I used the TimeLiner plugin for Navisworks to create a 4D timeline. I'm now trying to grab this TimeLiner data from the Forge API. When I log into BIM360, I'm able to load a model into the viewer and see all TimeLiner information within a browser. However, I don't see how I can accomplish this with the Forge API. Is there an available API for this? Or is there another way to grab this info?
Unfortunately, the Timeliner properties are not extracted by Forge service (which BIM 360 is running on), and also some other properties. This blog tells in detail:
https://forge.autodesk.com/blog/updates-navisworks-nwd-translation-engine-coming
Currently, we do have an advanced option to override default configurations to tell NWD/NWC translator if it needs to translate Timeliner properties. BUT, this option is about Forge Model Derivative API ONLY.
While in BIM360 Docs UI, there is no any plan to expose options to let users override default configurations when they upload files. So for now, users uploading NWD/NWC files to BIM 360 Docs will lose Timeliner properties. Consequently, you will have to open those files inside Navisworks to view Timeliner data or take advantage of the Navisworks API to extract the data inside Navisworks. We apologize for the inconvenience.
However, we have legged a wish BIMPLT-698 with BIM360 engineering team to evaluate the possibility of adding options for end-user when they upload the model files. You're welcome to track the updates in the future via sending an email quoting this wish id to the Forge support channel.
Note. Triggering your own translation job to override your desired translation configurations via Forge Model Derivative API on files uploaded to BIM360 will charge you for cloud credits. You will have to consider the extra costs if you want to do so, and see here for the pricing: https://forge.autodesk.com/pricing
Related
For a school project I need to display a BIM360 model in the forge viewer. I can't find clear information on whether or not I need to have a BIM360 license to do that. Can I use the API to get the model without my own BIM360 account? (My mentor has the BIM-model in his account)
Also I read that the forge viewer uses the data-derivative API to convert to a it's own format, this uses 0.2 credits every time. Can's I just convert the model once and then store it somewhere?
Thanks,
DrawMen
For you to be able to see and access the model in BIM 360, the owner will have to share it with you.
This forum post seems to indicate that you would indeed need a BIM360 license.
https://forums.autodesk.com/t5/bim-360-support/do-people-need-a-bim-360-design-license-to-use-docs-online/td-p/9573036#:~:text=Anyone%20who%20needs%20to%20review,license%20is%20not%20a%20BYOS
There is a way to share files with publc links, but I don't think this will give you access to a forge viewer. (only the file)
https://bim360basics.com/2020/04/22/public-links-share-bim-360-files-with-anyone/
That being said, depending on the type of file you are trying to view. A lot of Autodesk product now have a feature called "shared view" which let you create a 3ds view for the forge viewer that can be shared with anyone with a URL. It might be worth asking your mentor if he would be willing to create a shared view for you to use.
Background: I have a simple integration (Client App) using the Forge API that can: create a bucket, upload a .dwg file to the object storage service, translate the file (and get translation status), query the files in a bucket, and open any of the files in the bucket in the Viewer. I'm now researching the possibility to pull files that are made/modified from the AutoCAD Web & Mobile App (https://web.autocad.com/) (aka the Web App) via the forge API. Is this possible?
Usecase: We want some personnel to be able to modify the underlying files, whereas others just need to view it from an existing application integrated through forge. The idea would be the engineers would modify the file in the Web App, and then from the Client App using the forge API, I want to query to see if the base file has been updated since the last time it was translated for the viewer. If newer, re-translate the file and view it. If not, just view it.
Attempts: I assumed the files would be in a project in a hub in the /project/v1/hubs/ in the data management API of Forge, but I'm getting a response of "You don't have permission to access this API". I am in the trial version of forge, so that may be the issue. And the Web App is currently "free for everyone for an extended period." Is it possible that I just need to purchase one of the subscriptions to be able to access the files I have on the web app? Or am I looking in the entirely wrong place?
So, concisely, here are the questions:
Are files that are saved on https://web.autocad.com/ accessible via the Forge API? How, if yes?
If yes to #1, do these files need to be converted using the Forge API to be render-able in the Viewer?
Thank you for your time and help!
I would say, it's a pretty cool idea and workflow, but unfortunately, AFAIK, we don't have direct access to file on https://web.autocad.com/ by Forge API currently, only data within Autodesk SAAS applications include BIM 360 Team, Fusion Team (formerly known as A360 Team), BIM 360 Docs, A360 Personal could be accessed directly, refer https://forge.autodesk.com/en/docs/data/v2/developers_guide/overview/, But some ideas:
I am not expert on https://web.autocad.com, but I know it provides the connection to cloud storage including Box, Dropbox, Google Drive, and Microsoft OneDrive, depends on which cloud storage you are using, you should pick the corresponding API to access the file, and maybe check if the file is changed, all of that is nothing to do with Forge, but the cloud storage.
If you can check the file version with the API from cloud storage provider, then you should be able to exchange the file between the cloud storage and Autodesk OSS(check sample https://github.com/Autodesk-Forge/bim360appstore-data.management-nodejs-transfer.storage ), you can use the Forge to translate and view files on Autodesk OSS.
Is it possible to use Forge with some BIM 360 API to gain access to the changes in a model from one version to the next?
Unfortunately, there is no API available for doing BIM360 model comparison on Forge currently. However, here are two workarounds you might be interested in:
Compare changes via Forge Viewer: https://forge.autodesk.com/blog/comparing-versions-viewer
Dump changes via Revit Addin, and then integrate its results with Forge.
What you can do though is to leverage Webhook to get notified when a new version is “upserted” to the Data Management API. See docs here:
Official Doc: https://forge.autodesk.com/en/docs/webhooks/v1/tutorials/create-a-hook-data-management/
Sample Code: https://forge.autodesk.com/blog/webhooks-and-bim-360-c
I just tried some of the Forge boilerplates on Github.
Some examples asked me to login to BIM 360 to fetch some model data. I was wondering if it would be possible to load the (Revit) models from Dropbox, Google Drive or OneDrive, or even upload them from the local storage?
PS: Forge is awesome, kudos to Forge Team!
We have multiple examples that illustrate how to integrate Forge with cloud storage providers under the same github org:model.derivative-nodejs-box.viewer, data.management-nodejs-integration.box, model.derivative-nodejs-google.drive.viewer
The point of using 3-legged API is precisely to let your app access customer data that is already hosted on Autodesk Cloud. If you want use a storage mechanism that is specific to your app, then you need to use 2-legged Object Storage Service, see Create an App-Managed Bucket and Upload a File
In order to fire a translation on a CAD file, you have to upload your data to Autodesk Cloud first, you can then load it from there in the viewer. However you could also download the svf package using the API and then serve those as static resources from your own server. Take a look at this sample for more info: extract.autodesk.io.
Hope that helps
I am looking for a way to tag an item in A360 with metadata using Autodesk Forge. For example: I have a revit file stored in A360 and I want to put metadata on this object such as author, department, duedate etc.
Is this even supported in the API?
Unfortunately, as far as I can see in the Data Management API Reference, there is no such feature exposed yet. I'm checking with the development team and will log a wish about it.
Suggested workarounds would be:
1/ Store the data in the revit file itself to some properties which get extracted, so you are able to access them from the Model Derivative API
2/ Use a custom side database where you store the item URN mapped to third party metadata
3/ Add a file to DM which contains metadata attributes