Bentley View Users: Input Requested

For the upcoming Bentley View CONNECT, we would like to be able to support V8i workspaces in addition to the new CONNECT workspaces.  We would appreciate any comments to the questions below.

1)      What type of activities do you use Bentley View for?

2)      Why do you use Bentley View compared to using the engineering application (IE: MicroStation) to view a drawing?

3)      Who installs Bentley view?

4)      Do you use Bentley View with existing workspaces

5)      If implementing MicroStation CONNECT, is it likely you will work in a hybrid mode? Meaning some projects on V8i and some on CONNECT.

6)      If using Bentley View to access existing projects by workspace, how do your users use Bentley View?

  1. They understand the file structure and workspace concepts and can access the files directly
  2. They are very casual users that do not understand the workspace setup.  We install desktop icons that open the workspaces directly
  3. Other?

7)      Any other comments on how you use Bentley View in your organization appreciated.

 

  • 1) Open view for: measure, print, layer control easier than PDF, reference and raster control more granular than pdf (not level dependent),
    2) View is used to not cost a design/drawing seat of Microstation
    3) IT installs or approves the deployment
    4) Workspaces are not widespread, but it would be useful to expand Authority of some form of Corporate standards across the Bentley range.
    5) CONNECT will be company wide deployment with Authoritative environments
    6) 1. Workspaces are not generally understood and not deployed Authoritatively
    7)
    a) 500 seats is a useful quantity, but I question the need to have a limit at all
    b) View currently requires separate training as commands do not match Microstation - Please make them identical (whilst redacting Design tools of course)
    c) Installation deployment should include Citrix model
    d) View shall be 100% compatible with Microstation at all times, including Accusnap tools etc.

    Greg Smith

    Microstation 10.17.01.058

    Opinions expressed are my own and not necessarily those of my employer

  • Can you elaborate on b) View requires separate training? All view tools should be the same as MicroStation tools. Please let me know where this differs.

    Keith Raymond

  • Sure Keith

    "b) View requires separate training? All view tools should be the same as MicroStation tools."
    View V8i SS3 08.11.09.459
    MS V8i SS3 08.11.09.459

    I guess also, I should have clarified that it the access to the tools that is the main issue, not necessarily the tool methodologies themselves.

    Because there is no "Tasks" toolbar, some tools, e.g. Measure, that are stored there in MS are not found in the same way in View. This necessitates some separate instruction.
    Level display is not accessed either through Tools pulldown or by Cntrl+E. It is accessed through Project Explorer, Model to turn Levels on and off. In MS there is no Models tab in Project Explorer.
    View has a Pulldown - View, which MS does not have. View does not have a Utilities pulldown, used to access Key In, which in View is under Tools.
    The access to the Workspace differs significantly in that View does not have the Workspace pulldown.

    I will not go on, suffice to demonstrate there are differences significant enough.
    These seemingly small elements, which seem more historical than purposeful, mean a rewrite of training materials (access to commands) and a headspace change when flitting between programs (well, at least for some of us oldies who use, or have used, multiple different CAD packages.

    Thanks for your interest, and I do hope this issue will be recognised and addressed in CONNECT. It will be difficult enough to migrate to CONNECT's new interface without the added hassle of having two slightly different environments. I want to be able to write training materials that are identical, with just an icon (or similar) showing what is not available in View.

    Greg Smith

    Microstation 10.17.01.058

    Opinions expressed are my own and not necessarily those of my employer

  • Those are good points, thanks very much.  The interface on the CONNECT Edition products has moved to the ribbon format.  For MicroStation we have many commands and, therefore, many ribbons.  Using the same ribbon setup I think would be too complex for the simplified Viewing workflow.  Below is the current setup with most tools available on the Home tab.  Such a setup should streamline operation at the expense of a bit more documentation!

    Keith Raymond

  • A- to view files -because it is faster than ABD - and parallell to ABD
    B- Give to clients

    And I really want to be able to do mark ups with it similar to Acrobat.

    regards / Thomas Voghera