Adding users without Archicad

[Djordje]

A real life situation:

Our project client wants to have access to BIMCloud SAAS that the project is on, to view the uploaded files and BIMx, but they don't want to use Archicad for the login.

HOW can we add them to the project, without login from Archicad?

[Noemi Balogh]

You can create local BIMcloud users with Create user, however if they want to see the content of the project, they either need to open it in Archicad, or you can publish a BIMx model, which can be checked in the browser from BIMcloud without the need of an Archicad license. (Though, keep in mind this case they need a license to access BIMcloud from the browser.)

[Djordje]

Hi, Noemi

They do have the BIMCloud SAAS license and Graphisoft ID, but cannot log in to the project.

BIMCloud SAAS insists that they should join in from Archicad.

This does not conform to the OpenBIM principles, too... the Client does not have to have any authoring software licenses to access a cloud platform, that he has a license for, that can be used as a form of CDE.

They of course can access the BIMx portal, but, since they have the Graphisoft ID and are added to the company - otherwise there is no way they can log in anywhere -  they can see all the uploaded projects, not only theirs. Also not good.

Some access control is needed here...

On the other hand, they have set up the ACC project CDE, where we publish to directly from Archicad via Autodesk Connect, but - surprise!!! - they cannot view the BIMx models in ACC, like they can view other published items (IFC, DWG, PDF). For the time being, they do like the BIMx mobile app very much, and we are working around the issue via BIMx Model Transfer and the mobile app, but that still does not solve our contractual obligation to provide the models that can be viewed within the CDE... ours, BIMCloud SAAS, or theirs, ACC.

I am checking this since the problem is usually between the chair and the monitor, and it is not the keyboard (or the mouse...)

[Noemi Balogh]

They should be able to sign in on the Manager interface and check the content there. It shouldn't request Archicad. Can you get any screenshot from them about the message they receive? We might be able to figure out what is wrong.

[Djordje]

Hi Noemi

Yes, they could, but they are not the managers...

... therefore they cannot (and should not) see what we can see...

... "all" I ask is to allow BIMCloud SAAS members with Client level to be able to view where they are set to view.

[Noemi Balogh]

Hi Djordje,

I hope I'm really not ignorant, but I don't really see your problem. You can configure the BIMcloud Manager with permissions that the client sees nothing, but the relevant PDFs and maybe BIMx model on the web interface, and everything else, including ifc and Teamwork projects you work with is not visible for them. I admit, it requires time to figure out what should be set where, but as far as I know, this is how it works in other solutions as well. 

I might really miss one thing here, but according to my knowledge, this should be able to grant such an access to the clients that they don't interfere with your other files / projects and also they don't need Archicad to see the model and documentation. 

Am I too far away from what you have in mind?

[Djordje]

Hi Noemi,

You are very far from ignorant! I am the ignorant one that is having an issue with this 🙂

Will research more, as your proposal makes a lot of sense!

[Noemi Balogh]

I'm happy to hear we're getting closer. 🙂

My proposal would be:

• Create a folder within the project which is dedicated for client information
• Create a group for the client (if there are many of them, if only one person, it might be easier to assign it directly to their user)
• You can either modify the existing roles and permission settings on the folders, but if you're not that familiar with the detailed permission scheme (I know it's not an easy thing), you might just want to create a separate role for the client
  • There you need to grant basically nothing, but View content, as they should not modify anything else there 🙂
• Set the new role for the group / user on the client specific folder (select the folder and then go to the Access panel)

The result should be that they see something like: Root > The Project > Client Specific Folder. They'll see no content on other levels, only the folder names, as they are needed for the inherited permissions. And within' the folder they'll see the files you publish for them specifically.

I might be not 100% accurate as I have no access to any BIMcloud tenant now and it was a long time ago I was working with permissions, but I hope it can give you some hint to achieve what you're looking for.

[Djordje · Accepted solution]

Hi, Noemi

Maybe you could make an article about this, if you are planning to use BIMCloud SAAS as a form of CDE.

The Parent group of the Client group should be View-Projects. Maybe it should be set as default? It is LOGICAL that the Clients will view the Projects.

This is the Solution