All categories · Q&A
🏛️ BIM Authoring — Architecture & Building Design
Architectural BIM authoring tools are where the building model is created: walls, slabs, roofs, openings, stairs and spaces are modelled as intelligent objects that carry geometry and data at the same time. From that single model the team produces plans, sections, schedules and quantities, and exchanges the design with structural, MEP and construction teams through native links or open formats such as IFC and BCF. This category covers full BIM authoring platforms, lighter or early-stage design tools that hand over to them, and the products that have been retired or replaced.
What is the difference between .rvt, .rfa and .rte files in Revit?
An .rvt file is a Revit project: it holds the building model, views, sheets and schedules. An .rfa file is a loadable family, such as a door, a piece of furniture or a titleblock, that you load into projects. An .rte file is a project template used to start new projects with preset units, view templates, levels and families. A related .rft file is a family template used to start a new family.
About Autodesk Revit · Certification
How do several people work on the same Revit model at the same time?
Revit uses worksharing. One person enables worksharing and saves a central model on a network location or, with a BIM Collaborate Pro entitlement, in the Autodesk cloud. Each user then creates a local copy, works in it and periodically uses Synchronize with Central to publish changes and pull others' work. Worksets and element borrowing control who can edit what, and Autodesk Construction Cloud provides the cloud worksharing service.
About Autodesk Revit · Certification
Which IFC exports from Revit are buildingSMART certified, and how do I control the export?
Revit holds buildingSMART certification for IFC4 Reference View 1.2 export for both the Architecture and the Structure exchange requirements, and IFC2x3 Coordination View 2.0 for import and export. In the Export IFC dialog you pick the setup (for example IFC4 Reference View), choose which elements export by view or by whole model, and map Revit categories to IFC classes through the IFC export classes table. Revit 2027 adds parameter-to-property-set mapping directly in the export dialog, which reduces the need for the older shared-parameter mapping files.
About Autodesk Revit · Certification
What are the main ways to automate Revit, and when would I choose each?
Dynamo for Revit is the visual programming route: good for repetitive geometry, parameter population and data checks without code. pyRevit and the Revit API in C# or Python give full programmatic access and are used for office toolbars and complex add-ins. Autodesk Platform Services Design Automation for Revit runs Revit logic in the cloud without a desktop session, which suits batch processing of many models. Revit 2027 also introduced a public MCP server in tech preview so AI agents can query and act on model data through a standard connector.
About Autodesk Revit · Certification
Who makes Archicad and which operating systems does it run on?
Archicad is developed by Graphisoft, a Budapest-based company that is part of the Nemetschek Group. It runs natively on both Windows and macOS, which is one of the reasons it is popular in Mac-based architecture practices. The current release is Archicad 29, published in October 2025, with Archicad 30 planned for October 2026.
About Graphisoft Archicad · Certification
What is Teamwork in Archicad and what do I need to use it?
Teamwork is Archicad's multi-user collaboration mode. The project is hosted on BIMcloud and each user reserves the elements they want to edit, works locally and then sends and receives changes. Archicad Studio subscriptions include BIMcloud Basic for a single-server setup, while Archicad Collaborate includes BIMcloud as a hosted SaaS service. Elements are reserved rather than locked by workset, so reservation is more granular than Revit worksets.
About Graphisoft Archicad · Certification
How do IFC translators work in Archicad and why should I set them up per consultant?
Archicad uses IFC translators for import and export. A translator bundles the IFC schema and model view (for example IFC4 Reference View), the element and property mapping, the geometry conversion rules and the units. Each consultant or platform typically needs different settings: a structural engineer wants load-bearing elements with structural properties, a Revit user needs a translator tuned to Revit's importer, and a Solibri check may need extra classification data. Saving one translator per exchange and documenting it in the BIM execution plan keeps exports repeatable.
About Graphisoft Archicad · Certification
What is GDL and how does it compare with the Python API and Grasshopper connection in Archicad?
GDL, the Geometric Description Language, is Archicad's built-in scripting language for parametric library objects such as doors, windows and furniture; nearly every object in the library is written in it. The Python API, added in recent versions, lets you query and modify project data from outside the object level, for example to check attributes or batch-rename elements. The Grasshopper-Archicad Live Connection streams geometry and parameters between Rhino's Grasshopper and Archicad elements for parametric design. Use GDL for reusable objects, Python for data tasks, and Grasshopper for form-driven design.
About Graphisoft Archicad · Certification
What is the difference between Vectorworks Architect, Landmark and Spotlight?
They are industry editions of the same Vectorworks platform. Architect adds BIM building objects, space planning and documentation tools for architects. Landmark focuses on site, planting and landscape design. Spotlight is for entertainment, lighting and event design. Vectorworks Design Suite bundles all of them. All editions share the same .vwx format and core modelling and drafting tools.
About Vectorworks Architect · Certification
Can I still buy a perpetual licence of Vectorworks?
Only until the end of 2026. Vectorworks has stated that sales of standalone perpetual licences and new or additional Service Select maintenance contracts end at the end of 2026, after which the product is sold on subscription. Existing perpetual licences keep working but will not receive new versions without a subscription. Check the official Vectorworks buy page for the current terms in your region.
About Vectorworks Architect · Certification
Is Vectorworks IFC export certified by buildingSMART?
Yes. Vectorworks was the first vendor to receive buildingSMART IFC4 Reference View 1.2 export certification, in April 2019. In practice you control the IFC data through the IFC Data mapping on objects and classes and through the Export IFC Project dialog, where you choose the model view definition and which layers and stories to include. Certification covers the export path; imports should still be checked in a viewer such as Solibri or BIMcollab Zoom.
About Vectorworks Architect · Certification
What is Allplan and which disciplines does it cover?
Allplan is a BIM authoring platform from ALLPLAN GmbH, part of the Nemetschek Group, with roots going back to 1984. It covers architecture, structural engineering including reinforcement and precast detailing, and increasingly infrastructure such as bridges and tunnels. The current release is Allplan 2026, published in October 2025, sold in subscription tiers from Basic to Ultimate. It runs on Windows and collaborates through the Bimplus cloud platform.
About Allplan · Certification
How are drawing files and layouts organised in an Allplan project?
An Allplan project is a folder structure rather than one file. Model content lives in numbered drawing files, which you group into filesets and building-structure levels; layers add a second level of organisation inside each drawing file. Layouts reference drawing files to produce plans. This differs from Revit or Archicad, where everything sits in one project file, so a project template with an agreed drawing-file numbering scheme is essential.
About Allplan · Certification
What openBIM features did Allplan 2026 add?
Allplan 2026 extended IFC4 import, including multilayer slabs and closer compliance with the IFC4 schema, and added IDS-based attribute import so required properties from an Information Delivery Specification can be brought into the model. Bimplus now imports IFC 4.3 and SketchUp 2024 files and exports GLB. Allplan also released the free Allplan Model Viewer for browser-based IFC viewing. A link to Preoptima Concept lets you export mass models for early whole-life carbon assessment.
About Allplan · Certification
Is BricsCAD BIM a separate program from BricsCAD?
No. BricsCAD is sold in tiers: Lite for 2D, Pro for 3D and programming, BIM for building modelling, Mechanical for product design and Ultimate for everything. BricsCAD BIM is the BIM tier of the same DWG-based application, so the project file stays a .dwg. It is developed by Bricsys, a Belgian company owned by Hexagon, and the current release is V26 from late 2025. It runs on Windows, macOS and Linux.
About BricsCAD BIM · Certification
How does BricsCAD turn plain solids into BIM elements?
You model with direct-modelling tools such as push/pull and then run the BIMIFY command, which uses geometry analysis to classify solids as walls, slabs, columns, beams or roofs and assign spatial locations. You can then attach compositions (layered build-ups), add properties and let the software generate sections and details. Because classification happens after modelling, teams can sketch freely and formalise the model later.
About BricsCAD BIM · Certification
What does 'IFC as XRef' mean in BricsCAD V26?
BricsCAD V26 lets you attach an IFC file as an external reference in the same way you attach a DWG. The IFC model appears in your drawing as linked context that updates when the source file changes, without converting it into native objects. V26 also added IFC 4.3 export, which matters for infrastructure and specialty-trade exchanges where the newer schema is required.
About BricsCAD BIM · Certification
What is Edificius and who makes it?
Edificius is an architectural BIM application from ACCA software, an Italian company known for its PriMus estimating and usBIM cloud products. It combines building modelling, interior and landscape design, MEP, phasing, cost estimating and a real-time rendering engine in one Windows program. It is sold by subscription with a one-month full-feature trial. It is most used in Italy, Spain and Latin America.
About Edificius · Certification
How does Edificius link the model to a cost estimate?
Edificius attaches price-list items from ACCA's PriMus estimating software to model objects, so quantities are read from the model and the bill of quantities updates when the model changes. The same link supports time-based phasing, which shows the build sequence and cost over time. This integrated approach is one of the main reasons small practices in southern Europe choose the ACCA suite.
About Edificius · Certification
Which IFC versions can Edificius exchange, and is it certified?
ACCA states that Edificius imports and exports IFC 2x3 and holds buildingSMART IFC Coordination View 2.0 certification; third-party listings also report IFC4 certification, but that was not confirmed on the vendor page. Exported IFC files can be published to usBIM for browser-based federation and BCF issue management with consultants using other platforms. As with any tool, check the export in a neutral viewer before issuing it.
About Edificius · Certification
Is Chief Architect a BIM tool?
Chief Architect Premier is object-based 3D design software for residential and light commercial buildings. Walls, roofs, framing and cabinets are smart objects that drive materials lists, framing plans and construction documents, so it delivers many BIM benefits for house design. However, it is not marketed as an openBIM platform and IFC exchange is not documented in the vendor's import/export knowledge base, so it is rarely used for multidiscipline coordination. The current version is Premier X18, released in June 2026.
About Chief Architect Premier · Certification
How is Chief Architect Premier licensed?
Chief Architect moved to subscription. The vendor site lists Premier at USD 1,995 per year, or USD 229 per month on monthly billing, and subscriptions include Support and Software Assurance so you always get the current version. Holders of older legacy perpetual licences are offered discounted upgrade paths. Home Designer is the separate consumer product line.
About Chief Architect Premier · Certification
How do I share a Chief Architect model with an engineer who uses AutoCAD or Revit?
Export the plan and layout views to DWG or DXF from the File menu; Chief Architect's knowledge base covers converting plan files to DWG/DXF and the common line-type and scale issues. PDFs can also be exported and imported. For 3D review by clients, export to the free Chief Architect 3D Viewer. If a consultant requires IFC, plan for remodelling in a BIM platform, because IFC export is not documented for Chief Architect.
About Chief Architect Premier · Certification
What is Autodesk Forma and how is it different from Revit?
Forma is Autodesk's browser-based platform for the early planning and schematic phases. Forma Site Design sets up geolocated sites and runs sun, daylight, wind, noise and microclimate analyses; Forma Building Design, launched in April 2026, lets you shape building options with facades, floor plans and units. Revit is the desktop BIM authoring tool for detailed design and documentation. Forma projects move into Revit as native geolocated models, and Revit 2027 is the first Forma Connected Client.
About Autodesk Forma · Certification
Do I need a separate subscription for Forma?
Not if you already subscribe to Revit or the AEC Collection: Forma Data Management Essentials, Forma Site Design, Forma Building Design and Forma Board are included with those subscriptions from the 2027 product year. Forma Site Design can also be bought standalone; 2026 listings show roughly USD 185 per month or USD 1,500 per year, but check the Autodesk buy page for current regional pricing. A 30-day trial is available.
About Autodesk Forma · Certification
What happened to FormIt's modelling tools inside Forma?
Autodesk moved FormIt Pro's conceptual modelling into Forma. The 3D Sketch sub-mode in Forma is built on the FormIt modelling engine, so you can model complex shapes and edit Forma elements while keeping building functions and area metrics. FormIt Pro itself stopped being sold in April 2024, FormIt Web and iPad went offline after August 2024, and only FormIt for Windows is maintained for security fixes until 2027.
About Autodesk Forma · Certification
What was OpenBuildings Designer called before, and what is it built on?
OpenBuildings Designer is the 2018 rename of Bentley's AECOsim Building Designer, which itself descended from Bentley Architecture, Structural, Mechanical and Electrical on the TriForma platform. It is built on MicroStation, so it uses DGN files, MicroStation references and the same interface conventions. It covers architecture, structure, mechanical and electrical in one product and includes OpenBuildings Speedikon for German-speaking markets.
How do I buy OpenBuildings Designer as a small firm?
Bentley sells it through Virtuosity, its eStore, as a 12-month Virtuoso practitioner subscription. The eStore listed it at USD 3,844 in 2026, with the note that pricing varies by region. The subscription includes Keys, credits redeemable for training, mentoring and consulting through Bentley LEARN. Larger organisations use Bentley's enterprise licensing programmes instead.
Which exchange formats does OpenBuildings Designer support for coordination with Revit-based teams?
OpenBuildings Designer imports and exports DWG and IFC, can reference Revit family files (RFA) and SketchUp (SKP) content, and exports COBie for handover as well as CIS/2 and SDNF for steel. i-models and iTwin services give a Bentley-native route to federated review. For a Revit-based design team the usual exchange is IFC in both directions, with clashes handled in Navisworks or Bentley Navigator, and documents managed in ProjectWise.
Can SketchUp be used as BIM software?
On its own SketchUp is a general 3D modeller, not a BIM authoring platform: it has no native parametric walls, doors or schedules. It becomes BIM-capable through three things: its built-in IFC classification and export, extensions such as PlusSpec that add wall assemblies, framing and quantities, and Trimble Connect for cloud sharing and review. Many architects use it for concept design before moving to Revit or Archicad.
About SketchUp (Pro / Studio) · Certification
What changed in IFC export in SketchUp 2026.0?
SketchUp 2026.0, released in October 2025, consolidated IFC 2x3 and IFC4 into a single export file type with a new Export Options dialog. A Standard IFC Spatial Hierarchy toggle scaffolds IfcProject, IfcSite and IfcBuilding even if your Outliner does not contain that structure, which produces IFC files that open more reliably in checkers and other BIM tools. Classification of components with IFC types still has to be done by the user.
About SketchUp (Pro / Studio) · Certification
Which SketchUp plan do I need for professional BIM-related work?
SketchUp Free is web-only and non-commercial. Go covers commercial work on web and iPad. Pro is the desktop plan most professionals use and includes LayOut and IFC export. Studio adds Windows-only extras such as the Revit importer, point-cloud tools and V-Ray rendering. Third-party 2026 listings show Go at USD 129, Pro at USD 399 and Studio at USD 819 per year; confirm on the Trimble site for your region.
About SketchUp (Pro / Studio) · Certification
What does VisualARQ add to Rhino?
VisualARQ is a plug-in from Asuni that turns Rhino 7 or Rhino 8 into an architectural BIM tool. It adds parametric walls, slabs, roofs, stairs, curtain walls, openings and spaces, plus levels, plan and section views and tables for documentation, and IFC 2x3 and IFC4 import and export. Version 3 shipped in October 2024. It is sold as a perpetual licence, USD 795 commercial and USD 95 educational on the vendor site.
What are Grasshopper Styles in VisualARQ?
Grasshopper Styles let you define a VisualARQ object type from a Grasshopper definition. The inputs of the definition become the object's parameters, so you can create custom walls, railings, furniture or facade elements that behave like native VisualARQ objects, host doors and windows, and show calculated data in the properties panel and in tables. This is the main way VisualARQ users build parametric content without writing code.
How well does VisualARQ exchange models with Revit or Archicad?
VisualARQ exchanges through IFC. Its built-in IFC plug-in imports and exports IFC 2x3 and IFC4, and version 3 made opening and saving large IFC files much faster. Object properties map to IFC properties and you can assign IFC types to any Rhino geometry. As with SketchUp, results depend on how carefully elements are classified; a neutral checker such as Solibri or BIMcollab Zoom should be used to validate the file before sharing.
Is Autodesk FormIt still available?
No for new users. FormIt Pro stopped being sold or renewed in April 2024. FormIt Web and FormIt for iPad were taken offline after 31 August 2024. FormIt for Windows is kept alive only for critical security fixes until 2027. Autodesk directs users to Forma, whose 3D Sketch mode is built on the FormIt engine.
About Autodesk FormIt · Certification
I have old FormIt .axm files. How do I keep using them?
Open them in FormIt for Windows while it is still maintained, then move the geometry on. The FormIt add-in for Revit can send massing to Revit, or you can export to SKP, OBJ or SAT for other tools. Because there is no roadmap after 2027, convert important projects now rather than relying on the legacy installer, which Autodesk has already removed from the normal download pages.
About Autodesk FormIt · Certification
Why did Autodesk retire FormIt?
Autodesk consolidated its early-design tools into Forma, the cloud platform it built on the Spacemaker acquisition. FormIt's conceptual modelling was rebuilt inside Forma so that massing, building functions and area metrics live in the same environment as site analysis. Maintaining a separate desktop, web and iPad product no longer fitted that strategy, so FormIt entered maintenance mode in 2024.
About Autodesk FormIt · Certification
What is Snaptrude and does it have a free version?
Snaptrude is a browser-based, collaborative BIM design tool for the concept and schematic phases. It offers a Free plan with three projects, basic BIM and Revit export for a single user, an Individual plan at USD 60 per month, an Organization plan at USD 100 per user per month billed annually, and Enterprise pricing on request. There is nothing to install; it runs in a modern web browser.
About Snaptrude · Certification
How does Snaptrude move a design into Revit?
Snaptrude exports a native .rvt file with walls, floors, roofs and openings as Revit elements, and the Snaptrude Manager add-in for Revit provides bidirectional sync so changes can be pulled back. It also imports .rvt, DWG and SKP files in the browser and exports IFC, DWG and PDF. The intent is to design collaboratively in the browser and then continue detailed documentation in Revit without remodelling.
About Snaptrude · Certification
Where does Snaptrude fit compared with Forma in an early-design workflow?
Both are browser tools for early design that hand over to Revit. Forma is Autodesk's own platform, bundled with Revit and the AEC Collection, and its strength is environmental analysis and the native Forma Connected Client link in Revit 2027. Snaptrude is an independent product with a free tier, real-time multi-user modelling and AI generation of layouts from a space programme, and it exports RVT and IFC rather than depending on one vendor's cloud. Practices choose based on licensing, analysis needs and how vendor-neutral they want the pipeline to be.
About Snaptrude · Certification
What does 'BIM authoring' mean, and how is it different from a BIM viewer or a coordination tool?
A BIM authoring tool is where the building model is created and edited: you place walls, slabs, doors and spaces as objects that carry geometry and information, and the tool generates drawings and schedules from them. Viewers such as BIMx or the Allplan Model Viewer only display models. Coordination tools such as Navisworks or Solibri federate models from several authoring tools to check clashes and rules but do not edit the design. Revit, Archicad, Vectorworks, Allplan and BricsCAD BIM are the main architectural authoring platforms.
Certification: BIM Authoring — Architecture & Building Design
Which BIM authoring tools run on a Mac?
Archicad and Vectorworks Architect run natively on macOS and Windows. BricsCAD BIM runs on Windows, macOS and Linux. SketchUp Pro runs on both desktop systems. Chief Architect Premier also ships Windows and macOS builds. Revit, Allplan, Edificius and OpenBuildings Designer are Windows-only, although browser tools such as Forma and Snaptrude work on any platform.
Certification: BIM Authoring — Architecture & Building Design
Revit or Archicad: which should a small architecture practice choose?
Both produce full construction documentation and certified IFC. Choose Revit if your consultants and clients work in Autodesk tools, you expect to share central models with engineers, or the market you serve requires .rvt deliverables. Choose Archicad if you work on Mac, want a lighter interface tuned for architects, or operate in an openBIM-mandated market such as Scandinavia or Central Europe. Cost is now similar since both are subscription-only; the availability of trained staff locally is often the deciding factor.
Certification: BIM Authoring — Architecture & Building Design
Which architectural BIM tools can still be bought as perpetual licences in 2026?
BricsCAD BIM is sold both perpetual and subscription, and VisualARQ for Rhino is perpetual. Vectorworks still sells perpetual licences until the end of 2026, after which it is subscription-only. Revit, Archicad (since 2026), Allplan, Edificius, Chief Architect, OpenBuildings Designer and SketchUp are subscription products. Forma and Snaptrude are cloud services; Snaptrude has a free tier.
Certification: BIM Authoring — Architecture & Building Design
What does buildingSMART IFC certification actually guarantee, and which architectural tools have it?
Certification means the vendor passed buildingSMART's test suite for a specific schema and model view, for example IFC4 Reference View 1.2 export, using defined test cases. It does not guarantee that a given project export is complete; that depends on the user's mapping and settings. Revit is certified for IFC4 Reference View export for Architecture and Structure, Archicad and Vectorworks for IFC4 Reference View export, and Edificius for IFC Coordination View 2.0. Certification status for Allplan, BricsCAD, OpenBuildings Designer and SketchUp should be checked on the buildingSMART certified-software list before it is claimed in a tender.
Certification: BIM Authoring — Architecture & Building Design
What should a BIM execution plan specify when an architect and consultants use different authoring tools?
It should fix the exchange format and version, usually IFC4 Reference View or IFC2x3 Coordination View, the model view definition, and the naming and classification requirements such as Uniclass or OmniClass. It should define the shared coordinate system and project base point, the level and grid ownership, the export settings or translator each tool will use, and the BCF workflow for issues. Under ISO 19650 these sit in the BIM execution plan and the information delivery plan, and an IDS file can make the property requirements machine-checkable.
Certification: BIM Authoring — Architecture & Building Design
Which tools cover the concept stage before full BIM authoring, and how do they hand over?
Forma, Snaptrude, SketchUp and Rhino with VisualARQ are the common concept-stage tools. Forma hands over to Revit through the Forma Connected Client. Snaptrude exports native RVT and IFC. SketchUp exports IFC and can be imported by Revit, Archicad and Vectorworks; SketchUp Studio also imports Revit models. VisualARQ exports IFC from Rhino, and Rhino.Inside.Revit or the Grasshopper-Archicad connection give live links. The hand-over should be planned in advance so that massing, levels and grids survive the move.
Certification: BIM Authoring — Architecture & Building Design
Which official certifications are worth having for an architectural BIM authoring career?
For Revit, the Autodesk Certified Professional in Revit for Architectural Design is the recognised credential; Autodesk suggests around 1,200 hours of real project experience before attempting it. Graphisoft Learn offers Archicad BIM User and BIM Author certifications and a trainer-led Certified BIM Coordinator programme. Vectorworks University runs a Core Associate certification and industry professional certifications valid for three years. Beyond tool badges, an ISO 19650 information-management qualification from a recognised body is increasingly asked for in BIM coordinator and manager roles.
Certification: BIM Authoring — Architecture & Building Design
How should a multi-office practice standardise its authoring environment across Revit and Archicad teams?
Keep one content and standards library per platform but a single naming, classification and property standard shared by both, written into templates and checked with IDS. Pin software versions per project, because Revit projects cannot be opened in older releases and Archicad upgrades also migrate files. Centralise collaboration on BIMcloud for Archicad and Autodesk cloud worksharing for Revit, and federate everything in a neutral checker such as Solibri or Navisworks using IFC. Automate the boring parts with Dynamo or pyRevit on one side and Python or GDL on the other, and keep the automation in version control.
Certification: BIM Authoring — Architecture & Building Design
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About this database
Product names are trademarks of their respective owners. Facts are verified against vendor documentation and dated sources; pricing is described by model only. Spotted an error or a missing tool? Write to [email protected] and we will correct it. Database updated: 2026-09-15.