Hello,
I have a request to save a Solidworks Drawing in a format that MicroStation can use. I know they can open .dwg’s, but the one I saved and sent didn’t work in this instance. I was told that maybe I should save it in an older version, but I have no idea what version that would be. I saved that one in R2018.
I’m told they use Power InRoads V8i (Select Series 10), if that helps.
Can you send them a dxf instead? If not, I would pick an early version.
Hey Glenn Schroeder , if “they” is LADOTD (which is stuck on v8), I’ve had decent luck giving people here files with these settings:
image.png
It’s a DoT, but not Louisiana. I asked which version they wanted me to save it in, but I don’t know if they’ll know. If they don’t, or if I don’t hear back from them in the next day or so I’ll try that. Thanks.
“DGN” files. I swear I thought they (Bentley) had a SolidWorks import but I believe they are Parasolid based?
Otherwise, DXF.
In my experience, at least here, the people using Microstation have no idea which version is compatible. I tried giving them other versions and they had trouble. So, I went all the way back to version 2000. Though, we’re on Select Series 2 (2010) version of Microstation, here…I have no idea what version of Inroads our road people use.
zxys001,
Funny story about that…
So…a little history… Intergraph was the developer of both Microstation and the Parasolid kernel. Bentley bought up Intergraph, I’d have to look it up because I’m not sure if the sale of the Parasolid kernel happened before or after the acquisition, but it was sold off.
So, up until I think about 3 years ago Bentley had no parametric software that I know about (other than Inroads, if it’s even a truly parametric software).
They licensed the Parasolid kernel sometime about 3 years ago and are pushing their new “Open Bridge” software that I believe is based on it.
I heard back from them. They suggested saving it as R2013, so I’ll give that a try.
JSculley,
What Bentley states there and what actually works are 2 different things. According to that chart I should be able to give our structural guys AutoCAD files in 2010 format. I can’t do that. That’s probably why even though that chart says Glenn can send them 2016 files, they’re requesting 2013.
Autodesk is the leader here and Bentley is the follower. So, opening something in Microstation from Autocad is much more of a pain than vice versa…Of course some of that is due to our processes and settings.
Interesting thread, but not that accurate.
Firstly, Bentley Microstation is an industry leader in certain sectors, especially very large scale infrastructure projects. Autodesk and Bentley did a deal many years ago to allow native file format exchange. So Microstation opens dwgs and AutoCAD opens dgn. Interestingly the free Siemens drafting tool and SolidEdge imports native .dgn files as well.
Check this out.
The issue with infrastructure is that they rarely update software mid project, so an ongoing project will use the software that it started with. That, and also the fact that many simply don’t update annually. So often very old versions are in use.
The Parasolid kernel was developed by Shape Data in the UK, as a follow on kernel product to Romulus (which I worked in). Intergraph had nothing to do with it. Siemens bought them in the late 80s.
Intergraph were the original developers of SolidEdge-but they used ACIS (which was one of the big pro SolidWorks sales pitches back in the day “we use the same kernel as Unigraphics”). When The Unigraphics developers bought SolidEdge in the late 90s they switch kernels to Parasolid. Then Siemens bought them so owning the kernel, the geometry solver (DCubed) and NX and SolidEdge.
There were rumours several years ago of Siemens wanting to buy Bentley….so completing the circle
..ah, 1985,.. those where the days when pricing was so… reasonable? 
Does anyone know anything about MicroStation?
You won’t hear thsi from me very often, but… NO.
I guess I had some of the details wrong. Thanks for clearing that up.
There were rumours several years ago of Siemens wanting to buy Bentley….so completing the circle
It appears Autodesk is going hard at the infrastructure market from the emails I have been receiving. Looks like Siemens may just buy their way in?
I believe the sale of the Intergraph mechanical division (which included Solid Edge) happened as a result of Intergraph conversion of Solid Edge to Parasolid rather than the other way around. The Solid Edge group had initiated the migration of Solid Edge to to the Parasolid kernel to gain a more robust and capable kernel. During this conversion period there was interest by both Unigraphics and Intergraph in forming a mechanical business partnership. Due to a resulting lopsided “interest” that would have favored Unigraphics because they were much bigger (by about 5X), Intergraph ultimately decided to sell them the mechanical division instead.
Yeah, and the hardware to run that software was $60-75,000 at the time! Could you image the cost of CAD these days if hardware stayed at those prices!
Sorry Pet Peave of mine…
It is Solid Edge not SolidEdge! See SolidWorks even has your fingers thinking about them. 
All I can say is I cut my teeth on Bently Microstation…
Back in the day…
Some of you Rember DOS?
Well Bently Microstation had a graphical user interface that was far superior to the AutoCad 12 under DOS!
I was great. It is only that Microstation had a Dongel Copy protection device and AutoCad did not that I believe
DWG is the “Standard” today and not DGN.
I’ve said the same regarding AutoCAD… It became #1 because it was easy to pirate! Microstation was (and probably still is) a technically superior product to AutoCAD, and that included their anti-piracy feature. Funny thing is, Autodesk is now one of the most aggressive companies when it comes to going after their software piracy.
I always thought AutoCAD’s early dominance came from giving copies away to colleges. Back when computer drafting/design was in its semi-early adoption stage, a lot of companies would invest in the package they could get users for - and all the new users coming out of the colleges used AutoCAD. (at least around my area)
I won’t argue it was easy for us to copy AutoCAD around the dorms - it was - but it was just for doing our homework, I swear!
The summer between my junior/senior years I worked at a small company (machine shop) that had no CAD whatsoever and I, as a summer-help machine operator, wound up getting them going with AutoCAD. For the first couple weeks I used my pirated version from school, but after they saw what I was doing they bought a license and a computer that I ran the rest of the summer.
Checking customer drawings, exporting dimensions for their new CMM, printing details and blowing up parts of the drawings for the machinists, it was a great experience, but I didn’t get to do nearly as much machining as I wanted to.