Changes are coming for Revit Cloud Model Downloads from Autodesk/BIM 360 Docs - starting February 15, 2026

Do you use Data Management API to download files stored in Autodesk/BIM 360 Docs? Do you know downloading a Revit model stored in the Docs sometimes results in a ZIP file? Does your application parse those zipped .rvt files for further processing? If so, please read on. Autodesk is making a change in the way the published Revit Cloud Model (RCM) is downloaded. If your application is affected by this change, you will need to update your code.

Background

When a Revit model is downloaded from Autodesk/BIM 360 Docs, the file may be a single Revit file (.rvt) or a ZIP file (.zip). This is because Revit has a concept of so-called linked model where a host model is linked to other models. When a host model is published, Revit checks if dependent linked files are synched and published as the latest. If so, the host model is published as .rvt file. If not (i.e., dependent linked files not yet published as latest), you will get a ZIP file with unpublished version of linked files. For more detailed explanation about this product behavior, please refer to this article.

Downloading a linked model described above can be complex and easily lead to confusion. To solve this problem, in June 2025, Autodesk released a new API endpoint, GET linked Revit files:

  GET /construction/rcm/v1/projects/{projectId}/published-versions/{versionId}/linked-files

This endpoint allows the developer to obtain signed URL’s of the host model as well as linked files, regardless of published status, which you can use to download files directly from AWS S3. This approach significantly enhances the download workflow for linked models moving forward. For more information about how to use this endpoint, please refer to this blog post.

Note: “GET linked Revit files” endpoint supports only RCMs published on and after February 7, 2025.

What’s coming

As a continuing effort to enhance download experience with linked RCM, Autodesk is making another change. This change aims to eliminate any confusion caused by the inclusion of linked models in ZIP files.

A Revit Cloud Model (RCM) published on and after February 15, 2026 will no longer be downloadable as a ZIP file with unpublished linked models. The download will be always only the host model (.rvt) file.

Note: an RCM published before February 15, 2026 will remain downloadable as a ZIP file.

How does it affect my application?

If your application requires an RCM with unpublished linked files, you will need to update your code to support two workflows depending on date/time of the publish. Given a version id of Revit linked model:

if “createTime” is before February 7, 2025, download as a ZIP (legacy)
if “createTime” is on or after February 7, 2025, download using “GET linked Revit file” (new).

Between February 7, 2025 and February 15, 2026 will be a transition period. During this time, both workflows are supported.

Action Required

If your application currently handles ZIP download and needs to retrieve linked files, you will need to update your code to support two workflows mentioned above to download the links by February 15, 2026. After this date, an RCM version that is newly published to Autodesk/BIM 360 Docs will no longer have a ZIP file as downloadable, and your current workflow with a zip file will stop working.

Additional detail of workflow with pseudo code

Below describes the workflow to identify when to use the legacy method vs. New using pseudo code.

Given a version id of a file, for example, a response from a file version using Data Management API may look like this:

{
    "type": "versions",
    "id": "urn:adsk.wipprod:fs.file:vf.UcS7SqoCQaaFH2q7eOmWwA?version=6",
    "attributes": {
        "name": "Sample2025.rvt",
        "displayName": "Sample2025.rvt",
        "createTime": "2025-06-25T20:52:11.0000000Z",
        "createUserId": "4V4WKQJGGQ7N",
        "createUserName": "Zhong Wu",
        "lastModifiedTime": "2025-06-25T20:53:39.0000000Z",
        "lastModifiedUserId": "4V4WKQJGGQ7N",
        "lastModifiedUserName": "Zhong Wu",
        "versionNumber": 6,
        "mimeType": "application/vnd.autodesk.r360",
        "storageSize": 77254407,
        "fileType": "rvt",
        "extension": {
            "type": "versions:autodesk.bim360:C4RModel",
            "version": "1.3.3",
            "schema": {
                "href": "https://developer.api.autodesk.com/schema/v1/versions/versions:autodesk.bim360:C4RModel-1.3.3"
            },
            "data": {
                "modelVersion": 6,
                "isCompositeDesign": true,
                "mimeType": "application/vnd.autodesk.r360",
                "revitProjectVersion": 2025,
                "compositeParentFile": "Sample2025.rvt",
                "projectGuid": "1576aefe-dae2-4ef5-a2f4-293ae681ad70",
                "publishType": "Hybrid",
                "originalItemUrn": "urn:adsk.wipprod:dm.lineage:UcS7SqoCQaaFH2q7eOmWwA",
                "modelType": "multiuser",
                "latestEpisodeGuid": "a21bcced-17e3-4da1-9a7e-fabd46d6988e",
                "modelGuid": "a61ea1eb-c1f3-4cd5-9c34-bcf5a1009f42",
                "processState": "PROCESSING_COMPLETE",
                "extractionState": "SUCCESS",
                "splittingState": "NOT_SPLIT",
                "reviewState": "NOT_IN_REVIEW",
                "revisionDisplayLabel": "6",
                "sourceFileName": "Sample2025.rvt",
                "conformingStatus": "NONE"
            }
        }
    },
}

Check if a file is a RCM: i.e.,

if (attributes.fileType==”rvt” && “attributes.extension.type=="versions:autodesk.bim360:C4RModel") 
then the file is RCM file. 
else, the download is the same as other file format.

(Case 1) If the file is published BEFORE February 7, 2025, use the legacy workflow.

if (attributes.createTime < "2025-02-07T00:00:00.0000000Z") then use the legacy workflow. 
if (attributes.extention.data.isCompositeDesign == true) then download will be zip.

(Case 2) If the file is published ON and AFTER February 7, 2025, use the new workflow.

if (attributes.createTime >= "2025-02-07T00:00:00.0000000Z") then use the new workflow. 
Use “GET linked Revit files” endpoint with “includeHost==true” query parameter. 
// This will work for both with/without linked file.

Note: If the file is published after June 25, 2025, there is a new field “attributes.extention.data.hasLinks”. If this field is true, the model has linked files.

If you have any questions, please contact APS support.

Tags:

Data Management API