infraworks & bim 360 docs workflow - u.s. cad€¦ · publishing infraworks models to bim 360...

InfraWorks & BIM 360

DOCS workflow

Written by Autodesk Eric Chappell - Civil Community Evangelist,

Edited by StarLordJames with USCAD (Infrastructure Universe)

InfraWorks to BIM 360DOCS

Workflow As of 2018.04.30

Contents General Info (Video) ........................................................................................................................................... 3

QUICK START INSTRUCTIONS ........................................................................................................................ 4

Publishing InfraWorks Models to BIM 360 ................................................................................................ 4

Cloud Model With Local Cache ....................................................................................................................... 5

Cloud Model Without Local Cache ...................................................................................................................7

Local Model ......................................................................................................................................................7

Opening an Existing Model (Video) ................................................................................................................ 8

Setting Up BIM 360 (Video) ............................................................................................................................... 9

Step 1: Get an Account ..................................................................................................................................... 9

Step 2: Create a Project (Video) .....................................................................................................................10

InfraWorks Models ............................................................................................................................................ 11

Using Model Builder (Video) .......................................................................................................................... 11

Using Model Builder (Video) .......................................................................................................................... 12

Migrating an Existing Model .......................................................................................................................... 13

What Can You Do with BIM 360? (Video) ......................................................................................................... 14

Inviting Collaborators (Video) ....................................................................................................................... 15

What Can You Do with BIM 360? (Video) ..................................................................................................... 16

Other Things to Know .................................................................................................................................... 19

InfraWorks, Civil 3D, BIM 360 Glue & BIM 360 DOCS workflows ................................................................. 20



Written by Autodesk Eric Chappell - Civil Community Evangelist, Edited by StarLordJames with USCAD (Infrastructure Universe)

General Info (Video) Let’s start with some general information about the latest release and model versions. First, be aware the

InfraWorks models are not backward compatible. Once you’ve upgraded a model to the latest release, you

will not be able to open it in an older release. Also, you should know that every time you open a legacy

model in the latest release, it will be upgraded. One result of the 2019 upgrade is that all of your design roads

will be converted to component roads. This will be done by matching tracks in your design road styles, with

similar components.

If the legacy model that you’re opening has been cached, meaning there is a local copy, then you’ll have the

opportunity to preserve the original and upgrade a copy.

• InfraWorks models are not backward compatible.

• Opening a model requires an upgrade

• Design roads will be converted to component roads

▪ Design road style tracks matches to components

• If the model has been cached, you have the opportunity to preserve the original and upgrade a copy.

• We’re going to look at three different scenarios of existing models that you may need to open.

o Cloud models that are in the cloud and also have a local copy, or cache

o Cloud models that have no local cache, meaning they only live in the cloud.

o and finally local models which are strictly local and have never been in the cloud.

https://youtu.be/lVxlUeBJHnw?t=137




QUICK START INSTRUCTIONS Publishing InfraWorks Models to BIM 360

1. Get a BIM 360 Account (Video)

2. Setup a Project on BIM 360 (Video)

3. Either use Model Builder (Video) or Sync an existing model (Video).

4. Then Invite Collaborators (Video)

5. What Can You Do with BIM 360? (Video)

https://www.autodesk.com/products/infraworks/overview




https://autode.sk/2reYkXc






Cloud Model With Local Cache

Let’s start with the most likely scenario, a cloud model that also has been locally cached. You can tell that a

local cache exists by the broom icon at the bottom of the model tile on the Home screen (See image above).

When you open one of these models you’ll be given two choices, Upgrade Model and Upgrade a Copy.

UPGRADE MODEL

If you choose Upgrade Model, the locally cached version of the model will be upgraded as it opens. Now

what happens if there are changes in the cloud version that you haven’t yet synced to the local version?

Well, the first time you sync the model it will be migrated to the new BIM 360 environment. At this time,

InfraWorks will sync changes between the cloud version and local version and take care of that for you.

During the migration, you’ll need to select a BIM 360 location for the cloud model so that will have to be set

up beforehand – that’s something we’ll cover a bit later in the Setting Up BIM 360.

o Upgrade Model

▪ Local cache copy of model opens and is upgraded

▪ During first sync, changes will be resolved between the cloud version and local version and

the cloud model will be migrated to BIM 360

• You will need to choose a BIM 360 location for this first sync/migration

o You will need to set up BIM 360 before doing so (covered here Setting Up

BIM 360)




UPGRADE A COPY

If you choose Upgrade a Copy, a copy of the local cache will be created and you’ll be prompted to name it

and choose a location for it. That new copy will then be upgraded to the latest release. Note that any

outstanding changes in the cloud model will not be synced.

If you want the copy of the model to remain a cloud model, then you’ll need to open it and publish it to the

BIM 360 environment. This is very similar to how it was done in previous versions of InfraWorks except that

now you will select a folder within a BIM 360 project. Again, if you haven’t yet set up BIM 360, you’ll need to

do it at this point, see the Setting Up BIM 360 section in this document.

o Upgrade a Copy

▪ Local cached model is copied to a location you specify, and upgraded

• Any outstanding changes from the cloud version are not synced

▪ You can publish this copy to the BIM 360 environment

• You will need to set up BIM 360 before doing so (covered here Setting Up BIM 360)

▪ Original local version is left intact




Cloud Model Without Local Cache

Now let’s say you have a cloud model without a local cache. In this case you’re only option is to upgrade.

Since there is no local cache, there’s nothing to make a copy of to preserve the original. As in the previous

example, during your first sync the model will be migrated to BIM 360.

o Model is upgraded while it is downloaded and opened

o During first sync, changes will be resolved between the cloud version and local version and the cloud

model will be migrated to BIM 360

o You will need to choose a BIM 360 location for this first sync/migration

o You will need to set up BIM 360 before doing so (covered here Setting Up BIM 360))

Local Model

And finally, a model that is entirely local – these are the least common. In this case you’ll be given the same

two choices as a locally cached cloud model: Upgrade Model and Upgrade a Copy and the results are exactly

the same. Since these types of models weren’t cloud models to begin with, it’s assumed that you will want to

keep them local. But if at some point you want to publish them to BIM 360, you can certainly do so.

o Two choices:

▪ Upgrade Model

• Local model opens and is upgraded

▪ Upgrade a Copy

• Upgraded version of model is saved locally where you specify

• Original version is left intact

▪ If you want it to become a cloud model, you publish it to the BIM 360 environment

• You will need to set up BIM 360 before doing so (covered later)




Opening an Existing Model (Video)

Let’s take a look at what happens when I open an existing model. I’ll choose this Grand Canyon model, which

happens to have a local cache, and I’ll choose the Upgrade option. InfraWorks begins by opening and

upgrading the local cache of the model. Then, when I perform my first sync I’m prompted to migrate the

model to BIM 360. Notice how I have set up a Grand Canyon project beforehand, so that I have a location to

publish my model. Once InfraWorks finishes the migration process I’m ready to make changes and sync them

to the cloud whenever I like.





Setting Up BIM 360 (Video) Step 1: Get an Account

The first step in setting up BIM 360 is to get an account. Before you do anything, check with your company’s

contract administrator to see if your company already has a BIM 360 account. You don’t want to set up a trial

or purchased account under a different name and cause confusion with your company’s account.

If your company does not have BIM 360 there are a few paths you can take. If your company subscribes to

the AEC Collection, it is entitled to a 12-month preview of BIM 360. Your company’s contract administrator will

have already received an email inviting your company to participate. If your contract admin doesn’t have the

email, they can reach out to your Autodesk partner and get access to the preview.

If your company does not have the AEC Collection, then you can sign up for a 30-day trial of BIM 360 at BIM

360.Autodesk.com Or, you can simply contact your Autodesk partner and subscribe to BIM 360.

So what happens at the end of your 12-month preview or 30-day trial? You’ll have access to your online data

for an additional 30 days during which time you’ll need to subscribe to BIM 360 in order to maintain access to

your online data.

o If your company already uses BIM 360, you have an account – contact your company contract

administrator

o If your company does not have BIM 360, you can:

▪ Sign up for a 12-month preview (if your company has the AEC Collection)

• Email invitation was sent to your contract admin

• No email – reach out to your Autodesk partner

▪ Sign up for a 30-day trial at BIM 360.Autodesk.com

▪ Purchase BIM 360 – call your Autodesk partner

o At the end of your preview or trial period, you will have access to your data for 30 days, during which

time you’ll need to subscribe to BIM 360 to maintain access to your online data





Step 2: Create a Project (Video)

Now that you have an account, let’s look at the next step – creating a project.

1. Start by logging in to BIM 360.Autodesk.com.

2. Then click the matrix icon in the top

left and select Account Admin

3. Click Projects, then click Add

4. Provide the required information for

your project, then click Save and

Continue

5. Click Activate next to Document

Management

6. Enter your own information as the project administrator

7. Click Finish

So what just happened?

1. I’ll click the project I just created

2. Then I’ll click the matrix icon and go to Document Management

3. Now I see the contents of my project along with the Project Files folder. You can store your

InfraWorks models here but it’s better to create a folder for them since there will likely be other

project data along with it.

4. I’ll click the ellipsis next to Project Files and select Add Subfolder

5. I name my subfolder InfraWorks Models

o Now, when I publish my next InfraWorks model I’ll look for this project, then Project Files, and then

InfraWorks Models.


BIM360.Autodesk.com




InfraWorks Models Using Model Builder (Video)

With the latest release of InfraWorks, Model Builder will work for you regardless of whether you have a BIM

360 account.

If you do not have a BIM 360 account, your Model Builder model will ultimately be stored locally. It will start in

the cloud at a temporary location, but after you download and open it the first time it will remain local. You

should note that you cannot browse for the model location but there are ways that you can control where it is

stored, for example, if you want to store it within a project folder on your company server. You can either visit

the Application Options and change the cache location prior to using model builder, or you can duplicate the

model after it’s created, during which time you’ll be prompted for a location.

If you do have a BIM 360 account you will simply choose the project and folder will the new model will reside.

Of course, the project must exist before launching Model Builder so for a brand new project you’ll need to do

some project setup in BIM 360 first.

o Without a BIM 360 Account

▪ Models created with Model Builder will be stored locally

• Begin in the cloud at a temporary location

• After initial download, model remains local

▪ The model is stored in the cache location

• You can change the location by:

o Changing the cache folder prior to using Model Builder

o Or Duplicating the model to the location of your choice

o With a BIM 360 Account

▪ Simply choose a folder within a BIM 360 project to store your model.

▪ The project must exist before you launch Model Builder





Using Model Builder (Video)

Let’s see how Model Builder works, first in a scenario where no BIM 360 account exists.

You see the message here indicates that the model will be stored locally. You’ll locate your project and

provide a name just like before, but there’s no need to choose a location because the model will be stored in

the cache location. Once the model is ready, it’s tile appears on the home screen and I can open it.

If I wanted to control the location of the model before using Model Builder, I could have gone to the

Application Options and set the path here. Or, I can open the model in it’s current location and duplicate it.

You can see that I have the ability to store it wherever I like.

Now let’s look at what happens when you do have a BIM 360 account. It’s the same process as before except

this time you’ll choose a BIM 360 project and folder where you’d like the model to reside. Of course, if this is

a brand new project, you’ll have to visit BIM 360 ahead of time and set it up.

When the model is ready, the tile will appear and you can open the model. The model has also been created

within your BIM 360 project so you can go there and see it in the online viewer. And you can begin sharing it

with others – we’ll talk about how to do that in just a bit.





Migrating an Existing Model

If you would like to place an existing model on BIM 360 DOCS here is the process:

1. Get an BIM 360 Account (Video)

2. Setup a Project on BIM 360 (Video)

3. Inside InfraWorks open your model

and press the Sync Model Changes with

InfraWorks button. This will start the process

to push your model into BIM 360. (Video)

4. Select the correct target location to place your model in. The press the

Migrate to BIM 360 button.

5. Go grab a coffee while it uploads and then processes on BIM 360.



https://autode.sk/2reYkXc




What Can You Do with BIM 360? (Video) Well the short answer is - a lot, but let’s start with Inviting Collaborators. There are several ways to do this but

a good place to start is to choose a folder you’d like to share and invite collaborators directly. To do this:

1. Click the ellipsis next to the folder you’d like to share

2. Click Permissions

3. Enter the email address of the person you’d like to share with

4. Select the permission level

i. Note the permission levels of Upload Only or View > Upload > Edit > Control. Control

means that the user can add other users and do other administrative tasks within the

folder.

5. Click Add

At this point the user will receive an email inviting them to the project and a tile will appear on their

InfraWorks Home page if they have InfraWorks installed on their desktop. From there they can open the

model, make changes, and sync changes – if you’ve given them Edit permissions. They can also access the

model through the BIM 360 environment to view it, provide comments or markups, and many other things.





Inviting Collaborators (Video)





What Can You Do with BIM 360? (Video)

Now that you’ve created a project and invited some collaborators, you can continue to add more data to

your project and work toward getting as much benefit as possible out of the BIM 360 environment.

Syncing models works just like it always did – once you make changes, simply sync your model and the

changes will be pushed to BIM 360 as a new version. Anyone collaborating with you can sync your changes

down to their models so that you all work with the latest version.

On the Home screen, you can choose BIM 360 Projects to filter your InfraWorks models, making them easy to

find.

In the BIM 360 environment, your InfraWorks model will show up as an IWM file and you can click this file to

view it in 3D. Please note that this IWM file is merely a placeholder that represents the model. You can’t

download it and open it as if it were an InfraWorks model itself.





If you have created and published multiple proposals, you

can easily choose the proposal you want from the Sheets

and Views Section on the left.

Then you can freely navigate the model by zooming,

orbiting, and panning. There’s even a First-Person tool

that will allow you or one of your collaborators to walk the

model and take a tour. Notice how I can tour this Revit

model which was present within the InfraWorks model

when I published it.

The section tool is another handy way to view and analyze

the model, allowing you to slice it along any plane or

angle.

You or your collaborators can use the measurement tools to measure distances, and

angles. And the mark up tools are very handy for communication within your team

when changes are needed, or questions arise.

The model browser feature allows you to navigate through the individual components of your model such as

buildings, streets, water features, and much more.

You can also access the settings to control how you

navigate your model as well as adjust the performance

and appearance that best suits your model.

For a more formal way of managing questions and issues,

you can use the Issues functionality. Issues are located in

the model and assigned to a person. You can even assign

a due date. In this way you’re not only pointing out

problems or questions but you’re also establishing

accountability and a way to track whether they’ve been

addressed.

Measure

Section Tools

Markup Tools




And that’s everything you can do from within your InfraWorks model. Imagine if you upload your plan sets,

Civil 3D drawings (BIM 360 DOCS does not currently support data shortcut links, but it will show your 3D

model which is a great place to share a Civil 3D model with someone that does not have Civil 3D), Revit

models, photographs, and all other project data to this powerful collaborative environment. You could benefit

from the same online viewing, markups, issue tracking, and other capabilities that you just saw – for all of

your project data, not just InfraWorks models. And your team can do it from their desktops, tablets, or cell

phones – all they need is an internet connection.

Collaboration Issue Tool




Other Things to Know

Here are some other things to know about the latest release of InfraWorks as well as older releases. First, if

you’re not ready to install the upgrade, you can rest assured that at this time, cloud collaboration and model

builder are still functional in the previous release and a few releases before that. However you should know

that there are some changes that do present limitations when you’re on an older release. For example, certain

cloud-based services can now only be performed in the latest release. These are watershed analysis, traffic

simulation, line girder analysis, profile optimization, and corridor optimization. You read more about this by

visiting the URL you see on the screen or by going to knowledge.Autodesk.com and searching for InfraWorks

Services.

Also you should know that, if you created any web and mobile views in a previous InfraWorks release, they

will no longer be available. BIM 360 and shared views are now the new ways to share and view web-based

InfraWorks models. And finally, the InfraWorks iPad app is no longer available. You and your collaborators

can now view your online models using the BIM 360 app which is available for iPad and Android devices.

▪ Cloud collaboration still works for older releases of InfraWorks

▪ Model Builder still works for older releases of InfraWorks

▪ There are changes to other InfraWorks cloud services which means they now only work in the latest

release.

▪ Watershed analysis

▪ Traffic Simulation

▪ Line girder analysis

▪ Profile optimization

▪ Corridor optimization

▪ More info at https://knowledge.autodesk.com/support/InfraWorks/getting-

started/caas/simplecontent/content/upcoming-changes-to-InfraWorks-services.html

▪ Web and mobile views created in older releases are no longer available

▪ The InfraWorks iPad app is no longer available

https://knowledge.autodesk.com/support/infraworks/getting-started/caas/simplecontent/content/upcoming-changes-to-infraworks-services.html

https://knowledge.autodesk.com/support/infraworks/getting-started/caas/simplecontent/content/upcoming-changes-to-infraworks-services.html




InfraWorks, Civil 3D, BIM 360 Glue &

BIM 360 DOCS workflows

For full PDF click here

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