This document provides an overview of new or revised functionality in the Bentley OpenUtilities V8i (SELECTseries 4) release.
The document is divided into four sections:
The following table contains a list of new or revised functionalities for Bentley OpenUtilities V8i (SELECTseries 4):
| Applies to | Category | Key Feature | Description |
| OpenUtilities Designer | Platform | Standalone | Bentley OpenUtilities Designer is the continuation of the Bentley Utilities Designer standalone application. |
| OpenUtilities Map | Platform | Standalone | Bentley OpenUtilities Map is a new standalone application. |
| OpenUtilities PowerView | Platform | Standalone | Bentley OpenUtilities PowerView is a new standalone application. |
| OpenUtilities Designer | Platform | sisNET | Bentley sisNET is offered as an additional installation option to Bentley OpenUtilities Designer. |
| OpenUtilities Map | Platform | sisFLOW | Bentley sisFLOW is offered as an additional installation option to Bentley OpenUtilities Map. |
| OpenUtilities PowerView | Platform | sisVIEW | Bentley sisVIEW is offered as an additional installation option to Bentley OpenUtilities PowerView. |
| OpenUtilities Designer, OpenUtilities Map, OpenUtilities PowerView | Licensing | Feature Tracking | Bentley OpenUtilities now supports Feature Tracking to record how different users are actually using the product. Feature Tracking information is accessed using the Bentley License Server. |
| OpenUtilities Designer | Licensing | sisNET | Bentley sisNET is no longer licensed as a separate product; its use falls under the Bentley OpenUtilities Designer license. The usage of sisNET can be traced using Feature Tracking. |
| OpenUtilities Map | Licensing | sisFLOW | Bentley sisFLOW is no longer licensed as a separate product; its use falls under the Bentley OpenUtilities Map license. The usage of sisFLOW can be traced using Feature Tracking. |
| OpenUtilities PowerView | Licensing | sisVIEW | Bentley sisVIEW is no longer licensed as a separate product; its use falls under the Bentley OpenUtilities PowerView license. The usage of sisVIEW can be traced using Feature Tracking. |
| OpenUtilities Designer, OpenUtilities Map, OpenUtilities PowerView | Data Model | Water | Elevation properties were added to the features that make up the standard data model for water. These properties can be used with the Profiles tool (note: requires additional configuration). |
| OpenUtilities Designer, OpenUtilities Map, OpenUtilities PowerView | Data Model | Dimensioning | Dimensioning objects were added to the standard data models. These objects persist in all supported persistence models (including spatial databases). Dimension objects are placed in a single operation, where a relationship is established with network features it connects to. Calculated dimension values can be overwritten manually if needed. |
| OpenUtilities Designer, OpenUtilities Map | Modeling Administrator | Rename Display Names Tool | The new Rename Display Names Tool provides a UI-based interface to facilitate the process of a global search and replace of display names of utility network features and feature properties/attributes. |
| OpenUtilities Designer, OpenUtilities Map | Modeling Administrator | Export Tool | The new Export Tool provides a UI-based interface to facilitate the export of XFM schema files of the standard data models. It offers the selection of persistence type as well as the choice between a single commodity or multi commodity export. |
| OpenUtilities Designer, OpenUtilities Map | Modeling Administrator | Enhanced text and polygon symbology support | The options for defining text and polygon symbology in the ModelAdminstrator have been enhanced to include e.g. Justification (text), additional fill types (polygon). |
| OpenUtilities Designer | Modeling Administrator and Data Loader | GE Smallworld schema discovery | The GE Smallworld schema discovery process is enhanced to export into a format that can directly import into the Data Loader. Control over the imported data into sheets is enhanced to minimize manual manipulation after the import. Point symbols are exported as images that can be vectorized using Bentley Descartes and the vectors can be grouped into MicroStation cells. |
| OpenUtilities Designer | Workflow Management | Increased Password Security | The workflow manager has increased password security to avoid the option to bypass the application and obtain password information. |
| OpenUtilities Designer, OpenUtilities Map | Data Capture | Editing Tools | Smart Move and Smart Modify tools provide the user the ability to change utility network feature geometry while enforcing that connected utility network features are moved or modified according to the defined network topology rules. |
| OpenUtilities Designer, OpenUtilities Map | Data Capture | Support for placing and editing keys | Bentley OpenUtilities now supports the use of placing and editing keys when creating or editing features. |
| OpenUtilities Designer, OpenUtilities Map | Data Capture | Sub-feature Delete | The logic delete sub-features is now consistent with the business logic defined in the standard data models. |
| OpenUtilities PowerView | Markup | Markup Schema | A new schema was added to Bentley OpenUtilities PowerView to allow the user to markup and redline data during review. |
| OpenUtilities Designer, OpenUtilities Map, OpenUtilities PowerView | Visualization and Analysis | Outage Planner | The new Outage Planner tool adds support for outage planning and analysis. It calculates dead end areas that can be the result of isolation trace(s) and generates reports listing features that are part of dead end areas and can create lists of customers in isolation areas and dead end areas. |
| OpenUtilities Designer, OpenUtilities Map, OpenUtilities PowerView | Visualization and Analysis | Profile Generation | The user interface for the Profiles tool now includes a button bar to improve its ease of use. The button bar layout is modeled after MicroStation's Modelsdialog. |
| OpenUtilities Designer | Interoperability | Oracle Data Pump | Bentley OpenUtilities now uses Oracle Data Pump to deliver Oracle databases. |
| OpenUtilities Designer, OpenUtilities Map | Mobility | Publish for Map Mobile | Bentley OpenUtilities has been enabled to provide improved Bentley Map Mobile Publisher support for Bentley Map Mobile users, providing mobile workers access to information about electric, gas, water, and wastewater networks. |
The following table contains a list of new or revised functionalities Bentley OpenUtilities V8i (SELECTseries 4) inherits from the Bentley Map V8i (SELECTseries 4) components it is built with:
| Applies to | Category | Key Feature | Description |
| OpenUtilities Designer, OpenUtilities Map, OpenUtilities PowerView | Map Manager | Map Definition | The Map Manager can now create/insert a new Map Definition in the currently active model or an existing model. |
| OpenUtilities Designer, OpenUtilities Map, OpenUtilities PowerView | Map Manager | Map Visualization | The Map Manager can now be deactivated even when a Map Definition is present in the active model. |
| OpenUtilities Designer, OpenUtilities Map, OpenUtilities PowerView | Map Manager | Enhanced Feature and Sub-Feature Resymbolization | The Map Manager user interface and related API have been updated to provide additional dynamic resymbolization granularity. Users can now define and manage symbology rules for all graphic elements defined within a given feature class hierarchy, including all sub-features. This new capability is not limited to enabling or disabling the visibility of one or more sub-features, but includes the ability to dynamically resymbolize the graphic elements differently based upon specific criteria or scale range. |
| OpenUtilities Designer, OpenUtilities Map, OpenUtilities PowerView | Map Manager | Fixed Size Point Features | Dynamic resymbolization of point features such as text or cells has been enhanced to provide users the ability to define "fixed" sizes where regardless of zoom scale the point feature remains a constant size. |
| OpenUtilities Designer, OpenUtilities Map, OpenUtilities PowerView | Map Manager | Cartographic Styles | The Map Manager now supports the use of complex cartographic styles which can be used to dynamically resymbolize a linear feature instance into one that has multiple parallel lines, such as often required when working with street centerline data. In addition the Cartographic Styles Manager can be used to create user-defined cartographic styles and the Map Manager symbology dialog can be used to define intersection rules. |
| OpenUtilities Designer, OpenUtilities Map | Interoperability | ESRI File Geodatabase (FGDB) Support | The interoperability application has been enhanced to support Import and Export of ESRI File Geodatabase files without requiring the use of an ESRI product license. This allows users to easily consume ESRI geospatial information or share Bentley Map geospatial information with other departments or organizations. |
| OpenUtilities Designer, OpenUtilities Map, OpenUtilities PowerView | Interoperability | Oracle Spatial 12c Support | Bentley Map now provides interoperability with Oracle Spatial 12c and includes new support for B-Spline and Non-Circular Arc spatial geometries. |
| OpenUtilities Designer, OpenUtilities Map, OpenUtilities PowerView | Interoperability | Increased Oracle Spatial Performance | The performance of spatial queries and data streaming of feature instances from Oracle Spatial graphical sources has been improved. |
The following table contains a list of added or revised functionalities Bentley OpenUtilities V8i (SELECTseries 4) inherits from Bentley Utilities Designer:
| Applies to | Category | Key Feature | Description |
| OpenUtilities Designer, OpenUtilities Map, OpenUtilities PowerView | Data Model | Multiple Commodities | Data Models are included for electric, gas, water, and wastewater as well as discipline specific tools for design and operations support. |
| OpenUtilities Designer, OpenUtilities Map, OpenUtilities PowerView | Data Model | Wastewater | The wastewater data model is all new. The data model provides a comprehensive set of features for sanitary and combined storm systems. It includes asset feature definitions for manholes, catchments, pressure and gravity pipes to name a few. Operations records are provided for surveys, maintenance, and incidents. Operations records can include images, documents, and CCTV. |
| OpenUtilities Designer | Compatible Unit Rules | CU quantity | Compatible Unit rules can now contain a quantity value. |
| OpenUtilities Designer | Compatible Unit Rules | CU Rule Builder | A new tool has been added to allow "master" designers to generate Compatible Unit rules interactively by placing features and capturing the settings at the work locations. |
| OpenUtilities Designer | Workflow Management | SQL Server support | Workflow Manager now supports SQL Server databases. |
| OpenUtilities Designer | Design Assistant | SQL Server support | Design Assistant now supports SQL Server databases. |
| OpenUtilities Designer | Design Assistant | User Interface | The "Design Assistant" user interface has been improved for usability and in better support for multiple commodities. |
| OpenUtilities Designer, OpenUtilities Map, OpenUtilities PowerView | Visualization and Analysis | Profile Generation | A new tool is provided to generate profiles. The tool is preconfigured to generate profiles of wastewater infrastructures. Other infrastructure features can be configured with the administration tools. Elevation attributes must be present to generate the profiles. |
| OpenUtilities Designer, OpenUtilities Map, OpenUtilities PowerView | Visualization and Analysis | Wastewater Trace Analysis | Support for wastewater networks is added to the network analysis and visualization tool. |
| OpenUtilities Designer, OpenUtilities Map | Modeling and Documentation | Connectivity | New tools to easily connect and disconnect flow connectivity are provided. |
| OpenUtilities Designer, OpenUtilities Map | Modeling and Documentation | Structural Relationships | New tools to easily attach and detach structural relationships are provided. |
| OpenUtilities Designer, OpenUtilities Map | Modeling and Documentation | Merge Linear Features | A new tool is added to merge linear features and compliments the split linear features tool. The tool ensures connectivity and relationships is reset for the resulting feature. |
| OpenUtilities Designer, OpenUtilities Map | Modeling and Documentation | Conduit Detail Editor Precision Controls | Precision layout controls have been added to improve manipulation of conduit cross section details and underground structure wall details. These controls include rulers along the top and right sides of the detail view, grid points with user controllable scaling, automatic snapping to control points, and grouping tools. |
| OpenUtilities Designer, OpenUtilities Map, OpenUtilities PowerView | Data Browser | Standard Pre and Post Processes and API callbacks | "Data Browser" edits now invoke pre and post processes that are necessary to maintain data integrity. API callbacks are available for customizations. |
| OpenUtilities Designer, OpenUtilities Map | Interoperability | Export to SewerCAD and SewerGEMS | A wizard can be used to create SewerCAD and SewerGEMS hydraulic models in their native format. The wizard can also be used to synchronize existing hydraulic models from the GIS and to create scenarios in the models to easily analyze and optimize designs. |
| OpenUtilities Designer, OpenUtilities Map | Interoperability | Import Manhole Survey Data | A survey data import tool can be used to import data in the NASSCO MACP format into the asset database. Observation records, images, and CCTV are automatically related to assets during the import process. |
| OpenUtilities Designer, OpenUtilities Map | Interoperability | Import Pipe Survey Data | A survey data import tool can be used to import data in the NASSCO PACP format into the asset database. Observation records, images, and CCTV are automatically related to assets during the import process. |
The following table contains a list of added or revised functionalities Bentley OpenUtilities V8i (SELECTseries 4) inherits from recent Bentley Map releases:
| Applies to | Category | Key Feature | Description |
| OpenUtilities Designer, OpenUtilities Map, OpenUtilities PowerView | Data Browser | Improved Search, Sort and Filter Performance | For Oracle Spatial and Microsoft SQL Server Spatial database users, the "Data Browser" application has been enhanced to leverage the new Direct Data Access (DDA) technology that provides server side processing for search, sort and filter operations. With these changes, the "Data Browser" can now more efficiently search, sort and filter extremely large data sets using the speed and power of the underlying database. |
| OpenUtilities Designer, OpenUtilities Map, OpenUtilities PowerView | Feature Engine | Improved Data Persistence Model | A number of significant performance improvements have been made in the core XFM feature engine including the replacement of MicroStation XML fragment elements with the newer MicroStation XAttributes technology. |
| OpenUtilities Designer, OpenUtilities Map | Interoperability | Oracle Versioning and Conflict Resolution | Oracle versioning and conflict resolution is supported without the need for a separate Oracle Connector license. |
| OpenUtilities Designer, OpenUtilities Map, OpenUtilities PowerView | Interoperability | New Microsoft SQL Server Spatial Geometry Support | The ability to read/write spatial geometries being persisted in a Microsoft SQL Server database has been added. |
| OpenUtilities Designer, OpenUtilities Map, OpenUtilities PowerView | Interoperability | New Spatial Data Streaming (SDS) Mode | Provides the ability to seamlessly stream data from a variety of spatial data sources including Oracle Spatial and Microsoft SQL Server databases. |
| OpenUtilities Designer, OpenUtilities Map | Interoperability | New Selective Posting Capabilities | Provides the ability to selectively post pending changes to Oracle Spatial and Microsoft SQL Server databases. Prior to the Bentley Utilities Designer V8i (SELECTseries 3) release, posting operations would attempt to commit all pending changes. With this enhancement, users can now choose to post only those changes which are contained within a fence or view. |
| OpenUtilities Designer, OpenUtilities Map, OpenUtilities PowerView | Interoperability | Enhanced Erase Command | For Oracle Spatial and Microsoft SQL Server Spatial database users, the "Erase" command has been enhanced to only process and remove existing feature instances from the connected graphical sources. |
| OpenUtilities Designer, OpenUtilities Map, OpenUtilities PowerView | Interoperability | New Web Feature Service (WFS) Client Support | The ability to query spatial geometries from a Web Feature Service (WFS) server has been added. |
| OpenUtilities Designer, OpenUtilities Map, OpenUtilities PowerView | Interoperability | Improved Interoperability User Interface | The user interface of the "Interoperability" application has been significantly enhanced to better support new capabilities including Spatial Data Streaming, Web Feature Service (WFS) client and graphical source selective posting and erase operations. Included also is graphical interface for defining the "Where" clause search criteria. |
| OpenUtilities Designer, OpenUtilities Map, OpenUtilities PowerView | Interoperability | Improved Geo-Locate Capabilities | For Oracle Spatial and Microsoft SQL Server Spatial database users, the ability to search and locate any graphical feature instance from an attached graphical source has been added. This new functionality provides Bentley OpenUtilities users with the ability to perform a query of the attached graphical source, then select one or more resulting rows in the "Data Browser" and perform a geo-locate operation. |
| OpenUtilities Designer, OpenUtilities Map, OpenUtilities PowerView | Map Manager | New Export Map Layer(s) MicroStation Elements Command | the Map Manager application, the ability to select and export one or more map layers to fully symbolized MicroStation elements has been added. This new functionality provides Bentley OpenUtilities users with the ability to easily share custom thematic map output with MicroStation users that may not have access to a Bentley OpenUtilities product. For developers, a new C API function is provided to leverage this new capability in custom applications. |
| OpenUtilities Designer, OpenUtilities Map | Coordinate System Tools | New Grid Definition and Grid Generation User Interfaces | A completely new user interface has been added to better support the grid definition and generation processes. Similar to a MicroStation text style or element template, Bentley OpenUtilities users now have the ability to create user defined grid definitions and then place instances of those grids that are dynamically updated whenever the grid definition is changed. |