Product(s):	WaterGEMS, WaterCAD, HAMMER, SewerGEMS, SewerCAD, StormCAD, CivilStorm
Version(s):	26.00.00.508 and higher



 



Introduction



The Bentley Copilot feature is available in OpenFlows products starting with version 2026 (26.00.00.508 and higher). Bentley Copilot is a conversational artificial intelligence (AI) assistant that provides contextual intelligence, guides users through workflows, searches relevant documents, makes changes to model inputs, and analyzes data inputs and outputs through natural language conversation. By enabling users to "talk" to their hydraulic models and removing the need to memorize tool locations or complex query syntax, Bentley Copilot empowers users and accelerates project delivery, reducing the learning curve and enabling users to focus on engineering decisions.

Currently (as of version 26.00.00.508) Bentley OpenFlows Copilot is powered by ChatGPT 5.1, which serves as its underlying Large Language Model (LLM).Note: Bentley Copilot is not intended to be used for engineering consulting or for advanced troubleshooting.



What kind of technical support can I expect for this "Tech Preview" feature?



As of version 26.00.00.508, Bentley OpenFlows Copilot is offered as a Technology Preview (tech preview). It does not represent the final version of this feature, as we will continue to enhance and improve it. Please use this feature for evaluation purposes and provide Bentley with feedback on how you'd like us to improve it to better meet your needs. If you encounter problems or have questions about the use of Copilot, Technical Support is still provided. Support will make an effort to assist you, clarify assumptions and limitations, and can report any issues that need to be fixed.

Usage of this feature is governed by the AI Product-Specific Terms and Bentley AI User Guidelines. Please be aware that at some point, you may receive notice from Bentley that such use must cease or this Technology Preview will become unavailable to you. As we receive feedback, this Technology Preview may also be enhanced, updated or also discontinued without notice. As a Technology Preview, it is provided to you "as-is" without the benefit of any Bentley warranty, indemnity or support obligation.

Enabling or Disabling Copilot

For users or organizations who prefer not to install the Bentley Copilot tool (for example due to company policy regarding AI tools or if you do not agree to the terms mentioned above), you can choose to exclude it during the setup process. To do so, proceed with the OpenFlows installation until you arrive at the Product Features configuration window. In this step, deselect the checkbox for the "Bentley Copilot" feature to ensure it is not installed. Please refer to the screenshot below for a visual guide.

Note: if you already installed the OpenFlows product with Copilot enabled and wish to disable it, you can navigate to the Windows "Installed Apps" (Programs and Features), click the "..." button next to the OpenFlows Water / Storm / Sewer entry, choose "Modify" and you will see the option to disable it (see screenshot below).



Navigating the Bentley Copilot Controls



 Bentley Copilot is presented as a dockable window within the OpenFlows interface. It can be found in the Home tab under Bentley Copilot.

At the top right of the tool, you will find four icons from left to right: New Conversation, Indexed Files, Conversation history, and Memories management:

• "New Conversation" -  this button will start a new conversation with the Assistant. Your previous conversations will be stored, and you can access them by clicking the "Conversation History" button.
• "Indexed Files" - this button enables you to add your own custom documents (currently limited to Word documents and PDF files). This enables the Copilot to reference your specific files when responding to prompts. Use this feature to upload documents you want the Copilot to be aware of, such as: Project-specific standards, Company guidelines, Technical manuals. After you upload a document, you can ask the Copilot questions directly related to its content. 
  • Supported File Types: As of version 26.00.00.508, only Word and PDF documents are supported, but this is planned to be expanded in future releases. 
  • Connected Project requirement: The button will not work until your model is associated with a Connected Project ("Bentley Cloud Service" section of the Ribbon). Uploaded files are stored in the Bentley cloud and are accessible from the CONNECT Center > Projects, and an indexed copy of the document is also stored locally on your computer for performance. See more in the FAQ section further below.
• "Conversation History" - this button enables you to manage your conversations with commands such as "Sort" (the stored conversations), "Import" (a conversation from a .json file), and "Delete All" (the stored conversations). By clicking on the three-dot button next to each conversation, you can rename, clone, export, or delete it individually. To reopen a stored conversation, click on it. If you hover over an answer provided by Copilot, a "Branch conversation" button will appear at the bottom of the answer (see the screenshot below). Clicking on it will start a new conversation with the Assistant from the selected response, keeping only the prior messages. The previous conversation, including the full message history, will then be stored in the Conversation history tab.
  
  

• "Memories Management" - this button helps Bentley Copilot remember and implement preferences, facts, or goals in the interaction with the user. You can “Sort” the memories list in a preference order, “Import” previously saved memories in a .json file, “Export” the current saved memories for a future use in a .json file, organize and manage the memories in groups with the “New memories group” button, and “Delete all memories.”
  • Note: There is a second way to create memories: When you create a prompt, you can ask Copilot to save a particular instruction as a memory by telling it to “Remember that.” For example: “Remember that I am Bob and I am a new OpenFlows user.” This will add the above information to the memories group.
    
    

Supported queries examples: interacting with Bentley Copilot



• Intelligent Documentation Search: Users can ask general or highly specific questions in natural language. The Copilot feature instantly searches through Bentley’s official OpenFlows documentation, Knowledgebase, project-specific documents, uploaded files by the user, as well as the user-Provided Memories to provide detailed, relevant answers, complete with direct links to help articles. For example it can provide suggestions on best modeling practices for specific situations.

• Conversational Model Querying: Copilot can directly query the open model's data. For example users can ask for a count of specific elements (e.g., "How many active pumps are in the model?") or ask for elements that meet certain criteria (e.g., "Which pipes have a diameter greater than 14?").  Copilot maintains the context of the conversation, allowing for intuitive follow-up questions.
• Interactive Data Display and Selection: When a query is made, Bentley Copilot presents the results in a clear, tabular format. Furthermore, it automatically selects and highlights the queried elements directly in the hydraulic model drawing, providing immediate visual feedback.
• Direct Model Editing via Commands: Perform basic edits using simple commands. For example a user can request to "change the diameter to 16" for a selection of pipes. For safety, Copilot asks for confirmation before executing the property changes.
  • Note: you can turn on Change Tracking before asking Copilot to make changes, so that you can review the changes. The "User" associated with the change will show up as yourself.

Known limitations



• It cannot create elements.
• It cannot provide coding assistance.
• It only answers OpenFlows-related questions.
• Vague prompts produce inaccurate responses.
• It is heavily reliant on accurate documentation ingestion.
• Generating a response might take some time.

Tips for successful usage 



• The AI Copilot feature is currently in the Technology Preview phase, which means that it is still under development and may not represent the full functionality intended for a future (non-tech preview) release. Therefore, please use this feature for evaluation purposes. Additionally, the AI is trained using a large dataset of online information, which may contain outdated material from forums, articles, and other sources. Use your professional judgment to assess the validity and applicability of the output to your specific situation.
• Since the same prompt does not always produce the same result when working with an AI Copilot/LLM, it may be difficult to reproduce certain issues. To help us reproduce an issue you are experiencing with Copilot, please submit a Case to the Bentley Technical Support Team via the Bentley Support Portal. While doing so, please attach the .json conversation history file and the .json saved memories file, if applicable (compressed into a zip file first)
• When iterating on a response or series of responses, tell Copilot precisely what you want it to improve upon its preview response. Direct Correction: “That’s a good start, but…”; Additional information: “Good, now expand on this…”

Troubleshooting



If the Bentley Copilot Icon is not visible in the OpenFlows Product Home tab, please perform a reinstallation of the OpenFlows product (go to Windows Installed Apps > Search for the OpenFlows product > Click on three dots > Modify). While in the Product Features Prompt window, make sure to properly select the Copilot feature, as indicated in the screenshot further above.



Frequently Asked Questions

Can this application automatically design my water distribution or sewer system?

Bentley Copilot itself does not “design” the hydraulic system for you. For that you will need to proper built the model and then use other tools, e.g. Darwin Designer for Water products or set the calculation type as Design in the GVF-Convex or GVF-Rational numerical solver (for the Sewer and Storm products), to properly design your systems. What Bentley Copilot can help you with, is to find and open these tools, interpret results, explain workflows and options.

When the "Upload source file" option is selected, will the data be stored on a Bentley/Microsoft cloud server?

Yes, when the "Upload source file" option is selected, the data will be stored on the same servers as all other project/ProjectWise related data and will be subject to existing Role-Based Access Control (RBAC) measures. It can be accessed by clicking Bentley Cloud Services tab > CONNECT Center > Projects >  browse into the project’s Documents. If your model is not yet associated with a Connected project, this can be done from the "Bentley Cloud Services" ribbon. See more in this article: Associate a CONNECTED Project to a Hydraulic Model

In addition to the cloud, an indexed copy of the document is also stored locally on your computer for performance purposes. You can find this local cache in the following directory:

C:\Users\<username>\AppData\Local\Bentley\<ProductName>\bentley-ai-copilot\Indexed-Cache

Note: Role-Based Access Control, or RBAC, restricts access to systems and data based on a user's role within an organization. Instead of assigning permissions to each individual, RBAC groups permissions into roles. Users are then assigned to these roles, which simplifies the management of access rights and enhances overall security.

Is the AI's retained history sent to Microsoft or Bentley, or is it used to train or improve models outside the user's organization?

No. For OpenFlows products, the AI's conversation history is not sent to Microsoft or Bentley. This data is not used to train or improve any models outside of your organization. While some diagnostic information is saved to local log files, it will only be shared with your explicit permission.

Is conversation history retained beyond the active session? If so, how long is it retained?

The conversation history is not retained in the cloud or on Bentley's servers after the session ends. However, a log of the conversation is saved locally to your own machine. You have complete control to inspect, retain, or delete these files at any time. You can find the conversation history files in the following directory:

C:\Users\<UserName>\AppData\Local\Bentley\<Product Name>\bentley-ai-copilot\Conversation-History\iTwinId\IModelId