Frequently asked questions
Is Bimly really free?
Yes. The Free plan gives you the full toolkit — modeling (walls, slabs, columns, beams, roofs, stairs, grids), property editing, the IFC viewer, validation, issues, share links, and IFC 4.3 export. The paid tier (Pro) only adds raised team-size limits, an ad-free experience, and the upcoming AI assist.
Is Bimly just an IFC viewer?
No. Bimly is a browser-based BIM authoring + review tool. You can open existing IFCs and inspect them, but you can also draw a building from scratch in plan view (walls, slabs, columns, beams, roofs, stairs, openings, grids), edit properties, validate, and export IFC 4.3. The viewer is one part of a full round-trip workflow.
Can I create an IFC from scratch in Bimly?
Yes. Plan view has drawing tools for walls (with openings), slabs (polygon), columns (rectangular / circular / H-section), beams, roofs, stairs, and structural grids. Every operation goes through the same Operation pipeline that powers Undo/Redo, so editing is reversible. When you're ready, export the model as IFC 4.3 and continue in Revit / ArchiCAD if you want.
What IFC versions are supported?
Import accepts IFC 2x3 and IFC 4.3. Export writes IFC 4.3 (walls, slabs, columns, beams, openings with doors / windows, roofs, stairs, spaces, grids).
Can I round-trip with Revit / ArchiCAD?
Yes. Bimly reads and writes IFC, so the typical flow is: export from your authoring tool → import into Bimly for review or quick edits → export back to IFC 4.3 → re-import on the other side. The geometry coverage is the Tier-1 architectural set listed above.
Do I need to install anything?
No. Bimly runs entirely in your browser. Any modern browser with WebGL 2 (Chrome, Edge, Safari 15+, Firefox) works, including iPad and Chromebook.
Is my model private?
Yes. Only your workspace members and anyone you hand a share link to can access a project. We don't sell your data and don't feed it to third-party AI models.
How do share links work?
An admin mints a link tied to the project (or a saved viewpoint). Anyone with the URL can open a read-only view without signing up. You can revoke a link anytime.
Can I delete a project?
Yes. "Delete this project" sits at the bottom of the project page. You are asked to type the project name to confirm, and the deletion is permanent: the uploaded IFCs, the 3D and plan data generated from them, issues, comments, validation results and share links all go. If you only want it out of the way, archive it instead — an archived project can be restored. Deleting requires the workspace Admin role or above.
What happens to my data when I delete my workspace?
It's removed from our primary database within 30 days, and backups age out on the same schedule.
Can I use Bimly for production projects?
The service is in open beta. Features work, but stability and data durability guarantees aren't on an SLA yet. We recommend keeping a copy of your source IFCs outside Bimly during the beta period.
Where is Bimly hosted?
On Xserver VPS in Japan. Some ancillary services (analytics, email delivery, AI — when enabled) process data in other regions.
How do I get help?
Use the contact form at /en/support/. We read every message during the beta.
Still stuck?
If your question is not here, the answer is usually one of these: the five-minute walkthrough covers sign-up to first 3D model, the documentation goes screen by screen, and common IFC problems covers files that open blank, lose properties, or come in at the wrong scale. Anything else — send us a message; we read every one during the beta.