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.

[schagemann]

Although the 'free' sharing of BIMx models is a great new feature, I agree with the above and have the following to add…

1. the differentiation between the two iOS apps is confusing and completely unnecessary as they are essentially the same… suggestion > reduce confusion by only offering one app with in-app purchases to unlock additional models;

2. the in app pricing model should be as simple as possible, i.e. two options…
a) per individual model;
b) for all modes;

3. the ability to share a model with 3rd parties should simply be inclusive, i.e. Graphisoft should really consider it as a marketing tool to engage non-ArchiCAD users and show them what a cool tool it is;

4. completely agree that the 7-day limit is utter nonsense, the ability to share should be open ended, however the ability for a link to expire is potentially a good thing;

5. If I understand it correctly 3d party sharing can not be controlled - which I think is completely unacceptable for various reasons (not at least legal), i.e. we must be able to control who gets our BIMx model(s) and its associated documentation (!) and if necessary revoke access right… suggestion > only allow people access who get invited by the author. There are obviously other usage scenarios, where you want to share your BIMx model for marketing purposes…

6. a free desktop viewer app is essential, and to be honest I am not sure why we are still stuck with the current version...

[Anonymous]

@laszlonagy, you could be right about 1 model for 40 dollar. But what about if you forgot something or how many revision models are you making? That will cost even more.

These days we make for every meeting a new export of the model. We use it as an viewer. Stakeholders don't need to have archicad to review the models.

Other thing is that I don't want to have it in the cloud of graphisoft. This because most of the time we need to have it offline linked to our quality system.

So it is a nice tool, but need to be polished.

[Barry Kelly]

Igorius wrote:
These days we make for every meeting a new export of the model. We use it as an viewer. Stakeholders don't need to have archicad to review the models.

Don't forget you still have the standard BIMx which is free for everyone.
No PDF documents in it but you can always have separte PDF files (of course they won' be linked to the model like Hyper Docs).

Igorius wrote:
Other thing is that I don't want to have it in the cloud of graphisoft. This because most of the time we need to have it offline linked to our quality system.

You don't have to save to the cloud at all - that is just a convenient way to share and dowload the files.
If you do use it then once donloaded you don't need the cloud any more (unless updating).
It is possible to save the files to your local system and transfer them manually to you portable device (drag and drop via iTunes program or I believe it can be done with Dropbox as well).

Barry.

[Eduardo Rolon]

A BimX Docs newsletter was sent today trying to clarify the different licensing options. I still don't understand them.

Hello there, esteemed ArchiCAD-Talk Community Members!

You have probably come across the buzz on the new BIMx Docs model sharing scheme. We are writing this email to clarify some of the questions raised both on the Forum as well as in other places:

The 7-day limit caused some confusion partly due to lack of information about what exactly is being restricted by those 7 days and partly due to a need for different types of licenses. To clarify it the 7-day limit only restricts the time the Model Sharing license can be activated. In other words for how long the special link works with BIMx. Once a shared model is downloaded and activated it will permanently be accessible from the devices it was activated during the 7-day window — even subsequent updates to the same model come automatic and free of charge. We don’t set limit on the number of devices the Model Sharing license can be activated during the 7-day window but we charge anew later if the model is to be shared again outside the 7-day window.

We hope this clarifies some of the main questions around BIMx Model Sharing. For more info on model sharing, please start with this video or go for the more detailed step-by-step guide. If you haven't already, we urge you to TRY MODEL SHARING YOURSELF. Share the BIMx Docs model of GRAPHISOFT's HQ building to your device and explore where all the GRAPHISOFT developers, designers and executives sit during their daily work!

Happy Model Sharing,
-- The BIMx Team @GRAPHISOFT

my answer to the email was the following

…Is it that I activate sharing of the model by paying and send the links and the recipients only have 7 days to download and activate the link?

or

I only have 7 days to share the model once I pay and if I try to share the model on day 8 after payment I will need to pay again?

or

Is it a combination of both?

——
This is the situation that is not clear

I have team members A, B, C

On day one I pay and share the link to my team members A, B, C.
Team members A and B open the link within the 7 days.
Team member C forgets to download and does it on day 8.
On day 14 team member D joins
In the above cases:

For step (2) I will need to send a new link? If I understand correctly that is yes. Do I need to pay to share again? That is not clear.
For step (3) Can I send a new link without paying or not?

——
It has always been clear that model updates are not charged,

[Karl Ottenstein]

It made no sense to me either... and I worry that ac-talk users will find it annoying that GS is sending bulk mail to them, as the only way to stop it - according to the email - is to cancel their ac-talk account.

[Laszlo Nagy]

I got the info from GS that the unsubscribe link of course WILL NOT remove/cancel your AC-Talk Forum registration. It will only unsubscribe you from further emails going to AC-Talk members, so such an unsubscribe will not affect your AC-Talk membership in any way. I was told they have now made some changes to that page to make this fact more unambiguous.
As I am hearing Graphisoft is momentarily collecting feedback regarding the model sharing license.

[Karl Ottenstein]

laszlonagy wrote:
I got the info from GS that the unsubscribe link of course WILL NOT remove/cancel your AC-Talk Forum registration.

Good! 🙂 Thanks for clarifying it.