MicroStation PowerDraft, a High Productivity Tool for Drafters, Ships On Time.

EXTON, Pa.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 30, 1995--Bentley Systems, Inc., the leader in professional CAD products and services to engineers, architects, drafters, and organizations whose overall success relies on CAD, today announced that it has met its original schedule for its new MicroStation PowerDraft product and has begun volume shipments. This drafting-optimized addition to the MicroStation range of products provides all the tools that professionals need for 2D and 3D production drafting with a new streamlined interface at a mid-level price. The company also made public a sanctioned benchmark study that indicates MicroStation PowerDraft provides nearly twice the productivity of AutoCAD.

The product, which was in Beta test at over 500 sites, has been widely applauded by users and industry experts. Jerry Davis, systems manager for the architectural engineering firm Harley Ellington Design (Southfield, MI), comments, "MicroStation PowerDraft is the first truly innovative productivity tool that I've seen in CAD software in a long time. The AccuDraw feature represents a new, more fluid way of drawing, which is obviously more productive. It makes drawing easier and faster -- and that's what it's all about."

MicroStation PowerDraft reduces the time drafters spend detailing designs by giving them focused drafting capabilities and the ability to customize with the new MicroStation BASIC language. New intelligent drawing technologies, including the AccuDraw and SmartLine features, offer visual feedback and context-sensitive guidance for users. Matt Michaelsen, a programmer/analyst at the architecture and engineering firm H.D.R., Inc. (Omaha, NE), says, "AccuDraw feels so natural, it makes you wonder why no one has come up with this before. MicroStation PowerDraft will definitely make our users more productive."

MicroStation PowerDraft also supports the MicroStation Development Language (MDL). Third parties are now writing complete drafting tools in MDL on top of MicroStation PowerDraft.

Industry Opinions

Martyn Day, CADD magazine reviewer, comments, "The all or nothing approach by CAD vendors is about to be shattered with Bentley's MicroStation PowerDraft, a fully featured 2D drafting tool (with a suite of 3D features) which is aimed to set new levels of price/performance." He adds, "Bentley is attempting to change the dynamics of the CAD marketplace, offering a fresh, well-thought through approach to [drafting]."