1985: Microstation v1.0

image source

Innovation: Microstation v1.0
Year: 1985
By: Bentley Systems

Microstation, which is similar to AutoCAD, is a software product for creating 2-D and 3-D designs and drafting. Microstation is used primarily for architectural and engineering purposes and can also provide special environments for civil engineering, mapping, and plant design.

The earliest version of Microstation, v 1.0, came about through Bentley’s experience developing an earlier platform called PseudoStation (1984). Version 1.0 was a simple, read only and plot program designed for the DGN file format and ran exclusively on the IBM PC-AT personal computer. Version 1.0 was only capable of producing basic 2D line drawings and had a very limited interface.

To date, eleven versions of Microstation have been released and the software has come a long way. Now, users have access to an incredible amount of features including a nearly limitless design plane, unlimited levels, no file size limits, standard definitions for working units, movie generation, and many more. Software like Microstation has enabled us to take what was bound in our imagination and produce real world projects. Microstation is widely used by European firms whereas AutoCAD is more prevalent in the United States.

sources: [1], [2]

Advertisement