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Bentley View Setup ​

Bentley View is the free Bentley viewer that the Automations engine uses to produce PDFs from DGN drawings. Installing it lets the DGN Export task run without a MicroStation licence. This page covers the supported version, how to set Bentley View up for automated use, and how to resolve the Bentley View / DGN Export readiness check.

Readiness check

On the engine home page, the Bentley View / DGN Export check confirms both that the DGN reader is present and that Bentley View 2026 can be located. It must show Passed before the DGN Export task will work. See Server Readiness.

Supported version ​

ApplicationBentley View (free), 64-bit
Supported versionBentley View 2026 only

Bentley View 2026 is the only supported version. Other releases are not supported — install 2026 even if a newer or older version is present. The engine looks specifically for Bentley View 2026 under the standard Program Files\Bentley\Bentley View 2026\ path. Reading DGN drawings requires no Bentley software at all — only the PDF export step uses Bentley View.

Install Bentley View ​

  1. Download Bentley View 2026 (the free viewer) from Bentley and install the 64-bit edition on the automation server.
  2. Accept the default installation location where possible — the engine looks for Bentley View 2026 under the standard Program Files\Bentley\Bentley View 2026\ path.

Configure Bentley View for automation ​

Because automated exports run unattended, complete these one-time steps so nothing prompts for input mid-job:

  1. Launch Bentley View once, interactively, on the server (signed in as the account the engine runs under). Complete any first-run prompts and, if asked, sign in with the Bentley account so the session is remembered. This prevents a sign-in dialog from blocking automated exports.
  2. Open a sample DGN and produce one PDF manually (File → Print, PDF driver). This confirms the PDF plot driver and paper sizes are available, and clears any first-print prompts.
  3. Confirm the paper sizes you intend to use (for example A1) exist in the active plot configuration. The paper name set in the DGN Export advanced settings must match a paper name the plot configuration provides.
  4. Re-run the readiness check (restart or reload the engine home page) and confirm Bentley View / DGN Export shows Passed with the detected Bentley View path in the detail line.

The Bentley View / DGN Export readiness check showing Passed with the detected Bentley View path

Non-standard install location (optional) ​

If Bentley View is installed outside the standard location and the check cannot find it, an administrator can point the engine at the executable by adding a BentleyView setting to the engine's appsettings.json:

json
{
  "BentleyView": {
    "ExePath": "D:\\Apps\\Bentley View 2026\\BentleyView\\BentleyView.exe"
  }
}

Leave this out in normal installs — automatic detection handles the standard path.

Troubleshooting ​

SymptomCause & resolution
Check fails: Bentley View 2026 was not foundBentley View 2026 (the only supported version) is not installed, or is in a non-standard location. Install the 64-bit edition of 2026, or set BentleyView:ExePath as above.
A different Bentley View version is installedOnly Bentley View 2026 is supported. Install 2026; the engine will not use other versions automatically.
Check fails: DGN reader native library not found / failed to loadThe engine deployment is incomplete. Reinstall or repair the Automations engine so all of its files are present.
Export never finishes / no PDF is producedA dialog is blocking the unattended session — most often a first-run or sign-in prompt. Launch Bentley View interactively once on the server (see step 1 above) and produce one PDF manually, then retry.
Wrong or blank paper sizeThe Paper Size in the DGN Export settings doesn't match a paper name in the active plot configuration. Use a paper name the plot configuration provides, or point Plot Config Path at a .pltcfg that defines it.
Sheet is clipped to the wrong areaThe border could not be matched. Run Get DGN Info to confirm the border reference is attached and resolvable, then list its file name in the DGN Export settings table.
Colours look wrongAdjust Color Mode (Color / Monochrome / Grayscale), or use a plot configuration with the pen settings you need.

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