Autodesk & Bentley Exchange Vows

Autodesk and Bentley Systems are vowing to read each other's formats:

• Autodesk gives Bentley a copy of RealDWG
• Bentley gives Autodesk, well, nothing, because the DGN format is an open one, distributed by the Open Design Alliance.
• Both give each other APIs for AEC apps.

Update

Bentley confirms that the ODA is now irrelevent both ways: (1) Bentley will use Autodesk's RealDWG instead of the Open Design Alliance's OpenDWG libarry; (2) Bentley will no longer provide documentation and tech support to the ODA's OpenDGN library for the DGN format that follow this year's release of MicroStation.

Comments

[Chris Barron]

Hi Ralph,

Glad you were able to join this afternoon's press conference. I did want to make a correction to what you have reported here.

In addition to the APIs you mentioned, Bentley will provide Autodesk with the Bentley DGN Toolkit-- something that has not been available previously.

With respect to the ODA, Bentley will continue to provide the documentation and technical support to the ODA for the libraries the ODA creates.

However, we are under no obligation, nor do we have any intention, to deliver the new Bentley DGN Toolkit to or through the ODA.

Best regards,

Chris Barron
VP Corporate Marketing
Bentley Systems, Incorporated

[Tony Tanzillo]

As I have previously noted, there is more to collusion than its simplest and most common manifestation (price fixing).

Over the past 15 years, the cost of 3D software technology has been on the decline as it continues its migration towards the mainstream, and becomes available to many.

Yet, the cost of the flagship products of both of these companies has remained relatively constant.

That in and of itself, suggests that the two of them are targeting lower-priced competitors, in an attempt to protect their high prices.

[Shawn]

I think Bentley is giving a lot, Ralph, not "nothing." How about a little credit where credit is due?

[Rande Robinson]

I'll believe it all when I actually see it in the various products. Most MicroStation users are still waiting for the for the benefits of the Bentley\ESRI "Marriage" of a few years ago.

Also it is funny that Bentley and Autodesk will share their file formats but were never very flexible about neutral formats like XML.

But in the long run if we can use .dgn and .dwg interchangeably then it is probably a good move for the average user. But I won't hold my breath.

[John]

Check out Keith Bentley's take on this:
http://communities.bentley.com/blogs/keith_bentleys_blog/archive/2008/07/31/the-bentley-autodesk-agreement-what-does-it-mean-for-bentley-users.aspx