FAQ
pragmaticBIM FAQ
Answers about EIR data contracts, ISO 19650 requirements, LinkML schemas, and actionable BIM workflows.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is an EIR data contract, and how does it replace traditional BIM manuals?
Traditional BIM manuals are often hundreds of pages of static PDF documentation - incredibly difficult to read and enforce.
An EIR (Exchange Information Requirements) data contract digitizes these rules into a machine-readable format. Define your data standards once; the platform validates project requirements automatically across the board.
How does the platform handle multi-party project collaboration?
The platform replaces dense, static documents with clear, actionable data contracts. Configure the right contract per project by selecting specific use cases, so every stakeholder knows exactly what data is required.
External collaborators can coordinate seamlessly depending on your plan:
- Project Plan: Includes a set number of external collaborators
- Enterprise Plan: Unlimited project access and collaboration
Can I export the data contracts into different formats for my team?
Yes. The platform presents and exports your data standards in every format your team needs.
Human-readable documentation for reference, machine-readable configurations for software tools - bridged automatically, without manual re-entry.
Does this platform integrate with standard BIM software?
Yes. Built-in IFC consistency checks and standard schema format support are included.
Automated validation ensures incoming model data matches your EIR data contracts exactly - no tedious manual data audits.
What are the pricing options available for the platform?
We offer two main pricing tiers tailored to your organization's scale.
- Project Plan: €480 / year per project - individual project management with a set number of external collaborators
- Enterprise Plan: €16,000 / year - organization-wide deployment with unlimited projects, enhanced security, custom integrations, and dedicated support
How does pragmaticBIM differ from Plannerly?
Both tools support BIM workflows, but they target different project phases.
- Plannerly: Project execution - timelines, text-heavy BIM Execution Plans (BEPs), long-term document workflows
- pragmaticBIM: The ordering phase - immediate machine-readable EIR contracts instead of 300-page manuals; data requirements defined up-front
How does pragmaticBIM compare to bimQ?
Different architectures for defining and managing requirements.
- bimQ: Traditional heavy database for internal asset standardization and technical validation rules
- pragmaticBIM: Lightweight GitHub-style versioning - data contracts like clean code, transparent change history, frictionless use-case configuration
Why use pragmaticBIM if I already use a standard IDS Editor (like Solibri)?
An IDS Editor and a data contract platform solve different problems.
- IDS Editor (e.g. Solibri): Excellent for creating raw, machine-readable validation files - but no collaborative framework
- pragmaticBIM: Full platform - host requirements in a web portal where clients and collaborators align on use cases and legally agree before modeling begins
How does pragmaticBIM handle requirement changes compared to static .ids files?
Instead of managing dozens of detached, un-versioned .ids or Excel files across a CDE, pragmaticBIM uses GitHub-style versioning. Every update is permanently committed as a fixed, controlled version.
The platform records who made each change, what was altered, and why - eliminating accidental edits and lost tracking.
Your team always works from a strictly managed, live single source of truth instead of trading static, unverified files back and forth.