Microstation Powerdraft CE16 (all languages) - will it be released at all?

I wonder if and when Microstation Powerdraft CE16 will be released. It didn't get a 15.2 release, too. Not to speak of the German localization...

Do you have any information on this, ?

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  • Sorry to say but your users pay for Select and part of Select is free upgrade.  PowerDraft CE 15.0 was released on 12/02/2020 that is 18 months ago tomorrow.  In the past PowerDraft typically is released c. 4 weeks post MicroStation

    MicroStation has had 2 additional releases since this date.


    If I were a PowerDraft user I would be seeking a refund.  This is not acceptable for the userbase that rely on upgrades, BUG fixes, speed and performance issues and new enhancements to make their lives easier, smoother etc.

    So when is PowerDraft CE 16 going to be released?

  • PowerDraft CE 15.0 German was released on 6/1/2021, so it's not 18 months but I find it still inaccpetable that we Microstation Powerdraft users are treated as 2nd class customers and have to wait for a piece of software that is basically the same as the full Microstation minus batch utilities and 3D for ages - not to mention the German localization...

  • I am not so sure that Powerdraft is Microstation. Try running Bentley utilities on your 2nd class "Microstation" and you will be greeted with message "Application is not authorized to run on this product.". Including name Microstation in Powerdraft product name is a clickbait as you automatically assume that Microstation news and features applies to Powerdraft also.

  • If I buy a CAD program I expect it to be updated to be able to read all the new file formats just as its big brother.

    With the Connect Edition the behaviour described by you was introduced - so I still have to keep V8i in order to use e.g. AutoTURN...

    When we bought Powerdraft roundabout 15 years ago we were told that it's basically Microstation, only without 3D functions and would be the "full 2D version of Microstation, only named Powerdraft because you need a product name for distinction". If Bentley now decides to treat it as a different product that falls out of the usual update rhythm - well, that would be a huge disappointment (but would fit in the overall picture).

    Just out of curiosity: how does Autodesk treat AutoCAD vs. AutoCAD LT?

  • I am not so sure that Powerdraft is Microstation.

    They are two products, based on the same power platform technology. It has not changed from V8 times.

    Consequently, it means PowerDraft is MicroStation in terms of functionality, where they overlap (the same tool should work the same). But they are different products, so they offer different set of tools and functionality.

    Try running Bentley utilities on your 2nd class "Microstation" and you will be greeted with message "Application is not authorized to run on this product.".
    With the Connect Edition the behaviour described by you was introduced - so I still have to keep V8i in order to use e.g. AutoTURN...

    Again, it's something that has not changed from V8 era. MicroStation PowerDraft is locked for development from (at least) V8 2004 Edition. The only exception are VBA macros. A special case, if I remember it right, were old pseudocode MDL applications, that maybe were allowed to run, but I think they were not supported from V8 2004 Edition officially anyway.

    So, the only difference there is not PowerDraft itself, because it's still limited (locked) in the same way, but that the authors negotiated with Bentley unlocking password for V8i, but not for CE (the true is it has never been simple process).

    Bentley official statement about unlocking PowrDraft for development, published a few years ago, is there.

    If Bentley now decides to treat it as a different product that falls out of the usual update rhythm - well, that would be a huge disappointment (but would fit in the overall picture).

    It's true (it looks like) that in CE era, Bentley take PowerDraft as "2nd class" (in  "less important" meaning) product, which is for sure wrong. There are many users and to release PowerDraft after MicroStation cannot be so technically demanding ... probably there is no interest :-(

    Regards,

      Jan