This section provides a list of new features in Drainage and Utilities found in the OpenSite, OpenRoads, and OpenRail Designer CONNECT Edition products, also referred to as OpenX Designer products. Features that are only available in specific products are appropriately noted as such.

Connect Edition 2023

• When designing the drainage, you can now choose to only use the spatial design constraints, such as minimum cover and slope, and not do the hydraulic calculations.
• When designing the drainage, you can now select elements to design, instead of using all active drainage elements.
• You can now choose to use the selected catalog class, as opposed to all catalog classes that use the same shape and material, when designing conduit sizes.
• The Critical Storm Analysis wizard now includes wet wells.
• The rotation of an inlet is now used when a catchment is delineated.
• A channel can now cause surface flow when it is connected to a sag inlet, which means that the spread width and depth are computed for ditch inlets.

Video: Calculate Spread Width & Depth at Ditch Inlet

• A new field has been added which lets you set the Maximum Headwater Elevation for a culvert that is higher than the ground elevation at the start endwall.
• The Prototypes dialog now lets you import Prototypes from another design file.
• You can now synchronize a design file or files with support elements (such as storm data and catalogs) and prototypes from another file.
• You can now connect storm and sanitary elements to each other and compute the hydraulics.
• You can lay out and analyze storm water pressure pipes.
• You can now activate an OpenFlows license automatically when the Civil product starts.

How to set the default OpenFlows license to activate when using an Open Civil product

• You can now make a subnetwork active or inactive using a simple toggle.

Video: How to toggle a network to inactive

• You can now choose to use the "construction" length and slope in the hydraulic calculations.
• When a node is deleted, you can now connect the adjacent nodes with a conduit, which also updates any profile runs that used the deleted node.
• You can now right-click on a profile run or runs in the Project Explorer and update their 3D cuts.
• Data from referenced Drainage and Utilities design files is now displayed in the Project Explorer, including profile runs.

Video: Project Explorer Improvements

• You can now export a drainage model to OpenFlows, to do a 2D, or coupled 1D/2D analysis.
• You can now export drainage data in DANDAS XML format, which is used by municipalities in Denmark.
• The Civil properties for Drainage and utilities elements now include the Network Type and the element type.
• A key-in has been added that deletes unused drainage and utility projects from a design file.
• You can now calculate the watersheds for a terrain model, which can then be used to create catchment areas if required.

Connect Edition 2022 Release 1

• Implemented the Land Use Polygons available in OpenFlows 10.04.
• You can now connect a conduit to a connection point and it will trim to an intersected connection region or ring.
• You can now show the width of a conduit and the wall thickness in plan and profile.
• If a feature definition uses a prototype that is not in the DGN, it is copied from the DGNLib if it is available there.
• Added the ability to set the longitudinal slope for an inlet, instead of reading it from a terrain model or linear element.
• Added trench properties to the conduit feature definition.
• Added the ability to delete a utility project from a model in a DGN.
• You can now delineate the catchment for an existing inlet.
• You can now show multiple HGL's on a profile or profile run.
• Enhanced catchment shapes to support curves.
• Improved performance when computing a scenario.
• Added "Set Invert to Start/Stop" functionality for Utilities, to improve functionality and for consistency with Drainage.
• Connected pipes are now drawn on a projected profile.
• You can now use Element Templates to control the symbology of the HGL and EGL.
• The Insert Node tool now updates existing profile runs.
• A prompt now asks if you want to display the Model Integrity Check if the databases have elements that aren't in the DGN, when the DGN is opened.
• Added the ability to set the gap between multiple barrels on a conduit.

YouTube Playlist of Enhancements

Connect Edition 2021 Release 2

• Insert Node Command Elevation Prompts change based on type of Feature Definition and weather that Feature Definition has a top elevation point and an invert elevation point or just an invert elevation point.

Video: Insert Node Elevation Prompt Changes

• Commonly needed drainage and utility properties are now stored on the drainage and utility graphics and are available for annotation and can be accessed across reference files without the need for a Drainage and Utility project in the current dgn

Video: Common Drainage Properties

• Drainage and Utilities elements have been enhanced to improve performance and make annotation easier, particularly when working across references. Common properties such as shape, number of barrels, flow, capacity, and more are now stored on the graphical elements, which will decrease the time taken to load files with referenced databases, particularly in a ProjectWise environment. Item Types can be used to add other drainage properties. Using these new properties, the drainage databases are no longer required for annotation, or for sharing information with other designers. To utilize this new capability, drainage Text Favorites in all workspaces need to be updated to point to the new element properties instead of the database properties. Optional - The existing method of extracting drainage databases across reference files can still be used in this release by setting the configuration variable CIVIL_SUBSURFACE_LOAD_REFERENCES = 1. However, this is not recommended, particularly in a ProjectWise environment. Bentley recommends migrating all workspaces and projects to the new element-based properties as soon as practical. The ability to extract drainage databases across references will be deprecated in a future version.

Best Practice: Avoid Copying a Design File with Drainage and Utility Project Data 

Change in how drainage and utility references are loaded in 2021R2

• If you open a design file that contains elements in the graphics that are not in the databases, you are now asked if you want to preserve the graphics, where previously they would have been removed. This preserves the graphical data, so that it can be used for plotting, or as a reference when placing new elements.
• The ability to set minimum and maximum depths of cover on a node is now available. This enhancement makes it possible to set depths of cover on a node, to complement the existing functionality for depths of cover on a conduit. Some design standards state a minimum depth of cover on a node, to accommodate precast sections for example. If set, then when a Gradually Varied Flow scenario which is set to design the system is computed, elevations will be calculated that honor both design constraints. If the constraints differ - such as the conduit having a minimum cover that is less than the minimum cover for a node, then the lower of the two elevations is used.
• Catchment Delineation now works when a manually delineated catchment is connected to the inlet and honors its area if the two overlap. This means that you can manually delineate an area, for example to model runoff from existing ground, and also automatically delineate an area, for example to model road runoff, and connect them both to the same inlet.
• New functionality has been added to update multiple delineated catchments. This uses a selection set of inlets and will update any catchments that have been automatically delineated. This offers a more efficient workflow than updating automatically delineated areas quickly when you're not sure which areas need to be updated, because you can select all of the inlets and update their catchments in one go.

Video: Update Catchments Tool

• The ability to apportion catchment runoff to gutters that flow to a sump inlet. This enhancement lets you state that if a catchment is connected to a sump inlet, which has two gutters connected to it, then the flow from the catchment should be apportioned between the gutters, as opposed to the same flow being assigned to both gutters.
• The Critical Storm Analysis wizard now caters for cross section and transition nodes, which makes it applicable to models that include ditches for example.
• The position of start and stop control structures in conduits has been adjusted, so that they are now next to the start or stop node in the profile model, when the SWMM solver is used (previously they were in the middle of the conduit). This means that the Hydraulic Grade Line better reflects reality in an unsteady-state analysis, because the control structure is located correctly.
• When the ILSAX runoff method is used, the catchment properties now show the coefficients that are used in the loss model when a predefined SOIL and AMC value are used.
• Only one Drainage and Utilities project can now be created in a design file. Existing design files that have more than one project can still be opened.

Connect Edition 2021 Release 1

• The Place Node command now lets you select a baseline reference as part of the prompt sequence.
• Nodes now include relevant properties for connected conduits, such as their shape, size, invert elevation, and material.
• Profile runs can now show the conduits that connect to a node, that are not part of the profile run.
• Annotation of multiple conduits in cross section drawings can be automated using an Annotation Filter, which now lets you select conduit feature definitions.
• The MicroStation 2D Element ID has been added as a Utility property, which means that it can be included in FlexTables, and exported to external formats such as Shapefiles.
• A Slope (Construction) property has been added, for annotation and reporting.
• The Extract Utilities from Graphics command now lets you select a feature definition for nodes, as well as conduits.
• The Extract Utilities from Graphics command now lets you specify a search radius for nodes, to account for the situation where the ends of the graphics for the conduits are close, but not coincident.
• You can now import and export a Utilities submodel, as well as a Drainage submodel using a .sqlite file.
• Importing InRoads Storm and Sanitary, LandXML, and MicroDrainage data can now be done in an empty design file, as opposed to a new design file.
• You can now remove the elevation and baseline references if those references are no longer available.
• A new configuration variable (CIVIL_SUBSURFACE_LOAD_REFERENCES) has been added to prevent the extraction of Drainage and Utilities databases from a referenced design file.

Connect Edition 2020 Release 3

• A new Critical Storm Analysis Wizard gives the ability to easily run a number of storm events on a system, and identifies the worst-case storm for every conduit or node - without having to create the scenarios first. This makes it much easier to test a system that has been designed using the Rational method. (Requires CivilStorm License to be activated)
• A series of nodes can now be placed at an interval along a linear element.

Video: Place Nodes at Interval along Alignment

• Place Node now lets you state that the elevation reference is for the node invert, instead of the cover or ground. This is useful when placing endwalls in a ditch.

Video: Place Node - Elevation is Invert Property

• Place Node now lets you extract an irregular cross section from the elevation reference.
• Place Node now lets you place a tap node in a conduit.
• Added the OpenFlows batch pipe split functionality, that automatically inserts nodes in conduits if they are within an offset tolerance.
• An option has been added to list all conduits that are missing a start or stop node.

• Properties that have civil rules are now displayed in Utility Properties as read only.
• Properties for the largest and smallest conduits connected to a drainage node have been added.
• The ability to only draw "whole" conduits on profile sheet has been added. This will force the subsequent conduit to be placed on the next profile sheet.

Video: Whole Conduits Only Option using the Place Civil Profile Named Boundary tool

• The profile manipulator for conduit slope can now display the OpenFlows Calculated slope value, if this is selected in User Preferences>Drainage and Utilities.

Video: Conduit Slope Construction vs. Slope Calculated

• The road cross slope for a catch basin can now be read from a terrain model.

Video: Road Cross Slope Offset Property

• Added support for UK Flood Estimation Handbook 2013 Rainfall Data.
• Loading of reference files containing drainage and utilities database occurs automatically when the active file also contains a database. This will allow the exposure of reference drainage and utilities properties and the ability to annotate them across reference files.
• ModelBuilder now supports the Node Rotation property when importing and exporting data. This has caused a change to the way that the Node Rotation value is set. If you have existing design files containing nodes that use a relative rotation, the value needs to be reset before you compute the hydraulics and hydrology. To do this, select each node, and use its manipulator to change the value - either very slightly, or change it, then change it back.

Connect Edition 2020 Release 2

• Added Vertical Offset property and manipulator to Drainage Node Feature Definition

Video: Vertical Offset Manipulator

• Added support for OpenFlows Tap and Property Connection types in the Structure Type property of a node feature definition.
• Fixed several issues with manipulators for nodes and conduits in a profile model. Note that the Set Invert to Start / Stop properties on a conduit, if set to True, will cause the related invert manipulator to be read-only. Also, the File > Settings > User > Preferences > View Options – Civil > dialog now includes an option to “Show OpenFlows Calculated Slope, in the Drainage and Utilities category. This will cause the conduit slope manipulator to use the OpenFlows slope, which is measured using the center to center length of the conduit, instead of the exact (i.e. clipped) length. Note that the OpenFlows slope is a read-only value.
• Fixed a crash when deleting a delineated catchment, if the catchment is connected to a node and the node is deleted before the conduit.
• Fixed an issue loading data when a link does not have a start and / or stop node.
• Added a new dialog that displays the links with missing nodes in each database and allows you to delete some, or all, of the links. The key in for this is SUBSURFACE OPENLINKSMISSINGNODESDIALOG.
• Added the ability to use the local design constraint for a conduit, instead of the default design constraint. This lets you override default values such as the depth of cover, minimum velocity, etc., which can be helpful if the conduit is modelling an open section such as a ditch.

Video: Setting a Local Pipe Constraint

• Enhanced the catchment acreage to update when the catchment area is modified.
• Fixed the Update Standards from dgnlib tool to correctly synchronize drainage and utilities standards. This means that the properties for a prototype and associated catalog that are used by a feature definition in the DGN will be updated from the dgnliib.

Connect Edition 2020 Release 1

The name of the workflow has changed to "Drainage and Utilities" to better reflect the functionality.

• Added setting to allow headwalls to use the slope of the incoming pipe slope.
• Ability to copy a prototype and catalog when the Feature Definition is not in SUDA_SEED_FILE.
• Allow annotation of elements in reference files. This requires a utilities project in the active DGN, which triggers the ability to annotate elements in up to four references.
• Support for OpenFlows gutter sections functionality. This creates intermediate sections along a gutter element by sectioning a terrain model. Spread widths are calculated at each section.
• Draw the spread widths for a gutter element as a polygon.
• New method to allow placement of gutters from a start node and downstream trace.
• Relative Rotation for a node from a linear element is supported.
• Extend the Critical Scenario Analysis wizard so that it can use flow in conduits as a critical criteria, as well as the HGL at nodes.
• The default value for a User Data Extension (UDX) can now be overridden in a feature definition, so you can assign one User Data Extension to multiple feature definitions and use a different default value for each one.
• The wall thickness of a utility conduit is now available as a property, so it can be annotated by a text favorite.
• The settings for Set Invert to Start/Stop are no longer overridden and are applied 'as is' from the conduit prototype.
• Flow arrows are now displayed for drainage conduits in Element Symbology. Note that the property for this needs to be toggled off then on to activate it in the DGN.