Welcome to this blog series on MicroStation Add-ins development! Whether you're a beginner or an experienced developer, this series will guide you from the basics to advanced techniques, helping you master the art of creating powerful applications using Add-ins for MicroStation.
Add-ins, built on the .NET Framework, allow you to use languages like C#, C++/CLI, or VB.NET to develop robust applications. Unlike MVBA (MicroStation Visual Basic for Applications), Add-ins support command tables and can be compiled into DLLs. Compared to MDL (MicroStation Development Language/Library), Add-ins enable you to design user interfaces with WinForms, eliminating the need to handle the complex, .r resource files, which can be challenging for beginners.
Before diving into Add-ins development, it's crucial to have a solid understanding of the MicroStation platform. Familiarity with MicroStation will accelerate your learning and help you grasp related development technologies more effectively. Additionally, you'll need Microsoft Visual Studio (VS) to implement Add-ins development, so proficiency in using VS and a foundational knowledge of C# are essential.
Prerequisites
1. Install Visual Studio
Select the following workloads:
- ".NET desktop development"
- "Desktop development with C++"
2. Install MicroStation
3. Install MicroStation SDK
MicroStation 2024, now supports VS2022. Once both software is successfully installed, you should see the respective startup screens when you launch them.
If you don't have the MicroStation software and its development kit (SDK), you'll need to join Bentley Developer Network (BDN) to obtain them. For more information about joining BDN, please email: bdn@bentley.com.