New BIMx hyper-model licensing option for sharing your model

[Laszlo Nagy]

Update, March 2015:

BIMx Docs is now called BIMx PRO.

Press Release:
http://www.graphisoft.com/info/news/press_releases/bim-project-sharing-becomes-easier-with-bimx-upda...

Introductory clip:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nYgV2NGzcFs

Webinar recording (requires GS ID):
https://www.graphisoft.com/learning/online-seminars/webinar-bimx-pro-gsid.html


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Graphisoft has released new versions of BIMx for iOS and BIMx Docs for iOS, which include an important new feature; a new way of licensing your hyper-models — as asked by many of you.

Now you don't have to make your clients pay for viewing the complete Hyper model — 2D information included. Instead, you can buy a licensing option for a single BIMx Hyper-model which can be sent to your clients and colleagues without further restrictions.
The necessary steps of sharing a Hyper-model with the BIMx Docs model sharing for current Project licensing option are the following:

Load the BIMx model into your BIMx for iOS or BIMx Docs app
Buy this sharing option with in-app purchase for $39.99 (or its equivalent in your currency)
Send out the generated special sharing link in e-mail
By clicking on the link, your clients' free BIMx app will open the full hyper-model

Note: the sharing link is valid for 7 days, and can be opened by an arbitrary number of BIMx for iOS or BIMx Docsusers. Once the Hyper-model is loaded into your clients' and peers' apps, all subsequent modifications of the same model can be also accessed for an unlimited time.

You can read more about this here:

http://helpcenter.graphisoft.com/?p=33049

Or if you prefer watching videos, check our step-by-step video here:

http://youtu.be/mS0EW0Mt3a0

In order for you to be able to try this new feature, we have shared a very special Hyper-model with you. By clicking on the following link on your iOS device with the BIMx app installed you can download and access the 3D model of the Graphisoft Headquarters with annotated 2D plans showing where the different departments and developer teams are located:


Click here to download the GSHQ Hyper-model


Please note that you need the latest BIMx app to access this feature.

[vfrontiers]

Still need the ability to view and navigate these files on my DESKTOP or LAPTOP...

Major oversight... I do NOT have a capable iPad...so I have to send out everything BLIND....

Ugh...

[Laszlo Nagy]

Hi Duane,

You and others wishing for the same might want to fill out the BIMx Survey mentioned here:

http://archicad-talk.graphisoft.com/viewtopic.php?t=45664

I don't know what the questions are but I can imagine you will be able to communicate this wish more directly to the developers of BIMx within the Survey.

[David Maudlin]

laszlonagy wrote:
You and others wishing for the same might want to fill out the BIMx Survey mentioned here:

BIMx survey

I don't know what the questions are but I can imagine you will be able to communicate this wish more directly to the developers of BIMx within the Survey.

Yes, there is a comment box at the end of the short survey, and I requested a desktop version there, answering the "BIMx free version survey".

David

[Stephen Dolbee]

I am a little confused by the pricing options. "License for current Project" is $9.99. "License for all your Projects" is $74.99. Then there is "Sharing for the current Project" for $39.99. Does this mean even after paying to license your project, you still have to pay to share it? And do you have to pay $39.99 for each project you wish to share?

[Barry Kelly]

The way I understand it is the $9.99 fee is paid by your client to download and view a single model. This model can be updated (republished) at your end so long as you update the original file. Create a new version of the old file and your client will have to pay again.

The $74.99 fee is again payable by you client but then allows the to view as many models as they want. No limits as far as I know - it could be your model or anyone else's.

The $39.99 fee is payable by you but allows you to give access to many (not sure how many or if there is a limit at all) clients to view that one particular model. So instead of 10 clients paying $9.99 each you pay $39.99 and share it to 10 people. The share link seems only to be available for 7 days which I don't particularly like.

I believe any fees payable by you clients can be sent as a gift from you so you end up paying and not them.
All models can be updated so long as the original is republished and that only counts as one model still. Not sure how this will work with the 7 day link - does a new link get generated that lasts another 7 days or is it too late and a new model must be created and paid for again?

Maybe someone from GS would be kind enough to clarify exactly how it all works - maybe with something written on the ArchicadWiki site.

Barry.

[Laszlo Nagy]

The new model-sharing license enables you, the architect to share your BIMx Hyper-model (containing 2D plans) with your clients. Previously, you would have had to ask your clients to purchase the one-model license. Now, with the Sharemodel-license (costing $39.99) you can share a given model with an arbitrary number of clients/contractors.

More information on the sharing process can be found in the Help Center:

http://helpcenter.graphisoft.com/technotes/bimx/bimx-docs-in-app-purchase-sharing-for-current-projec...

[Anonymous]

In realworld I need to share documents with +- 15 stakeholders.
And maybe they need to share it with more stakeholders and colleagues.

As I understand the new policy well, I need to keep administration and buy for every user a license for $40 dollars. That's going to be expensive.

Also the stakeholders don't ask for BIMx docs content. I could send them a BIMx model with PDFs files. And if they will be confrontante with $80 dollar for a license, the will ask for PDFs. So I am not able to distribute in BIMx Docs format.

Sharing content should be free and easy to access for stakeholders. They need to have the freedom to run on multiple devices. And I am willing to pay more for a license to create these BIMx docs, if the models could be free accessible for stakeholders.

And most of stakeholders don't have IOS devices, they use android or they are sitting behind windows platform.
The more platforms are available, the more stakeholders I can reach, the more I will use it.

[Laszlo Nagy]

I don't think you have to buy a 40 dollar licence for every user.
My understanding is that the 40 dollar is for the ability to share 1 project BIMx file with any number of people. You share it with as many people as you want. They download the BIMx model and it will be on their device. If it later changes they will be able to download those changed models as well.
The only limitation is that they have to download it within 7 days, because the link you send to them is live only for that long.

The following page tells you the whole process step by step:
http://helpcenter.graphisoft.com/technotes/bimx/bimx-docs-in-app-purchase-sharing-for-current-projec...

By the way, Graphisoft has previously stated that an Android version is coming in 2014.

[Eric Bobrow]

I understand these options and in general feel they are reasonable (although a bit confusing) with two exceptions:

1) The 7 day limit is totally arbitrary. Why not allow a single project to be shared indefinitely for the $39.99 price? It is possible others will need access at different points in the process, and it seems ridiculous that one would have to pay again and again if the sharing is not done within 7 days.

If the 7 day limit is removed, then it also makes it possible for users to post a BIMx Docs model on their website as a marketing tool. It would be a single project (they could buy licenses for others if they wish) but it would allow anyone considering hiring the architect to explore their project, and as a side benefit, highlight the fact that this firm is using ArchiCAD.

I think it is very short-sighted to have this 7 day limitation.

2) There is definitely a need for a desktop version. There is a desktop version of the older BIMx, surely this isn't a huge development effort. If I were an architect, I would want to show BIMx Docs on my computer to clients, and be able to share it with clients who do not have a tablet.

I understand that Graphisoft has limited development resources, and cannot make all versions available at the same time. I would hope that they are able to deliver BIMx Docs for desktop this year, so the hypermodel can be shared much more widely.