AECOSim and Microstation Connect on the same PC

Hi Danny,

Unknown said:

Can I run Microstation Connect on the same PC?

I guess there are two different answers possible:

Technically there is no problem to install V8i and CONNECT Edition products side by side, because V8i is 32bit and CONNECT Edition is 64bit technology, installed into different folders, so there is no overlap. And 32bit application does not know about 64bit registered dlls, available assemblies etc. and vice versa.

If talking about a license, I think it's wrong to think about AECOsim BD as about MicroStation plus extension (but I am not Bentley employee). I don't know AECOsim BD in detail, but I suppose the "MicroStation only" mode still consums AECOsim BD license, only some modules are not loaded in this workspace, so there is no MicroStation license available together with AECOsim BD.

On the other hand I guess you can download AECOsim Building Designer CONNECT Edition technology preview to test CONNECT Edition environment.

With regards,

  Jan

Hi Danny,
ABD and MicroStation are separately licensed products.
You cannot run MicroStation whether V8i or CONNECT Edition on an ABD licence.
You can run ABD in MicroStation mode when you do not need the ABD tools.
ABD CONNECT EAP1 is based on the work in progress builds of MicroStation CONNECT Update 4 so there will be some features in ABD EAP releases that are not yet available as released or technology preview features in MicroStation CONNECT.
MicroStation CONNECT Update 4 will be available soon, watch the MicroStation forum for news of that.

Hi Danny,
I wish I had a good answer in regards to the core licensing aspect, but that is something outside the scope of support.

For the MicroStation Mode, however, that had nothing to do with licensing in any fashion but was added specifically to limit the available toolset in ABD to those in base MicroStation. IOW, it was strictly a UI decision based on user request. Plus, that mode still does load the Family & Part system in the background to support live DV resymbolization, something that plain MicroStation cannot do.

In regards to CONNECT... understood. The way ABD is licensed precedes MicroStation CONNECT by a few years, but yes, until ABD CONNECT Edition itself is released there has been/will be a gap in that functionality. AFAIK that would apply to any standalone discipline app such as OpenRoads, OpenPlant, etc..

Steve
I appreciate this is note the licensing forum, ......
' Plus, that mode still does load the Family & Part system in the background to support live DV resymbolization, something that plain MicroStation cannot do.'
Interesting ...... ............. I'll comment on that in another posting
'until ABD CONNECT Edition itself is released there has been/will be a gap in that functionality'
A gap, ....... about a year and a half!
2-3 months maybe, ..... but a year and a half
I'll be honest, .... I feel 'cheated'
Probably best finish this topic here ..... because I have nothing good to say about it
I guess I won't be participating in any Mictrostation forums/feedback/development, ....... because apparently I don't actually have the right to use it.
Enough for now!

Hi Danny,

I would like to add to this: BE VERY CAREFUL of the Bentley licensing policy !!!

I have 6 microstations seats and i decided to migrate 2 licenses for ABD (ie 4 MS licenses +2 MS licenses).
But my architects still need to open microstation for some on going projects:
TA DA!!! Bentley charges me 2 over uses of MS (for 40 min use) = 2 x 900€ = 1800 €
No way to have some free time using 6 MS licenses while i set up the ABD configuration (wich is, by the way, very painful !)

The wrongly named "Open license"system is not at all open but charges you as much as it can.

And AECOSim "Microstation only mode" it not at all useable in production environnement, you will spend hours to try to configure AECOsim to work well with your ongoing Microstation environnement - and even if you succeed, ABD will take ages to open ( because it will load all Families and Part you don't need).


Chris

Chris

We have a mix of Microstation and AECOsim, and have no problem using AECOsim with Microstation files.

Our setup is simple, but you can't tell the difference between Microstation and AECOsim when we're working in a file.

AECOsim in Microstation mode can use the same config files as Microstation, and loads fairly quickly, as it doesn't load all the dataset files.

On the migration to AECOsim from Microstation. Didn't Bentley tell you that you can migrate 2 Microstation licenses to 3 AECOsim at no additional cost. You just have to pay for the extra maintenance.

Michael.

Thank you Michael for your feedback.

Can you tell me how do you configure AECOsim to use your standard Microstation environnement ? We use a networked Workspace/Standard to share all our cell/dgnlib/datas/.... and AECOsim needs a lot more data files spread everywhere. I hope the Connect Edition will be easier to deploy.

If there is a very simple way to install AECOsim over a Microstation installation only by pointing some config variables AND be sure nothing will be corrupted i will be very pleased ( and Bentley should explains it very clearly).

And no, Bentley did not tell me i can migrate 2 MS licenses to 3 AECOsim. In fact, depsite i am a +10 years Bentley user i have no commercial taking care of me ( but i am in Paris - dangerous place seen from the States now :)).
The only Bentley staff daring speaking to me (loudly) is the billing department.
By the way, i do not really need to migrate 2 MS to 3 AECOsim, i would prefer migrate 1 MS to 2 AECOsim, so i can continue to use a MS licence during the learning period.

Regards,
Chris

Thank you Michael for your feedback.

Can you tell me how do you configure AECOsim to use your standard Microstation environnement ? We use a networked Workspace/Standard to share all our cell/dgnlib/datas/.... and AECOsim needs a lot more data files spread everywhere. I hope the Connect Edition will be easier to deploy.

If there is a very simple way to install AECOsim over a Microstation installation only by pointing some config variables AND be sure nothing will be corrupted i will be very pleased ( and Bentley should explains it very clearly).

And no, Bentley did not tell me i can migrate 2 MS licenses to 3 AECOsim. In fact, depsite i am a +10 years Bentley user i have no commercial taking care of me ( but i am in Paris - dangerous place seen from the States now :)).
The only Bentley staff daring speaking to me (loudly) is the billing department.
By the way, i do not really need to migrate 2 MS to 3 AECOsim, i would prefer migrate 1 MS to 2 AECOsim, so i can continue to use a MS licence during the learning period.

Regards,
Chris

Chris

You can start AECOsim in "Microstation" mode, and create a user similar to you Microstation User. In Microstation mode, it doesn't load all the Dataset files AECOsim needs.

I've copied the .upf and .ucf files and User files from our old Microstation to this newly created User, and everything still works. But we have a simple setup with local files. It should still work with network files. There are smarter people here who can probably help with the config side of things, if needed. Try in the "Microstation" forum.

The 2 for 3 swap is because 2 Microstation licenses cost roughly the same as 3 AECOsim licenses.

Regards
Michael.