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How to integrate Autodesk BIM 360 Docs & Field with your HoloBuilder project
How to integrate Autodesk BIM 360 Docs & Field with your HoloBuilder project

Integrate Autodesk BIM 360 with HoloBuilder for the full experience and even better project documentation.

Kristina Tenhaft avatar
Written by Kristina Tenhaft
Updated over a week ago

NOTE: The Autodesk BIM 360 integration is available for our US- as well as an EU-hosted solution. Please note that no cross-platform linking is possible, meaning that you can only link your EMEA Autodesk BIM 360 account with your EU (.eu) HoloBuilder account and your US Autodesk BIM 360 account with your US (.com) HoloBuilder account.

1 About BIM 360 Integration

With HoloBuilder and an existing Autodesk BIM 360 account, you can log in to access your BIM 360 Docs assets/files and import them to be used inside your HoloBuilder projects. Floor plans, pictures, and .dae/.obj files, which have been stored and managed in BIM 360 Docs, can be attached to any HoloBuilder project. For instance, a PDF floor plan residing in BIM 360 Docs can be used within HoloBuilder as a sheet.

Find a short instructional video with all the steps you need to go through for the setup here:

1.1 Supported Features

With the new BIM 360 integration in HoloBuilder, it is possible to connect your Autodesk BIM 360 Docs as well as BIM 360 Field account with your HoloBuilder account for more convenient file management and task handling.

Import files directly from your BIM 360 Docs account into HoloBuilder. There is no need anymore to download and export your files from BIM 360 Docs anymore, you can simply access and use them from within HoloBuilder. Add .pdf or images of your floor plans directly to your HoloBuilder project to work on. Furthermore, you can insert 360-degree images saved formerly unconnected in your Docs account into HoloBuilder to get the whole picture.

With the BIM 360 Field connection, it is possible to embed issues directly into the 360-degree scene. Place issues within a 360-degree image of your actual site to give anyone working on it the best access to the complete context.

To use the BIM 360 Field integration, please make sure to update it to Field Manager (next generation) in your Autodesk dashboard!

Field management in HoloBuilder

1.2 Login with Autodesk

To avoid having yet again a new password and account to remember, you can also sign up to HoloBuilder with your already existing Autodesk account just like with your Google or Facebook account – no additional password required.

Login to HoloBuilder with Autodesk SSO

2 Connecting your BIM 360 account

In order to start using files from BIM 360 Docs and add issues to BIM 360 Field, you first need to establish a connection between HoloBuilder and your Autodesk BIM 360 account as well as the projects you want to link.

To work with HoloBuilder’s Autodesk BIM 360 integration, you must first authorize the HoloBuilder app (2.1), then go to HoloBuilder and authorize access to your BIM 360 account (2.2) and connect a HoloBuilder with a BIM 360 project (2.3).

2.1 Connect your Autodesk BIM 360 account with the HoloBuilder app

First, set up the connection with the HoloBuilder app in Autodesk BIM 360 and configure all account and project permissions to get full access.

Please note that you will need full admin access rights to set up all permissions within Autodesk BIM 360 correctly.

2.1.1 Authorize the HoloBuilder app

To connect your HoloBuilder account with your Autodesk account, you first need to install the HoloBuilder app within your Autodesk account. Log in to your Autodesk BIM 360 Docs or Field (Gen. 2) account and switch to ‘Account Admin’. In the account admin panel, select the ‘Apps’ tab and look for the HoloBuilder app. Add the HoloBuilder app to your app integrations in BIM 360 by clicking on ‘Add to BIM 360’.

Connecting HoloBuilder to Autodesk BIM 360

Follow the instructions to authorize the app. Switch to HoloBuilder by clicking ‘Open’ and proceed with setting up the integration there as described in 2.2.

Summary to authorize the HoloBuilder app within your Autodesk BIM 360 account

  1. Log in to your BIM 360 account

  2. Go to ‘Account Admin’

  3. Select the “Apps” tab

  4. Find the HoloBuilder app and click on it

  5. Click on “Add to BIM 360”

  6. Once the app is authorized, click “Open” to open up HoloBuilder 

2.1.2 Manage access & permissions on different levels in Autodesk BIM 360

IMPORTANT: Please check all access & permission rights on all four levels in Autodesk as explained below. Otherwise, you might not be able to successfully link your BIM 360 project with your HoloBuilder project.

Users need to be given the corresponding permissions to be able to integrate their HoloBuilder projects with an Autodesk project. Starting with an Autodesk BIM 360 account, over project access rights up to folder permissions. If you do not have the account admin rights, you first need to get in touch with your admin to get the corresponding permissions before you can start connecting the HoloBuilder integration.

Please make sure to get all the permissions before proceeding to add the integration within HoloBuilder. Without all permissions, there might occur some problems with the access handling within HoloBuilder.

1) Account level

Members must first be added at the account level in Autodesk BIM 360. If you do not yet have access to an Autodesk account, ask an admin to add you as a member. This way you will generally become part of your companies Autodesk team. 

After any members have been added by the account admin to the account, they can be added to different projects. Alternatively, inviting someone to a project directly may also add them at the account level. If you do not have access to “Account admin” invite users directly to projects (see next step/level)

Adding collaborators in Autodesk BIM 360

2) Project level

In the ‘Account Admin’ panel, go to the ‘Projects’ tab. From the listed projects, click the project you want to add new members to. 

Switch to projects overview in Autodesk BIM 360

The ‘Project Admin’ will open showing the current project members in an overview. Click on ‘Add’ to add new members to the project. Members can be added freely to a project but their permissions to services can vary (see next paragraph: Service level). 

Access settings options in Autodesk BIM 360

For full access to all the functionality within HoloBuilder, the user needs Docs and Field member access (see panel to the right above). 

Access settings icons in Autodesk BIM 360

3) Service level

On the right side of the members’ overview (see image above), the access rights for each service are shown for all users. From right to left: Field Management, Project Management, Document Management & Project admin. Users must be given access to both services, Docs, and Field, for full HoloBuilder functionality. Click on the ‘No access’ symbol in the list below the icon for Field and Docs for any member to give either ‘Member’ or ‘Admin’ access rights. Enable full access by giving members access to the first and third settings from the left.

Service level menu in Autodesk BIM 360

Additionally, the user has to be invited to Field Management Issues. Click on the ‘Services’ tab and select either service in the panel on the right. Enter a member name to be added and select ‘Add’ to provide permissions. 

  1. Choose Services

  2. Choose Field Management

  3. Enter the user’s E-Mail address and click ‘Add’. 

  4. To create and view issues with HoloBuilder the user needs at least “View and Create” permissions to Issues.

Adding users and managing permissions in Service level

4) Folder level

Last but not least, members must be given access to folders inside a project. There are two default folders, ‘Plans’ and ‘Project Files’. In order to import projects to HoloBuilder, the corresponding Autodesk BIM 360 members must have access at least to the ‘Plans’ folder. You can find the two folders in the panel on the left (see image below).

In order to give access to a member, go to ‘Document Management’ as an admin or ask your admin to do so and click on the three dots next to ‘Plans’. Select ‘Permissions’ to manage the permissions for the plans folder.​

Folder level menu in Autodesk BIM 360

Invite new members here to grant permission to the folder. They only need the lowest access permission ‘View-only’ to have full access from within HoloBuilder with the Autodesk BIM 360 integration. They will be able to import plans, images, and 3D objects directly to HoloBuilder from BIM 360 Docs.

Document manage in Autodesk BIM 360

2.2 Connect your HoloBuilder account with your BIM 360 account

After logging into HoloBuilder, open your account setting by clicking on your name in the upper right corner of the browser and then on ‘Account’. In your account, you have access to your profile and billing information and can manage your integrations.

Accessing account settings in HoloBuilder

In the account settings, choose the register ‘Integrations’ on the left-hand side. Select ‘CONNECT BIM 360 ACCOUNT’ to link your Autodesk account with your HoloBuilder account. When asked for authorization, click on ‘ALLOW’ to continue linking the applications. When asked, enter your Autodesk BIM 360 login info. Once your two accounts have been successfully connected, you will see a confirmation in HoloBuilder letting you know how to connect the projects (see next section 2.3).

Summary to add the Autodesk Integration in HoloBuilder:

Connect your Autodesk account to the HoloBuilder app as described above (see 2.1)

  1. Log into the HoloBuilder account.

  2. Click on the user drop-down in the upper right corner and go to ‘Account’.

  3. Select the tab ‘Integrations’.

  4. Click the Autodesk icon to select the integration to be added to your HoloBuilder account.

  5. Follow the instructions and authorize the connection to log into your Autodesk account

  6. Now that HoloBuilder can access your data, you need to load the HoloBuilder project you want to use to the BIM 360 project (see 2.3). 

Change and remove integrations in Holouilder

2.3 Connect a HoloBuilder project to a BIM 360 project

In order to actually access files from within a HoloBuilder project, you first need to connect it to an Autodesk BIM 360 project. You can either create a new project or edit an existing one.

Summary for connecting a HoloBuilder project to a BIM 360 project

Complete the steps as described in 2.1 & 2.2

  1. Open the HoloBuilder project you want to use

  2. Either click on “Connect BIM 360 project” in the menu bar at the top (see 2.3.2) or select the “+” button in the lower-left corner

  3. Select the project you want to connect with

  4. Once you selected a project a notification will appear to inform you about the successful connection

  5. Now that the project is connected, you can add additional assets by using the “+” button to navigate your BIM 360 project 

2.3.1 Create a new project 

To create a completely new project, select ‘Create Project’ in the overview to start from scratch. Switch to the Dashboard to set up the new project.

Once your project has been created, you can add your files directly from your BIM 360 Docs integration.

2.3.2 Connect an existing project

If you do already have a HoloBuilder project you would now like to connect to your BIM 360 project, simply open the project from your ‘My Projects’ list or the Dashboard. In the project, click on the +-button to connect it to a BIM 360 project. In the Upload modal, select the tab BIM 360 on the left and choose the BIM 360 project you would like to connect this HoloBuilder project to. 

Connect to existing project user interface

In the appearing popup, select the BIM 360 project you want your currently opened HoloBuilder project to connect with. Clicking the project in the list will directly establish the connection. You will see a little confirmation in the lower-left corner.

The overview will switch to the folder structure of your BIM 360 project, directly enabling you to integrate any BIM 360 files of the newly connected BIM 360 project.

Connected projects overview

2.3.3 Change or remove a connection

You can remove and change a connected project in the HoloBuilder integration settings. 

  1. Open the project you want to remove or switch the connected BIM 360 project off.

  2. Click on the user drop-down in the upper right corner and go to ‘Account’.

  3. Select the tab ‘Integrations’.

  4. Click the Autodesk icon to select the integration.

  5. Click on the "DISCONNECT PROJECT" button. 

  6. Optional: Repeat the process above to connect your HoloBuilder project to a new BIM 360 project.

Change or remove connection user interface

3 BIM 360 Docs

Once you have connected your accounts and projects, you can start adding files directly from your BIM 360 Docs account as floor plans or 360-degree scene images. Please note it is not possible to import 3D models to be set into your 360 scenes directly from BIM 360. Learn more about importing 3D models into your 360° scene.

Depending on the file format you have different options. You can easily navigate through the project’s folder structure by clicking on the items with the folder symbol. Click on a file item to add this file to your HoloBuilder project.

4 BIM 360 Field

Please note that this integration is only available with BIM 360 Field 2nd Generation.

Create new BIM 360 Field issues as interactive markups directly in your 360-degree scenes and sync them with your BIM 360 Field account. Every issue you created from within HoloBuilder automatically contains a URL that directs you to the affected area in your 360-degree documentation where you have placed the issue link before. Anybody can find the related area of an issue with a single click in BIM 360 ‍Field.

FAQ

  1. Does giving Holobuilder access to BIM 360 give it access to all projects on the BIM 360 platform?
    Individual users authenticate themselves with BIM 360 and their own BIM 360 accounts. There is no such thing as “general access”. As a user, you authenticate yourself with your own BIM 360 account, and YOU see only what YOU have access to already on BIM 360.
    That being said, if you as a HoloBuilder user connect a project to an HoloBuilder project, that connection is available to all BIM 360 users who ALSO have access to that BIM 360 project. HoloBuilder can only fetch information on the BEHALF of someone who authenticated and thus authorized us to request that information.

  2. Can I connect my HoloBuilder EU server solution dashboard with a BIM 360 project on the Autodesk US server solution and vice versa?
    No, this is not possible. A cross-server connection is not supported. At HoloBuilder, we only allow for connecting your HoloBuilder EU server solution with the Autodesk EU/EMEA to make sure your data stays in the selected region.

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