In BIM 360 Document Management, put the controlled construction drawing set in Plans and other project records in Project Files. Then build folders under the right parent, grant access according to the actions each person needs, and use the review and publishing workflow to distinguish issued material from working files.
Autodesk’s current product overview describes Autodesk Docs as a common data environment in Autodesk Construction Cloud, with overlapping document-control capabilities. BIM 360 and Docs are related but should not be treated as identical interfaces: use the steps and labels available in the product your project actually uses.
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Choose between Plans and Project Files
Every BIM 360 project starts with two parent folders. The key decision is whether a document belongs to the project’s construction drawing set or to its broader project records.
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| Folder | Use it for | Typical workflow | Public-link sharing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Plans | The current construction-related drawing set. Autodesk characterizes Plans as the digital equivalent of the printed set of contract drawings. | Manage, download, review, and publish the latest construction-related drawings in 2D and 3D. | Not available for Plans documents. |
| Project Files | Other project material, including design data, photos, reports, schedules, budgets, and requirements. | General project-file organization and document management. | May be available if a project administrator enables public sharing. |
Keep the distinction meaningful: Plans is for the controlled construction set, not a general dumping ground for every project file. Use Project Files for other records and working material.
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Build a folder structure that follows the project workflow
Create folders under the appropriate parent
Add project-specific subfolders beneath Plans or Project Files according to what the documents are and how the team handles them. For example, a project may organize non-drawing records by discipline, deliverable, or work stage; choose names that make sense to the people who must find and maintain the files. The available documentation supports project-specific subfolders, but does not prescribe a universal naming scheme.
Keep the hierarchy usable
Autodesk lists a maximum of 25 subfolder levels and 1,000 folders per subfolder level. These are system ceilings, not recommended targets. A hierarchy near those limits can make navigation and permission management harder, so prefer a structure that helps members locate material without excessive nesting.
Invite members and confirm their project access
Project administrators can add members, assign roles and company affiliations, and control module access. When someone cannot see expected documents, first confirm that the person is a member of the correct project and has access to the relevant module. Folder permissions do not replace project or module access.
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Set folder permissions by required actions
Permissions can be assigned to an individual user, a role, or a company. Subfolders inherit their parent folder’s permissions by default. Autodesk’s documented permission levels distinguish the actions members can perform: view, download, upload, edit, and folder control.
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- Grant view access when someone needs to inspect material without taking other actions.
- Grant download when a member also needs a local copy.
- Grant upload to people responsible for adding documents.
- Grant edit to people who need to make permitted changes to documents.
- Grant folder control only to members who need to manage folder structure or access.
Choose the level based on the work the person must do, rather than assuming a role name automatically provides the right access. Because subfolders inherit access, check the parent permissions when a member has unexpected access or is missing it; apply narrower access at the appropriate folder where the project’s configuration allows.
Upload, find, and maintain documents
BIM 360 Document Management supports document search and common file operations, including copying, moving, comparing versions, sharing, and restoring files. Use search to locate material, and compare versions when you need to understand changes between stored iterations. The exact controls may differ by interface, so follow the labels in the BIM 360 environment you are using.
Moving documents has a specific constraint: Autodesk documents moving a file only to another subfolder within the same parent folder. Do not plan on moving a file directly from Plans to Project Files or vice versa as part of ordinary file organization; put it under the correct parent from the outset or use another supported workflow in the product.
Use reviews and publishing to control issued material
The BIM 360 Document Management interface includes reviews, transmittals, issues, document logs, publish logs, and sets. Use the applicable review and publishing controls for the project’s process so that the current issued drawing set remains distinguishable from working material. The workflow should make clear what has been reviewed or published and where the team should find the current construction set; do not rely on folder names alone to communicate document status.
Share public links cautiously
Public sharing must be enabled by a project administrator and is available only for documents in Project Files. Autodesk states that anyone who receives a public link may access, download, or further share the linked document. Treat such a link as external distribution, not as a substitute for project membership and folder permissions. Before sharing, confirm that the document is appropriate for broader access.
Know the documented system ceilings
Autodesk’s BIM 360 limitations page lists the following Document Management limits. The page’s publication year was not stated in the available source information.
| Limit | Documented ceiling |
|---|---|
| Files in one folder | 10,000 |
| Subfolder depth | 25 levels |
| Folders at one subfolder level | 1,000 |
| Maximum file size | 5 TB |
These ceilings describe system limits, not sensible design goals. A smaller, intentionally organized structure is generally easier for members to navigate and administrators to maintain.
Distinguish BIM 360 from Autodesk Docs
Autodesk’s current overview presents Autodesk Docs as a common data environment in Autodesk Construction Cloud. It lists structured folders and permissions, file approvals, markups, issue tracking, and transmittal creation and tracking. Autodesk says Docs is accessible to Docs subscribers and subscribers to BIM Collaborate Pro, Build, and Takeoff, and that it is also available in the AEC Collection.
Those product and access details describe Autodesk’s current Docs overview; they do not mean BIM 360 users will see the same interface labels or controls. Confirm whether the project is operating in BIM 360 Document Management or Autodesk Docs before following product-specific navigation or troubleshooting instructions.
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