Licensing project data from Autodesk Construction Cloud

What's typically in an ACC project

• Docs: drawing sheets with versions, models, specifications and other project files.
• Build: RFIs, submittals, issues, forms and inspections, meeting minutes, photos and daily records, depending on the modules you used.
• Model coordination: federated models and clash data, where used.

Design-led firms tend to have strong Docs content, while contractors tend to have more in Build. Both are useful.

Whose hub is it?

ACC projects live in an account (a "hub"), often the client's or lead designer's, with other firms invited in. If your firm was a guest on someone else's hub, the project data sits in their account and your access may have ended. Your own files, the ones you created and uploaded, are what you can work with.

Exporting from ACC

There's no single "download the whole project" button that suits every case, so it's worth knowing the options. Autodesk's documentation describes:

• Files: selecting multiple PDFs and exporting them as a ZIP, optionally with markups and issues.
• Sheets: exporting up to 1,000 sheets at a time as PDF.
• The APIs, for scripted exports of PDF, RVT and DWG files, up to 200 files per export.

Autodesk also offers tools such as the Desktop Connector for working with project files locally and the Data Connector for extracting project data as tables. What's available depends on your subscription and permissions. The marketplace runs the export as part of scoping. You mainly need to know which projects are in ACC and who holds admin access.

Check your agreement with Autodesk on export and permitted use before any bulk export intended for licensing, in the same way you would with any cloud platform.

Rights and personal data

• Mixed authorship. An ACC project usually holds files from many firms. Your rights generally cover what your firm created. See the general contractors and architects guides.
• People data. Member lists, names on issues and RFIs, comments, markups and photos all contain personal data that has to be removed or protected first.

Checklist

1. List completed projects in ACC or BIM 360 and note whose hub each sits in.
2. Confirm who in your firm has account or project admin rights.
3. Note which modules each project used (Docs only, or Build as well).
4. Check your Autodesk agreement on exports and use.

Sources: Autodesk Platform Services, ACC files tutorial and export sheets tutorial. Autodesk, Autodesk Construction Cloud and BIM 360 are trademarks of Autodesk, Inc. This site is not affiliated with Autodesk.