The AutoCAD AEC days of the mid 90’s were probably my first foray into Parametric 3D modelling. But as a design tool I found it very stiff and inflexible. Lots of products have since come and gone. There was a pretty good one called Reflex (not sure what company or if it still exists) but it seems to have died a natural death not having the resources of Autodesk or Bentley. Vector works also seems to be a pretty good product. Being a diehard Microstation user however I am currentlyusing Bentley architecture. In general I believe there will be a remarkable growth factor in BIM technology and integrated practice over the next few years, probably a growth rate of 8% per year. In fact I think it will become increasingly difficult to find work if one is not trained on one BIM software package or the other.
Additionally the two other determinants are an understanding of what BIM is all about (philosophies, theory, and processes) and, actual field experience in a BIM environment.
In the Uk Market Revit seems to have gained the upper hand over Bentley Architecture. A probable reason for this is that Microstation products generally tend to be used for larger multidisciplinary projects and less so on smaller schemes whereas Autodesk products seem to be more commonly used by smaller practices and is notso commonly used on large infrastructural projects
I have moved this post from the Forum to the Blogs as suggested. I am glad that the statistics mentioned above seem agreeable. I have arrived at them by talking with employers such as designers and constructors, employment agencies and employees, looking at job billboards, compiling information from CAD vendors about what bundles they sell and to whom and also from a considerable amount of time working in the field. Please feel free to share any alternative views if there are any.