Autodesk often announces new product acquisitions, significant partnerships, and new corporate initiatives at Autodesk University. The recent AU 2022 event in New Orleans, LA is no exception. The operative word for AU 2022 is probably Platform. The key Autodesk take-away is please get on an Autodesk cloud platform or two even if you already employ a core Autodesk application platform in your daily work.
The featured product announcements centered around: improvements to the Autodesk Construction Cloud; a rename of the Autodesk Forge platform to Autodesk Platform Services; and new names and positioning for the industry Autodesk cloud-based data platforms.
Autodesk Platform
What is the Autodesk Platform?
Here’s the official Autodesk PR version…
“The Autodesk Platform will enable both digital and industry transformation by reimagining project workflows, simplifying how you access and use our tools, and connecting data across the entire lifecycle of a project to realize its full value.
The platform will empower distributed teams to work fluidly across boundaries of projects. With products that are easy to use, learn, and deploy, you can harness project data to generate insights that flow through the entire project lifecycle.
By removing barriers to collaboration and bringing data-backed insights to everyday decision making, The Autodesk Platform removes barriers to collaboration and provides data-backed insights, so you can spend less time coordinating processes or predicting outcomes and more time focusing on critical business decisions.”
The Autodesk Platform—consists of three industry clouds and a set of common, cloud-based services—will provide a single environment that connects the tools, data, and capabilities we and our partners need at every phase of a project.
Autodesk Platform Services
The long-term Autodesk platform API and data interoperability effort, previous called Autodesk Forge, is officially renamed to Autodesk Platform Services to reflect its more generic and common use in all the Autodesk Platform industry clouds. The new APS acronym war inside Autodesk should be interesting.
At the same time Autodesk announced new official names or rather brands for the three Autodesk Platform industry clouds.
Autodesk Forma
The industry cloud for Architecture, Engineering, and Construction (AEC), unifies building information modeling (BIM) workflows for teams who design, build, and operate the built environment. The first Forma offering will help customers extend the BIM process into planning and early-stage design.
Autodesk Flow
The industry cloud for Media & Entertainment (M&E), connects customer workflows, data, and teams across the entire production lifecycle from earliest concept to final delivery. The first cloud product available on Flow will focus on Asset Management, giving users the ability to manage assets throughout the entire production process.
Autodesk Fusion
The industry cloud for Design & Manufacturing (D&M), connects customer data and people across the entire product development lifecycle from top floor to shop floor. Fusion 360, together with Autodesk Fusion 360 Manage with Upchain, and Prodsmart make up the initial cloud offerings within Autodesk Fusion.
AU Flashbacks
As I recall back in the day Autodesk once called this strategy the D-cubed (Digital Design Data) or the 3 D’s.
I guess we’ve all moved from the application platform based D3 to the F3 - Autodesk Platform clouds. Eee.
Autodesk certainly has some serious marketing branding work to do with this new Autodesk Forma name. You might google it.
A lot of AEC folks like myself might need a new non-surgical face lift. “C’mon, Man.”
Perhaps this explains why Autodesk recently hired the head of marketing at Pelton to help them deal with that.
Autodesk goes from onepelton to One AutoCAD?
Oh. That’s right. They already did that. Eheh.
Seriously, I am back peddling as fast as I can.
Notice below that I replaced the stakeholder word with the participant word.
I keep having Buffy the Vampire Slayer rerun flashbacks when I see stakeholder.
The ACC appears to be doing quite well this season.
Autodesk Construction Cloud Improvements
The latest Autodesk Construction Cloud releases supply model data made easier for every participant. Virtual Design and Construction (VDC) Teams can get immediate access to and can work more easily with BIM data, empowering everyone to employ model data to identify potential project impacts, operate more efficiently and make better decisions.
Model-Based Workflows in Assets
Assets in Autodesk Build are now mapped and visualized in 3D using the latest design model, providing field teams with up-to-date asset tracking and equipment details.
This simple automation helps to prevent errors associated with outdated model data and makes it easier to connect assets to RFIs, Submittals, Issues, Schedule, and other workflows.
Model Property Breakdown
Massive design files can now be parsed out into more digestible portions by creating custom views of model properties that are relevant to that day's work. Customers can simply select or deselect elements including levels, property categories, rooms, disciplines, objects, or by a custom property, to create a more readily and easily shareable view of the model.
Model Property Breakdown will be available in Autodesk Build, Autodesk BIM Collaborate and Autodesk Docs.
Publish to the Field
VDC teams in Autodesk BIM Collaborate can create and share ad hoc views and sign-off models with field participants using a mobile device, all without leaving Autodesk BIM Collaborate.
Paired with Model Property Breakdown, these tools remove manual steps, simplify model data for the field, and save time for the entire project.
Publish to the Field is currently in open beta.
Extended File Support for Mobile
Customers can use their mobile app at the jobsite to navigate and interact with an expanded list of supported 2D and 3D design file types, including DWGs and 2D RVTs.
Reality Capture in Autodesk Construction Cloud
Files from reality capture such as laser scans or photogrammetry can now be brought directly into Autodesk Construction Cloud. This enables VDC teams to record precise measurements, aggregate with other models, identify and resolve issues, take progress snapshots, and provide comprehensive closeout documentation.
For example, using reality capture methods like laser scanning or photogrammetry, project teams can create and work with 3D models of existing structures, such as for new builds with existing facades or capturing existing conditions for infrastructure projects, all within Autodesk Construction Cloud.
Autodesk Build
Autodesk Build has a couple of other new goodies:
Performance Tracking in Cost Management
With the new Performance Tracking toolset in Cost Management, self-performing contractors can analyze productivity and cost data in 'near' real-time to gain clear visibility into the potential risk of schedule delays and cost overruns to enable accurate forecasting.
Schedule Compare and Version Control
Robust version compare now allows users to visually compare up to five different versions of a schedule to quickly identify activity changes. New version control capabilities introduced include a change history log and unique distribution lists for each schedule update.
Forma or the Autodesk Construction Cloud
I’m not quite sure how the Autodesk Platform Forma relates to the Autodesk Construction Cloud.
Is The Forma the carbon neutral, diversity, equity, and sustainable replacement for the ACC?
Maybe I am just missing something?
In retrospect, I suppose we all need a healthy dose of Tina Turner singing CCR’s Proud Mary.
Everyone who is anyone covers or covered Proud Mary.
Tina Turner simply owns it.
A 69 year old lady says, “Nice and Easy” and makes it look that way.
Ok. To get that you do have to watch Tina’s videos.
I think there’s at least one recorded version for a bunch of decades.
“Rolling. Rolling. Rolling on the river”
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