- Software development kits (SDKs)
- Application programming interfaces (APIs) for a range of Bentley products
- Bentley product licenses to support development efforts
- Developer technical support
- Enhanced documentation
- Self-paced learning paths specific to developers
- Dedicated BDN community
Choose what's right for you
DEVELOPING ENGINEERING APPLICATIONS
If you wish to harness the full capabilities of Bentley’s platform for design and analytical modeling applications, then the MicroStation SDK would be your choice. If you need to customize or develop a discipline-specific application, you may wish to leverage an SDK or API from a Bentley discipline-specific application.
Whether you are a CAD administrator, new to programming, or developing professional-grade commercial applications, you can benefit from the MicroStation feature-rich APIs and SDKs. Use this development environment to create and customize professional grade applications for MicroStation and other Bentley applications.
MicroStation’s API is the recommended method to access Bentley DGN files with full fidelity. MicroStation and Bentley application APIs can be used to develop simple utilities, customized commands, or sophisticated commercial applications. In fact, Bentley developers use these same APIs to develop their MicroStation-based applications. MicroStation can also host and interface with a variety of programs and applications written in C, C++, C#, or Visual Basic.
Choose from these MicroStation options:
- Bentley Macro Recorder (BMR)
The BMR is an intuitive tool designed for end users, CAD administrators, or entry-level programmers. Record a sequence of actions and play them back, and find ways to automate or simplify common tasks. - MicroStation VBA (MVBA)
A tried and true robust programming environment introduced with the MicroStation V8i generation, MicroStation VBA continues to provide entry-level and advanced programmers with a familiar and updated Microsoft VBA (native 64-bit) programming environment. Use MicroStation VBA to access feature rich MicroStation COM accessible object libraries. - MicroStation Development Libraries (MDL)
MDL provides intermediate and advanced programmers the most robust and feature-rich MicroStation programming environment. MicroStation provides both native (C++ and C) and managed (Microsoft .NET) APIs allowing you full access to the MicroStation environment and DGN design data.
DEVELOPING GEOSPATIAL SOLUTIONS
If your application requires imaging, mapping, analysis, cartography, GIS, or other geospatial capabilities, then you will want to explore our geospatial SDK offerings.
If you need to develop geospatial applications or extend Bentley geospatial capabilities, Bentley offers several customization and development options.
For the professional programmer, the OpenCities Map SDK supports customization using Microsoft Visual Studio with C, C++, C#, Visual Basic .NET or any COM-compliant language including Microsoft Visual Basic for Applications.
For VBA developers, the XFM Feature Toolkit object model can be used to develop custom dialogs, placement commands, and event processors. In addition, the CLI (command line interface) can be used to customize common functions. For data processing and custom spatial analysis, OpenCities Map offers a geospatially aware scripting engine. This scripting capability can be used for modifying, analyzing, and reporting on OpenCities Map data. The scripting language is highly integrated with the data model used by OpenCities Map, making it easy for casual users to implement customizations. Functionality includes spatial analysis operations, integrated RDMBS support, and topology analysis processing.
EMPOWERING PROJECT DELIVERY TEAMS
ProjectWise enables engineering and construction teams to collaborate throughout the entire project delivery process. Whether you work for a project delivery organization or an information technology services provider, the ProjectWise SDK provides all the tools you need to configure the environment, implement standards, customize workflows, and integrate with enterprise systems.
The Bentley ProjectWise SDK provides developers with libraries and tools to create custom utilities and enhancements to ProjectWise. Intended for client-side customization, the libraries included with the SDK offer an extensive array of methods to establish sessions, integrate, and communicate with your ProjectWise data sources. The client libraries also include a comprehensive set of hooking mechanisms allowing you to trigger processes based on user events in ProjectWise Explorer, such as checking out a document or changing its state.
The SDK consists of several “C” libraries that are referenced into your Microsoft Visual Studio project to create Windows applications, console applications, custom modules, and services. The SDK also includes focused support for web-based applications.
SHARING DELIVERABLES
If you need to implement context-specific deliverables workflows, then you will want to leverage the capabilities of the iModel Software Development Kit. With this SDK, an application can prepare an immutable file that contains graphics and other indexed information that can be read by another application.
iModels are containers for information exchange between applications participating in infrastructure design, construction, or operational deliverables workflows. iModels can contain detailed 3D graphics along with graphically indexed attribution and business data. iModels are designed to be portable, secure, and immutable. iModels are self-describing, and do not need the source application to accurately display graphics or embedded attribution. iModels retain their provenance, when and by whom they were created.
The iModel SDK has both a managed and native environment:
- The iModel Managed Write Only SDK (.Net) is used to embed the capability within an application to produce iModels that can interoperate with specific Bentley applications.
- The iModel Managed Read/Write SDK (.Net) is used to build applications that write and read iModels with both graphical and business information. Use this SDK to support such workflows as visualization or cost analysis.
- The iModel Native and Managed SDK (.Net and C++) permits you to use C++ to extend the capabilities of the Managed APIs.
Use the iModel SDKs to customize deliverables exchange workflows. If you are a vendor who wishes to interoperate with Bentley applications, we encourage you to contact us to discuss your use case and requirements.
As a two-year-old start-up, we help our users by writing tools for customization, integration, migration, and productivity. The Bentley Developer Network (BDN) subscription has helped us immensely in achieving our goals by getting us access to the things that we need like SDKs and APIs. Support provided by Bentley colleagues and online community has been helpful.