Any Microstation GeoPAK users willing to collaborate to shorten my learning curve?
Seems I need to add a few more words to the censor plugin. 😉 😀
I'm a longtime Microstation user with InRoads. The current version is now OpenAccess to GeoPak, MxRoads, and InRoads.
Cogo has always been a bit non-intuitive with Bentley products. Drafting and 3d surfaces are what the outcome is most known for, with Bentley.
The reason most DOT's use Bentley products is for the advanced?ÿcustomization it allows. The most challenging?ÿpart of Bentley products is learning the advanced?ÿcustomization.
So what?ÿexactly?ÿdo you need help with?
I always thought most DOTs use it because they got it for free.
I always thought most DOTs use it because they got it for free.
My understanding is that many DOTs were already using Intergraph?ÿon mainframe computers when PCs became a thing.?ÿ Then Intergraph began marketing Microstation to their customers for use on PCs. At that time - the mid 1980s - Microstation was a more advanced product with a built in marketing network. So that's how that camel got it's nose in the tent.?ÿ
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Caltrans has switched to Civil3D
I always thought most DOTs use it because they got it for free.
My understanding is that many DOTs were already using Intergraph?ÿon mainframe computers when PCs became a thing.?ÿ Then Intergraph began marketing Microstation to their customers for use on PCs. At that time - the mid 1980s - Microstation was a more advanced product with a built in marketing network. So that's how that camel got it's nose in the tent.?ÿ
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That's exactly how it went down in OK.?ÿ At ODOT we had the Unix (Clix?)?ÿIntergraph stations.?ÿ Somewhere around '93 to '95 the department purchased 40 (v4 I think) pretty boxes of MicroStation consisting of 16 3.5" floppies, with dongles of course.?ÿ It was by no means free and caused a great deal of roaring from the purchasing department.?ÿ We needed MS to be able to utilize all the previous project's dgn files.?ÿ Since the purchase was near $40K purchasing wanted to allow?ÿvendors to open bid personal computer graphics software.?ÿ I think AutoCAD was the only other at the time, but dwgs and dgns were?ÿnot compatible.?ÿ We also used an IBM?ÿoperating system called OS2 that did not like MS very much.?ÿThat was only one of several growing pains that occurred at the beginning of the PC revolution with government rules.
I helped install?ÿMS on all the PCs in the field offices and attempted to get everybody up to speed.?ÿ It was a tough year ...
I remember we would install the software on as many PCs as we could at each field office (usually 3 to 5), but only one dongle was allocated to that office.?ÿ Dongle theft was a common and chronic occurrence between offices...it approached hilarious.?ÿ I had to keep the unopened MS boxes under lock and key at the central office because the guys would break into them to steal the dongles.?ÿ Everybody had the 16 floppies...but everybody wanted?ÿthe?ÿ'hardware lock'.
That seems like such a long time ago....
It Was a long time ago, especially in "computer years", which seem to be shorter than dog years.
It seems to me there are fewer programs using dongles these days (though I could well be very much out of the loop). That said, a program the company I work for uses a dongle.
I will say that I hate entering that cussed 25 numerical/ letter digit code to unlock programs though. It usually takes me thee or four tries before I get all them right.
It seems to me there are fewer programs using dongles these days
I suspect that has to do with the studies showing the 10% - 15% reduction in efficiency of software utilizing dongles due to the time spent by grown men giggling.?ÿ ?ÿ?ÿ
Good point James! I never would have thought of that part.... with the way the "adults" here act (all over 40), that sounds perfectly logical though!
Caltrans has switched to Civil3D
CALTRANS made an announcement that they would be switching to C3d as of mid 2014 but if you google for CALTRANS CAD standards today you get a page that has MS smeared all over it.?ÿ I suppose that the transition from MS to C3d will be, in accordance with typical government agency culture, a generational thing.?ÿ
If you have a link to their C3d survey template I'd sure like to see it.?ÿ?ÿ
It Was a long time ago, especially in "computer years", which seem to be shorter than dog years.
It seems to me there are fewer programs using dongles these days (though I could well be very much out of the loop). That said, a program the company I work for uses a dongle.
I will say that I hate entering that cussed 25 numerical/ letter digit code to unlock programs though. It usually takes me thee or four tries before I get all them right.
I had 12 field offices covering 77 counties that needed constant updating and what-not with their systems. I put a lot of miles on a '93 Buick Regal. About the time we got everything lined out we purchased CalComp plotters for the offices and the trouble started all over.
We also had a couple of renegades that secretly partitioned the hard drives on their PCs and installed DOS in a dual boot sort of affair.?ÿ All our engineering software (including MS) ran great with the DOS system but this was a no-no since the Highway Department technically didn't own the units.?ÿ They were "owned" by another government entity called "Data Processing".?ÿ DP had a contract with IBM and the OS2 folks and DOS was a nasty word.
About a dozen of us wound up in the "principal's office" to answer questions about altering State owned computers.?ÿ It was your basic kangaroo court.?ÿ None of us got in any trouble, but we all had "write-ups" in our personnel file...wooo-hooo...
Several of the guys actually purchased their own DOS PCs and brought them to work with them.?ÿ After many meetings it was determined that was OK as long as there was no connection to the State's mainframe.
Oh, the memories.?ÿ And that was back in the day when every surveyor at the State had the number .3048006 burned into their gizzard.
