How to transfer BIMx models to iOS devices

by MartonKiss, updated 2012-07-17 • iOS

Public way

Through the community site

Export the model to the community site:

In BIMx Add-On (BIM Explorer) choose File/Share with BIMx Community and follow the instructions

Import the model on the device:

Simply open BIMx App
At the bottom of the model list you can find a link to the BIMx Community Site

$/!\$ The models shared in this way are public, so if you would like to share your model only with one of your clients choose one of the private ways.

You can also access the site using your browser: http://www.gsbimx.com

Private ways - file based sharing

Prepare the model in .bimx format

As a first step you need to export your ArchiCAD model to the BIMx Add-On (BIM Explorer).

Open 3D view (perspective or axonometry) in ArchiCAD
Choose File/Export for BIM Explorer and click on export
After the export is done you can Launch BIM Explorer from there
Perform Global Illumination render if required and set the preferred settings such as background color etc.
Hit Esc in BIMx and choose File/Save. With that option you can save a .bimx file.

Also you/your client needs an installed BIMx application on the mobile device:

open App Store
Search for BIMx
Click on install and wait until the download finishes

Upload through iTunes

iTunes supports file management for installed applications. Follow these instructions to transfer any BIMx model to your mobile device.

Connect your iOS device (iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad) to your computer and open iTunes
Click on your device in the left column in iTunes
Choose Apps in the menu and scroll down to File Sharing
Select BIMx
Using the Add... and Save to.. buttons you can add and remove any model in .bimx format (drag and drop also works, use backspace to delete a model on Mac or delete key on Windows)

Sending as an email attachment

You can send models as a simple mail attachment, but note that even a small size model can take up more than 10 Megabytes. Not many email providers support such large attachments, so you have to make sure that the recipient's mailbox is capable of handling the attached model's size. (e.g. Gmail supports attachments up to 25 Megabytes in size.)

attach your model to an email message
open the mail on the iOS device
tap on the attachment
after it is downloaded you will be able to open it in BIMx

Using Dropbox

Dropbox is a very popular cloud based file syncing tool and can be used effectively to share models.

Install dropbox on your computer and iOS device as well
Place the .bimx file in any of the shared folders
Open Dropbox on your iOS device
Navigate to the file
Use the Open In... in menu to open the model in BIMx
your model will be copied to the models within the application and will be opened in BIMx

You can download dropbox from: http://www.dropbox.com Registration is free and you get 2GB of space for every account.

With Dropbox you can share folders with other Dropbox users so this can be one of the ways to transfer the model not only to your own device but share with others. You can also share models with clients not having a Dropbox account.

Copy the model to the Public folder within your Dropbox folder
Right click on it Dropbox/Copy Public Link
Send this link to your client who will be able to open it in Safari on iOS, which will open the model in BIMx.

Share the file

You can share a .bimx file in various ways. You can use the traditional FTP protocol or any other file storage such as WebDav, Cloud based storage (Amazon) or simple network shares (afp, smb) etc... By default these connections are not supported on the operating system level, but with applications available in the iOS App Store you can use these. (iFiles, FileBrowser) Of course the perviously mentioned Dropbox also does belong to this category.

Categories: CategoryBimx

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