Get Started Quick Guide

Note: BIMserver is a platform for others to build applications on. We provide a stable and flexible platform to create online (open)BIM tools.

Stand-alone BIMserver

1. Read System Requirements for Ver 1.2 or Sytem Requirements for Ver 1.3

2. Make sure you can execute a JAR file by double-clicking a JAR file. If not, check that Java is installed properly and the JAVA environment variables are setup correctly.

3. Download the latest file(s). If needed, read about which type of files to download.

4. Assuming this is your first installation, create a new folder in your system, e.g. C:\BIMserver Note: avoid creating BIMserver subfolder under C:\Program Files or C:\Program Files (x86)

5. Copy the downloaded bimserver-[version].jar into the above folder, e.g. C:\BIMserver

6. Double-click on the bimserver-[version].jar file to execute it. This will extract the content of the jar file and create two subfolders, i.e. home and bimserver-[version].

7. Wait for BIMserver to expand all the files and configure itself and until the phrase "Server started successfully" appears.

8. Click the Stop button to stop the BIMserver.

9. Download the latest bimvie-[version].jar from here.

10. Copy bimvie-[version].jar file into the plugins subfolder under the bimserver-[version] folder

11. Click the Start button to restart BIMserver. Once the BIMserver has restarted, click Launch Browser

If the above steps are followed correctly, you should have BIMserver launched successfully on a browser with the URL and specified port number: http://localhost:8082. If failed, try specifying another port.

Once the BIMserver is launched successfully on the web browser, there may be a few more things to do depending on which mode the BIMserver is in.

15. If the status is "NOT_SETUP", then click on the Admin Page and configure the administration login.

16. The current version of BIMserver has no user interface (GUI), so you need to use your own GUI to access BIMserver functionalities.

17. A complete list of API's can be accessed at http://localhost:[port]/admin/console.html

18. To test uploading an IFC model, click "Common Scenarios" on the top left corner of the Console and complete each step of the procedure, i.e. Login, Create Project, Find Deserializer, Checkin.

19. There are also a number of resources available under specific sub-folders, e.g. http://locahost:[port]/js, http://localhost:8082/json?doc

20. BIMserver must remain running in the background for these functionalities to work via your own interface.

Here's a short video on how to get started (note: this is for previous versions with a GUI)

Third party GUI:

There are a few third party GUI available. Some are commercial products that you have to purchase a licence for, but there are a few that are free to try or shared freely by others, such as the open source bimvie.ws

Checkin an IFC model

1. Use http://localhost:[port]/admin/console.html and run the Checkin API to checkin a model, or
2. Use a GUI such as the bimvie.ws to checkin a model either into a new or an existing project.

View the model

bimvie.ws allows viewing of the model. Alternatively, one can use the bimsurfer.org

** Additional Info **

1. Read Setup Guide
2. Watch this Open Source BIMserver video.

Use BIMserver in your application

See Developers' Guide.