Bentley Systems Simplifies Product Suite, Focuses on 3D GIS

Bentley Systems announced today that they have simplified their product offerings of the Bentley Map V8i (SELECTseries 2) by reducing the number of geospatial products that they sell. Concurrently, the company said they are bolstering each product with specific functionality to meet the workflows of select user communities. According to the company:

• Bentley Map PowerView
  • For the visualization and editing of 2D/3D geospatial information – this product replaces Bentley PowerMap Field
• Bentley Map
  • For editing, analysis and management of 2D/3D geospatial information – replaces the Bentley Map V8i SS1 and Bentley PowerMap
• Bentley Map Enterprise
  • An entirely new product for enterprise editing, analysis and management of 2D/3D geospatial information

Bentley is staking its ground on 3D. I've covered Bentley's 3D intiatives just recently in a report last October. This announcement further strengthens Bentley's marketing efforts with actual product realignments. So what is actually "new" in this realignment? Again, according to Bentley, these features have been added:

• Viewing and editing of geospatial data from virtually all file-based GIS formats, spatial databases and rasters (either natively or through the Safe Software FME plug-in)
• Native support of Oracle Spatial 3D objects
• Decision making using spatial analysis (especially in 3D)
• Advanced 3D object editing
• Built-in map finishing
• Cadastral fabric editing and maintenance
• Producing data models and editing tools for different geospatial applications (i.e. the FAA compliant airport data model that we already ship with Bentley Map)
• Fully-documented, extended API open to all users
• Long transactions in Oracle Spatial (2-tier, no server license needed)
• Advanced image management (rasters, doc conversion, textures for 3D solids)
• Oracle Georaster viewing
• 2D and 3D modeling in the same environment (see image at right)

Bentley, as they have in the past, continue to work closely with Oracle. Users will be able to do long transactions in Oracle Spatial without the need for a server licence. In addition, Bentley is looking to help users who work on big projects with large file sizes and hence have made an effort to closely link Bentley ProjectWise with Bentley Map for more effective team collaboration.

The new Bentley Map product line replaces Bentley PowerMap Field, Bentley PowerMap, Bentley PowerDraft for Mapping, Bentley Cadastre, and Bentley CADscript. For more information, go to the Bentley Map website.