This article refers to the email announcement sent out to AutoPLANT users earlier in November, 2023 detailing changes to the AutoPLANT Modeler Offering:
Dear Valued AutoPLANT Modeler Users,
As part of our global rationalization plan, our world-class product teams and Commercial Programs colleagues are working diligently to simplify our product portfolio by streamlining our offerings to help you advance in your work and improve your user experience.
To achieve this goal, Bentley has made the difficult decision to end support for AutoPLANT Modeler beginning December 31, 2023. We will also end general availability of this product and remove it from our Software Downloads Center by December 31, 2024. We strongly encourage you to migrate to Bentley’s OpenPlant Modeler as a replacement solution as soon as possible. Below is the retirement timeline for your review.
Please note current perpetual licenses can be converted to OpenPlant licenses during this transition period. Bentley will also allow concurrent usage of both OpenPlant and AutoPLANT products during this period.
This article refers to the email announcement sent out to AutoPLANT users in October, 2024:
Dear Valued AutoPLANT Modeler User,
As a follow-up to the announcement we sent in November 2023, we will be ending the general availability of AutoPLANT Modeler and removing it from our Software Downloads Center by December 31, 2024. We have been working with existing users for transition to OpenPlant Modeler and strongly encourage you to migrate to that solution as soon as possible, if you haven’t already done so. Below is the retirement timeline, and an update on changes to product licensing, for your review.
Effective December 31, 2024, AutoPLANT Modeler will enter Support Discontinued status and will be officially deprecated. Note that new licenses of AutoPLANT can be purchased until December 31, 2024. After this date, AutoPLANT Modeler will be removed from Software Downloads
Bentley has made the difficult decision to end support for AutoPLANT Modeler beginning December 31, 2023. We will also end general availability of this product and remove it from our Software Downloads Center by December 31, 2024. This gave accounts a full year to migrate to an alternative solution.
We started a project in 2022 to update AutoPLANT to run on the latest AutoCAD version. During this process, we discovered challenges with core components of the software, as well as potential security vulnerabilities, due to the software being developed using deprecated technology from Microsoft. Therefore, the decision was made to retire the product and help existing users move to the more secure OpenPlant Modeler solution.
AutoPLANT Modeler
We will continue to provide AutoPLANT support until the end of 2024. Support will include:
Please note that no further development updates or patches will be provided for AutoPLANT Modeler at the end of the Expiring Support phase of the Bentley Fixed Lifecycle Policy. Instead, Bentley colleagues will assist users in migrating to OpenPlant Modeler.
AutoPLANT Modeler will be replaced by OpenPlant Modeler.
OpenPlant Modeler and AutoPLANT Modeler have very similar capabilities for plant design. A benefit to using OpenPlant Modeler is that this solution does not require an AutoCAD engine to run.
OpenPlant Modeler is better integrated with Bentley’s latest iTwin technology and can leverage cloud services for data management, visualization, and 2D/3D consistency.
AutoPLANT Modeler usage and entitlements will begin to get rolled into OpenPlant Modeler as of October 7, 2024, as contracts start to get renewed for 2025.
Effective October 7, 2024, all AutoPLANT Modeler term license and enterprise license usage will be allocated under OpenPlant Modeler and pricing. Users will be charged OpenPlant Modeler license costs to use AutoPLANT Modeler after this date. This allows them to use AutoPLANT concurrently. If you are allocating licenses within your organization, OpenPlant Modeler licenses will need to be selected.
Bentley's Subscription Entitlement Services (SES) allow you to set threshold limits to trigger warnings when you are about to overuse a license. However, following this change, you should reset the threshold limits for OpenPlant Modeler license based on your entitlements, even if you had previously set the threshold limits for the individual legacy applications. If you do not reset your threshold limits, your engineers will not be notified when they are about to overuse the number of licenses you're entitled to or may not be able to use AutoPLANT Modeler.
For more information on how to update these threshold limits in the Subscription Entitlement Service (SES) Entitlement Management center, please visit this Communities page: How to enable and configure license alerting
We strongly advise account admins to reset these threshold limits before running AutoPLANT Modeler as of this date.
Similarly, if you previously had Default Access set to deny access to all products except for a list of exceptions, your Administrator will need to change this in Entitlement Management to allow access to the OpenPlant Modeler.
Note that this change allows users to use both AutoPLANT and OpenPlant Modeler on the same machine.
AutoPLANT licenses can be migrated to OpenPlant licenses. Users can convert their existing piping specifications and catalogues to OpenPlant. AutoPLANT 3D models can also be converted to OpenPlant format. We also have migration blueprints available for E365 accounts.
To support any E365 users who require migration to OpenPlant, there is an Enterprise Blueprint (UID 834) available.
This blueprint will provide Bentley resources to help the user set up your OpenPlant configuration, migrate piping specifications and enable the migration of your 3D model to OpenPlant.
If you require Bentley to provide migration services, please contact your enterprise success manager (ESM) to order the migration Blueprint.
The Enterprise Blueprint is only available to E365 users – if you are not an E365 user, please speak to your account manager to discuss your requirements.
OpenPlant prices are listed in the Bentley price book and persona-based application bundles are also available via Virtuosity. Please contact your account manager for more details on each option.
After 2024, we will replace SELECT fees of AutoPLANT Modeler with OpenPlant Modeler pricing. However, users will still be able to use AutoPLANT Modeler concurrently.
No. OpenPlant is based on PowerPlatform and does not require additional MicroStation licenses.
We encourage users to visit the OpenPlant Communities wiki for additional information. https://communities.bentley.com/products/plant/w/plant_design_and_engineering__wiki/41583/openplant-modeler-connect
We also have videos that highlight OpenPlant capabilities in YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL7bTQM8iKQs02ScqQmNNiAiRrYQHMxCng
You can find OpenPlant quick-start training videos in our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL7bTQM8iKQs02ScqQmNNiAiRrYQHMxCng
Starting with contract renewals in Q4 2024 and into next year, you will see OpenPlant Modeler added in your SELECT contracts. We will be rolling up usage of AutoPLANT into OpenPlant. This will allow you to continue using AutoPLANT as well as provide you access to OpenPlant. Account admins will need to assign OpenPlant Modeler licenses to users as they may not see AutoPLANT Modeler anymore in the license entitlement options. However, with OpenPlant Modeler entitlements, they will be able to run AutoPLANT without issue.
If you do not wish to use AutoPLANT or OpenPlant, you can cancel your SELECT contract and receive node-locked AutoPLANT Modeler licenses. If you have other products in your SELECT subscription, unfortunately, you’re not able to only cancel AutoPLANT Modeler per SELECT’S terms and conditions. You would have to cancel the entire contract to receive AutoPLANT node-locked.
Yes, you can keep OpenPlant Modeler in your subscription and be able to use both OpenPlant and AutoPLANT. You can also portfolio balance the licenses to other Bentley products.
Your licenses will already be node-locked and will not change.
You will not be able to download new AutoPLANT Modeler from Software Downloads. You will be able to continue using AutoPLANT as well as OpenPlant if you wish to do so. All AutoPLANT usage will be reported and invoiced as OpenPlant Modeler. You can request node-locked licenses of AutoPLANT Modeler if you have purchased licenses in the past by cancelling your current SELECT subscription. You can also migrate to OpenPlant Modeler and work with the Bentley team to assist in this transition.
As stated above, these license and subscription changes will take effect as of October 7, 2024. This is earlier than previously communicated date of 31st December. Reason to move up this date is to ensure that as you upgrade your contracts for 2025, you have option to continue to use existing AutoPLANT without any issues beyond this date.
Existing users with a current annual SELECT subscription, ELS subscription, or Enterprise 365 subscription.
No, the product will still work with existing full product functionality. AutoPLANT Modeler Version 10.02.00.48 is the final release of the product. You can continue using the product in 2024; however, after October 7, 2024, your usage will be invoiced and reported as OpenPlant Modeler usage. All entitlements will need to be based on OpenPlant Modeler license. Finally, as stated above, there will be no support for AutoPLANT Modeler product after December 31, 2024.
Yes, you can purchase new AutoPLANT licenses until December 31, 2024, which can then be used after this date as described above.
Please contact a member of your account team with any other questions you may have. You can also contact our sales support team on live chat at www.bentley.com.