Why has the CONNECT edition of Bentley View been removed?

Bentley View V8i SELECTseries 4 is offered as the most current version of the View product, available at no cost. It has sufficient support for viewing and printing most DGN files, and was updated to support CONNECTED Users and CONNECTED Projects. If you require additional viewing and review functionality beyond what is found in Bentley View V8i SELECTseries 4, please consider Bentley Navigator CONNECT Edition, which is available via an affordable BIM Review Visa with a Cloud Services Subscription, or Bentley Navigator CONNECT Edition mobile which is available with just a Bentley CONNECTIONS Passport. MicroStation PowerDraft CONNECT Edition is another alternative to view and edit DGN files with full fidelity.

Regards,
Makai Smith
Director of Product Management, MicroStation Product Line
Bentley Systems, Inc.

Bentley View V8i SELECTseries 4 is offered as the most current version of the View product, available at no cost. It has sufficient support for viewing and printing most DGN files, and was updated to support CONNECTED Users and CONNECTED Projects. If you require additional viewing and review functionality beyond what is found in Bentley View V8i SELECTseries 4, please consider Bentley Navigator CONNECT Edition, which is available via an affordable BIM Review Visa with a Cloud Services Subscription, or Bentley Navigator CONNECT Edition mobile which is available with just a Bentley CONNECTIONS Passport. MicroStation PowerDraft CONNECT Edition is another alternative to view and edit DGN files with full fidelity.

Regards,
Makai Smith
Director of Product Management, MicroStation Product Line
Bentley Systems, Inc.

That's all fine but you have still not really answered the question as to why a brand new program (part of the CONNECT family and supposedly the way Bentley is moving forward) was released and then removed. Was it that bad a product?

As for the decision to release and then remove, it was strictly driven by a focus on developing the Bentley Navigator product line as the solution for view and design review. As far as technology is concerned, the CONNECT Edition generation of products is unquestionably the way forward (within the MicroStation product line as well as within other design applications).

Hi Makai,

Unknown said:

If you require additional viewing and review functionality beyond what is found in Bentley View V8i SELECTseries 4

With all respect, until 2D files are supported correctly and can be reviewed, Bentley Navigator CONNECT Edition cannot be treated as replacement for Bentley View.

With regards,

  Jan

MicroStation Review promotes the viewing of DGN files.  It is zero cost for the V8i version.  That makes it easy for a project manager to recommend to non-CAD users in her organisation.

Unknown said:

Please consider Bentley Navigator CONNECT Edition, which is available via an affordable BIM Review Visa with a Cloud Services Subscription, or Bentley Navigator CONNECT Edition mobile which is available with just a Bentley CONNECTIONS Passport

Hmm.  Does the invention of wacky-sounding marketing phraseology sweeten the bitter pill?  'affordable BIM Review Visa' is not, I suspect, zero-cost.  Affordable is a subjective term.  'a Cloud Services Subscription' definitely sounds like you expect money to exchange hands.

Free viewing software propagates the use of the DGN format within and without your MicroStation customer base.  Licensed software having an absurd name creates an obstruction to liberal DGN usage within an organisation. 

Unknown said:

Free viewing software propagates the use of the DGN format within and without your MicroStation customer base. 

Agree for 100%. Today to don't offer completely free (no subscription, maybe free registration) simple format viewer* both for desktop and mobile platforms is very quick way to loose users's interest to use such format and software. And unfortunately I have to say it's what I have seen now. There are alternatives (especially based on DWG / Teigha, but not only) and open source software also has become better and better.

* Such approach is open to offer something better for money (e,g, with redlining, better cloud integration etc.).

With regards,

  Jan