BC Pro and Forma Data Management Integration

With the BC Pro and Forma Data Management integration, you can sync files in a BuildingConnected project to files in Forma Data Management. Data Management can then be your one central file storage tool so that you can spend less time moving files between systems and make handover from pre-construction to site construction easier. 

Note: A BuildingConnected project can't be linked to Forma and Box at the same time.

In this article, you can learn: 
 

• How does the BC Pro and Forma Data Management integration work?
• To link a BuildingConnected project with Forma Data Management
• To unlink a BuildingConnected project with Forma Data Management
• Frequently Asked Questions
  • How does the BC Pro and Forma Data Management integration affect other Forma products?
  • Does anything change for subcontractors when a project is synced between BuildingConnected and Forma Data Management? 
  • BC Pro to Forma Data Management Integration Limitations
     

How does the BC Pro and Forma Data Management integration work?

To link a BuildingConnected project with Forma Data Management

Requirements: 

• You must have a subscription to BC Pro and Forma Data Management, Build, or Takeoff
• You must connect your Autodesk ID to your BuildingConnected account
• You must have the necessary permissions in Autodesk Forma
  • To create a new project, you must be an hub administrator or a project administrator (only if the settings allow project administrators to create projects)
  • To link to an existing project, you must be a project member

You can link BuildingConnected with Forma Data Management in multiple locations: 

• When creating a new project, under "Advanced Options”, click “Link with Autodesk Forma". 
  
  
   
• In the “Files” tab of an existing project, click “Link with Data Management”.
  
  
   
• In an existing project, click to open the drop-down menu at the top right corner and click “Link to Data Management”.
  
  
   

In the pop-up window, click “Link to new project or “Link to existing project”.

• Link to new project
  1. If applicable, select the Autodesk Forma hub your new project will go into.
  2. You can select a template to create the new project from.
  3. Edit the project name, type, and currency. Click “Show more” to find currency and all other optional fields. 
  4. By default, “Add Files to Data Management” is selected. All your existing files in BuildingConnected will be moved to Forma Data Management so that you can manage them there. If deselected, any files previously in BuildingConnected will no longer be available. The files will reappear if you remove the link to Forma Data Management.
  5. Click “Link Project”.
     
     
      
• Link to existing project
  1. Click “Link to existing project”.
  2. Click on an existing project from your Autodesk Forma hub. The list will only include projects you are a part of. 
  3. By default, "Add Files to Data Management" will be selected so that any existing files in your BuildingConnected project will be pushed to Forma Data Management and you can continue maintaining them. Otherwise, you will not see them unless you unlink the project and the project files will return to the state before you linked to Forma Data Management. 
  4. Click “Next.
     
     
      
  5. There are two options for adding files to your BuildingConnected project.
      
     • Click “Upload files” to add files from your computer. When you upload files directly to BuildingConnected, they will be available in BuildingConnected and you will see a new folder in Forma Data Management. 
       • If you upload into Project Files, the folder in Data Management will be titled "All Bidders".
       • If you upload into Bid Package Files, the folder in Data Management will be titled "{Bid package name}". 
     • Click "Select a folder to share" to add files from Data Management. A pop-up window will appear with the existing folders from your project in Data Management. Click on the folder and click "Select". 
       
       
       
        

Your files may take a few minutes to transfer to Autodesk Docs. Once complete, your files will be accessible in Data Management and BuildingConnected. Any changes made in either location will be reflected in the other. We recommend using Data Management folder permissions if you need to adjust access to files shared with BuildingConnected. This does not affect your bidder’s ability to download the files in BuildingConnected.

Once linked, you can easily navigate to Data Management. In the “Files” tab in your BuildingConnected project, click “Go to Data Management”.



In Forma Data Management, you can see which folders are syncing with BuildingConnected using the Indicator column. Hover over the BuildingConnected icon to see details.

Note: If a file in Data Management has multiple versions, the version marked as 'Current' is shared with bidders on BuildingConnected.


 

To unlink a BuildingConnected project with Forma Data Management
 

You must have one of the following permissions to unlink a BuildingConnected project from Autodesk Docs: 

     - Project Admin on the linked ACC project
     - Hub Admin on the hub that owns the project
     - The user who linked the project

In your project or bid package, navigate to the “Files” tab and click “Unlink” at the bottom.



Click “Yes, unlink”.



Your project and bid package files in BuildingConnected will revert to what existed before the project was linked. Therefore, your bidders will lose access to any files shared when your project was linked. After unlinking, all synced files are kept in Data Management. 
 

Frequently Asked Questions

How does the BC Pro and Forma Data Management integration affect other Forma products?

Since your BuildingConnected files will be available in Data Management, your files will be available in any other tool that can access Files from Data Management. You will find the folders from this integration in the Files tool in Forma Build and Forma Takeoff.

You can then publish files from these folders into Sheets in Forma Build or Forma Takeoff. Sheets are not visible in BuildingConnected. 

Does anything change for subcontractors when a project is synced between BuildingConnected and Data Management? 

File access for your subcontractors does not change. Subcontractors view and download files in BuildingConnected in the existing process whether a project is linked or not to Autodesk Forma.

BC Pro to Data Management Integration Limitations

• A BuildingConnected project can’t be linked with Forma and Box at the same time. 
• If a linked BuildingConnected project is duplicated, the files will not be copied over to the new project. 
• All linking only happens from BuildingConnected.