How to Simplify BIM Workflows with Autodesk Platform Services and VIKTOR

For many of us in AEC, starting with new technology can feel overwhelming. There’s so much information, and it’s hard to know where to begin. Sometimes it seems like these tools are built only for experts. On top of that, custom apps are tough to set up, and quality checks across disciplines are nearly impossible to automate. Information is scattered, so people compare versions by hand, track issues in emails, and spend hours coordinating changes. But things are changing for the better. Autodesk Platform Services (APS) makes these technologies accessible, practical, and useful for everyday project work. You don’t have to build everything from scratch, APS helps you connect your tools, automate workflows, and make collaboration much smoother across teams. And when you combine APS with low-code web platforms, it gets even easier to use and develop these solutions for your team.

In this blog, we’ll break it down into three simple parts to help you get started:

1. What the APS ecosystem offers and how it solves these problems

2. Real examples of how teams use these tools in practice

3. How to easily implement this in your workflow

1. Autodesk Platform Services Ecosystem (APS)

Autodesk Platform Services (APS), is a complete ecosystem of web services in the cloud that helps you work better with your design and project data. Instead of struggling with different software and scattered files, APS brings everything together in one place. You can think of it as a toolbox for your Autodesk Construction Cloud (ACC). You can connect your tools, automate tasks, and make teamwork much easier, even if you are not a tech expert. But APS also goes beyond ACC; you can use it to create custom integrations with other Autodesk products or third-party software, automating BIM workflows, adding versatility, and opening up even more automation potential. APS is designed to help you save time, avoid mistakes, and focus on what really matters in your projects.

So, how does APS actually help you do all this? It gives you a set of easy-to-use cloud tools (called APIs) that let you unlock your design data and automate your work. Here are the main ones, explained in simple words:

• Authentication API (OAuth2): Handles secure access. For example, you can allow a consultant to see only specific files without exposing the whole project.

• Data Management API: Organizes projects, folders, and file versions in the cloud, so everyone works with the latest model.

• Viewer SDK: Lets you display 2D and 3D models in a web browser. Imagine sharing a link with your client where they can walk through the model without installing Revit.

• Model Derivative API: Converts design files into web-friendly formats and extracts data, such as quantities, that can be used for reports.

• Design Automation API: Runs tasks like Dynamo scripts or Revit macros in the cloud. Instead of waiting for your computer to process a heavy model, you can run it online.

• ACC APIs: Extend project coordination, clash detection, issue tracking, and model set management inside Autodesk Construction Cloud.

• Data Exchange API: Lets you share only the model parts you need, like structural elements or MEP views, not the whole file. You can query these Data Exchanges like a database to get info, build dashboards, and work better with others.

2. Practical Examples

Let’s see how APS solves real problems in everyday projects. Here are some examples from architecture, quality assurance, and engineering.

For architecture, you can use Design Automation to quickly generate different design options based on what your client wants, all from your APS app. Instead of running heavy tasks on your own computer, you set up Revit or AutoCAD add-ins to do the work in the cloud. The results are sent straight to your stakeholders or into Autodesk Construction Cloud, so everyone can view and collaborate on the latest models—no manual exports or extra steps needed.

Next, let’s talk about quality assurance. With Model Derivative and Data Exchange, you can pull information from your Revit model in Autodesk Construction Cloud (ACC) and check if everything meets your standards. Want to make sure columns are wide enough, doors fit, or there’s enough clearance between elements? You can do all that, and even create custom visualizations with the APS Viewer to make results easy to understand.

And if you’re an engineer, you can use Model Derivative to extract a Bill of Materials from your model, then use ACC to check for clashes between structural and MEP systems. You can even visualize the clash elements, making it easier to coordinate with your team and optimize structural sizes. This kind of automation can save you days of back-and-forth coordination.

3. How to Easily Implement This in Your Workflow

One of the main challenges for engineers and architects is the time and difficulty it takes to build automations with Autodesk Platform Services from scratch. Most of the time, you need experience in JavaScript, web development, APIs, and backend systems. Luckily, there are low-code platforms like VIKTOR that make this much easier. With VIKTOR, you can build these kinds of applications quickly and easily using simple Python and share your app with your team in just a click.

VIKTOR has built-in integration to manage communication with the APS Authentication API, so you can set up an OAuth 2.0 workflow in your app with just a few lines of code (see docs). Once authenticated, you can make requests to each APS API to build robust workflows.

If you are learning Python and automation, or you want to safely experiment with what an AI model can do, you can use the VIKTOR AI Builder to create a BIM app from natural language. It now supports the OAuth 2.0 workflow to connect to your ACC APS and BIM360 account. Now let's explore two example workflows to inspire you to start building with these tools:

Example 1: Create Dashboards and Visualizations

With VIKTOR, you can connect your app directly with Autodesk Construction Cloud and use the Data Exchange API to generate dashboards for coordinating your Revit models. Using simple Python, you can use all the input and visualization blocks that VIKTOR offers.

For example, you can use the TableView to show model data in interactive tables, Word File Templater to generate custom reports and speed up reporting or take-offs, and MapView to display data from Civil 3D on a map. For dashboards, you can build professional and attractive UIs using Plotly charts and graphs. This makes it easy to turn raw model data into clear, actionable insights for your team.

Example 2: Integrate Structural Analysis Tools

In this example, you can pull a Revit model directly from Autodesk Construction Cloud (ACC) and build a structural model locally on your PC using the VIKTOR Worker. The VIKTOR Worker is an executable that lets you create and analyze structural models in your own engineering software. For instance, you can extract model metadata using the Revit integration, then create the model in ETABS or STAAD.Pro.

Once your analysis is complete, you can update the Revit model using the Design Automation API for Revit, which allows you to run Revit headless. You can also generate a Revit add-in to encapsulate custom logic; using APS, you apply the updates in the cloud and then send the revised model back to ACC. VIKTOR acts as the middleman, integrating all your engineering workflows and making it easy to connect different tools and platforms. This approach reduces manual steps and helps your team work more efficiently across disciplines.

Example 3: Integrate LLMs with Your BIM Workflow

You can easily set up an AI agent in your workflow using the LLM Chat field. This component allows you to connect your VIKTOR app with an LLM provider, bringing AI-powered assistance into your BIM and engineering processes. Combine this with VIKTOR Workers, all the input blocks, and the results and visualization blocks to create smart, interactive applications that also connect with your ACC and APS accounts via the OAuth integration.

Conclusion

In this blog, we covered how Autodesk Platform Services (APS) and VIKTOR can help you make your BIM workflows easier, automate tasks, and connect your favorite engineering tools. APS brings major benefits to your projects by centralizing your data, automating repetitive work, and making collaboration much easier across teams and disciplines. With APS, you can ensure everyone is working with the latest information, reduce manual errors, and save valuable time. Creating these tools should not be hard, and there are a lot of resources for you. For example, check this blog post to see how engineers are building with the VIKTOR AI Builder. From there, you can use the AI Builder to create a BIM tool in minutes. To help you go further, more detailed tutorials and blog posts are coming in the next few weeks—make sure to stay tuned to our blog and documentation!

Building BIM applications with Python has never been easier. So, join the growing community of architects and engineers automating repetitive work and try the free VIKTOR Community Edition to start building today.