What's included in the AEC Collection?

By Garry Stockton

The Autodesk AEC Collection serves three industries, however more and more, we find that these industries are converging:

• Architecture, Engineering and Construction (AEC)
• Product Design and Manufacturing (PDM)
• Media and Entertainment (M&E)

Cadline customers who create buildings (AEC) are starting to behave more like customers who make things (PDM). Whereas buildings used to be one-offs, more and more parts of buildings (e.g. trusses, walls or roofs) are being constructed offsite in environmentally-controlled warehouses, brought to the construction site, and assembled into position. AEC customers are suddenly concerned with mass production and quality control.

Autodesk customers who make things (PDM) are starting to create more bespoke items. Instead of setting up huge factories to make thousands of identical items, manufacturers are becoming more flexible, configuring or using smaller businesses to make small runs of bespoke items, much like the traditional one-offs of AEC buildings.

Both AEC and PDM customers see the benefit in proving what they make via Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality that has been a mainstay of the M&E industry for some time now. To make the M&E experience more real, game companies are starting to use the same reality capture technology used for scanning construction as-builts — just like traditional AEC contractors.

So, with the above in mind you may like to know a little about each of the applications you get in the AEC Collection.

AutoCAD: create 3D and 2D drawings; used by architects, engineers, construction professionals; can be used desktop PC, mobile, or web. However, there are other AutoCAD based tools you may not be aware of:

• Architecture: design and draft architectural designs (renovations, walls/doors/windows, design/documentation, room documentation).

• Electrical: create, modify, and document electrical controls systems with an industry-specific toolset for electrical design.

• Map 3D: incorporates geographic information system and CAD data with industry-specific toolset for GIS and 3D mapping; has topographical data, analysis tools, can convert data to intelligent industry models, surfaces and point cloud tools.

• MEP (Mechanical, Electrical, and Plumbing): draft, design, and document building systems.

• AutoCAD Civil 3D: civil infrastructure design and documentation, improve drafting, design, and construction documentation.

• Revit: multidisciplinary (Architects, Construction, Structural, Plant Rooms and M & E ) BIM for higher quality, coordinated designs; produce model-based building designs and documentation

• ReCap and ReCap Pro: create 3D models with reality capture, convert reality into 3D models or 2D drawing that's ready for further design.

• Dynamo: computational BIM design, stand-alone programming environment that enables designers to create visual logic to explore parametric conceptual designs and automate tasks

• Fabrication: create Mechanical, Electrical, and Plumbing (MEP) models, generate estimates, and drive fabrication; more accurate estimates for MEP building system projects through detailing, fabrication, and installation.

• FormIt Pro: architectural modelling; enables them to sketch, collaborate, analyse, and share early-stage design concepts.

• InfraWorks: supports BIM processes; conceptualises, optimises, and visualizes infrastructure projects.

• 3DS Max: 3D modelling/rendering for product design visualisation and animation

• Structural Bridge Design: integrated bridge analysis for architecture, engineering, and construction

• Vehicle Tracking: transportation analysis and design built for vehicle swept path analysis for architecture, engineering, and construction.

• Navisworks Manage: 3D clash detection and advanced coordination, 5D (3D plus time and cost) analysis, and simulation tools.

• Plant 3D: design, model, and document process plants with the comprehensive AutoCAD plant design and layout toolset; 3d plant design for designers and engineers

Please note: you may need to check the minimum requirements on your workstation to run your chosen application.

We run free 45 minute Bitesize workshops which give insights to some of the above applications, check Cadline Community for more information - www.cadlinecommunity.co.uk