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MicroStation

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MicroStation

Bring your Vision to life

MicroStation is the only computer aided design software for infrastructure design, helping architects and engineers like you bring their vision to life, present their designs to their clients, and deliver their projects to the community.

MicroStation is Infrastructure Design.

It's Simple, really.

MicroStation not only builds the foundation of infrastructure design projects, but is the foundation of your design and engineering solution. Providing you power, flexibility, and best-in-class tools, without requiring add-ons, MicroStation makes it easy to work the way you want, leaving you time to do what you do best. With MicroStation, minimize risks, accelerate automation, and win more work.

Design

Create geospatially enabled 2D and 3D drawings for infrastructure projects, and deliver them on time and on budget, even as project complexities and scale increase.

Communicate

Produce faster/better documents ready to communicate your design intent. Documents are industry compliant so you can stamp designs with ease and confidence.

Deliver

A common environment connects your tools, data, and teams, so that you can reliably deliver on even the most demanding projects.

INTEROPERABILITY

Work with native DGN and incorporate legacy data and file formats like DWG, and point-cloud data without conversions.

Reliability

Work collaboratively on any size project without size restrictions, crashes, or complications, knowing your system will always be on.

Visualization

Analyze and perform data visualizations on models based on their geometry or underlying attributes.

Standards

We’re an industry standard which means your documentation is always standards compliant.

Real Data

Design with accurate real-world context, automatically, with geospatial information from thousands of systems.

Big or Small, MicroStation Does it All

Whether designing your dream boat or engineering world-class infrastructure design, MicroStation is helping users find creative solutions to their client’s unique challenges.

Take a closer look

MicroStation is the computer aided design software (CAD) for infrastructure design

MicroStation

MicroStation is easy to use and master through a configurable environment with in-app learning, video tutorials, and extensive support that allows you to become an expert in no time.

*Prices vary per region. For more options, see licensing and subscriptions section.

Frequently Asked Questions

MicroStation is the computer-aided design (CAD) software that users worldwide trust for creating precise 2D and 3D drawings for infrastructure projects. Engineers, architects, and construction professionals openly collaborate to deliver inspiring projects, utilizing the industry leading DGN file format.

  • Draft, annotate, and freely design 2D geometry and 3D models at any scale
  • Ensure project quality by enforcing CAD standards with robust configuration capabilities
  • Utilize data needed to deliver your projects, no matter when it was created
  • Produce consistent, high-quality deliverables, such as paper plots, reports, 2D/3D PDFs, iModels, and 3D models

MicroStation provide a comprehensive set of 3D CAD capabilities which include creating models and renderings, performing various analyses, animations, and more.

The price of MicroStation varies per region. While there are various types of licensing available, a common choice is the 12-month practitioner license offered through Bentley’s eStore. When you purchase through the eStore, you get a Virtuoso Subscription. This means you get the software and “Keys” (tokens) to redeem for customizable training, mentoring, and consulting services.

The average user reported three to six months with adequate training to become proficient in MicroStation. Every software purchase through the eStore comes as a bundle with “Keys” or training credits to ensure you get the training and expert services you need to get started right away. We call this bundle the Virtuoso Subscription.

Your purchase of MicroStation includes 3 Keys. You can redeem the Keys for expert services such as consulting, mentoring, customized instruction, one-to-one mentoring and/or on-demand learning.

You can learn about MicroStation for free by watching the tutorial videos. Additionally, you can request an evaluation license from our product sales engineers via the Chat Bot on this page. Access all the learning you need here.

The differences between AutoCAD and MicroStation can be found on our comprehensive list of over 100 MicroStation features and capabilities. Check out the feature-by-feature comparison between MicroStation and AutoCAD. Compare now

You can post your question(s) and receive peer to peer help as well as Bentley colleague support at our MicroStation Communities Support.

Processor
Intel Pentium-based or AMD Athlon based processor 2.0 GHz or greater

Operating System
Windows 10 (64-bit) – Home, Pro, Enterprise, and Education
Windows 8 (64-bit) – Standard, Pro, and Enterprise
Windows 8.1 (64-bit) – Standard, Pro, and Enterprise
Windows 7 SP1 (64-bit) – Home Basic, Home Premium, Professional, Enterprise, and Ultimate
Windows Server 2008 R2 SP1 (64 bit) – Standard and Enterprise
Windows Server 2012 (64 bit)

Internet connectivity is required to use some of the features of the product and installation of software pre-requisites.

Microsoft Internet Explorer, minimum v8.0, recommended v9.0 or later, with 128-bit cipher strength is also required.

Also supports Citrix XenApp 6.5 64-bit on Windows Server 2008 R2

Memory
1 GB minimum, 2 GB recommended, (more memory typically results in better performance)

Disk Space
1.25 GB minimum free disk space

For the most up-to-date system requirements, visit Bentley Communities.

Licensing and Subscription options

Choose What is Right for You

One-year license with training

Virtuoso Subscription – A popular choice for small and medium-sized businesses

Get access to software that comes with training – fast! Bentley’s eStore, Virtuosity, offers a convenient way to lease a 12-month license of Bentley software for a low, upfront cost. Every online purchase through Virtuosity comes as a Virtuoso Subscription that includes training and auto-renewals.

With no contract required, it’s easy to get started quickly.

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One-time purchase with support

Perpetual License with SELECT

A perpetual license of Bentley software is a one-time purchase, with a yearly maintenance subscription, called SELECT. This includes 24/7/365 technical support, learning resources, and the ability to exchange licenses for other software once a year. With SELECT, you will benefit from:

  • License pooling, so you can access your software from multiple computers.
  • Access additional Bentley software with Term Licenses, which allow you to pay for what you use without the upfront cost of purchasing a perpetual license.

Annual renewal quotes are delivered directly to your inbox, and our experienced Renewal Representatives are available to answer your questions and guide you through any changes you’d like to make.

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Enterprise Organizations

We’ve got your back

For larger organizations with in-depth requirements, we offer plans to provide global pricing and access to our comprehensive portfolio of solutions and success plan services. Contact us about how to get access to software, global best practices, implementation services, training, and technical support to help your organization realize its full potential while addressing your unique needs.

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