To make this process dynamic, so feedback can flow in both directions for any participant to add value, Bentley also introduced i-models.  An i-model is a container for open infrastructure information exchange.  A key characteristic of i-models is “provenance”: knowledge of its origin and evolution – its change management history.

Buddy Cleveland, Bentley senior vice president, Platform Technology, said, “We conducted extensive research with users whose projects required interoperability solutions, to better understand the state of the problem.  We learned that solving one issue gave rise to others.  Even the best current tools, bringing together the broadest range of file formats, enable only static visualization.  There is no provision to capture and build on value-adding feedback, which, for instance, should occur between a structural engineer and an architect.  We further learned that the manual feedback required to work around the limitations of these tools creates new risks of errors and omissions, despite the overhead and expense of ‘interoperability software.’ We concluded at Bentley that until we could make collaboration dynamic, we wouldn’t have really solved the interoperability problem.”

Commenting on this announcement, CTO Keith Bentley said, “Delivering something as game-changing as ‘dynamic’ collaboration makes V8i (SELECTseries 1) really important for infrastructure project teams.  Without it, professional value is limited – by static visualization – to merely identifying problems.  Detection and documentation (versus resolution and optimization) at best adds value in one direction; at worst, the inevitable workarounds for manual feedback jeopardize project integrity.”

With highly versatile viewing capabilities, ProjectWise Navigator V8i (SELECTseries 1) delivers a more intuitive user experience.  At the same time, it better leverages the interactive nature of information stored inside i-models, which are also optimized for high-performance visualization.  This interaction enables greater project insight to help teams avoid costly on-site errors.

With ProjectWise Navigator V8i (SELECTseries 1), users can:

• Take advantage of its ability to be customized and its ease of use to open multiple file types – including DGN, DWG, and i-models – with a single software solution;
• Explore models naturally and intuitively in real time, and manipulate view settings to interactively change geometry display on screen; Perform intelligent analysis, find business intelligence behind geometry, and measure distances, areas, and volumes with complete engineering precision;
• Simulate what-if scenarios, optimize schedules, and dynamically resolve clashes to reduce on-site errors; Use the more-organized and extensible project information it delivers to group and classify items by leveraging intelligence of content;
• Mark up the model with simple geometry, and register and preserve comments against items in dynamic collaboration workflows;
• Create photorealistic images and animations, and produce intelligent 2D/3D PDFs for consumption by a wider audience.

Bentley’s commitment to solving interoperability challenges extends to pricing its dynamic collaboration solution within easy reach of each potential contributor, on every size of infrastructure project.  ProjectWise Navigator is licensed using the same ProjectWise Passport that licenses use of all ProjectWise desktop applications, eliminating all barriers to adoption for existing ProjectWise users and lowering the cost of entry for those without a ProjectWise Passport.

While ProjectWise collaboration servers are not required to work with i-models when using ProjectWise Navigator V8i (SELECTseries 1), there are significant advantages to be gained.  For example, in a dynamic collaboration environment powered by ProjectWise servers, notifications can be issued so that subscribing team members are always kept aware of subsequent changes to their work.  And for larger projects, all publishing and transformation steps can be automated – according to schedule (at a given time) or by event (upon file check-in) – using the ProjectWise Dynamic Composition Service.  Significantly, for project teams, ProjectWise collaboration servers typically cost less than competitors’ offerings that address static visualization only.

From their desktop, users can directly produce i-models within their preferred design environment including MicroStation, other Bentley software products, or via a free plug-in for Autodesk Revit, and otherwise through the ProjectWise i-model Composer also licensed by a ProjectWise Passport.

Key i-model differentiators include:

• Information Rich – contains 2D/3D multidisciplined geometry and business data; has provenance, carrying with it full knowledge of its origin and evolution; and is self describing, requiring no source application features to display or describe the infrastructure information with full fidelity;
• Reliable – includes industrial-strength digital rights management, digital signatures to validate and verify an i-model’s status, and complete engineering precision for dependable material estimation;
• Optimized for Purpose – is flexible to streamline information exchange between collaborating teams, is data-independent to store information using multiple industry standards including CIS/2, IFC, and ISO 15926; and is 100 percent reusable, enabling teams to reference, repurpose, or republish the content to increase accessibility by a wider audience.

For additional information about dynamic collaboration, i-models, and ProjectWise Navigator V8i (SELECTseries 1), visit www.Bentley.com/DynamicCollaboration.

About the Be Inspired: Infrastructure Best Practices Symposium and Awards

The Be Inspired: Infrastructure Best Practices Symposium and Awards, taking place this week in Charlotte, N.C., is Bentley’s premier thought-leadership and networking event for 2009.  During this invitation-only symposium, the finalists of the 2009 Be Inspired Awards present the best practices behind the successful realization of their projects.  In addition, all of the leading practitioners who have gathered for this event have an opportunity to participate in interactive roundtable discussions on the key issues driving the business and design of infrastructure.  For additional information about the Be Inspired: Infrastructure Best Practices Symposium and Awards, visit www.bentley.com/BeInspired.

About Bentley Systems, Incorporated

Bentley is the global leader dedicated to providing architects, engineers, constructors, and owner-operators with comprehensive software solutions for sustaining infrastructure.  Founded in 1984, Bentley has more than 2,700 colleagues and offices in more than 45 countries, achieved in 2008 the milestone of $500 million in revenues, and, since 1995, has invested more than $1 billion in research, development, and acquisitions.

For additional information about Bentley, visit www.bentley.com