Unlocking Digital Interoperability for Modern Infrastructure Software
Across the global construction and infrastructure sector, the ability to move complex design data cleanly between platforms has become a strategic capability rather than a technical convenience. Major road, rail, utilities and building programmes now depend on multi-disciplinary digital workflows that stretch from concept design through delivery, asset management and long-term operations. In that environment, file format compatibility quietly shapes everything from collaboration speed to project risk.
The latest update to Tech Soft 3D’s HOOPS Exchange toolkit speaks directly to that reality. By adding support for importing DGN files, the company is expanding the practical reach of a platform already used by developers building professional-grade engineering and construction software. It is a move that reflects how entrenched DGN remains in large-scale infrastructure delivery, particularly where projects are data-dense, geographically distributed and subject to long operational lifecycles.
Rather than being a narrow technical enhancement, the new DGN reader reinforces a broader shift in the AEC software ecosystem. Interoperability is no longer about ticking boxes for format support. It is about enabling resilient, future-proof data pipelines that can absorb legacy systems while supporting modern BIM-led delivery models.
DGN in Global Infrastructure
DGN has long been associated with complex infrastructure environments where precision, scale and data management matter more than visual simplicity. Transport corridors, utilities networks, ports and airports often rely on DGN-based workflows because the format is well suited to handling extensive linear assets and highly detailed engineering datasets without collapsing under file size or performance constraints.
In practice, many infrastructure owners and engineering consultancies operate mixed digital estates. DGN files frequently sit alongside IFC, DWG and proprietary BIM formats within the same project ecosystem. That coexistence creates friction when software tools cannot reliably ingest and interpret DGN data, forcing manual workarounds or data simplification that erodes accuracy.
By extending HOOPS Exchange to read DGN, Tech Soft 3D is addressing a persistent pain point for developers whose customers operate in precisely those hybrid environments. The value lies not only in reading geometry, but in maintaining the fidelity of complex design information that downstream applications rely on for analysis, coordination and decision-making.
Strengthening Multi-Format AEC Workflows
HOOPS Exchange already supports a wide range of formats commonly used across architecture, engineering and construction, including IFC, Revit, Navisworks and DWG. The addition of DGN fills a notable gap in that portfolio, particularly for applications serving civil infrastructure and heavy engineering markets.
From a developer perspective, broad format coverage reduces the need to build and maintain multiple bespoke import pipelines. Instead, teams can focus on application logic, user experience and performance, confident that underlying data access is robust and scalable. That approach aligns with how modern engineering software is increasingly built: modular, API-driven and designed to evolve alongside customer workflows.
The importance of this should not be underestimated. As digital twins, reality capture and AI-assisted design tools gain traction, the quality of upstream data ingestion becomes a determining factor in whether those technologies deliver meaningful value. Poorly translated geometry or lost metadata can undermine analytics and automation before they even begin.
A Developer-First View of Interoperability
Tech Soft 3D has consistently positioned HOOPS Exchange as a developer-centric solution rather than an end-user application. The DGN update reinforces that stance by responding directly to real-world requirements emerging from customers building software for construction and engineering professionals.
As Marco Salino, Product Manager for Data Access and Publishing, explained: “By adding DGN support, we’re giving developers the tools they need to build solutions that align with real-world construction and engineering requirements. This update helps ensure that developers can work with the formats their customers rely on most, without compromising on data quality, performance, or workflow efficiency.”
The emphasis on alignment with operational reality is telling. Infrastructure projects rarely enjoy the luxury of greenfield digital environments. Instead, they inherit decades of legacy data and established practices. Tools that acknowledge and accommodate that complexity tend to gain traction faster than those that attempt to impose idealised workflows.
Interoperability as Risk Management
In large infrastructure programmes, interoperability failures often translate directly into commercial and delivery risk. Design coordination issues, data loss during handovers and incompatible software stacks can trigger delays and costly rework. Over time, these inefficiencies erode confidence in digital delivery models.
By making DGN data more accessible within modern applications, HOOPS Exchange helps reduce those risks at the software layer. Developers can build tools that ingest legacy and contemporary formats without forcing users to convert or duplicate data, lowering the likelihood of version conflicts or misinterpretation.
This capability is particularly relevant as owners push for greater transparency and traceability across asset lifecycles. Accurate data ingestion underpins everything from construction sequencing to long-term maintenance planning. Without it, digital transformation initiatives struggle to move beyond pilot phases.
Supporting the Shift Toward Platform-Agnostic Design
The AEC sector has spent years grappling with vendor lock-in and fragmented digital ecosystems. While progress has been made through open standards and BIM mandates, many organisations still depend on proprietary formats for critical workflows. DGN’s continued prevalence is a case in point.
Rather than attempting to displace those formats, Tech Soft 3D’s approach acknowledges their role while enabling greater flexibility at the application level. Developers can support DGN alongside other standards, giving end users the freedom to choose tools based on functionality rather than compatibility constraints.
That platform-agnostic mindset is increasingly important as infrastructure projects involve larger consortia of designers, contractors and operators spread across regions and regulatory frameworks. Software that can bridge those divides quietly becomes an enabler of collaboration rather than a bottleneck.
Positioning HOOPS Exchange as Core Infrastructure
With the addition of DGN, HOOPS Exchange edges closer to being a foundational component for 3D engineering applications rather than a specialist conversion tool. Its growing format coverage reflects how data access has become a form of digital infrastructure in its own right.
For software vendors serving construction and engineering markets, relying on a mature, well-supported data access layer reduces technical debt and accelerates time to market. It also provides a degree of insulation against future format changes, as responsibility for ongoing compatibility sits with a dedicated specialist rather than in-house development teams.
This dynamic mirrors trends seen in other technology sectors, where platform services quietly underpin innovation by absorbing complexity that would otherwise slow progress.
Long-Term Implications for AEC Software Innovation
Looking ahead, the significance of this update lies less in the headline feature and more in what it signals about industry direction. As infrastructure owners demand richer digital deliverables and regulators push for improved data continuity, software tools will be judged on their ability to integrate seamlessly into existing ecosystems.
DGN support within HOOPS Exchange strengthens the toolkit’s relevance to infrastructure-heavy markets such as transport, energy and utilities, where long asset lifespans and legacy data are the norm. For developers targeting those sectors, the update removes a barrier that has historically limited interoperability.
It also reinforces Tech Soft 3D’s broader strategy of incremental, developer-focused enhancements rather than disruptive overhauls. In an industry wary of unnecessary risk, that steady approach tends to resonate.
Building on a Global Software Foundation
Founded in 1996 and headquartered in Bend, Oregon, Tech Soft 3D has built its reputation by supplying core engineering software components rather than end-user products. With offices across North America, Europe and Asia, the company operates close to the markets where AEC and industrial software demand is strongest.
Backed by Battery Ventures, Tech Soft 3D has continued to invest in expanding its toolkits in response to evolving industry needs. The DGN update fits squarely within that pattern, addressing a specific requirement with broad downstream impact.
As digital delivery expectations rise across construction and infrastructure, the companies enabling reliable data exchange may remain largely invisible. Yet their influence on productivity, collaboration and risk management will only grow.
