How to synchronize your BIMcollab space with the BIMcollab Power BI Dashboard Template

How to synchronize your BIMcollab space with the BIMcollab Power BI Dashboard Template

This article explains how to connect our Power BI Dashboard template file to your BIMcollab Nexus space. The template is an example. Once you have connected the template, you can adapt and customize it to suit your needs..

The Power BI template file, the sample List sets and Smart Properties are attached at the end of this article.
Download them and save them to your computer before you get started.

First of all, you need to have the Power BI connector installed.
To know more about how to install the connector, you can access the article: Installation Guide for Power BI connector.

The template is divided into two parts, consisting of:
  1. IDM checking report: Specially designed to introduce new users to openBIM by taking as an example the IDM (Information Delivery Manual) checking structure to review your IFC models.
  1. Issues report: Example of a basic Issues report that mimics the graphs from BIMcollab Nexus.

Set up the data from Zoom Dashboard Lists

This step is necessary for the creation of the IDM checking report using shared List results from Zoom ( only available for Premium and Ultimate spaces). If you only want to use the Issue report, skip to the next stepCollect your BIMcollab project key.

BIMcollab Zoom

  1. Download the Lists sets and Smart Properties attached at the end of this article.
  2. In BIMcollab Zoom, connect to the project you want to work with.
  3. Import the Smart Properties by clicking on Validation'> Smart Properties> and import the file 'BC-PBI_EN-SP.bcsp'.
  4. Move the imported Smart properties sets to the Shared Folder and press 'Close'.
  5. Go to the Lists tab, and import the downloaded file 'BC-PBI_EN-Lists.bcl' by clicking on the button.
  6. Move the imported List set to the Shared folder and synchronize your project.
  7. Double-click on each List from the set to run them.
  8. For each List: make sure the option of 'Active model results' is chosen in the dropdown menu at the top left of the list results panel (1) and click 'Share results' (2).

Dashboard Data Lists cannot be viewed in BIMcollab Nexus. These results are intended to be used in Dashboard software such as Power BI.
You can refer to How to publish BIM data to PowerBI and The different types of Lists to learn more about how to share the lists results with BIMcollab Nexus.

Collect your BIMcollab project key

Follow the instructions to install our PowerBI connector in the article: Installation Guide for Power BI connector.
Once you have installed the connector, follow the steps below to retrieve your BIMcollab project key:

Power BI (desktop)

  1. Open Power BI Desktop
  2. On the home screen, click the 'Get Data' button



  3. Select BIMcollab from the list 'Online Services', or use the search bar to quickly find the connector
  4. Select 'Connect'



  5. Enter: "https://" followed by the web address of your BIMcollab space, e.g. company.bimcollab.com


If you're not already authenticated within your space, you'll have to sign in with your credentials, allow BIMcollab Power BI Connector access, and connect.
It is not possible to connect to join.bimcollab.com. Only private BIMcollab Nexus spaces run the services required to connect.
6. From the Navigator panel, go to the project you want to work with and check the Issue table.
Click 'Transform Data' to open the Power Query Editor.

7. In the Power Query editor, select the Issues table and look for the editor bar above your main view
8. Copy the project key (ensure to only copy the characters inside the quotation marks)

9. Close the Power Query Editor by expanding the 'Close & Apply' options, and click 'Close'


Import the BIMcollab Power BI template file

Now that you have properly connected Power BI to your project, let's start with the report creation using our template.

Power BI (desktop)

1. From the upper ribbon click on File > Open Report > Browse reports



2. Look for the file 'BC-PBI_EN-Template.pbit', downloaded from our website, and click 'Open'.

If the template is not visible on the file’s navigator, ensure to enable '.pbit' files.


3. On the parameters page, enter the following values:
  1. BIMcollabSpace: URL of your space (e.g. company.bimcollab.com)
  2. ProjectKey: Code collected in the previous step.


4. Press 'Load' and done! Now you should be able to visualize your IDM checking and Issues report.

If you get the message "Something's wrong with one of the filters" while setting up the values, just select "Fix this".

All the data comes directly from your specific project, that's why the values shown will be different than the ones in our example images.
Every time your project has any data updates, click on the 'Refresh' button to import the latest data. The changes will be reflected in your graphs.

Update your Lists data

BIMcollab Zoom

When a model is updated, added or removed in BIMcollab Zoom, the data in the Power BI dashboard can be updated to reflect the new situation.
  1. Update the models in BIMcollab Zoom
  2. Go to the Lists panel
  3. Right-click on the preferred dashboard data list and choose 'Run'
  4. The data will be updated
  5. Click the 'Share results' button
  6. The results will be synchronized with BIMcollab Nexus

Power BI (desktop)

  1. Go back to Power BI
  2. Open the associated dashboard and make sure you are connected to the correct BIMcollab space
  3. Press the 'Refresh' button on the home screen

  4. The updated data will load
From the Power BI Service portal, you can set up automatic updates according to a schedule.
If Lists don't show up in Power BI, make sure the following are correct:
  1. The latest version of the Power BI connector is installed. The Lists feature isn't available in earlier versions of the connector
  2. The type of List you are synchronizing from BIMcollab Zoom is Dashboard Data
  3. You have a Premium or Ultimate plan


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