When a contractor in Vietnam first has to submit a "4D schedule simulation" to the client, the first question is usually: do it in the Navisworks that came with the Autodesk bundle, or buy Synchro 4D? There is no single answer, because the two programs were built for different jobs — and most comparison articles online just list features.
This article explains what Synchro 4D is and who makes it, what it does that Navisworks does not, when it is worth the money and when it is not, how a 4D model is produced with Synchro on a real project, and where to learn it. If "4D" in BIM is not yet clear to you, read What are BIM 4D and 5D? first.
What Synchro 4D is, and who makes it
Synchro 4D is Bentley Systems' software for modelling construction over time. It takes the design model, splits it into construction parts and links each part to a task in the programme; then it simulates, checks and tracks the build on that same model. Bentley calls it "construction's time machine".
The software was developed by Synchro Software in London and was previously named Synchro PRO. Bentley acquired Synchro Software on 20 June 2018 and folded it into its digital construction portfolio. Today the desktop product is SYNCHRO 4D Pro, usually shortened to SYNCHRO 4D; around it sit web and mobile applications in the same family — SYNCHRO Control (a cloud data environment), SYNCHRO Field and SYNCHRO Perform (site updates and productivity tracking).
In November 2025, at its Year in Infrastructure conference, Bentley announced SYNCHRO+ — the next generation, web-based, with an AI assistant, combining planning and estimating on one platform. Early access began in December 2025, with general release planned during 2026. Bentley describes it as "the planned next evolution of SYNCHRO 4D", not an immediate replacement.
What Synchro 4D does
According to Bentley's product material, Synchro concentrates on five things:
- Splitting the model into construction parts and calculating quantities automatically. A slab in the design model is one object; on site it is poured in three lifts. Synchro cuts that object into three parts by work zone, keeps the design intent, and calculates the quantity of each part from the model (model-based QTO).
- Building the programme inside the software or importing it. Synchro has its own scheduling tools — activity list, logic links, resources — and synchronises with Primavera P6, Microsoft Project and Asta Powerproject. What is MS Project? and the Institute's MS Project course are where to learn the programming side before touching 4D.
- Simulating with equipment and routes. Elements do not merely "appear" over time: cranes, vehicles, haul routes and laydown areas are also attached to tasks. That is how space conflicts show up before anyone reaches site — two crews claiming the same zone in the same week, for instance.
- Comparing scenarios against a baseline. Create several programme options, keep a baseline, ask "what if the sequence changes"; then during construction compare plan with actual on the model, colouring what is ahead and what is behind.
- Connecting office and site. Task status is updated from the mobile app, reviewed and approved on the same model; a Power BI connector produces progress and earned-value (EVA) reports.
The software runs on 64-bit Windows 10/11 and needs a powerful machine (Bentley recommends an eight-core processor). Models come in from many authoring tools via IFC and common exchange formats; Revit models remain the most common source in Vietnam.
How Synchro 4D differs from Navisworks TimeLiner
Navisworks also does 4D through its TimeLiner tool, and that is the most common way of doing 4D in Vietnam, because Navisworks comes with the Autodesk bundle many companies already own. The difference lies in where each program puts its centre of gravity:
| Criterion | Navisworks TimeLiner | Synchro 4D |
|---|---|---|
| Main purpose | Federating models and clash detection; 4D is a secondary tool | Planning and managing construction on the model; 4D is the core |
| Scheduling | Does not build programmes; reads MS Project, P6, Asta and CSV and assigns to objects | Own scheduling tools, synchronised with P6, MS Project, Asta |
| Splitting elements by pour or lift | Must be done in the authoring software | Cut inside Synchro, keeping design intent |
| Equipment, routes, methods | Limited | Cranes, vehicles and haul routes attached to tasks |
| Progress tracking | Basic | Plan versus actual on the model, site updates, Power BI |
| Quantities | Separate Quantification tool | Calculated per construction part as you split |
| Clash detection | Very strong (Clash Detective) | Time-based space conflicts; does not replace Navisworks for design clashes |
| Cost | Usually already in the company's Autodesk bundle | Bought separately, as an annual Bentley subscription, usually with training credits |
Our lecturers' shorthand: Navisworks answers "is the model right"; Synchro answers "does building it in this order work". A project needs both questions, but not every project needs the second one at Synchro's level of detail. What is Navisworks and what is it used for? covers Navisworks' side of the work.
When to use Synchro, and when Navisworks is enough
Navisworks TimeLiner is enough when 4D is mainly for presentation: the overall sequence for the client, monthly progress meetings, illustrating methods at zone level. Most building projects in Vietnam are here, and our lecturers advise starting here — the Navisworks Manage course has a chapter devoted to TimeLiner.
Synchro 4D is worth the money when at least one of these holds:
- A linear infrastructure project (roads, bridges, metro, rail) or an industrial plant, where sequence and logistics drive the programme more than the design does.
- A general contractor that has to update the 4D weekly and use it to run the job, not just to present.
- A foreign-funded contract requiring 4D integrated with P6 and plan-versus-actual reporting on the model.
- A need to simulate methods with cranes, haul routes and exclusion zones, or to split elements by pour inside the 4D model.
If none of those apply, the money for Synchro usually does more good spent on training the planners properly — because a 4D built from a wrong programme is still wrong, however handsome the simulation.
A workflow for 4D with Synchro on a project
The six steps below are the frame our lecturers use when advising on implementation; at this level they apply to Synchro and Navisworks alike:
- Fix the purpose and the level of detail. Is the 4D for the client, for running the job, or for method simulation? The purpose decides how finely elements are split and how often the model is updated.
- Have a proper programme first. An activity list whose work breakdown structure matches the way the model is split; durations, logic links and resources checked. Built in MS Project or P6 — not improvised inside the 4D tool.
- Prepare the model by construction lift. Name elements and set parameters by floor, zone and pour so that assignment can be automated; split design elements that were modelled as one.
- Link elements to tasks. Assign by rule (name, parameter) as far as possible; assign by hand only for the exceptions. This is the most laborious step, and where the naming conventions from step 3 pay off.
- Simulate, add equipment, find conflicts. Run it week by week, add cranes and routes, record time–space conflicts and propose sequence changes.
- Update against actual. Enter actual progress each period, compare with plan, colour what is behind. A 4D built once and dropped is an animation; updated regularly, it is a management tool. Construction programme slipping: the critical path covers the analysis once actual data exists.
Steps 3–5 are usually done by the contractor's BIM Coordinator working with the planner; the Institute's BIM Coordinator course teaches the model preparation and coordination that 4D rests on.
Where to learn Synchro 4D
The Institute teaches Synchro 4D on corporate request — classes run at the company, built around the real project on which that company is doing 4D. It does not yet run a scheduled public course, because the number of individual students who need Synchro is still small compared with Navisworks. A sensible path for anyone who wants to use Synchro:
- Programming foundation: MS Project or P6 to the point of building and updating a project programme yourself — the Institute's MS Project course.
- Model and basic 4D foundation: Navisworks with Clash Detective and TimeLiner. Anyone who has done TimeLiner moves to Synchro quickly, because the "element linked to task" thinking is the same; only the tools differ.
- Synchro 4D itself: a company with a project that needs 4D can book an in-house class with the Institute; individuals can take Bentley's on-demand courses on the Bentley Learn platform — from Fundamentals (building a 4D model and animation) through logistics planning, progress tracking, and quantities, cost and EVA. The software is bought through Bentley or domestic resellers (MICAD, CIC), and the subscription includes training credits.
- For infrastructure, where Synchro is strongest, the Institute's BIM Manager for Infrastructure course goes into organising linear models and data for 4D to build on.
Frequently asked questions
Can Synchro 4D replace Navisworks?
No, and not the other way round either. Navisworks is strong at federating models and design clash detection; Synchro is strong at construction planning and tracking on the model. Large projects usually use both.
Can Synchro 4D read Revit models?
Yes, through IFC and exchange formats; Bentley cites interoperability with many authoring tools. The quality of the 4D depends far more on how elements are named and split in the source model than on the file format.
How much does Synchro 4D cost?
Bentley sells Synchro as an annual per-user subscription, usually with training credits included. List prices change over time, and prices through domestic resellers or for multiple seats differ again. Ask for a quote against your own project rather than relying on a published figure.
Are Synchro PRO and Synchro 4D the same thing?
Synchro PRO was the name before Bentley's 2018 acquisition; the desktop product is now SYNCHRO 4D Pro, shortened to SYNCHRO 4D. SYNCHRO+, announced in late 2025, is the web-based next generation, currently in early access.