General Availability of AEC Data Model API is Here!

After integrating invaluable customer feedback during our beta phases, we are delighted to announce the official first release of the AEC Data Model API! You can now build and deploy apps using AEC Data Model API in your production environment. 

At launch, the AEC Data Model API will be available to you in AMER and EMEA regions. Access to this functionality is being rolled out and will be provided in account setting in the coming days. All accounts with access to Autodesk Docs, will be able to enable their ACC Accounts to begin writing to the AEC data model. An ACC Account Admin can activate the AEC data model from the Account Admin’s Account Settings section. Once the AEC data model is activated within an account, any Revit 2024 and above models within the account will be available via the AEC Data Model API when uploaded or published.   

What is the AEC Data Model? 

In short, the AEC data model is a set of capabilities that breaks up monolithic files, like .rvts and .dwgs, into valuable bits of granular data that are managed on a secured cloud. That granular, object-level data is then made accessible via easy-to-use APIs and experiences.  

Through the AEC data model, we look to deliver a platform that prioritizes a transparent and common language of describing AEC data, enabling real time access to this data and ensuring that the right data is available to the right people at the right time.  

Over time the AEC Data Model APIs will continue to grow allowing developers to read, write, and extend subsets of models through cloud-based workflows through a single interface without the need to write custom plug-ins for individual desktop authoring applications like Civil 3D, Revit, Plant3D and other AEC connected design applications. Our mission with the AEC Data Model is to support iterative and distributed customer workflows, spanning multiple experiences and capabilities, to support delivery of the complex requirements of projects in today's growing industry. Making AEC data more accessible and interoperable starts with structuring it so that it can be mapped and connected across systems, which is a key capability that our AEC Data Model APIs enable. 

What can you do with the AEC Data Model API today? 

At launch, the initial API is read-only for querying elements and their properties data from your published Revit 2024 and above version models. Moving forward, we will be unlocking more data and value as we progress through our journey, so check back often for new data and new capabilities in the public roadmap.  

The AEC Data Model API exposes these capabilities through a user-friendly GraphQL interface tailored to the AEC industry. You can programmatically: 

• Navigate to your ACC (Autodesk Construction Cloud) account(s)/hub(s), project(s), and design(s) to retrieve granular data such as elements, parameters, and their values. 

• Retrieve the different versions of a design and query for elements at specific design version. 

• Search for elements within a design or across designs within a project or hub using specified search criteria. 

• List all available property definitions in a design or project. 

• Query elements based on their properties such as Categories (doors, windows, pipes, etc.) OR Parameter Name + Value (Area, Volume, etc.). 

• Query for unique values of a parameter in a design. 

The first installment of the AEC Data API enables: 

• Automation of workflows like identifying anomalies within design files for better quality control, locating null/missing data. 

• Generation of quantity takeoffs, schedules, procurement dashboards, reports and so on. 

• Web apps to visualize and engage with granular elements - properties and compare changes between different versions of a design. 

How can you get involved? 

If you are interested in anything that you have read so far, then contact your ACC Account Admin to enable your account for AEC data model by following the steps mentioned here. We will be sharing comprehensive documentation and code samples on this new feature through APS. We also have a Data Explorer link application that can help you test out the queries against your data, learn the syntax and the schema. Your feedback is vital in guiding the future of AEC Data, significantly enhancing how we interoperate across apps and share data across teams in this industry.  

Interact with us on our Roadmap and keep an eye out for more updates, new capabilities, and improved features! For any kind of support with AEC Data Model API, contact us via Get Help page. We are eager for you to assess how these APIs can help improve your unique workflows, build applications with them, and provide feedback! If you have interesting workflows to share with us or want to be featured in our Success Stories, then please submit your solution idea via this form.