How BIM Holoview Works

BIM Holoview overlays your BIM and CAD models directly onto the physical job site through a standard AR/MR headset. Spatial alignment is achieved entirely through enhanced anchoring (QR code anchoring and World Locking) — no external sensors, beacons, or custom hardware required. Anchoring is seamless to users and yields accuracy far beyond what’s possible with tablet or phone-based methods, all while letting users retain full hands-free operation.

See how the pieces fit together, from source BIM and CAD model to headset render. Click any box in the diagram below to trace its connections.

Authoring and Export

Get your model into BIM Holoview from wherever it's authored — a native plugin for Autodesk® Revit® and Autodesk® Navisworks®, or a direct web upload for everything else.

Web Upload

Browser upload

Upload either an FBX or IFC file directly through the website — the path for formats without a native plugin. Between them, FBX and IFC give you the versatility to bring in models from virtually any authoring package, including models generated directly through AI.

Revit

Native plugin

Export directly from Autodesk® Revit® using our native plugin — set your reference points and push the model straight to BIM Holoview without leaving Revit. A manual upload path is also available if you'd rather not use the plugin.

Navisworks

Native plugin

Export directly from Autodesk® Navisworks® using our native plugin. Because Navisworks itself aggregates formats from SketchUp, SolidWorks, SmartPlant 3D, and most process and mechanical formats, those models can reach BIM Holoview too — something most AR platforms can’t achieve.

Delivery

Fully Offline

Standalone device

The model loads and renders entirely on the headset. No network, no server, nothing to configure. Works with zero connectivity on site — ideal for remote or secure locations.

Streamed Locally

Hololight Stream

A nearby workstation does the rendering and streams frames to the headset over the local network in real time. Full model fidelity, no on-device limits.

Cloud Streamed

Hololight Hub

Rendering happens on remote GPU servers, so even your largest federated models are accessible from anywhere, on any device, with nothing to install locally.

What Sets BIM Holoview Apart

  • True offline operation — once synced, the standard version runs with zero internet dependency, proven on remote industrial sites and factory floors with no cellular or Wi-Fi coverage.
  • Your choice of rendering path — on-device for offline flexibility, or the option of Hololight Hub or Hololight Stream for cloud or local streaming of massive federated models without polygon reduction. Most tools force one approach; BIM Holoview gives you options to fit your needs.
  • Format reach beyond typical BIM tools — plant and process design formats (AVEVA, Hexagon) and mechanical CAD (CATIA, NX, Creo) reach BIM Holoview, not just standard BIM authoring formats.
  • 8+ years of real-world deployment — not a recent entrant; proven across healthcare, industrial, data center, and infrastructure projects since 2017.

Supported Model Formats

Format Vendor BIM Holoview Conversion
Revit (.rvt) Autodesk Native plugin
Navisworks (.nwd/.nwc) Autodesk Native plugin
3DS Max Autodesk Browser upload
ArchiCAD (.pln) Graphisoft IFC Export → Browser Upload
AutoCAD Autodesk Navisworks → native plugin
AVEVA E3D / PDMS (.rvm) AVEVA Navisworks → native plugin
CATIA (V4/V5) Dassault Systèmes Navisworks → native plugin
Creo / Pro/ENGINEER PTC Navisworks → native plugin
IFC (.ifc) — Browser upload
IGES Neutral CAD exchange standard Navisworks → native plugin
Inventor Autodesk Navisworks → native plugin
MicroStation (.dgn) Bentley Systems IFC Export → Browser Upload
NX Siemens Navisworks → native plugin
Parasolid Siemens Navisworks → native plugin
Point cloud — Conversion to mesh → 3DS Max → browser upload
Rhino (.3dm) Robert McNeel & Associates Navisworks → native plugin
SketchUp (.skp) Trimble Navisworks → native plugin
SmartPlant 3D Hexagon Navisworks → native plugin
SolidWorks (.sldprt/.sldasm) Dassault Systèmes Navisworks → native plugin
STEP Neutral CAD exchange standard Navisworks → native plugin
Tekla Structures Trimble IFC Export → Browser Upload

Supported Headsets

Headset Status
Meta Quest 3 Recommended — best spatial tracking and performance
Meta Quest 2 Supported
Microsoft HoloLens 2 Supported through its stated end-of-support date (December 2027). New deployments are recommended on Meta Quest.
Apple Vision Pro Available via the Hololight streaming version
Snap Specs Available via the Hololight streaming version
HMS SiNGRAY G2 Coming Q1 2027
Other headsets Evaluated on an ongoing basis as the market evolves, contact us if you're deploying on a specific device

Alignment Accuracy

  • HoloLens 2: within 1cm precision, over a 20m range
  • Meta Quest: within 4cm precision, over a 100m range

File Size Limits

  • Standard on HoloLens: up to 200MB*
  • Standard on Meta Quest: up to 400MB*
  • Hololight version: up to 2GB
  • *File size is not always a reliable predictor of performance — larger models may be rejected during processing.

Integration

Built to integrate with existing BIM workflows, not replace them. Works with Autodesk Construction Cloud, BIM 360®, and standard file storage/project management systems. No proprietary file formats, no locked ecosystem.

Our Approach to Platform Change

The AR/XR hardware and cloud-rendering landscape moves quickly. BIM Holoview has supported multiple headset generations since 2017 and continues to evaluate new devices and rendering technologies as they emerge — our goal is to keep your models accessible regardless of which headset your team is considering.

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