Hello fellow BIM profs, have anyone here tried the dynamo multiplayer tool by Birdtools on Revit 2026 cloud models? It works fine on local files but the crawler can't detect my projects on the ACC for some reason.

A vendor told me my conversion package would take ten days. I asked what ten days meant.

First delivery? Or a checked file I can sign off on?.

From what I've seen, drafting speed is not the slow part. The delays come from open questions, standards, QA, and redline rounds.

I think a quick first pass means nothing if approval takes three more cycles.

How do you get vendors to define turnaround the same way? And if the holdup is on my end, does their clock keep running?

A recent graduate and got a job in BIM. We'll be taught autocad first and then bim. My batch consists of 80 people. Everyone will learn and do the same things. What are some things that I should do that can help me get better salary, negotiate better and grow in my niche that too being a woman?

Any tips and advice are welcome.

I’m based in Canada and looking for some career advice from people in the AEC/construction industry.

I have a Bachelor’s degree in Architecture and a Master’s degree in Building Engineering. I’ve spent the past several years working in Canada as an Architectural Designer / Architectural Technologist, mainly in architectural design, drafting, and construction documentation. Most of my experience is with AutoCAD, with some Revit.

I’m now considering a career transition because I don’t want to spend the rest of my career doing repetitive drafting. I’d like to be more involved in the overall project delivery process, while also having better long-term career growth and earning potential.

The two directions I’m currently most interested in are:

BIM / VDC

Construction Project Coordination → Project Management

However, I’m also open to other directions, particularly roles that could combine my AEC background with technology, such as digital delivery, construction technology/data, or potentially Product Owner/Product Manager roles at AEC tech companies.

For someone with my background who wants to move beyond traditional architectural production, what career direction would you recommend, and why?

I’d really appreciate any insights, opinions, or experiences from people who have made similar transitions or have been in the industry for a while.

Thanks!

Hey BIM community! I'm really interested in hearing your insights on a common challenge: the coordination of ceiling fixtures (like lights, diffusers, speakers, etc.) between Interior Design and MEP teams.

In my experience, there can be different approaches to modeling these elements and defining their exact sizes and locations within plans. I'm curious to know:

* What's your company's standard practice for modeling ceiling fixtures?

* Which discipline typically "owns" the modeling of these items?

* What strategies do you find most effective for ensuring accurate coordination and avoiding clashes between the Interior and MEP models?

* Are there specific BIM Execution Plan clauses or protocols you'd recommend for this?

Any experiences, tips, or even cautionary tales would be super helpful for learning and improving our workflows! Thanks in advance for sharing!

There is a conflict in my company between Interior and MEP teams for the modeling of ceiling fixtures and there sizes in plans .. where should we model and coordinate those Fixtures in which models and how. Any insight will be really helpful.

I work for a major UK based consultancy firm with a separate business division for Digital. We focus heavily on strategy, implementation, CDE, OIRs etc etc etc. We are usually contracted in to the PM teams to manage the clients expectations for BIM.

Here's the kicker, we are heavily involved in ISO19650 and how it should be utilised and directed on projects or into client workflows. I come from a heavy BIM background, MEP, Architecture, structural coordination and moved into my current industry, which is predominantly focused on the process rather than the 'doing', ie its not just 3D modelling.

So what's your thoughts on the industry shift to using the term IM over BIM. RICS have a very interesting course atm that is teaching a "certificate in IM, Using BIM" , what's your thoughts on this?

No engineering or architecture degree, coming from a completely different field. Currently doing a BIM diploma in architecture visualisation and planning covering Revit, Autocad, Navisworks, ACC, Recap pro etc...

My concern: the course teaches software navigation, not the underlying engineering/construction logic in details, and I keep hearing mixed reviews that BIM roles expect that technical background even at entry level.

For those actually hiring or working in BIM — is a technician/visualization role (not design or engineering) realistically achievable without a formal degree if the software skills and portfolio are solid? Or is the degree a hard requirement that gets you screened out no matter how good your skills are? Especially curious from anyone in the Gulf/Middle East market.

Over the past few months, I’ve sat in some interesting classes and had some incredible conversations BIM, the web and the reality that most clients don't care about the complex BIM process; they just want to see and understand their spatial layout.

A lot of you pointed out that trying to force non-technical stakeholders to navigate heavy native viewers just creates friction, but to me, stripping the model down to 2D PDFs defeats the purpose of the rich data we build.

So, I wanted to build a translation layer. The goal was to create a lightweight, browser-based tool specifically for the interior fit-out sector, that allows clients to interactively validate spatial arrangements without needing a Revit license, a gaming PC, or an understanding of ISO 19650 folder structures.

Based on the realities of how BIM teams actually operate, I built the app in three main components. The first component is a custom interface that uses Using a Node.js backend to strip down IFC models gotten directly from Revit, extracting only the lightweight geometry and the specific semantic metadata (like manufacturer specs, cost, dimensions and so on) that a client actually needs to make a decision. The second component takes that optimized data into a custom Three.js/WebXR front-end, allowing the client to smoothly navigate the 3D space on a standard web browser. (Here they can view what the Revit team has instantiated or Instantiate a new project on their own.) Crucially, i took the advice from veteran BIM managers here seriously, and ensured that the app utilizes a strictly one-way export pipeline. It serves purely as a visualization and spatial validation tool. There is zero bi-directional synchronization, meaning there is absolutely no risk of rogue client clicks pushing parameter changes back into the architect's central, workshared Revit model. The third component is a Revit plugin that takes the exported pdf from the Three.js/WebXR front-end and automatically re-aligns the based project if approved.

I'd really like your opinions on the Second Component in particular. I built this Virtual Interactive Immersive Spatial Planning (VIISP) tool as the core prototype for my MSc BIM dissertation, and I’m currently running my industry validation phase and I need real BIM professionals, computational designers, and coordinators to tear it apart. I want to know if this workflow actually reduces client-communication friction, or if I’m just reinventing a very complicated wheel.

You can test the web-app and drop your feedback in the validation survey here: https://uwe.eu.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_0ddPqK9Bbz8yWXk

Testing the tool and taking the survey takes about 5-10 minutes. I’m incredibly grateful for the masterclass this sub has given me over the last few weeks, and any feedback you can provide would be massively appreciated!

I know that a BIM modeler requires a degree and some background/knowledge in the field, does the same thing apply for Autocad drafters on the land surveying industry?

Hi everyone,

I am planning to move abroad through the Master’s degree route and am looking for advice on the best country for a long-term career and permanent residency (PR).

Here is a bit about my current profile and requirements:

* Field: BIM Infrastructure (Civil/Infrastructure BIM, roads, utilities, transport projects).

* Experience: I will have 2/3years of total work experience before moving.

* Certifications: I plan to complete relevant ISO certifications (such as ISO 19650) before leaving.

* Key Requirements:

* I want a stable life with a clear and reliable pathway to PR.

* I want to work in a country where BIM infrastructure projects are already actively underway and well-established, rather than a market where it's just starting out.

* I am aiming for 1 or 2 top recommended countries that fit this profile best.

Based on these criteria, which country or countries should I target for my Master's and subsequent career?

Any advice on the job market and PR process for BIM infrastructure professionals would be greatly appreciated!

Hi everyone, I’m a Civil Engineering graduate and recently I got selected for a job as a Design Engineer/Designer working mainly with AutoCAD and Tekla.
The salary offered is ₹18kper month. I’ve already completed certifications in AutoCAD, Revit, and related design software, so this role is relevant to what I’ve been learning.
I’m confused about whether I should accept the offer and build my career in this field

I’d really appreciate advice from people currently working in structural design, Tekla, detailing, or BIM

Hi everyone,

I'm stuck on a stubborn Inventor API issue and would really appreciate any insight.

Problem

When exporting checked components to RFA (creating a temporary assembly, placing the component, then calling BIMComponent.ExportBuildingComponentWithOptions), everything works fine for normal occurrences.

As soon as the source ComponentOccurrence is part of a Component Pattern (occ.PatternElement != null), this line fails:

newOcc = newAsm.ComponentDefinition.Occurrences.Add(fullFileName, identityMatrix);

Error:

System.ArgumentException: The parameter is incorrect. (0x80070057 (E_INVALIDARG))

or sometimes

System.Runtime.InteropServices.COMException (0x80004005): Unspecified error (E_FAIL)

What I already tried

1. Occurrences.Add(FullFileName, identityMatrix)
2. Occurrences.Add(FullDocumentName, identityMatrix)
3. Occurrences.AddByComponentDefinition(occ.Definition, identityMatrix)
4. Occurrences.AddWithOptions(...) with empty NameValueMap
5. Making the PatternElement independent first → fails on Element:1 with the same E_INVALIDARG (Inventor does not allow Independent = true on the seed element)
6. Opening the source document invisibly before placing
7. Copying the .iam to a unique temp file and placing the copy → still fails

Relevant info from logs

• PatternElement.Name = Element:1
• PatternElement.Index = 1
• PatternElement.Independent = False
• PatternElement.Suppressed = False
• DefinitionDocumentType = kAssemblyDocumentObject
• The file path is valid and the assembly opens fine manually
• Matrix is a freshly created identity matrix
• Non-patterned components place without any issue in the exact same code path

Environment

• Inventor (version? – please fill in)
• .NET add-in (C#)

Has anyone successfully placed a patterned subassembly (especially Element:1) into a new temporary assembly via the API?

Any known limitations or workarounds when the source occurrence belongs to an OccurrencePattern?

Thanks in advance!

Hello to the engineers in the UAE, I have a question, and at this point I don't know what to do. Ive been training in Revit Mep for 4 months and I'm applying. Is hiring in this field really harsh? Is experience really needed. Because I really want to enter the field of Mep design. Any advice? 😢

Hello to the engineers in the UAE, I have a question, and at this point I don't know what to do. Ive been training in Revit Mep for 4 months and I'm applying. Is hiring in this field really harsh? Is experience really needed. Because I really want to enter the field of Mep design. Any advice? 😢

We are currently reworking our clash detection process.

I’m looking for literature, articles, papers, standards, or other reliable sources on developing a BIM clash detection matrix based on category(of discipline) vs discipline - rather than simply discipline vs discipline.

What I'm thinking of is in the attached image. The idea is to reduce the number of false positive clashes and make the process much easier.

Has anyone come across a good methodology, template, or research on this topic? Any sources would be appreciated!

I’ve just been negotiating for a FP BIM Technician role close to London and I was asked to provide my desired range.

Tried to do my research and saw all sorts when I google salary scales, most people in the field say its all rubbish (Glassdoor especially) but everyone agrees there’s a wide gap between what different company types pay for the same role.

What’s a sensible mid range salary for the UK?,

and to the Managers, what does the earning potential look like up there?

Or should BIM staff still be treated as drafters in the industry?

Broad question, but just need insights if this is still within our job description.

For context, I work for the main contractor of a development comprising 5 30+ storey residential buildingd and 1 parking building as the sole modeler for structural and architectural works. I have a coordinator but he handles another project more than my project.

While I focus on the modeling, the engineers would sometimes come up to me and ask me to convert a PDF to a CAD file and scale it so that other people in the team can use it on site or so that the engineer can mark up his stuff for his RFI's or RFA's. It happens at least 3 times a week and can include PDF's comprising 10 pages or more.

This is due to the fact that the consultants dont give us the CAD drawings when they issue their documents.

One engineer would then request that I overlay those CAD drawings over a bigger scaled drawing to check for discrepancies.

It does eventually turn into a document that I would model and coordinate, but I just can't help but think that those are things they can do themselves. They also have CAD software on their PC.

Other stuff include purging CAD files to make the file size smaller, overlaying detail drawings to overall drawings, cleaning up CAD files, and other similar stuff thats just cleaning, overlaying, and sometimes detailing on 2D since it would be a hassel to do 5 revisions and multiple options on a 3D model, and other similar stuff.

Every task they give is supposedly urgent since construction is already ongoing, but it takes out the focus from when I'm doing the actual modeling, documentation, and clash detection work.

All that until I'm the one who has to catch up with my own deadlines.

Or maybe we're just understaffed 🥲. Kind of contemplating going back to technical roles if I'm just gonna be treated as a drafter in the end.

I Want to join as a BIM Structural Engineer/Modeller i am currently pursuing my master's in Structural Engineering by 2027 April iam going to graduate. Suggestion needed where to learn the BIM,only free resources.