The following position statement supersedes all previous statements or positions on this topic:
Since the introduction of PowerDraft in the 1990s, MicroStation-based products have included programming capability using Microsoft Visual Basic for Applications (VBA). PowerDraft has never routinely included (for third-party developers or end-users) the ability to develop and deploy custom MDL applications. Development of custom MDL applications has been, and continues to be, the domain of MicroStation and Bentley vertical products based on MicroStation.
Lately, you may have read posts in one of the many the Bentley Communities that referred to “passcodes” for PowerDraft which may be misconstrued to suggest that there is a readily available method to “turn on” the execution of MDL applications within power products. “Passcodes” are not intended to “flip a switch” in MicroStation-based products to enable MDL execution. They are a technical aspect of product development for internal use by Bentley developers to continually improve on Bentley products which are on rare occasions used by Bentley partners for specific offerings.
To restate Bentley’s position: such “passcodes” are an internal, technical component of the MicroStation platform and are not a benefit of any SELECT, ELS or BDN entitlement. They are to be used only in rare cases to address unique situations. Only BDN commercial developers in good standing that submit a business case may request an exemption to use “passcodes” for "supported products" (Bentley Support Policy > Desktop Product Lifecycle), however these are seldom granted and may be declined without comment.
PowerDraft users have vast custom programming power using VBA, which continues to be developed and fully supported. VBA is the recommended approach for automating workflows. For more information on VBA functionality within MicroStation, PowerDraft and other Bentley products, please see the online reference or visit the MicroStation community hosted on Bentley Communities.
--Bentley Systems, Incorporated
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