CAD/BIM Tips & Tricks
MicroStation 2025: Python Assist, Google Maps and Why Your Mouse Hand Just Got a Break
29 December 2025
Bentley Systems’ latest offering, MicroStation 2025 (v2025.0.1), isn’t just a minor refresh. It’s a foundational shift, particularly for those of us obsessed with automation and interoperability. This release brings a suite of tools designed to make architects, structural engineers and civil planners stop saying, “If only I could just...” and start saying, “Hold my beer and watch this.”
So, grab a coffee, get comfortable and let’s dig into the details.
The Python Assistant is Here
Let’s start with the big one, the headline feature that’s been making us all giddy: the massive enhancement to the MicroStation Python Editor.
You write a prompt and the Assistant generates the Python code for you.
Bentley has finally done what many of us dreamed of: They’ve merged the old Python Manager and the Editor into one streamlined interface. No more bouncing around! This is a QoL (Quality of Life) improvement that makes the whole experience less clunky.
But the real game-changer? The introduction of the Python Assistant (currently a Technology Preview, but you should probably treat it as a keeper since it’s a fan-favorite).
For those who’ve always wanted to automate but felt intimidated by the first blank line waiting for you to add some code, that limitation has officially expired. The Python Assistant is essentially an AI-driven coding partner right inside MicroStation. You write a prompt — something like, “Create a script that finds all elements on Level ‘Existing_Pipes’ and changes their color to blue” — and the Assistant generates the Python code for you.
Think about the time savings. We’re talking about automation that handles tasks in seconds, not hours. For power users, the Assistant even lets you attach text files or include your active Python file for contextual reference, meaning you can iterate and edit generated code without starting from scratch. It’s the closest thing to having a junior developer sitting quietly in the corner, happily waiting for your command. Love it.
And for those who do script regularly? Bentley packed the library with 158 sample scripts, including 68 new additions, with a special emphasis on 20 new scripts for Geospatial workflows. You’ve got new resources covering everything from Base Geometry and Cells to Parametric Solids Modeling. This is essentially Bentley handing us the keys to the kingdom and saying, “Go build something amazing.”
Trading Bing for Google: Geospatial Data Gets a Serious Upgrade
For the civil engineers, transportation planners and anyone who deals with real-world context (which is, let’s be honest, what most of us do every day), the geospatial updates in MicroStation 2025 are enormous.
First, the big brand swap: Bing® Maps is out and Google® Maps is in.
Look, Bing was fine, but let’s be real. Google Maps offers a higher standard of detailed, up-to-date coverage. Instant access to better-quality satellite and aerial imagery as a background map context is invaluable for site planning, verification, and visualization. It’s a simple swap, but it vastly improves the reliability and accuracy of your designs when they’re grounded in reality.
Beyond the map view, MicroStation 2025 is tackling the massive scale of reality data.
It now natively supports the 3D Tiles format through the Reality Management portal. Why should you care? Because 3D Tiles is the standard for streaming and visualizing massive 3D datasets. This means smoother, more responsive interaction with large reality meshes, which is awesome when you’re dealing with city-scale models.
Time-Saving Real-Time Intelligence
Perhaps the most fascinating additions are the integrations.
- Blyncsy Data Integration: If your organization uses Blyncsy (think AI for infrastructure), you can now connect directly via the OGC WFS (Open Geospatial Consortium Web Feature) service. This allows you to query and place detected assets — like real-world maintenance issues or infrastructure elements — directly into your design model. Even better, MicroStation creates an Engineering Link from the asset’s image link, meaning you can click the element in your DGN and instantly see the corresponding verification image in your browser. This is one-click validation, a huge win for quality assurance.
- OGC API Feature Service Support: This is another big step toward modern, enhanced interoperability. OGC API (Application Programming Interface) standards are the industry’s future for geospatial data exchange. MicroStation’s adoption ensures you can seamlessly connect to vast, scalable data sources, promoting better consistency and reliability across your projects.
And let’s not forget the small, but powerful, change for Esri ArcGIS (Esri’s Geographic Information System) point features: the new Cell Fixed Size. No matter how much you zoom in or out, the cell size will remain constant on your screen, preventing that irritating visual clutter where points swallow up your drawing at high zoom levels. Gotta love those small victories!
Modeling, Interoperability and the Tech Preview Toolbox
Every MicroStation release gives us a peek into the future with its Technology Previews and 2025 does not disappoint. These are the tools that might still have a few rough edges, but we think they’re too exciting not to play with.
- Associative Arrays: This is what MicroStation power users have been asking for. You can now create a parent-child relationship in your arrays. Change the parent element, and the child elements update automatically. Welcome to the world of easy parametric modification!
- IFC Export Gets Smarter: BIM aficionados, rejoice! The ability to export DGN, DWG, and DXF files to IFC (Industry Foundation Classes) format (supporting IFC 2.3, 4, and 4.3) is now in Tech Preview. So now you can export with IFC-related Item Type information attached, ensuring your design intelligence carries over flawlessly to downstream BIM coordination tools.
- Mesh Improvement: Boolean operations (Unite, Intersect, Subtract) on meshes are getting a boost by utilizing the CGAL (Computational Geometry Algorithms Library). This is a geeky way of saying your mesh modeling operations should become cleaner, faster and more robust. Plus, the new Mesh Extreme Decimation tool can create a new, smoother mesh element — perfect for cleaning up reality data imports before you hand them off.
Finally, we have some features that have graduated from Tech Preview to full commercial release. Horizontal, Vertical, and Mirror 2D Constraints — along with Constraint on Centroid — are now production-ready. This is a solid foundation for strong, intelligent 2D detailing. And on the standards front, we get the latest RealDWG 2026 support for maximum compatibility with your project partners. (RealDWG is an Autodesk® software development kit that allows users to read and write AutoCAD® DWG and DXF files without AutoCAD being installed.)
The MicroStation 2025 Verdict
MicroStation 2025 feels like an update driven by two core principles: smarter automation and seamless reality integration.
The Python Assistant alone is a mandate for every firm to rethink how they approach repetitive tasks. It democratizes the power of scripting, making high-level automation accessible to every member of the team. We should expect to see productivity soar as users shift from manual slog to AI-assisted coding.
Combine this with the leap in geospatial capabilities, Google Maps, 3D Tiles, and the real-time data link via Blyncsy, and MicroStation solidifies its position as a world-class platform for design and infrastructure planning. The digital twin concept is not abstract anymore. It’s an interactive reality in your DGN file.
If you’ve been on the fence about upgrading, you may find that 2025 is the version that tips the scales. It’s an investment in speed, interoperability and the kind of light-speed automation that helps you spend less time wrestling with data and more time doing what you do best: designing the future.
Now, if you’ll excuse us, we have a few Python prompts to test out. Happy designing!
