Prathamesh Gawde, Senior Product Marketing Manager

Key Takeaways

  • OpenPlant 2026 improves plant project delivery with updates that help teams automate work, collaborate more effectively, and work faster in large models.
  • Python Assistant makes OpenPlant automation more accessible by letting users create reusable workflows from natural language prompts.
  • Bentley Copilot supports faster onboarding and in-product learning by surfacing contextual guidance and documentation inside the application.
  • Performance, locking, and modeling workflow enhancements are aimed at large, complex, multidisciplinary plant design projects.
  • Interoperability, drawing production, and reality context improvements help teams exchange data more reliably and design with better project context.

Plant design is becoming increasingly complex. Projects are larger, multidisciplinary teams are more distributed, and the pressure to deliver faster without compromising quality has never been greater. At the same time, engineering organizations are expected to coordinate massive amounts of project data, adapt to evolving client requirements, and produce accurate deliverables, all while keeping projects on schedule and within budget.

Yet, many engineering teams are still slowed down by repetitive manual tasks, disconnected workflows, fragmented project information, and applications that struggle to keep pace with today's large, data-intensive projects.

What if repetitive engineering tasks could be automated using natural language? What if users could receive workflow guidance without leaving their design environment? What if multidisciplinary teams could collaborate more effectively while working with faster, more responsive plant models?

OpenPlant 2026 addresses these challenges with AI-assisted automation, in-product guidance, performance improvements, and stronger interoperability for plant design teams.

OpenPlant 2026 introduces a range of enhancements designed to help plant design teams work more efficiently, improve collaboration, and streamline project execution. From AI-assisted automation and guidance to performance improvements, smarter component management, and expanded interoperability, the release focuses on addressing everyday challenges faced by engineering teams.

Here's a look at what's new in OpenPlant 2026.

Simplifying Automation with Python Assistant

OpenPlant 2026 introduces Python Assistant within OpenPlant Modeler, extending automation capabilities for plant design workflows. Built on MicroStation's scripting foundation and tailored for OpenPlant use cases, it enables users to create and reuse automation workflows using natural language prompts.

python assistant

Python Assistant can be used to automate repetitive tasks, generate reports, extract project data, and support custom workflows for activities such as component placement, equipment creation, and model updates. By making automation more accessible, teams can standardize common processes and reduce the time spent on manual tasks.

Faster Learning and Guidance with Bentley Copilot

Bentley Copilot is now available within OpenPlant Modeler to help users learn and navigate workflows more efficiently. Users can ask questions in natural language and receive contextual guidance, relevant documentation, and step-by-step instructions without leaving the application.

copilot hero

The capability is particularly valuable for onboarding new users and supporting those transitioning from AutoCAD-based workflows. By providing guidance directly within the design environment, Copilot helps reduce the time spent searching for information and supports more consistent adoption of best practices.

Performance and Collaboration Enhancements for Large Plant Design Projects

OpenPlant Modeler 2026 introduces enhancements designed to improve performance and collaboration on large, complex projects. Users will experience faster check-in and update operations, along with improved responsiveness in component-based modeling environments. Collaboration has also been strengthened through enhanced locking capabilities, enabling multiple users to work more effectively within shared project environments, reducing bottlenecks and supporting parallel workflows.

collaboration enhancement

Bentley Raceway and Cable Management 2026 delivers performance improvements for large routing and cabling models. Enhancements include faster loading of the Cable Manager, quicker refresh of routing models, accelerated automatic cable routing, and faster saving of auto-routing results when closing the Cable Manager, helping users work more efficiently and improve overall productivity.

OpenPlant Modeler 2026 also introduces user-requested refinements to component-based modeling workflows, particularly for projects with large amounts of reference data. Improvements to update and synchronization processes help streamline day-to-day modeling activities, enhancing usability and increasing efficiency when working with complex models.

Continued Enhancements to Drawing Production

The release also includes ongoing improvements to isometric drawing production workflows, focused on stability, consistency, and overall usability. These refinements help teams generate project deliverables more efficiently while maintaining quality and reliability.

Expanded Interoperability

OpenPlant 2026 continues to strengthen interoperability through enhancements to AutoPLANT migration and IFC data exchange workflows.

isometric drawing production

Improvements to AutoPLANT import capabilities support more reliable migration of legacy projects, while IFC export enhancements automatically include OpenPlant schemas and project data to improve information exchange across project stakeholders and software platforms.

Bringing Real-World Context into Design

Enhancements to reality context modeling allow users to incorporate 2D and 3D map data directly into plant design workflows. Access to real-world context within the modeling environment helps improve coordination and provides additional insight when making design decisions.

context modeling

Looking Ahead

OpenPlant 2026 reflects Bentley's ongoing commitment to empowering plant design teams with meaningful advancements in productivity, connectivity, system performance, and data exchange. These enhancements enable organizations to improve project delivery, reduce inefficiencies, and maintain the flexibility needed to support today's increasingly complex plant design workflows.

Ready to see what's new in OpenPlant 2026? Explore the latest enhancements to automation, collaboration, interoperability, and modeling performance to see how they can support your next plant project.