Forward vs Autodesk Build
Autodesk Build is the system of record for your design + construction data. Forward is the texting layer that lets your field crew read it without opening BIM 360. They are complements, not substitutes.
What each one is for
Autodesk Build (and BIM 360, and the broader Autodesk Construction Cloud) is the design + construction data platform. It stores your sheets, your model coordination, your RFIs, your submittals, your issues, and ties them back to the Revit / Civil 3D / AutoCAD authoring environment your designers work in. It is the source of truth for what was designed and what is being built.
Forward is a text-message layer that sits on top of Autodesk Build and reads from it on demand. A foreman texts “send me S-201 latest revision”; Forward pulls the current sheet from the ACC sheet collection and replies with a link plus a thumbnail. A super texts “what RFIs are open on the mech package?”; Forward queries the Autodesk RFI list and replies with the open count plus the most stale ones.
Side-by-side: what each does
| Capability | Autodesk Build | Forward |
|---|---|---|
| Stores your sheets + revisions | Yes (source of truth) | Reads from Autodesk |
| Stores your RFIs / submittals / issues | Yes (or in Procore, depending on workflow) | Reads from Autodesk + Procore |
| Authoring environment for design | Yes (Revit / Civil 3D ties) | No |
| Model coordination + clash detection | Yes | No |
| Field-side interface | BIM 360 / Autodesk mobile app (login required) | SMS / iMessage (no app, no login) |
| Field-user seats included | No (named seats) | Yes (priced by SMS line, not seat) |
| Drafts RFIs / observations / punch items from text | No | Yes, queued for PM approval |
| Built-in engineering calcs (NEC / IBC / IMC referenced) | No | Yes (wire size, voltage drop, HVAC load, beam deflection) |
| Built-in takeoff math (concrete yards, drywall sheets) | No | Yes |
The texting layer that turns ACC into a field-ready interface
Autodesk Build is designed for the people who sit in front of a screen: PMs, supers, designers, BIM coordinators. The mobile app works but assumes the user logs in, navigates the project tree, finds the sheet, downloads it, opens the viewer. For a foreman standing on the slab in a fluorescent vest, those steps add up to “just text the PM and let them do it.”
Forward removes the “text the PM” hop. The foreman texts the Forward number directly; Forward authenticates them by phone-number possession (one-time PIN on first use, then remembered); Forward queries Autodesk Build with the foreman’s question and replies with the cited answer. Your PM never gets the lookup text in the first place.
What Forward can pull from Autodesk Build today
- Sheets. Current revision of any sheet by number, latest set for a discipline, sheet log by date.
- RFIs. Open / closed / pending RFIs by sheet, spec section, or keyword. Status, assignee, response.
- Submittals. Submittals by CSI division, status, and reviewer. Latest activity.
- Issues. Build issues by location, trade, status, and reporter.
- Project metadata. Project location, dates, contacts, and roles.
Same shape works against Procore for the projects where Procore is the system of record. Forward connects to both; the field user asks the question, Forward picks the right source.
The approval queue (writes stay with the PM)
Anything that would write to Autodesk Build or Procore gets drafted, not posted. A super texts “file an issue for the bent threaded rod at column line C-7”; Forward drafts the issue and queues it in your Forward dashboard. You approve, edit, or reject. Approved drafts post via the connected platform’s API.
Same for RFI drafts, observation drafts, daily-log entries, inspection requests, and delivery-window requests. The field gets the texting convenience; the PM keeps full control of what lands in the official record.
The OAuth + permission story
Forward connects to your Autodesk account through the standard Autodesk Platform Services (APS) OAuth flow. You authorize the scopes Forward needs (sheet read, RFI read, submittal read, plus the write scopes for the approval queue) and you can revoke access at any time from your Autodesk account settings. Revoking terminates Forward’s access immediately; Forward does not copy your project data.
Field users authenticate against Forward, not against Autodesk. Their phone numbers map to project assignments inside Forward’s own access table. Adding a new foreman is a 30-second action in the Forward dashboard, not a Autodesk seat purchase.
When the dual-connect makes sense
If your project runs Autodesk Build for design + sheets and Procore for project management (the common large-GC pattern), Forward connects to both at once. The field user’s question determines which source Forward queries:
- “send me a-301 latest” → Autodesk Build sheet collection.
- “is RFI 142 closed yet?” → Procore RFI list (if RFI workflow is in Procore) or Autodesk Build RFI list (if it’s in ACC).
- “what change orders are open against the mech sub?” → Procore change-order list.
- “daily log for last Thursday?” → Procore daily log.
Forward picks the right system per question; the field user doesn’t care which one stores the data.
How to try it
Drop your email above for an early-access conversation. We’ll connect Autodesk to a synthetic project so you can see the sheet- pull, RFI lookup, and issue-draft workflows end-to-end before we touch your real ACC tenant.
Or text +1 (682) 300-6750 right now — the live demo runs against a synthetic commercial project. Ask it send me a-301, submittal status for 09 51 13, or what RFIs are open on the mech package.
Try Forward right now
Drop your email above for early access — or skip the form and text +1 (682) 300-6750 from your phone. The live demo answers anything you can ask a project manager in plain English — no signup needed.