You connect Bentley ProjectWise and Autodesk Forma with a cross-vendor CDE integration that moves files, versions and metadata between the two platforms on a schedule you set. CDE Sync™ links a ProjectWise datasource and a Forma project through service accounts, maps ProjectWise attributes to Forma fields, and keeps the folders you choose in step in one direction or both.
Why ProjectWise and Forma meet so often
ProjectWise is common in infrastructure owners and engineering consultancies, while Autodesk Forma (and BIM 360 before it) is common among contractors and design teams working in Autodesk tools. On transport, water and energy projects, the two meet constantly. A road authority may require submissions into its ProjectWise environment while the contractor delivers in Forma, or a consultant may hold its engineering estate in ProjectWise while a design partner works in Forma.
Without a connection, someone downloads from one platform, renames files to the other organisation's naming convention, re-enters attributes and uploads again. That work repeats for every issue and every revision, and it is where version errors creep in.
What carries across between ProjectWise and Forma
The two platforms store information differently. ProjectWise uses datasources, folder hierarchies and environment attributes, while Forma uses projects, folders and custom attributes with its own naming rules. CDE Sync™ maps between them so that files arrive with the right revision, status and ISO 19650 naming fields in the receiving platform. Version history is kept consistent on both sides, and every transfer is logged.
Bentley's own integration platform, Bentley Enterprise Connection Services (BECS), is described in Bentley's material as connecting Bentley engineering products with enterprise systems such as SAP and Maximo. For a ProjectWise to Forma connection, teams generally look for a vendor-neutral tool built for CDE to CDE exchange. Our article on BECS alternatives covers that in more detail.
How to connect ProjectWise and Forma, step by step
Agree what needs to flow, for example issued drawings from Forma into a client's ProjectWise submission folder, or reference models from ProjectWise into Forma.
Ask the ProjectWise administrator for a service account with access to the relevant datasource and folders.
Ask the Forma account administrator for a service account added to the target project.
In the CDE Sync™ wizard, connect both platforms and select the source and destination folders.
Map ProjectWise environment attributes to Forma custom attributes, including revision, status and document number.
Choose one-way or two-way sync and set the schedule.
Run a test on a small folder, confirm versions and attributes in both platforms, then switch on the full sync.
What to agree before you start
The setup goes quickest when both organisations agree a few things first. The most important is the naming convention each side expects, because ProjectWise environments and Forma projects often follow different numbering schemes. The second is the list of mandatory attributes in the receiving platform, so nothing is rejected on arrival. The third is the status workflow: which ProjectWise states should trigger a transfer into Forma, and which Forma statuses mean a document is ready for the client. Writing these down in the project information protocol or BIM execution plan gives the document control teams on both sides a shared reference, and it makes the mapping in the wizard a straightforward exercise.
Running the connection day to day
Once running, the connection needs little attention. A document controller or BIM coordinator watches the audit log and the portal dashboards, adds folders as the project grows and adjusts mappings when the receiving organisation changes a field. There is nothing to install on either side and no scripts to maintain when Bentley or Autodesk update their APIs.
CDE Sync™ streams files directly between ProjectWise and Forma without storing them. Data is encrypted in transit and processed in the Azure region you choose, and Utopia Digital holds SOC 2 Type II and Cyber Essentials. See the Security Trust Portal and the global data region map.
When a sync is the wrong tool
If you are leaving ProjectWise for Forma for good, or the reverse, an ongoing sync is not the right fit. CDE Migrate™ moves the whole record once, with version history, folder structure, metadata and audit trails intact. Our article on migration or sync explains how to decide.
ProjectWise, Forma and the Utopiaverse™
A ProjectWise to Forma connection is part of the Utopiaverse™, the connected record Utopia Digital builds across your platforms. CDE Sync™ keeps both platforms aligned, CDE Backup™ keeps an independent copy in your own Azure, CDE Migrate™ handles platform changes and CDE Archive™ captures the record at completion. AI Insights can then search and answer questions across ProjectWise and Forma content together. The ProjectWise and Autodesk Forma integration pages have more detail.
See ProjectWise and Forma connected in the monthly live demo, or talk to the team about your project.
