IMO – This guide will walk you through the easiest and most effective way to set up a new project in Autodesk Construction Cloud (ACC) when working with Revit and Civil 3D files for project modeling. The key is understanding the roles of each platform and how they integrate.

Phase 1: Pre-ACC Setup – Organizing Your Data for Success

 

Before you even touch ACC, proper file organization is crucial for a smooth workflow.

  1. Understand Your Data Sources:
    • Revit Files: Typically house architectural, structural, MEP, and sometimes site elements (if not heavily relying on Civil 3D for site). These are generally linked models.
    • Civil 3D Files: Contain survey data, existing ground, proposed grading, alignments, profiles, pipe networks, and other civil infrastructure. These often serve as the “ground truth” for the site.
  2. Define a Shared Coordinate System (CRITICAL!):
    • This is the MOST important step. All your Revit models and Civil 3D drawings must share a common, real-world coordinate system.
    • Recommendation: Work with your project surveyor or civil engineer to establish this early. Typically, this will be a State Plane Coordinate System (SPCS) or UTM.
    • In Civil 3D: Set your drawing’s coordinate system using GEOGRAHPICLOCATION.
    • In Revit: Link the Civil 3D file and use “Acquire Coordinates” from the Civil 3D file, or “Specify Coordinates at Point” to match the Civil 3D data. Ensure all linked Revit models are using the same shared coordinates.
  3. Establish a Clear Folder Structure (Local/Network):
    • Even before uploading to ACC, have a well-defined folder structure on your local drive or network. This will mirror well when you upload to ACC.
    • Suggested Structure:
      • [Project Name]
        • 00_Civil
          • 00_Survey
          • 01_ExistingConditions
          • 02_ProposedDesign
        • 01_Revit
          • 01_Architectural
          • 02_Structural
          • 03_MEP
          • 04_SiteRevit (if you have a Revit site model separate from Civil 3D)
        • 02_Coordination (for NWC, IFC, or aggregated models)
        • 03_Deliverables
        • 99_References (CAD bases, images, etc.)

 

Phase 2: Creating Your Project in Autodesk Construction Cloud (ACC)

 

  1. Access ACC: Go to acc.autodesk.com and sign in with your Autodesk ID.
  2. Create a New Project:
    • On the ACC home screen, click the “Create project” button.
    • Enter Project Details:
      • Project Name: Use a clear, concise name.
      • Project Type: Select the most appropriate type (e.g., Commercial, Infrastructure).
      • Template (Optional but Recommended): If your company has a pre-configured project template, use it! This pre-populates services and folder structures, saving significant time. If not, don’t worry, you’ll set it up manually.
      • Account: Select the correct ACC account.
      • Project Start/End Dates: (Optional but good practice)
      • Address: (Optional but helpful for location-based services)
    • Click “Create project.”
  3. Activate Core Services:
    • Once the project is created, you’ll be prompted to activate services. For Revit and Civil 3D workflows, ensure these are activated:
      • Docs (Document Management): This is the foundation for all file storage and sharing.
      • Model Coordination: Essential for clash detection and model aggregation (especially useful for federating Revit and Civil 3D models).
      • Design Collaboration: Highly recommended for Revit worksharing and managing work-in-progress models between teams. While Civil 3D doesn’t directly use Design Collaboration’s “packages,” its folders are still managed here.

 

Phase 3: Setting Up Document Management (Docs)

 

This is where your files live.

  1. Navigate to Docs: From the ACC Project Home, click on “Docs” in the left-hand navigation.
  2. Create Your Folder Structure:
    • Recreate the organized folder structure you planned in Phase 1 (e.g., 00_Civil, 01_Revit).
    • Recommendation: Create a “For Internal Use” folder (or similar) for WIP (Work In Progress) files and a “Shared” or “Published” folder for coordinated models that other teams should access. This is particularly important for Design Collaboration, as it designates areas for consumption.
  3. Upload Your Files:
    • Method 1 (Drag and Drop): The easiest way for initial uploads. Navigate to the desired folder in Docs and drag and drop your Revit (.rvt) and Civil 3D (.dwg) files.
    • Method 2 (Upload Button): Click the “Upload” button and select “Files” or “Folders.”
    • Important for Civil 3D: Upload all relevant Civil 3D files (main drawing, xrefs, data shortcuts). ACC will process the relationships.
    • Important for Revit: Upload your central Revit models. If you’re using Design Collaboration, these will ideally be initiated from the desktop directly to the ACC cloud.

 

Phase 4: Integrating Revit & Civil 3D Data

 

  1. For Civil 3D:
    • Direct Upload to Docs: As mentioned, upload your DWG files directly to the appropriate folders in Docs. ACC will display these files and their references.
    • Data Shortcuts: If your Civil 3D project uses data shortcuts, ensure all related files (source DWGs for surfaces, alignments, etc.) are also uploaded to ACC in a structured way that Civil 3D can resolve the paths. ACC handles XREFs and data shortcuts reasonably well, but good organization is key.
    • Viewing: You can view Civil 3D files directly in the ACC viewer, which is great for quick reviews.
  2. For Revit:
    • Cloud Worksharing (Recommended):
      • Open your Revit model on your desktop.
      • Go to Collaborate tab > Manage Collaboration panel > Collaborate in the Cloud.
      • Select your ACC project and the appropriate folder (e.g., 01_Revit/01_Architectural).
      • This pushes your Revit model to ACC and enables cloud worksharing, allowing multiple users to work on the same model simultaneously.
    • Linking Civil 3D to Revit in ACC:
      • Once your Civil 3D files are in ACC Docs, you can link them into your Revit models directly from ACC.
      • In Revit, go to Insert tab > Link CAD or Link Topography.
      • Navigate to “External Resource” and then your ACC project. Select the Civil 3D DWG file.
      • Crucial: Use “Auto – By Shared Coordinates” for positioning the linked CAD file to ensure everything aligns correctly based on your Phase 1 setup.
    • Publishing Revit Models (Design Collaboration):
      • If using Design Collaboration, team members will regularly “Publish” their latest Revit models. This creates a version of the model that can be consumed by other teams and viewed in Model Coordination.

 

Phase 5: Model Coordination (Clash Detection & Aggregation)

 

  1. Navigate to Model Coordination: From the ACC Project Home, click on “Model Coordination.”
  2. Create a Coordination Space:
    • A Coordination Space defines which models are brought together for clash detection and viewing.
    • Click “Create coordination space.”
    • Name: Give it a meaningful name (e.g., “Overall Project Coordination”).
    • Folder Selection: Select the folders in Docs where your Revit and Civil 3D models (and any other models like IFCs) will reside. It’s best to point to the “Shared” or “Published” folders you set up in Docs.
    • Important: ACC will automatically detect models within these folders and add them to the coordination space. When new versions are uploaded/published, they will automatically update in the coordination space.
  3. View Models & Run Clashes:
    • Once models are processed in the coordination space, you can:
      • View Aggregated Models: See all your Revit and Civil 3D models together in the 3D viewer.
      • Run Automated Clashes: ACC automatically runs clashes between all models in the space.
      • Review Clashes: Go to the “Clashes” tab to review detected clashes. You can filter, group, and create “Issues” directly from clashes, assigning them to team members for resolution.

 

Phase 6: Ongoing Management & Best Practices

 

  • Version Control: ACC Docs automatically handles versioning. Every time you upload a new version of a file or publish a new Revit model, a new version is created, allowing you to track changes and revert if needed.
  • Permissions: Carefully manage user permissions in Docs to control who can view, edit, and upload files.
  • Issues: Use the “Issues” tool across ACC to track and manage all project issues, including those generated from Model Coordination.
  • Sets (Docs): For Revit, use “Sets” in Docs to control which views and sheets are published to ACC.
  • Model Health: Regularly check the health of your Revit models (file size, warnings) and Civil 3D data.
  • Training: Ensure all project team members receive basic training on ACC navigation, file uploading, and model viewing.
  • Regular Syncs (Civil 3D): For Civil 3D, ensure your team is regularly saving and syncing their files to ACC Docs to keep the information current for downstream users (like Revit modelers).

By following these steps, you’ll establish a robust and easy-to-manage Autodesk Construction Cloud project that leverages the strengths of both Revit and Civil 3D for comprehensive project modeling and coordination. Remember, the shared coordinate system is the foundation for success! If you have any questions regarding workflows please feel free to contact us and have a great day!