  • at this point we have not found reliable features.
  • In my opinion, negative impact on schedule
  • I feel negative impact on production cost
  • In my experience negative impact on reputation
We would not use ORD if it was not required by the clients' contracts.
3
Engineering Production
1
Engineer with atypical computer skills
  • production
  • cost
  • schedule
  • determine existing sidewalk slopes for ADA analysis
  • Not sure due to the ORD failure rate
We would not use ORD if is was not for clients' contract requirement to use ORD.
Yes
MicroStation/Geopak was replaced with ORD due to clients' contract requirements.
Satisfying the clients' contract requirements and end of MicroStation product life.
We would not use ORD.
Tejsingh Rana, P.E. | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 9 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
We are using it for all the infrastructure (road) projects we work on. We use it for design, analysis, and plan production of the infrastructure projects from start to end of the design period.
  • Comprehensive Design and Modeling tool
  • Model Centric Plan production connecting 3D model to 2D Plans
  • Great tool for Digital Design Delivery to Construction
  • Great Clash detection with all proposed and existing features
  • Buggy at times and crashes
  • Requires a lot of training to use the tools effectively
  • Model management requires some work
It is very suitable for any widening, reconstruction, or new road projects where we need to look at the different alternativeor alignments in 3D and then produce 2D plans using the 3D model

Not best for road projects with just milling and resurfacing as we wont be using the strong model-centric tools.
  • Positive definitely as all projects I work on require OpenRoads Designer
  • Helps us meet the deliverable requirements set by our clients
I have used Bentley's Geopak before OpenRoads Designer (ORD) and definitely see that ORD is more powerful and advanced than Geopak in the task of design, analysis, and production of the road/highway projects. ORD makes Geopak obsolete.
Box
No
  • Product Features
  • Product Usability
  • Prior Experience with the Product
no change
Score 8 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
OpenRoads Designer is used at SMEC South Africa in the design and modelling of roads and highways projects. We use it to develop the entire design from concept through to detail design, plans production, and visualisation.
OpenRoads Designer is used almost exclusively by the Roads and Highways Function at SMEC, although we are trying to expand its usage into Urban Development and Construction & Pavements.
OpenRoads Designer addresses the issue of being required to develop multiple feasible design solutions rapidly without as much effort as a simple CAD package would require.
  • Integration with other disciplines. If one uses Bentley's companion products like OpenBridge Modeler or OpenSite Designer, there is no need to export any design information to other disciplines as the .dgn files can be directly referenced into other applications.
  • Visualisation - ORD comes bundled with a free version of LumenRT which produces amazing engineering and architectural renderings and can even be used in VR applications.
  • Design Environment. Being based on the DGN file format is brilliant - being able to have multiple models within a single file has so many advantages over the DWG file format.
  • This may only be applicable to South Africa, but training and product support definitely need a lot of improvement.
  • Some tools are over complicated and no simpler tool is provided. There is a bit of an obsession with preserving design intent to the point that making simple geometry edits is a really tedious task.
  • Usage of hardware. The software has mostly been programmed for single thread operations - so if you have 8 cores, only 1 will be used. It's a real shame of system resources to not use all of those cores to cut production time!
  • Drawing production - especially exporting drawings to DWG format is a massive pain.
  • Graphics Engine - seeing what game engines are capable of in their 3D working environments makes me wonder why all engineering software can't perform similarly.
ORD is really focused on modeling of roads infrastructure projects, but includes a few design workflows that are in other disciplines such as stormwater and drainage design and site modeling tools for developments. This is really handy because you don't need a third-party application that you have to transfer your design files over to to carry on with the project. Including LumenRT for free with ORD is by far the most helpful feature because of the visualisation capabilities which most software does not include.
ORD is well-suited for what the name of the product says - designing roads. I wouldn't say there are any scenarios in road design that it is less appropriate for.
  • Efficiency in designing (and visualising) alternative designs. Huge positive as clients are expecting this to be standard now.
  • A negative would be the learning curve (as mentioned, training material is a bit lacking). The time taken to learn the software when the pressure to produce designs is on sometimes hurts the bottom line.
  • It's helped us win projects where we were competing against other consultants who didn't have software that could produce alternative designs to the same level of detail as quickly.
ORD is a lot faster and a lot more modern than Civil 3D even though they're essentially the same product under different names (in terms of workflows).
I find that the DGN file format used by ORD is far better than the DWG file format used by C3D because DGNs can contain much more information and multiple models per file.
C3D is very heavy on memorizing keyboard inputs while ORD is a much more modern interface that relies mostly on using the mouse for inputs.
Lina Monica Ali | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 9 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
Due to client requirement for an Infra project to be done using the Bentley system, only some in the Infra team have picked up OpenRoads (with the rest still stay on Autodesk products). Though it took a fair bit of trying to understand the workings methods and environment of OpenRoads (especially for those transitioning from older versions), once familiar was quite helpful in speeding up modelling works. However adding linked geometric data (e.g. volume, area etc.), non-geometric data (e.g. material type, grade etc.) and "smart" structural openings to model components is still heavily manual and a pain when there's changes.
  • Creating linear models, since the app is based on alignment models and templates to extrude along the alignment.
  • Precise long section/profile along horizontal alignment. The app practically flatten the horizontal alignment for profile generation.
  • Template control. Though the template creation takes a bit of effort to create due to the point rulings. However when done right allows the model to be specifically modified with use of functions like super-elevation, point control, widening, parametric etc.
  • Creating data. Currently will need to create data tag (e.g. volume, length, material type, material engineering criteria etc.) of component manually. Some of the commonly use data in AECOsim should be preset in OpenRoads.
  • Ability to link geometric data values to geometric properties. Currently not linked (e.g. volume value, length value etc.) and had to be keyed in and/or changed manually.
  • Opening (eg. for MEP interface) creation and modification still manual. There should be a smart opening creation that would create openings at interface location and auto enclose the mesh opening so that the volume will take into account the opening(s) created.
For any linear model creation that follows an alignment. Not suitable to vertical modelling like Buildings.
  • Drawing creation from model have speed up drawing delivery by 80%
  • Model creation for linear project based on simple design speed up model delivery by 80%
  • Capturing model change due to alignment change have help speed up change capture by 80%
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