Options for Remote Access in Revit

Autodesk Support

Nov 21, 2024

Products and versions covered

Issue:

  • What options are available for accessing Revit remotely?
  • What are the benefits and limitations?

Solution:

Revit Cloud Worksharing 

  • Connects project teams with centralized access to BIM project data in the cloud.
  • For more information, Schedule a Demo of BIM 360.

Benefits:

  • Allows multi-firm collaboration (including user-level controls for project access).
  • Includes access to BIM 360 Document Management or Autodesk Docs service.
  • Does not require purchase or maintenance of server hardware.
  • Users are not tied to a single system or location (access within Revit is tied to Autodesk Account sign in).
  • Project data is stored in the cloud.

Limitations/Costs:

  • There is a recurring (Annual, Quarterly, or Monthly) cost for each user accessing the service.
  • Revit LT is not supported in this environment.
  • WAN performance will impact operations that require interaction with the server (opening the project, synchronizing, reload latest).

Cloud Models for Revit

  • Allows multi-firm collaboration (including user-level controls for project access).
  • Does not require purchase or maintenance of server hardware.
  • Users are not tied to a single system or location (access within Revit is tied to Autodesk Account sign in).
  • Project data is stored in the cloud.
  • Access is included with Revit subscription.
  • Revit LT users can work with these models.

Limitations/Costs:

  • Requires access to BIM 360 Document Management or Autodesk Docs service.
  • Limited to nonworkshared Revit models.
  • WAN performance will impact operations that require interaction with the server (opening the project, synchronizing, reload latest).

Revit Server

Benefits:

  • Included with a Revit license.
  • Allows collaboration between different offices in a company.
  • More users can work in a server-based model at the same time (compared to file-based worksharing).

Limitations/Costs:

  • Only stores Revit RVT data. For other file types a separate WAN solution is required.
  • Requires server hardware.
  • Designed to work within a single domain (that is, not set up for multi-firm collaboration).
  • Designed to work between offices (for example, home users may see reduced performance without a local accelerator).
  • Bandwidth and Latency requirements (3Mbs and 100 ms) may be difficult to achieve between different continents.
  • WAN performance will impact operations that require interaction with the server (opening the project, synchronizing, reloading latest).
  • Revit LT is not supported with this environment.

Remote Desktop

  • With local systems already set up, you can use Remote Desktop from another location to access Revit and work on projects.

Benefits:

  • Remote Desktop is included with Windows.
  • Project Data remains on the local network.
  • System performance is not limited by the remote system.

Limitations/Costs:

  • It is necessary to maintain the local systems to remote into.
  • Network performance will impact higher resolutions (for example, high resolutions require more data transfer).
  • Usability will suffer over larger geographic distances.

Work Offsite with file-based workshared models

  • See the following help topic for information on a way to checkout elements while in the office, work remotely, and then synchronize when back in the office (and information on potential dangers in using this workflow): Work Offsite and Offline

Citrix

  • Citrix allows you to set up a centralized server and serves out a virtualized Revit software to users in the office and remotely.
  • Follow this link for help Configuring Autodesk Revit for Citrix.

Benefits:

  • Users are not tied to a single system or location.
  • Project data remains on the local network.
  • The user’s system does not need powerful hardware (since processing is done on the server).
  • Updates can be applied to a single system (server) instead of individual systems.

Limitations/Costs:

  • Requires server hardware: System Requirements for Revit Server.
  • Requires maintenance of the server.
  • Single point of failure (if the server is down, no one can work).
  • Revit LT is not supported in this environment.

Disclaimer: Unsupported workflows (such as using file-based worksharing through a VPN connection or using an FTP) can cause data corruption when synchronizing local files with the central model. Avoid any unsupported workflows when using worksharing with Revit.

Products:

Revit Product Family;

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