BIM360
BIM360 is a Cloud platform offered by Autodesk for Building Information Management.
The platform integrates with their suite of industry-standard CAD applications and offers a shared online workspace for users to collaborate on projects from design through to construction.
BIM360 provides a wide range of APIs to extend its functionality and integrate its services with custom applications. We have worked on several projects that interface with the BIM360 platform to offer end-users a seamless user experience spanning custom line-of-business applications through to the Cloud platform.
Projects
Line-of-Business/BIM360 Application Integrations
During the implementation of BIM360 within their organization, one of our clients required bespoke integrations between their in-house applications and the BIM360 Cloud platform. These integrations encompassed:
User Management and Synchronization:
The client already had a user and role management system in place, which we extended to manage BIM360 users and roles. This integration allowed management to control access to the Cloud platform through an interface they were familiar with. Behind the scenes, any changes in user access and roles were automatically synchronized with BIM360 through custom-developed integration software. This streamlined approach minimized training requirements, saved managerial time, and reduced the likelihood of user errors and inconsistencies.
BIM360 to On-Premises Data Synchronization:
For existing legacy batch processing workflows, it was essential for our client to have CAD drawing assets copied to on-premises storage. We developed a custom file synchronization system that efficiently transferred drawing assets and their folder structures from BIM360 to local storage. The system was designed to optimize performance and minimize unnecessary data transfers. By tracking file metadata and using SHA1 file hashes for change detection, our system ensured that only new or updated files were synchronized, avoiding redundant transfers of duplicate fi
Common Technical Features of Custom BIM360 Integrations:
RESTful API:
The BIM360 API follows the RESTful web service pattern. Leveraging our extensive experience with similar APIs and employing industry-standard development tools and frameworks, we successfully integrated our client’s custom systems with the BIM360 Cloud platform quickly and effectively.