Life happens – and when it does, the last thing that you want to worry about is getting your work done when you have to leave the office behind. The good news is that we can always stay connected to work, no matter our location; All that is needed is an internet connection.
There are two main intentions of this blog post. One is to present an easy-to-understand overview of how to stay connected to work from anywhere. The second is to give as much information as possible to help AEC teams collaborate, including a helpful list of tips and tricks when working from home.
Part One – The Overview
When Chris and I need to collaborate on building design projects while working remotely, BIM 360 Design is our first choice for a shared workspace – we get everything we need in terms of project delivery features in one tool.
So, what exactly is BIM 360 Design?
BIM 360 Design is a design collaboration and data management solution that helps teams collaborate on AEC projects no matter where they are physically located.
This is what the BIM 360 Design UI looks like in a web browser. (screenshot of Design Collaboration module)
So, what do I need to get started with this?
Here’s a quick checklist that can help:
BIM 360 Design is composed of four key BIM 360 modules called Account Admin, Project Admin, Design Collaboration and Document Management – these modules are the foundational blocks for staying connected, and the Revit Cloud Worksharing component links Revit to the BIM 360 environment.
- In Account Admin and Project Admin, you set up new accounts and projects and control access permissions in your workspaces.
- Design Collaboration and Document Management are critical for collaboration workflows and once activated for a project, allow for a seamless connection to design software like Revit or Civil for anytime, anywhere work.
- With Design Collaboration, teams can bundle Revit and other supporting documents together into neat packages for coordinated sharing, see all project models for all disciplines in one aggregated view, and even collaborate with IFC files.
- The Revit Cloud Worksharing service connects Revit to the BIM 360 environment – to collaborate successfully, you will need to ensure an entitlement for Revit Cloud Worksharing is assigned in your Autodesk Account.
This image shows a Revit project that has been successfully initialized for collaboration and is available to all project team members in any location. You can also save non-workshared files to the cloud.
With BIM 360 Design, you can work in Revit and Civil 3D models from home, the coffee shop, or the job site. BIM 360 Design will allow you to work effectively from anywhere so you can stay connected and productive. Want to get started? Check out the Getting Started Guide and check here for system requirements.
While BIM 360 Design is optimized to support AEC specific workflows, it also allows you to collaborate on other file types outside of CAD / BIM – what if you want to review other file types, not just BIM and CAD documentation? What if you need to share updates with extended contributors who don’t have Revit or Civil 3D? You can do this easily right in your web browser – with features like 2D & 3D viewer, issues and markup tools – accessible via web, phone, and tablet.
You’ll need Desktop Connector to effectively work with your Revit and Civil 3D files in BIM 360 Design, along with other file types, so don’t forget to download it here. See the full list of supported file types in BIM 360 here.
Part Two – Get Connected Quickly
Going beyond the basics after getting connected with BIM 360 Design
For those of you who are looking for help beyond the getting started guide, we have several resources to help you access and use your Autodesk software:
- Review best practices for accessing Autodesk software while working remotely for single-user and multi-user licenses (including Token Flex)
- Join the conversation to share tips and tricks about working from home in our Community Room forum.
- Join an “Introduction to BIM 360 Design” webinar – look here for the next one
- Trying to manage user groups or events virtually? Connect with experts and add your knowledge.
- If you need help with the setup of BIM 360 Design, Autodesk has a team dedicated to help you through this process. If you need personalized assistance, please contact us by emailing Global Renewals BIM 360 Design Startup Assistance
- If you need help beyond setup, contact our online support, use AVA (Autodesk Virtual Agent), or schedule a phone call.
- For more information and news around BIM 360 Design, don’t forget to bookmark the Convergence Blog (this blog!). It’s the place to stay updated on project delivery trends and news about BIM 360 Design.
Beyond guides, if you are looking for personal learning content, we have the following courses from Autodesk University for your review:
Seamless Cloud Collaboration with BIM 360 Design, with Cara Wilczynski & Aaron Vorwerk
• Learn how to navigate and manage projects on BIM 360
• Discover the differences between traditional collaboration offerings and BIM 360 Design
• Learn how to set up and work within a cloud-hosted project
• Assess the potential impact of BIM 360 Design on your firm
Effective File Sharing Using BIM 360 Design Collaboration, with Chris Aquino
• Better understand how to best share your Revit files with your consultants
• Learn how to better use the change visualization feature within the Design Collaboration module
• Learn about how Design Collaboration fits into the larger BIM 360 platform
• Learn how to collaborate more efficiently with the extended project team
BIM 360: Is It Me You’re Looking for? With Julia Rine
• Determine if a project should use BIM 360
• Identify collaboration opportunities
• Discuss challenges your team must overcome
• Learn about BIM 360 software’s benefits to a project
BIM 360 Design Collaboration: Everything You Need to Know, with Vincent Naviello & Matt Edwards
• Discover BIM 360 Design Collaboration concepts
• Learn how to set up a BIM 360 Design Collaboration project
• Learn about BIM 360 Docs and BIM 360 Design folder permissions
• Learn how to effectively use and understand the BIM 360 Design Collaboration Module
Autodesk University is a conference for learning about design technology
If you are looking for a more interactive experience that provides connections between disciplines and software with hands on exercises and how-to videos, as well as a quiz to test your knowledge, then check out Autodesk’s Customer Success learning hub.
We have curated this remote working page specifically to help you onboard with design collaboration. (Requires an Autodesk login)
Connected Learning lets you to learn best practices and key workflows quickly
Check out this webinar recording on the “Find yourself suddenly working remote? We are here to help” page.
Check out these connected learning pages:
BIM Manager:
– Set up BIM 360 for Better Project Coordination Using the Cloud
Architect:
– Efficiently Share Your Model with the Entire Project Team Using BIM360 Design
– Allowing Multiple Users Access a Revit Model Using Worksharing
Civil Engineer:
– Migrating Civil 3D Drawings and Data Shortcuts to BIM 360
– Share Civil 3D Surfaces with Revit Using BIM 360
– Markup a project in BIM 360
We will also begin holding virtual meetups for those working remotely as early as next week.
Here are the meetup links:
BIM Manager Meetups:
Activate Your BIM360 Subscription
USA 12:30 pm ET on March 26, 2020 with Rachel Cooke and Michelle Rasmussen
Setup Your First Project in BIM 360
USA 1:00 pm ET on March 31, 2020 with Ali C Atabey and Michelle Rasmussen
Setup up Users and Teams in BIM 360
GMT + 5 11:30 am on April 2, 2020 with Namit Ranjan and Daniel Moral Trigueros
Architecture and Engineering Meetups for Building Design:
Setup Worksharing in BIM360
GMT + 5 11:30 am on April 7, 2020 with Namit Ranjan and Daniel Moral Trigueros
Upload Models to BIM360
GMT + 5 11:30 am on April 9, 2020 with Namit Ranjan and Daniel Moral Trigueros
Model Design Review in BIM360
GMT + 5 11:30 am on April 16, 2020 with Namit Ranjan and Daniel Moral Trigueros
Civil Engineering Meetups:
Use BIM 360 to Share Civil 3D Surface Data with Revit
GMT + 5 12:00 pm on April 7, 2020 with Morgan Smith and Daniel Moral Trigueros
BIM360 Docs for Infrastructure
GMT + 5 11:30 am on April 9, 2020 with Lucy Kuhns and Michelle Rasmussen
BIM360 Design for Infrastructure
GMT + 5 11:30 am on April 14, 2020 with Lucy Kuhns and Michelle Rasmussen
Here is the link to the Hub Post for more information.
In Conclusion
We hope that this blog post presented an easy-to-understand overview of how you can stay connected to your work with BIM 360 Design.
Best wishes for health and project success!
Best,
Emily and Chris
Emily Bisaga Dunne
Emily is the Industry Outcomes Lead for Building Design at Autodesk, a global and strategic position in which she leverages her expertise from experience in the industry to help Autodesk understand key business outcomes for architectural and engineering technology customers. (read full bio below)
About Chris Aquino
Chris has been at Autodesk for over 8 years and is currently the Adoption Marketing Manager for BIM 360 Design, focusing on the learning and adoption customer experience. Before this role, he helped drive adoption through 1:1 and 1-to-many training activities at some of the largest AEC companies. In a previous life, Chris practiced architecture in Cambridge, MA where he worked on renovations and new construction in both single and multi-family housing, as well as urban planning and park design for many municipalities in the Boston area.
Written by Emily Bisaga Dunne and Chris Aquino
Key Contributors: Mary Catherine Plunkett, Paul Markovits, Joy Stark, Lee Zebedee, Savannah House, Amie Vaccaro, Esther Dsouza, Michelle Rasmussen, Lainie Ransom, Lance Coffey, Todd Heckman, Mark Gunn, Don Simpson, Rich Schwerin, Todd Heckman, Karen Yeaton
