BIMQuantFlow Documentation
A desktop application for AEC professionals that connects your Revit models with BC3 budget databases — generating accurate, fully traceable construction budgets without manual spreadsheets.
1. Overview
BIMQuantFlow is a Windows desktop application built with Tauri and React. It consists of two main components that work together:
Desktop App
The main interface where you edit BC3 files and build node pipelines to generate budgets. Runs entirely on your machine — no browser required.
Revit Addin
A plugin installed inside Autodesk Revit (2022–2025) that extracts model data into BFX files — the input format for BIMQuantFlow's budget pipeline.
Key Concepts
- BFX Files: BIMQuantFlow's proprietary extraction format. Exported from Revit by the addin, containing element parameters, quantities, and classification codes (Keynotes / Assembly Codes).
- BC3 / FIEBDC-3: The Spanish construction industry standard for budgets and price databases. BIMQuantFlow reads and writes this format natively.
- Master: A BC3 file that defines your project's hierarchical budget structure (chapters and line items) with unit prices. It acts as the template that BFX measurements are projected onto.
- Traceability: Every measurement in the budget is linked to the original Revit element via its GUID, enabling zero-error auditability.
2. Installation
BIMQuantFlow ships two separate installers — one for the desktop app and one for the Revit addin. Both are available from the downloads portal.
- Download the BIMQuantFlow_Setup.msi from bimquantflow.com/portal.
- Run the installer. Windows may show a SmartScreen warning — click More info → Run anyway.
- Launch BIMQuantFlow from the Start menu.
- On first launch, you'll see your device code. Go to the license portal, sign in, and activate the device under Devices → Add Device.
- Download the BIMQuantFlow_Addin_Setup.msi from the portal.
- Run the installer. It automatically detects which Revit versions (2022, 2023, 2024, 2025) are installed on your machine and places the addin manifests in the correct folders.
- Restart Revit. You will find a new BIMQuantFlow tab in the ribbon.
License Activation
Licenses are managed at bimquantflow.com/portal. Each installation is tied to a device code generated by the app. You can activate, deactivate, and transfer devices from your portal dashboard.
3. Extracting Data from Revit
The BIMQuantFlow addin connects Revit to the desktop app via the BFX format. BFX files contain the quantities and classification data that the pipeline uses to generate budgets.
- Open your project in Autodesk Revit (2022–2025).
- Go to the BIMQuantFlow ribbon tab and click Export to BFX.
- The addin extracts all model elements that carry physical quantities (walls, floors, columns, etc.) using the Revit API's
HasMaterialQuantitiesproperty — no manual category selection required. - Each element is exported with its dimensions, material quantities (area, volume, length), family/type, and classification code (Keynote or Assembly Code).
- Save the .bfx file to disk. You'll load it into the desktop app as a data source node.
4. Two Working Modes
BIMQuantFlow offers two distinct modes accessible from the home screen. You can switch between them at any time from the sidebar.
BC3 Editor
A standalone editor for creating and modifying individual BC3 files. Ideal for building or maintaining your Master budget structures and resource price banks.
- Edit the hierarchical tree of chapters and line items
- Define unit prices and decompositions
- Manage resource banks (materials, labour, machinery)
- Start from scratch or from a built-in template
Project (Node Pipeline)
A visual node-based environment for combining BFX model data with BC3 price databases to generate a complete, traceable budget.
- Load BFX extractions and BC3 files as source nodes
- Connect and process data with a drag-and-drop graph
- Generate BC3 budgets and Excel reports automatically
- Full GUID-based traceability to the Revit model
5. The Node Pipeline
The Project mode uses a visual node graph where you connect data sources to processing and output nodes. Each node has typed input and output ports — only compatible types can be connected.
Node Reference
Entry point for a .bfx file exported from Revit. Produces a BFX data stream used by all downstream process nodes.
Your Master BC3 file — the hierarchical template of chapters and line items with unit prices. Required by the budget nodes.
A BC3 resource database (materials, labour, machinery). Provides complementary unit prices to the budget calculation.
Converts BFX element data into BC3 format by mapping Revit classification codes to BC3 concepts. This is the standard first step after loading a BFX file.
Core budget engine. Takes measurements (from BFX to BC3) and projects them onto the Master structure, filtering only relevant branches and adopting Master names and prices.
Aggregates BFX quantities by Revit category, family, and type into a structured schedule — useful for checking model data before generating a budget.
Generates a detailed Markdown report of the BFX file contents, including element counts, categories, and extracted parameters.
Exports the final budget as a standard .bc3 (FIEBDC-3) file. Connect the Detailed Budget output to this node and click Export.
Generates a professional .xlsx budget report from the Detailed Budget output, with chapters, line items, quantities, and amounts.
Generates a .xlsx quantity schedule from the Quantity Schedules output, organised by Revit category, family, and type.
Typical Pipeline — BFX to BC3 Budget
6. BC3 Editor
The BC3 Editor lets you create and modify BC3 files directly, without going through the pipeline. Use it to build and maintain your Master files and resource price banks.
Master
Hierarchical structure of chapters and line items (partidas). Defines the budget framework and unit prices. Use templates or start from scratch.
Resources
Price bank for materials, labour, and machinery. Structured as unit-priced concepts that can be referenced from budget decompositions.
The editor supports full hierarchical manipulation: add, delete, reorder, indent, and outdent concepts. All changes are saved to the local .bc3 file. You can also export budget views to Excel directly from the editor.
7. Outputs & Exports
BIMQuantFlow can generate several output formats from your data:
BC3 / FIEBDC-3
The standard construction budget file. Compatible with Presto, Arquimedes, and any other tool that supports FIEBDC-3. Includes full BIM traceability via Revit GUIDs embedded in measurement lines.
Excel Budget (.xlsx)
A professionally formatted spreadsheet with the full budget hierarchy: chapters, line items, quantities, unit prices, and amounts. Exportable from any budget view.
Excel Quantity Schedule (.xlsx)
A summary schedule of all Revit element quantities, grouped by category, family, and type. Useful for verification and quantity takeoff reviews.
BFX Markdown Report
A human-readable report of the BFX file contents, including element counts, extracted parameters, and data quality indicators.