Bentley View
CAD viewers
CAD software
- Features
- Ease of use
- Ease of management
- Quality of support
- Affordability
- Market presence
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What is Bentley View
Bentley View is a desktop CAD viewing and markup application used to open, review, and print engineering drawings and models, particularly in Bentley’s DGN format and common CAD exchange formats. It is typically used by project stakeholders who need to inspect design deliverables without authoring or modifying the source design. The product focuses on visualization, measurement, and redlining workflows rather than full CAD creation.
Strong DGN viewing fidelity
Bentley View is designed to display Bentley MicroStation DGN files with high fidelity, including level display and common engineering drawing conventions. This reduces translation steps when teams receive native Bentley deliverables. It is well suited to infrastructure and plant project review where DGN is common.
Review, markup, and measurement
The tool supports common review tasks such as measuring geometry, interrogating element properties, and adding markups/redlines for feedback. These capabilities help non-authoring users participate in design review cycles without requiring a full CAD license. It also supports printing workflows for distributing controlled drawing sets.
Desktop performance for large files
As a Windows desktop viewer, Bentley View can handle local file workflows and offline access in environments with restricted connectivity. It is commonly used to open and navigate complex engineering drawings and models without relying on a browser session. This can fit organizations with established file-share and document-control processes.
Not full CAD authoring
Bentley View is primarily a viewer and markup tool, not a full design authoring environment. Users who need to create or substantially edit geometry typically require a separate CAD application. This limits its role to review and downstream consumption rather than production design.
Format support varies by workflow
While it is strong with Bentley-native formats, interoperability expectations for mixed CAD environments can require additional translation tools or different viewers depending on the source format. Some advanced data (e.g., specialized BIM/plant metadata) may not be fully usable in a viewer-only workflow. Organizations exchanging many third-party formats may need to validate supported versions and features.
Windows-centric deployment
Bentley View is primarily deployed as a Windows desktop application, which can be a constraint for teams standardizing on macOS, Linux, or browser-first access. IT teams may need packaging, updates, and endpoint management to keep versions aligned. This can be heavier than lightweight web viewers for occasional users.
Plan & Pricing
| Plan | Price | Key features & notes |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 (permanently free) | Bentley View is a free CAD viewer that supports viewing DWG, DGN, DXF and 50+ file formats; search, measure distances/areas, print to scale, clip volume, display rules for DGN, touch support, view Bentley iModels. Source: Bentley official product page (Bentley View). |
Seller details
Bentley Systems, Incorporated
Exton, Pennsylvania, USA
1984
Public
https://www.bentley.com/
https://x.com/bentleysystems
https://www.linkedin.com/company/bentley-systems/
