Microstation vs. AutoCAD

I have been using AutoCAD for more than 6 years and I have used Microstation for about 2 years. I personally prefer AutoCAD over Microstation because I feel that it is more user friendly. I would like to hear other opinions and thoughts.

 

[txcadman]

I have used both AutoCAD and MicroStation, I have found out thru my experience in both the private sector and working for TXDOT that MicroStation is better for Transportation projects,land developement, and mapping. AutoCAD is good for structural, machine, and architectural. Both are good design software programs, so it is just to your tailoring what to use. I use to work for the TXDOT Information Systems Division in the Engineering Systems section, and use to work for the El Paso Community College as a AutoCAD Lab Manager, and also for the private sector. All I can advise is learn both. You thank me later for the advice.

 

[namdac]

Hi All,
My turn , I have also been a avid CAD user for more years than I can remember....wait it was when vaccum tubes were still being used.
I have used and still use both AutoCAD & Microstation. The latest versions have been LDDT2i & GeoPak. In Acad the modelspace vs. paperspace is and always will be an issue. In Microstation the advantage is to do the design and reference it to the sheet file. Scaling is just part of the program.
I did do some Beta testing with V8 and Boys & Girls we no longer have to fight between the programs any longer it will read write both DWG & DGN files. Besides if you are doing work for a DOT in the USA you will find that almost all of them require that you have Microstation. Alot of support is available from the DOT's and from other federal agencies:

http://www.wfl.fha.dot.gov/geopak/idiot2001/idiot2001.htm

Try this one and see what I mean.
Besides if you are using GeoPAK alot of the criteria has been written to corilate with federal specs.
Good Luck to All,
Namdac

 

[promero]

I am new to Microstation and trying to develop piping isometrics.

I am able to draw isometric lines easily per the Isometric settings on microstation. However, How do I insert valves in the proper orientation?

If the x-axis runs horizontally on my screen, how do I rotate with respect to the x- axis? Currently, I only able to rotate objects with respect to the Z-axis.

 

[engineeringh2o]

I resently started working for a company that uses Microstation because that is what our client request. I used AutoCAD LDD 2000 and AutoCAD 2002 with Eagle Point for the last 2-yrs. I find there are three issues that affect how people feel about CAD (Microstation vs. AutoCAD).

Mostly I have found that whatever program a person learns fisrt, they preffer in the long run.

Second, you need to compare contemporay version of software. Comparing Microstation V8 to AutoCAD 10 is pointless. I run into situations where descisions are based on experiences that happened with 10-yr old software. Talk about comparing pintos to cadillacs.

Third, ask yourself what CAD stands for. There are two answers. "Computer Aided Drafting" and "Computer Aided Design". As an engineer I use Microstation or AutoCAD to design. Why do the work twice. With AutoCAD and I suspect Microstation will be the same, how well the software does design depends on the add-on you use. Many people I have talked to started as drafters and have learned to draft with the computer, but don't use it as a design tool. Many of the engineers never learned to use the either software or haven't tried to use it since it was computer drafting and believe it is a waste of the engineers time. Being young, I find this fustrating.

I suspect there may even be a difference between disiplines. Which one is better for doing earthworks, roads, electrical, structural, etc... My experience have been related to site design.

As a civil engineer working on site designs and hydrology jobs, which is better and what add-ons would be most useful?

Any thoughts?

 

[Lorys]

In response to Ben Dar and others...
You don't use the select tool to find out what an element is.. in pre V8 versions tentative on an element and read the status line it tells you what type of element and its level and if its a ref file which one...
In V8 just move the mouse cursor over the element and wait then it will pop out..
I prefered to use infosnap in preV8 its a 3rd party free tool that will blow your socks off..
As to exchange file I just use my function keys setup and accudraw short cuts to execute any command quicker than i ever could in Acad..
If you wanna be a typist use Autocad.. you want to draft use microstation..
If you use V8 you can open all acad as dwg without conversions and just keep working as a microstation drafter.. Autocad only uses autocad files or dxf ..
in mapping you need to be able to open all kinds of files ...

 

[GISPro]

It all depends on which platform you learn first. I have worked on both Microstation and AutoCAD.
As a technical mapper I find Microstation not only easier but has many more features than AutoCAD, not to mention programming MDL's and the versatility of them. Now working in the GIS field I use AutoCAD 2002. But I find AutoCAD to be very cumbersome and repetitive in many commands, I could create the same map in Microstation in half the time, and not because I know the proper way in Microstation and not In AutoCAD.
AutoCAD took awhile to even catch up to the Microstation platform with certain commands. Majority in the mapping field that have used to Microstation & AutoCAD will prefer Microstation for the job for the simple reason it does the job faster and better.
But if you learned AutoCAD first then you won't like Microstation because even though they are both CAD programs Microstation I find to be more of a professional level of Computer Aided Drafting programs when seemed to be a simplified version of Microstaion.