BIM cloud connections for CAD and BIM files

You can discover and access online CAD and BIM files in ArcGIS Pro with a BIM cloud connection. Using the BIM Cloud Connection button New BIM Cloud Connection, you can connect to an online design file cloud storage repository, such as Autodesk BIM 360, or the Autodesk Construction Cloud.

A BIM cloud connection supports CAD files (.dgn, .dwg, and .dxf) and BIM files (.rvt and .ifc) and their positioning support files (.wld3 and .prj) if present.

Browse a BIM cloud connection

From the context menu of a BIM cloud connection file item viewed in the Catalog pane, you can download the file, the file's manifest, or download and add the content to a map. You can access item properties by selecting the properties option.

BIM Cloud repository item context menu

Download to Project Folder

To add content from a BIM Cloud repository to ArcGIS Pro you must first download the file to a local drive. When selected, the Download to Project Folder option creates a copy of the chosen file to the ArcGIS Pro project folder. Existing .prj and .wld3 positional support files are also downloaded to the project folder.

Save Manifest to Project Folder

Instead of downloading the entire CAD dataset or BIM file workspace item, you can download a manifest that references the original item in the BIM cloud repository and does not include the data. Right-click the item in the BIM cloud repository and click Save Manifest to Project Folder . A manifest file (.asfm) is downloaded to the project's home folder. The manifest does not appear in the Catalog pane or catalog views. The manifest contains the information required to access and view the item online and is useful when developing custom workflows such as ArcGIS GeoBIM.

Download and Add to Current Map

To add content from a BIM Cloud repository to ArcGIS Pro, you must first download the file to a local drive. When selected, the Download and Add to Current Map option creates a copy of the chosen file to the ArcGIS Pro project folder and adds the entire contents of the file to the current map. Existing .prj and .wld3 positional support files are also downloaded to the project folder.

Download and Add to New

To add content from a BIM Cloud repository to ArcGIS Pro, you must first download the file to a local drive. When selected, the Download and Add to New option creates a copy of the chosen file to the ArcGIS Pro project folder and adds the entire contents of the file to a new map, global scene, or local scene. Existing .prj and .wld3 positional support files are also downloaded to the project folder.

Properties

When the Properties option is selected, a dialog box appears showing the various BIM Cloud item properties. The General tab includes a thumbnail image of the data if one exists, a section of Item Properties listing various file properties, and a section of Support Files associated with the cloud repository file item.

BIM cloud repository item properties dialog box

Item Properties

The Item Properties section lists various file properties of the item in the cloud repository.

Support Files

The Support Files section lists Esri positioning files. These support files include a .prj file and any .wld3 files.

Manage downloaded BIM Cloud connection items

Additional context menu item options are available for BIM an CAD file items downloaded into the ArcGIS Pro project folder from a BIM cloud connection. These additional context menu items allow you to manage the downloaded file and support files between the local ArcGIS Pro project folder and the BIM cloud repository. Right click on a CAD or BIM file item from within Catalog to view the context menu.

Context menu for file items downloaded from BIM cloud connection

Get Status

Checks to see if there is a more recent version of the data on the BIM cloud repository.

Refresh From Source

Downloads a copy of the data from the BIM cloud repository and overwrites the local data.

Upload Support Files

Uploads projection file (.prj) and world file (.wld3) information to the BIM cloud repository of the downloaded BIM repository data.

Related topics