Backup Sorcery for Autodesk Forma (formerly Autodesk Construction Cloud) and BIM 360 — FAQ
Short answers. If yours is missing, write to backupsorcery [аt] aec.codes.
Scope and limits
Does it back up every project I'm invited to?
No. Only projects on hubs where an admin has enabled your app, and only what your own account can already open.
Does it get around project permissions?
No. It signs in as you and inherits your folder permissions. It exposes nothing you could not already download by hand. It removes friction, not walls.
Does it really get every version?
Every published version Autodesk stores. For cloud-workshared Revit models, a version exists only once it is published: what was synchronised but never published cannot be downloaded by anyone through Autodesk's API. Anything Backup Sorcery cannot get is listed in the manifest with the reason, never silently left out.
Can't I download old versions from Autodesk myself?
Yes, one at a time: open a file's version history and download each version you need. Autodesk offers no way to download every version of a project at once. Backup Sorcery does the same thing for every file and every published version, in one run, and checks each copy.
What about cloud models with linked models (composite)?
Backup Sorcery saves the host model of each published version. The links inside it are not saved as part of that version.
Does it change anything in my hub?
No. It only reads. It never uploads, renames, moves or deletes.
Can it back up several hubs?
Yes, one at a time: you choose the hub, and each hub needs its admin to enable your app.
Your files and your data
Where do my files go?
Straight from Autodesk's storage to the folder you choose. They never pass through AEC.codes.
What does it keep on my PC?
A folder %APPDATA%\BackupSorcery with your settings and run history (a small database), the saved sign-in encrypted for your Windows user, the last update check, and one log file per run — the app never deletes logs. Your backups are only where you chose to put them.
What does uninstalling remove?
The program folder and the Start menu entry. One checkbox, unticked by default, offers to also remove the %APPDATA%\BackupSorcery folder (settings, run history, saved sign-in, logs). Your backups are never touched.
Does the app send anything to AEC.codes?
One anonymous request to check for updates, when the window opens and once a day while it stays open. No account, no identifier, nothing about your hubs, projects or files. There is no setting to turn the check off; without a connection the app runs and tells you the check failed. Details in the privacy notice.
Is the client ID a secret?
No. It identifies your Autodesk app, and it appears in the address bar at every sign-in. There is no reason to pass it around: keep it with the colleagues who run the backup and your hub admin. If it does travel further, whoever has it can copy only what their own account could already download by hand. More →
Why do I need my own Autodesk app?
So that no one else's usage counts against yours: Autodesk limits API calls per app. It also means there is no AEC.codes account, and your admin can switch the app off for your hub alone.
Running it
What do I need?
A Windows 10 or 11 PC (64-bit), an Autodesk account with access to the hub, and a hub admin willing to enable your app once.
Is it a Revit add-in?
No. It is a standalone Windows app, and Revit does not need to be installed.
If I run it again, does it download everything again?
No. Versions already on disk are checked against the manifest and kept. Only new versions are downloaded, and the recap says how many were already up to date.
What if the connection drops?
The file resumes from the byte it stopped at. If the app is closed or the PC restarts, the run is recorded as interrupted, and the next run picks up where it left off.
How big will my backup be?
The project grid shows each project's size before you download, and the plan shows what this run will move. For cloud-workshared models Autodesk's own size figures can be higher than what is actually downloaded, so those sizes are marked as approximate.
How long does it take?
It depends on your line, on your files and on where your hub's data is stored. Measured examples →
Can I limit the bandwidth it uses?
Yes. Set a cap in Mbit/s in Settings.
Can I schedule it to run at night?
Not unattended yet: sign-in needs a browser. You can queue several projects and leave the window running overnight.
Mac or Linux?
Windows only for now, and x64 only: no Mac, no Linux, no ARM64 PCs.
Cost and company
What does it cost?
Backing up to your own disk is free. Some heavier features may stay free or become paid; we haven't decided yet, and we'll say so before they ship. What it costs →
Can it back up to S3 or Azure directly?
Not yet. It is the most requested feature, and it is in development.
Can it filter by folder, file type or number of versions?
Not yet.
Does it compress the backup?
No. Files are kept as they are, so they can be opened directly.
Who makes it?
AEC.codes, a small company in Sofia, МАУ ЕООД (MAW EOOD), that builds tools for BIM work. Also by us: Sum Sorcery for Revit.