Post your CAD Software/Cogo Program

MicroStation and AutoCAD

In the early nineties I was at the Dept. of Transportation and we were provided MicroStation V4 (remember the "blue command box"?). Prior to that I had used (up to) AutoCAD R10. Thus started my schizophrenic bi-polar drafting disease.

All I can say after all these years is, "Those that use both are proficient at neither!"

That statement is oh so true. I have an older AutoCAD version on an old XP machine at the house. I also have a client that is strictly AutoCAD. I will find myself trying to key in AutoCAD commands in MicroStation, I will also try to "tentative" select elements in AutoCAD. I can't remember which one has levels and which one has layers. I have exited AutoCAD before and realized I forgot to "save"...:bored:

They both have their high points and both have their drawbacks. In the last 5 years the screen formats have become increasingly similar...only adding to my confusion.

Anybody else use both on a semi-regular basis?

Carlson Take Off R1
Copan Lite

I know about 1%.

Traverse PC
carlson 2014 intellicad..

MicroStation and AutoCAD

> Anybody else use both on a semi-regular basis?

Well I don't, but some of my guys do. I have two guys who have surveying degrees from the Technical University of Slovakia and they learned on microstation over there.

MicroStation and AutoCAD

My first couple of CAD drafting classes were AutoCAD 12/13 based and involved drawing front, top, and side views of mechanical parts. Later I took an architectural drafting course that was taught on Intergraph workstations running MicroStation. The class was so lab intensive that I ended up buying a student copy of MicroStation so I could work on my project at home. My surveying courses used AutoCAD 13 but we did so little work on it that very few of the commands stuck with me.

My first week working for a surveyor I was thrown on a machine with AutoCAD 13 and expected to help crank out site plans for cell towers. I nearly drove the Engineer across the hall crazy because I'd know what I needed to do, just not how to accomplish it in AutoCAD. I'd call across the hall with what I was trying to accomplish (described in MicroStation'ese) and he'd respond with the corresponding AutoCAD command.

MicroStation V8 I and Inroads Suite. I wish I still had a machine that could run WildSoft. Most of my time is spent using Word and Excel. Lately all of my heavy duty surveying has been using OPUS Projects.

AutoCAD 2013
Homebrewed AutoLISP raw data conversion, COGO, and drafting functions
Star*Net v6
TBC Advanced v2.91
OPUS Projects
Excel 2010

I let my AutoCAD subscription expire last year. I tried CMS IntelliCAD, but its LISP implementation is too slow and differs from AutoLISP in some key areas. I'll probably continue with AutoCAD 2013 until it breaks. One of these days I'll give BricsCAD a try as a potential replacement; the limited look-see I got last year seemed to execute AutoLISP code as fast as AutoCAD does.

AutoCAD Map 3D 2011
TDS Foresight
TBC 2.81 (soon to be upgraded)
Bogo 'The real man's Round Earth super surveyor COGO program' V 08.12.94
(for geodetic comps, protractions and datum/projection conversions.)

15%
90%
50%
95%

Not very proud of it but,
Microstation V8i (Select Series 3) with GeoPAK Survey

MicroStation and AutoCAD

In '01-'04ish I worked on a new 90 mile r.o.w. project and had to learn microstation/geopak in a big hurry. At first, when I was just the designated analysis dude, I was allowed use of LDD (which IMO microstation- at least the version at the time- couldn't get close to for efficiency and intuitiveness). But when the lines had all been determined I transitioned into mainly a topo guy/m&b writer. I still wish I could do all topo in geopak. The ability to adjust, modify, and undo on the fly was light years beyond what cad could do (and can do, still, according I the little fantasy memories in my head).

All that said, I'm on carlson now (2007 for the time being), and while there are a few things I wish it did better, it's by far my favorite in terms of survey considerations. Though all the various "cad" I know is entirely self-taught, it's not hard to see the benefit of surveying software written for surveyors, as opposed to engineering software adapted for surveyors (which seems to be becoming less adapted, afaict).

Microstation J
CMS Intellicad
Autocad 2004 LDD

Each has its own purpose

Microstation is used for general drafting
CMS Intellicad is used for translating from newer versions to DWG ver 2004
AutoCAD 2004 LDD is used for creating contours, cross-sections & profiles

C&G Version 8 w/embedded AutoCAD 2007 at my office. Learning Carlson 2011 w/embedded AutoCAD at new employer. Very similar CAD functions but Carlson has a lot more going on than C&G. I probably know 15% or less of AutoCAD

> MicroStation V8 I and Inroads Suite. I wish I still had a machine that could run WildSoft. Most of my time is spent using Word and Excel. Lately all of my heavy duty surveying has been using OPUS Projects.

Steve,
I remember when we compared your WildSoft with my AutoCad10/DCA. We were Pro's in those days. Now I struggle along with C3d wishing I still had DCA/Softdesk/LDD. Now I find [REDACTED] and HP41 Survey my 'go-to' software.
My thanks to you and Brian Ward (NGS) for my OPUS Projects Managers Training bringing me back to the 'modern' ways.

DDSM

That was a really good Class on Opus Projects.. It was my second time around, and I use it a lot but I learned some new tricks and procedures.

Dittos...

ubenhavin(?)

I cringe at the thought of trying to use Microstation as a drafting tool for things such as plats or records of survey. The interface is horrible, all these icons without text and the lack of an efficient simple command line interface is unacceptable.

I hear the engineers that like Inroads really like it though because it is powerful.

Autocad Civil3d 2014 with Carlson Civil 2014
Kubit pointsense add-on
Dotsoft add-on
Sincpac add-on

It does everything I need.

Looks like I made it to the 1%

Terramodel

• C3D 2014 with Surveys Companion & Data Reduction
• C3D 2012 with Eagle Point on older drawings
• Raster Design
• LGO V7
• C&G
• Irfanview
• Geosetter
• OPUS Projects
• DSWorld
• Corps Con
• Ultra Edit
• Microsoft Office
o Word
o Excel
o Access
o Outlook
• Google Earth

AutoCAD 2005Lt. Everything else is my own software: COGO, legal description writer, F2F, etc. Writing the code took a lot of work and years of effort, but it does exactly what I want in the most efficient manner possible. For me, that is.