In short: Egnyte Specialized File Handler is an add-on for architecture, engineering and construction teams. It adds CAD and BIM previews in the browser and on mobile, search inside model files, block-level streaming of large files through the desktop app and a 250GB file size limit. It is licensed per user, billed monthly, matched to your IFS, Elite or Ultimate user count.
What the Specialized File Handler is
General-purpose file sharing tools are built around office documents. Design and engineering firms work with something else: large CAD drawings, BIM models and linked reference files that most platforms can only store and download. Egnyte introduced the Specialized File Handler in 2023 for BIM and VDC professionals, and its help centre (where it is also called the Specialty File Handler) describes it as an optional add-on bought on top of a Platform plan.
The practical gain is speed and control. A project manager, client or site team can check a model in the browser or on a tablet without installing design software or pulling a multi-gigabyte file across a slow connection, and the file stays in the governed Egnyte environment.
What the add-on includes
| Feature | What it does |
|---|---|
| Adaptive Block Caching (ABC) | Streams only the parts of a large file an application reads through the Egnyte desktop app, and uploads only the changed blocks on save |
| Advanced BIM file search | Searches inside CAD files, not just their names |
| BIM file preview | Rotate, zoom, orbit and measure native industry formats, including CAD, without specialist software |
| BIM preview on mobile | Rotate, zoom and orbit models from a phone or tablet |
| 360-degree images on mobile | View 360-degree site photos in the Egnyte mobile apps |
| Larger files | Raises your plan's maximum file size to 250GB |
| Geolocation search | Finds image files taken within a chosen area |
Egnyte says ABC has been validated with applications including AutoCAD and Civil 3D and keeps AutoCAD XREFs and Civil 3D linked files intact, which matters for drawings that reference other drawings.
How the Specialized File Handler is licensed
The Specialized File Handler is licensed per user, billed monthly, as an add-on to an Egnyte Platform subscription on the IFS, Elite or Ultimate edition. On our account the add-on quantity must match your Platform user count, so it covers everyone on the domain rather than selected designers; that also means anyone who opens a shared model, from a site manager to a finance lead, gets the previews.
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Unit | Per user |
| Billing | Monthly |
| Prerequisite | Egnyte Platform IFS, Elite or Ultimate |
| Quantity | Matches your Platform user count |
| Often paired with | Egnyte Project Controls and Storage Sync |
Prices depend on the number of users and your Platform edition, so ask us for a quote.
Requirements and deployment
The add-on is enabled on your existing Egnyte domain, so there is nothing separate to install on a server. Block-level streaming works through the Egnyte desktop app, so design staff need it installed on their workstations. Users still need the design software they author in: the Specialized File Handler is about viewing, finding, opening and sharing those files in Egnyte, not replacing your CAD tools.
Egnyte also names integrations with authoring and construction tools such as Autodesk, Bentley, Esri, Procore and Bluebeam. When we scope the add-on we look at the file types and sizes you work with, where your teams sit, how external partners need to see drawings, and whether an office would benefit from a local Storage Sync or Smart Cache device as well.
Who it suits and how we help
It suits architects, structural and building services engineers, surveyors and contractors who share models and drawings with clients and partners, and any firm where people regularly ask for a PDF of a drawing because they cannot open the original.
We confirm which file types matter to you, enable the add-on, set up the desktop app for design staff and set up sharing so partners see what they need and nothing more. Egnyte Co-Pilot can also help teams find information across project documents. Contact us for a quote.
How Forever Systems supplies your software licences
Forever Systems Ltd supplies business software subscriptions to UK organisations from one account, with one monthly invoice and a UK team who know the products.
- The right edition first time: we check what you need before you buy, so you are not paying for features you will never use
- Monthly or annual terms where the vendor offers them, and help timing renewals and commitments
- Licence changes handled for you: add or remove users, upgrade editions and true-up without starting a new contract
- Deployment and support from engineers who run these products every day, not just a reseller account
- Consolidated billing and renewal reminders so nothing lapses unexpectedly
We work with businesses, schools, charities and public sector organisations of all sizes.
Need a licence quote or a second opinion on your renewal?
Tell Forever Systems what you need and we will come back to you by email with options, not a hard sell.
Contact usFrequently asked questions
What does the Egnyte Specialized File Handler do?
It adds CAD and BIM previews in the browser and on mobile, search inside model files, block-level streaming of large files through the desktop app and a 250GB maximum file size.
Do I still need CAD software?
Yes, for authoring. The Specialized File Handler helps people view, search, open and share design files in Egnyte; it does not replace the design applications your team uses.
How is the Specialized File Handler licensed?
Per user, billed monthly, as an add-on to Egnyte Platform IFS, Elite or Ultimate. On our account the quantity matches your Platform user count.
What is the maximum file size in Egnyte with the Specialized File Handler?
Egnyte's help centre states that the add-on raises your plan's maximum file size to 250GB.