Welcome to the world of MicroStation Python! This wiki will guide you through creating your first Python program in MicroStation, a leading computer-aided design software for infrastructure design.

Your First Python Program in MicroStation

Let us dive into creating a simple "Hello World!" program in Python.

Create and Load project

To create a new Python project in the Python Manager, click the Create a New Python Project icon and name it "HelloWorld.py". Save it to your preferred directory.

Within the Python Manager, locate your project "HelloWorld.py" in the project list. Click the Edit Python File icon to open the editor for writing your Python script.

Import Modules

The import datetime line brings in the datetime module, offering functions to work with dates and times.

import datetime

Print Messages

The print statements display text to the console "MicroStation - Text Window". Copy or type the following code into editor. Save the "HelloWorld.py" project.

import datetime

# print 
print("Hello World!")

# print variables  
s1 = "Hello"
s2 = "World!"
print(s1 + ", " + s2)

# print current date with f-strings
today = datetime.datetime.today()
print(f"{today:%B %d, %Y}")

The first print("Hello World!") outputs the classic "Hello World!" message.

The second print(s1 + ", " + s2) combines the variables s1 and s2 (containing "Hello" and "World!") with commas and spaces.

The third print(f"{today:%B %d, %Y}") leverages f-strings to format the current date from the variable, today in a human-readable format (e.g., "June 20, 2024").

Run/Execute project

Select project "HelloWorld.py" from the Python Manager dialog and click on icon to Run/Execute the python script.

"MicroStation - Text Window" displays the output of your script.

Congratulations! You've just run your first Python program.

MicroStation Python: A Journey to Hello World

Your First Python Program in MicroStation

Create and Load project

Import Modules

Print Messages

Run/Execute project

Further Reading