{
 "categories": [
  "engineering",
  "energy",
  "cad"
 ],
 "deployment": "desktop",
 "evidence": [
  {
   "date": "2026-09-12",
   "fact": "homepage",
   "note": "Opened the PLS-CADD product page. Bentley presents PLS-CADD as computer-aided design and drafting software for overhead power lines, covering terrain, structures, conductors, sag-tension, and plan/profile drafting.",
   "source": "https://www.bentley.com/en/products/pls-cadd/",
   "tier": "declared"
  },
  {
   "date": "2026-09-12",
   "fact": "vendor",
   "note": "The page is published by Bentley Systems. The product is Power Line Systems PLS-CADD sold as Bentley software.",
   "source": "https://www.bentley.com/en/products/pls-cadd/",
   "tier": "declared"
  },
  {
   "date": "2026-09-12",
   "fact": "deployment",
   "note": "System requirements describe a workstation install: 64-bit Windows 10 or 11, local CPU, RAM, and display. Subscription licenses can run on a virtual machine. This is a desktop product.",
   "source": "https://www.bentley.com/en/products/pls-cadd/",
   "tier": "declared"
  },
  {
   "date": "2026-09-12",
   "fact": "platforms",
   "note": "The supported operating system is Windows 10 or 11 (64-bit). No macOS or Linux edition is listed.",
   "source": "https://www.bentley.com/en/products/pls-cadd/",
   "tier": "declared"
  },
  {
   "date": "2026-09-12",
   "fact": "platforms",
   "note": "Power Line Systems states PLS-CADD runs under Microsoft Windows 10 or 11 (x64).",
   "source": "https://www.powerlinesystems.com/plscadd",
   "tier": "declared"
  },
  {
   "date": "2026-09-12",
   "fact": "license",
   "note": "Bentley offers enterprise and other commercial licensing, plus free academic access through Bentley Education. Production use is commercial.",
   "source": "https://www.bentley.com/en/products/pls-cadd/",
   "tier": "declared"
  },
  {
   "date": "2026-09-12",
   "fact": "status",
   "note": "Bentley publishes a current PLS-CADD product page and includes PLS-CADD on the current Infrastructure AI MCP catalog. The product is active.",
   "source": "https://www.bentley.com/en/products/pls-cadd/",
   "tier": "declared"
  },
  {
   "date": "2026-09-12",
   "fact": "modalities.mcp.first_party",
   "note": "Bentley documents Power Line Systems' PLS-CADD MCP server as a first-party server embedded in PLS-CADD and connected to PLS-GRID.",
   "source": "https://www.bentley.com/en/infrastructure-ai/mcp-servers/",
   "tier": "declared"
  },
  {
   "date": "2026-09-12",
   "fact": "modalities.mcp.verdict",
   "note": "The server is read-only against live PLS-GRID data using the signed-in user's permissions. Documented capabilities include project, structure, span, and section queries, revision history, overload and terrain-gap checks, ACL audit, and file-revision download. Compatible with GitHub Copilot, Claude, Gemini, and other MCP clients. No public GitHub repository is linked.",
   "source": "https://www.bentley.com/en/infrastructure-ai/mcp-servers/",
   "tier": "declared"
  },
  {
   "date": "2026-09-12",
   "fact": "modalities.data_access.export[0]",
   "note": "Plan and profile sheets export to DXF. Graphics views also save to DXF.",
   "source": "https://www.powerlinesystems.com/data",
   "tier": "declared"
  },
  {
   "date": "2026-09-12",
   "fact": "modalities.data_access.export[1]",
   "note": "Plan and profile sheets export to PDF. The Bentley product page also names PDF among drafting exports.",
   "source": "https://www.powerlinesystems.com/data",
   "tier": "declared"
  },
  {
   "date": "2026-09-12",
   "fact": "modalities.data_access.export[2]",
   "note": "Report tables and spreadsheet tables export to XML. File/Export XML writes a project XML file and can run automatically on save.",
   "source": "https://www.powerlinesystems.com/data",
   "tier": "declared"
  },
  {
   "date": "2026-09-12",
   "fact": "modalities.data_access.export[3]",
   "note": "Report tables and spreadsheet tables export to JSON.",
   "source": "https://www.powerlinesystems.com/data",
   "tier": "declared"
  },
  {
   "date": "2026-09-12",
   "fact": "modalities.data_access.export[4]",
   "note": "File/Export KML writes the 3D view. Many reports also export to KML.",
   "source": "https://www.powerlinesystems.com/data",
   "tier": "declared"
  },
  {
   "date": "2026-09-12",
   "fact": "modalities.data_access.export[5]",
   "note": "Spreadsheet tables export to an ODBC data source when the PLS-DB module supplied with PLS-CADD is installed.",
   "source": "https://www.powerlinesystems.com/data",
   "tier": "declared"
  },
  {
   "date": "2026-09-12",
   "fact": "modalities.data_access.import[0]",
   "note": "The product page states PLS-CADD imports terrain data from LiDAR, GPS, photogrammetry, or total-station surveys. Power Line Systems also documents LAS/LAZ import.",
   "source": "https://www.bentley.com/en/products/pls-cadd/",
   "tier": "declared"
  },
  {
   "date": "2026-09-12",
   "fact": "modalities.data_access.import[1]",
   "note": "Parts and assemblies import from any ODBC data source. The Bentley product page names Oracle, Access, and DB2 among ODBC-compliant systems.",
   "source": "https://www.powerlinesystems.com/data",
   "tier": "declared"
  },
  {
   "date": "2026-09-12",
   "fact": "modalities.data_access.import[2]",
   "note": "Survey data and alignments import from KML. Structure names and locations can import from KMZ/KML.",
   "source": "https://www.powerlinesystems.com/data",
   "tier": "declared"
  },
  {
   "date": "2026-09-12",
   "fact": "modalities.data_access.import[3]",
   "note": "Terrain data can be extracted from a shapefile (.shp) as well as from DXF attachments.",
   "source": "https://www.powerlinesystems.com/data",
   "tier": "declared"
  },
  {
   "date": "2026-09-12",
   "fact": "modalities.rpa.ui_stack[0]",
   "note": "PLS-CADD is a Windows 10/11 desktop application. No UI-automation probe was run, so drivability stays unknown.",
   "source": "https://www.bentley.com/en/products/pls-cadd/",
   "tier": "declared"
  },
  {
   "date": "2026-09-12",
   "fact": "modalities.agent_docs.llms_txt",
   "note": "Opened https://www.bentley.com/en/products/pls-cadd/llms.txt and received HTTP 404. That is not agent documentation.",
   "source": "https://www.bentley.com/en/products/pls-cadd/llms.txt",
   "tier": "scraped"
  },
  {
   "date": "2026-09-12",
   "fact": "verdict.scores.mcp",
   "note": "Official embedded MCP is useful for live GRID query and reporting, but it is read-only, install-bound, PLS-GRID-gated, and unpublished as a repo or tool catalog. That is the limited-official 5-6 band, scored 6.",
   "source": "https://www.bentley.com/en/infrastructure-ai/mcp-servers/",
   "tier": "declared"
  },
  {
   "date": "2026-09-12",
   "fact": "freshness.watch[0].url",
   "note": "Opened the current PLS-CADD product page, including Windows requirements, ODBC materials, DXF/PDF drafting, and LiDAR import.",
   "source": "https://www.bentley.com/en/products/pls-cadd/",
   "tier": "declared"
  },
  {
   "date": "2026-09-12",
   "fact": "freshness.watch[1].url",
   "note": "Opened Bentley's current MCP servers page and verified the PLS-CADD MCP read-only PLS-GRID description. TOWER and PLS-POLE are listed as separate servers.",
   "source": "https://www.bentley.com/en/infrastructure-ai/mcp-servers/",
   "tier": "declared"
  },
  {
   "date": "2026-09-12",
   "fact": "freshness.watch[2].url",
   "note": "Opened the current Power Line Systems PLS-CADD page, including Windows 10/11 runtime and ODBC materials.",
   "source": "https://www.powerlinesystems.com/plscadd",
   "tier": "declared"
  },
  {
   "date": "2026-09-12",
   "fact": "freshness.watch[3].url",
   "note": "Opened the current Power Line Systems import/export note and verified DXF, PDF, XML, JSON, KML, ODBC, LiDAR, and shapefile paths.",
   "source": "https://www.powerlinesystems.com/data",
   "tier": "declared"
  }
 ],
 "freshness": {
  "last_verified": "2026-09-12",
  "volatility": "high",
  "watch": [
   {
    "type": "docs",
    "url": "https://www.bentley.com/en/products/pls-cadd/"
   },
   {
    "type": "mcp",
    "url": "https://www.bentley.com/en/infrastructure-ai/mcp-servers/"
   },
   {
    "type": "docs",
    "url": "https://www.powerlinesystems.com/plscadd"
   },
   {
    "type": "docs",
    "url": "https://www.powerlinesystems.com/data"
   }
  ]
 },
 "homepage": "https://www.bentley.com/en/products/pls-cadd/",
 "id": "bentley-pls-cadd",
 "license": "commercial",
 "modalities": {
  "agent_docs": {
   "llms_txt": false
  },
  "api": {
   "auth": [],
   "coverage": "unknown",
   "docs": null,
   "exists": "unknown",
   "kinds": []
  },
  "cli": {
   "exists": "unknown"
  },
  "computer_use": {
   "issues": [],
   "viability": "unknown"
  },
  "data_access": {
   "export": [
    "dxf",
    "pdf",
    "xml",
    "json",
    "kml",
    "odbc"
   ],
   "import": [
    "lidar",
    "odbc",
    "kml",
    "shapefile"
   ]
  },
  "extensibility": {
   "scripting": [],
   "webhooks": "unknown"
  },
  "integrations": {
   "make": "unknown",
   "n8n": "unknown",
   "power_automate": "unknown",
   "zapier": "unknown"
  },
  "mcp": {
   "first_party": true,
   "third_party": [],
   "verdict": "official"
  },
  "rpa": {
   "drivability": "unknown",
   "notes": "No repeatable UI probe was run. PLS-CADD is a Windows desktop application. The vendor-declared PLS-CADD MCP server queries live PLS-GRID data without clicking the GUI. File import/export and ODBC cover materials and reports. This record is not MicroStation, STAAD.Pro, TOWER, or PLS-POLE.\n",
   "ui_stack": [
    "windows-native"
   ],
   "vendor_support": []
  },
  "sdk": {
   "exists": "unknown",
   "languages": [],
   "official": "unknown"
  }
 },
 "name": "Bentley PLS-CADD",
 "platforms": [
  "windows"
 ],
 "related": {
  "alternatives": [
   "bentley-microstation",
   "bentley-staad-pro"
  ],
  "our_products": []
 },
 "schema_version": 1,
 "score_version": 1,
 "status": "active",
 "vendor": "Bentley Systems",
 "verdict": {
  "best_path": "mcp",
  "scores": {
   "api": null,
   "cli": null,
   "computer_use": null,
   "integrations": null,
   "mcp": 6,
   "overall": 6,
   "rpa": null
  },
  "summary": "Bentley PLS-CADD is automatable today through a vendor-declared first-party MCP server that reads live PLS-GRID project data. This record is the Power Line Systems PLS-CADD desktop overhead-line design application and its PLS-GRID environment. It is not MicroStation, STAAD.Pro, ProjectWise, TOWER, or PLS-POLE as standalone products. The PLS-CADD MCP server is embedded in PLS-CADD and routes read-only queries through the authenticated PLS-GRID connection already established by the application. Assistants operate with the logged-in user's permissions. They can query projects, structures, spans, and sections, read revision history, identify overloaded structures and terrain or vegetation gaps, audit ACL permissions, and download file revisions. They cannot create, modify, or delete GRID data. Compatible clients include GitHub Copilot, Claude, and Gemini. Deployment is local and does not require firewall changes. No public MCP repository or HTTP API contract for PLS-CADD itself was opened in this pass. TOWER and PLS-POLE have separate MCP servers. Materials and reports export through ODBC, XML, JSON, DXF, PDF, and KML. Named Zapier, Make, Power Automate, and n8n connectors were not assessed. Computer-use viability is unassessed. MCP scores 6 and is the best evidenced path. Write automation of the desktop model remains unestablished from public API docs.\n"
 }
}