Free websites like BIM360

[eng.girgis.adly]

Dears, 

I am looking for a website like BIM 360 to make work-sharing for a small Revit model to train my colleagues, but I need it free

is there is any available websites which I can try ? 

[RSomppi]

No, there isn't. The closest you can get is to do the worksharing locally on a server.

[Yien_Chao]

why and who would make that free?

[dbutts7 · Accepted solution]

Autodesk Docs is purpose built to work with Revit central models the correct way. It manages file locking and read/write permissions correctly for not only the Revit models, but the temporary files associated with a model that constantly communicate with the central.

Autodesk Docs complies with the Windows SMB protocols required to run the software - other file sharing sites, such as OneDrive/Sharepoint/Dropbox and others do not meet these protocols. When you use them you are at risk of corrupting models, losing data and more. 

Please review this blog post I wrote to address this:

https://mep-cad.blogspot.com/2023/01/understanding-where-to-host-your.html

thanks - David B.

[dbutts7]

If you are training users, training them in the correct and supported locations for editing files is critically important, as it is a key element of understanding the working environment. Trying to use a free service to emulate this is not an efficient use of your time or the ones you are training. Get them off on the right foot by starting in the right place.

[eng.girgis.adly]

Thanks a lot Sir for your detailed response 

but I was looking for something free as the fees of getting license on BIM 360 is high for me 

[eng.girgis.adly]

I read the recommended mentioned Blog Post in your reply and it is really great and replied on all my answers 

thanks dear for your support 

[wizard_ettore]

OneDrive. Just put the model there.

Cost: $0. You get versioning, commenting, and the sync tool actually works. The only useful feature you'll lose out on is the web-viewer.

[eng.girgis.adly]

experts mentioned that if two individuals collaborate on the same file simultaneously, one of them will end up losing his work.

[wizard_ettore]

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@eng.girgis.adly wrote:

experts mentioned that if two individuals collaborate on the same file simultaneously, one of them will end up losing his work.

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Maybe Autodesk has eliminated this workflow to force people to BIM360/ACC/BIM Collab/etc. ; I know we were doing this at a previous workplace well before these cloud tools existed.

[Chad-Smith]

Revit has never (officially) supported Worksharing on anything other than:

1. A local server
2. Autodesk Revit Server
3. Autodesk BIM 360/ACC with BIM Collaborate Pro

The client Revit computers need to communicate quickly with all other client Revit computers who are participating in the same Worksharing session, and on the same network. This is for element ownership reasons. All of the above options do this. Revit won't do this with 3rd party options.

About the only 3rd party option that I've seen that stands a chance of working is a very fast VPN network.

[dbutts7]

Absolutely do NOT use OneDrive - it will corrupt your models, and is not based on a Windows OS. There's no "free" site that correctly manages not just the Revit model, but all of the temporary files that requires constant contact with a central model.

The only exception is to use non-central (worksharing) files on Autodesk Docs that comes with an AEC collection license. If this is for students, you need to reach out to your vendor to see about getting access to Docs - it's been a while since I was a reseller, but student software has always been provided at no cost.

But if you are a private firm trying to train your staff, get your subscriptions and do this the right way.

[dbutts7]

You can get BIM Collaborate for non-central models for $59 per month. For workshare models, it's $79 per month with the Pro version. If you are only doing training for a short period, this is the lowest cost way to do this.

[dbutts7]

Autodesk has offered two other solutions - to use Revit Server behind a firewall for multiple site locations (not the fastest solution, since you're dependent on WAN connection speeds) and to work locally on your hard drive or local Windows OS based server. If Autodesk was really into forcing people into BIM360 for the sheer purpose of making money, they would be charging by capacity and data amounts. In all of their sites, you have unlimited capacity and controlled access with higher security than most offices and firms I've worked with. Compare this cost along with the labor costs related to maintaining an internal LAN/WAN network and hardware, and ACC is a fraction of those costs. It's the other reason why we switched.