Feedback from readers of "Teach Yourself MicroStation/J" (TYMSJ) began coming in soon after the book was published in January 1999. A select collection of reader feedback from across the world-wide user-base of Bentley's MicroStation provides information on whether the book's content resonated with them, and when it did, what it was that resonated. That feedback is chronicled in this blog and is followed by a reprint of the book's Preface and a listing of the book's Table of Contents. Should you be interested in acquiring a reprint of any chapter from the book "TYMSJ" for a $10USD fee, leave us a note on our Contact Us page.
Reader Feedback
"I had my 15 year old son read the Introduction to Teach Yourself MicroStation/J to give him an idea of what I lived through, also to inspire him with your documentary of the Bentley brothers. He is looking to follow an engineering career in the future, but had no idea what an engineering degree could do for him. You provided him with valuable insight into possibilities he had no idea existed. Thank you."
Steven R. Couture, Principal, Technology Enhancement Services, Camus, WA
"As we all prepare to make the transition from Computer Aided Drafting to Engineering Enterprise Modeling, we are truly fortunate to have an author and engineer of Ranjit's caliber to help lead the way."
Ray Bentley, Executive Vice President, Bentley Systems, Inc., Exton, Pennsylvania
"Every MicroStation user, administrator, and programmer should read this outstanding book."
Morteza Tadayon, Team Leader, Engineering Support Team, Maryland SHA
"After finishing the chapter (Chapter 15: Fixing Corrupt Files), I wrote a couple of command files from the instructions and ran them on ten design files. The results? Outstanding!"
Garett Tunison, CAD Operator, PEPCO (Potomac Electric Power Co.)
"Ranjit Sahai is an excellent author. His publications are very well written and I am looking forward to reading Teach Yourself MicroStation/J."
Greg Cooley, Manager, Highway Mapping Team, Maryland SHA
"In Teach Yourself MicroStation, Ranjit expertly communicates all facets of MicroStation, that can overwhelm the novice and expert alike, in a truly engaging manner. Being a programmer, I am particularly envious of those who will start their programming journey with this book. It will take months off their learning curve."
Michael Colynuck, AScT, Software Developer, Pacific International Mapping, BC, Canada
"Teach Yourself MicroStation/J is clean, clear, succinct, and comprehensive. I've completed my first reading of the book. There is no question, it is the single most comprehensive text on MicroStation, let alone MicroStation/J."
Lewis Dickens III, Architect, Albert Kahn Associates, Inc., Detroit, Michigan
"I just received my autographed copy of Teach Yourself MicroStation/J. Thanks a million Ranjit for a wonderful book. I now call it my MicroStation Bible."
Andrew Blair, Drafter, GEI Consultants, Inc., Winchester, Massachussettes
"It is a very comprehensive edition well worth having for any MicroStation user. The CD offers several exciting features as I prepare lessons for senior classes. I am very thrilled to be ahead of the pack so to speak."
John Hardy, Teacher of Architecture, Timmins High and Vocational School, Ontario, Canada
"I am thoroughly enjoying Teach Yourself MicroStation/J. Thanks for working so hard to produce quality educational books for the MicroStation community!"
Susan Caldwell, Principal, SVC Consulting Services, Smyrna, Georgia
"Great book! Ranjit's very clear explanations of the concepts and tools of MicroStation/J make this book a valuable resource for every MicroStation professional."
Steve Knipmeyer, Senior Vice President, Foundation Products, Bentley Systems, Exton, Pennsylvania
"Though Teach Yourself MicroStation/J is mainly aimed at the beginner, it has enough to offer the experienced user. It provides an excellent introduction to programming MicroStation. For most MicroStation users it will fulfil all their documentation needs, and it contains more knowledge than most power users will ever gain."
Rene Dalmeijer, CAD Consultant , CAD Center IT, Bergambacht , The Netherlands
"I really enjoy Teach Yourself MicroStation/J. I've learned a lot from it."
Jim Grupe, Drafter, MAC Equipment, Inc., Sabetha, Kansas
"I use Teach Yourself MicroStation/J constantly. I rely on it heavily and use it daily."
Michael Oakley, Engineering Technologist, Lockheed Martin Energy Systems, Inc., Oak Ridge, Tennessee
"I've read several chapters from Teach Yourself MicroStation/J, and I must say Ranjit, you're an expert!"
Geert Van De Velde, CAD Manager, Danilith Delmulle NV, Belgium
"In the past, I've never acutally had a good grasp of MDL programming. After reading your articles I was able to make some sense of the process and can now edit and recompile existing code. Thank you!"
Gregg Miller, Engineering Technician III, Travis County Transportation and Natural Resources, Austin, Texas
"Ranjit, you have written a lot of very good articles over the years. I've learned a lot from you - thanks."
Bud Thomas, CAD Manager, Operations Associates, Greenville, South Carolina
"I have been using MicroStation for nearly as long as you but recently purchased a copy of your Teach Yourself MicroStation/J and have since learned much more. Thank you for a great book."
Anthony Bowden, CAD Developer, Intensify Pty. Ltd., Leichhardt, Australia
"Ever since we began carrying Teach Yourself MicroStation/J for the UK market, its sales have far exceeded our expectations overtaking those of other MicroStation books by a wide margin."
William Bagley, General Manager, PC BookShops Ltd, London, UK
"Teach Yourself MicroStation/J is a comprehensive and straightforward manual perfect for anyone using Bentley's home use license. The home use license program allows users to develop new techniques, this manual provides good information to utilize them."
Charles Wood, Project Technology Specialist, Jacobs Facilities, Inc., Arlington, VA
Preface to Teach Yourself MicroStation by Ray Bentley
Over the last dozen years, MicroStation has evolved from a relatively simple drafting program to become a mission-critical platform for the creation of design information for large engineering projects throughout the world. The introductory chapter of Teach Yourself MicroStation/J does an outstanding job of chronicling this evolution. With the release of MicroStation/J, and the impending delivery of ProjectBank and Engineering Component Modeling, we are poised to make a more revolutionary step with benefits that far exceed those realized when computers first replaced the tee-squares and drafting boards.
I have reviewed the manuscript of Teach Yourself MicroStation/J and am truly impressed with the attention to detail, and the breadth of coverage it provides. It takes new users by the hand and teaches them basic concepts through step-by-step exercises. It addresses the needs of CAD administrators with detailed information on everything from translation to standards implementation. Teach Yourself MicroStation/J can also serve as a corporate programmer?s introduction to all the programming interfaces in MicroStation, including JMDL.
The author, Ranjit S. Sahai, a professional engineer, has been authoring MicroStation texts since 1992. His knowledge of MicroStation, versatility as a writer, and experience as a workshop leader and trainer at Bentley FORUMs is clearly evident throughout the book. As we all prepare to make the transition from Computer Aided Drafting to Engineering Enterprise Modeling, we are truly fortunate to have an author and engineer of Ranjit's caliber to help lead the way.
Raymond B. Bentley Executive Vice President Bentley Systems, Inc. Exton, Pennsylvania December 11, 1998
Table of Contents
Introduction: The Object Revolution
Ch. 1: Getting to Know MicroStation
Ch. 2: Your First Drawing Session
Ch. 3: The MicroStation Environment
Ch. 4: Mastering View Control
Ch. 5: Drawing and Editing Elements
Ch. 6: Referencing External Files
Ch. 7: Generating Output
Ch. 8: Mastering AccuDraw
Ch. 9: Dimension Driven Design
Ch. 10: Linking Nongraphic Data to Elements
Ch. 11: 3D Modeling and Rendering
Ch. 12: Using Web Links and Tools
Ch. 13: The Engineering Configurations
Ch. 14: Setting Drafting Standards
Ch. 15: Fixing Corrupt Files
Ch. 16: Exchanging Drawings with Archive
Ch. 17: Understanding Workspaces
Ch. 18: Translating Drawings
Ch. 19: Setting User Preferences
Ch. 20: Creating Custom Resource Data
Ch. 21: Creating Cells
Ch. 22: Using the Clipboard, OLE, and DDE
Ch. 23: The User Command Language
Ch. 24: Creating Macros In MicroStation BASIC
Ch. 25: Developing MDL Applications
Ch. 26: Programming In JMDL
Index
The Bonus CD accompanying the book includes:
- Exercise files and cell libraries
- Source code for many programs
- Demos of source code editors: Multi-Edit by American Cybernetics, Inc. and Visual SlickEdit by MicroEdge, Inc.
- RS Tools LE, an MDL toolbox for 2-click operation of common drafting tasks