Introduction to BIM Collaborate Pro

- [Paul] So just what is BIM Collaborate Pro? Well, the simple answer is it's part of the Autodesk Construction Cloud, which is a collection of cloud-based services that serve the AEC or Architecture, Engineering and Construction industry. And all of these tools are focused on collaboration in some way to allow these large distributed teams to work together seamlessly using cloud-based tools. So BIM Collaborate Pro, however, is a smaller subset of that larger Autodesk Construction Cloud and the main benefit, the main feature, that you probably are interested in is Revit Cloud-based Worksharing. If you're not a Revit user, if you're a Civil 3D user then BIM Collaborate Pro also includes collaboration for Civil 3D and collaboration for Plant 3D. So if you're using any of those applications, then BIM Collaborate Pro is likely the tool that you want to access cloud-based projects. Now, there is also a non-pro version simply called BIM Collaborate. This gives access to the web-based cloud portal only. It does not give the functionality to use Revit or Civil 3D and author files that can be hosted in the cloud. So if you need to author or edit files in those desktop applications and host those files in the cloud, then you need the pro version of BIM Collaborate. Now, if you're not sure what I mean by worksharing, then I welcome you to explore some of the other courses we have here in the library. So if you want a good overview of the user's perspective of Revit Worksharing, then there's my course here "Revit Worksharing Users." If you are the person that will be managing, maintaining, and setting up workshare enabled projects, then you might be interested in worksharing management. And if you're using an earlier version of Revit, specifically something 2018 or prior, then we have an older course, "Revit Worksharing Collaboration for Revit." Now this is the older cloud-based service that does not support later versions of Revit, but if you're still on one of those earlier versions, then you might want to check out this course instead of the current one. But if you're using Revit 2019 through the current release at the time of this recording, 2022 or later, then you're in the right place. The Autodesk construction cloud" is for you and you want to continue on with this course. All right, so why BIM Collaborate Pro? Well, as we've just looked at, the main benefit is cloud-based worksharing. So this allows simultaneous user access to a single Revit project file. Now the central model is what's stored in the cloud, and this allows all of your users to be geographically dispersed. So they don't have to all be under the same roof. They can be anywhere on the globe. Now it's important to understand that the work is still performed locally in Revit, on your desktop, in your desktop application, and stored locally. The only thing that's in the cloud is the central model. Revit itself is not running in the cloud, nor is your local copy. Your local copy is stored on your local machine. When you synchronize with central, your changes are updated in the cloud central model. There's nothing new to install. You already have everything you need as part of Revit. You just simply need a license to use BIM Collaborate Pro to access that functionality. Now, there are some exceptions to that. There's the optional Desktop Connector. There's also the optional Issues plugin. Now, if you're using Revit, the Desktop Connector is optional, but if you're using any AutoCAD files, Civil 3D, Plant 3D, then the Desktop Connector is required in order to benefit from the functionality of BIM Collaborate Pro. It's a free piece of software. It's easy to install. We cover that later in the course. Probably a good idea to go ahead and install it regardless. Now you must be invited to an Autodesk Construction Cloud project in order to participate. So if you're not the one setting it up, then somebody else needs to invite you. Naturally, if you're the one setting it up, then there shouldn't be any issue there. And an Autodesk account is also required. Now these days, Autodesk accounts are used to license your software. So you probably already have one, but if you don't, then we cover how to create an account later in the course as well. So for licensing, just to be clear, there are actually two licenses you need. You need a license to use Revit, of course, but you also need to have a BIM Collaborate Pro entitlement. So BIM Collaborate Pro is not automatically included with your Revit license. So you need both of these things in order to participate. Now, the entitlements are per user, not per project, not per company, per user. So this means that once you have an entitlement to BIM Collaborate Pro, there's no limit on the number of projects you can access. You can access one project or a thousand. And in fact, there's no limit on whose projects you can access. So Autodesk refers to this as the Bring Your Own License model. So once you have a license to use BIM Collaborate Pro, it's valid anywhere in the Autodesk Construction Cloud. So that means that you can jump in and join up with anybody else's project hosted by any other firm. All you need to be is invited to participate in those projects, and you will have access with a valid license to BIM Collaborate Pro. So to summarize what's required, you need an Autodesk account. That's the root of everything. You, of course, need a fully licensed copy of Revit or Civil 3D, or whatever other desktop application you're planning to use. And you need a BIM Collaborate Pro entitlement, Both licenses are required. And then, of course, you need to be a member of at least one cloud project. So once you have all of those things, you're ready to begin participating in the Autodesk Construction Cloud and begin leveraging the functionality of your BIM Collaborate Pro entitlement.