V8i [best] May 2026

V8i gave way to the OpenRoads/OpenBuildings generation (CONNECT Edition) around 2015–2018. Yet many agencies and contractors clung to V8i well into the 2020s — not out of nostalgia, but because of its stability and the deep libraries of custom cells, templates, and workflows built around it.

In an industry that values continuity over churn, V8i represents a rare sweet spot: sophisticated enough for complex projects, yet accessible enough for small firms.

For those unfamiliar, V8i refers to a specific generation of Bentley Systems’ software platform, most notably and its suite of applications (InRoads, GEOPAK, PowerCivil, etc.). The “i” stood for interoperability — a quiet revolution at the time.