CIMdata PLM Industry Summary Online Archive
15 March 2005
Product News
Architects and Building Engineers Realize Their Ideas Faster Using the Next Generation of Autodesk Software Purpose-Built for the Building Industry
Autodesk, Inc. made it easier and faster for architects and building engineers to turn their ideas into finished designs and embrace the benefits of building information modeling (BIM). With the immediate availability of a suite of updated products-Autodesk® Revit® Building 8, Autodesk® Architectural Desktop 2006, Autodesk® Building Systems 2006, and Autodesk® AutoCAD® Revit® Series 8-architects and building engineers can create, manage and share design information more effectively, all of which contribute to increased profitability, reduced risk and minimized inefficiencies in building design, construction and management.
"Revit empowers us with the tools we need to design and document complex architecture. The single building information model allows us to make quick adjustments to our design, knowing that all sheets, schedules and views will be automatically updated with every change, and to focus more on design and less on documentation," said Dave Willard, Visionary Strategist for 360 Architecture Inc. "Now with Revit Building 8, the ability to publish 3D DWF files directly from our model streamlines collaboration by enabling us to bring revisions and markups from DWF Composer back into our Revit model."
"With Autodesk's building software, including Autodesk Building Systems and Architectural Desktop as well as Autodesk Buzzsaw and DWF Composer, we've seen a 20% productivity improvement in document production," said Dean Helsel, Senior Technical Lead, L. Robert Kimball & Associates. "Now with the new features in the 2006 releases supporting project standards in Architectural Desktop and enhanced system connectivity and HVAC layout in Building Systems, we expect to see even greater benefits in productivity and documentation quality."
Autodesk offers a comprehensive portfolio of products for the building industry. Ranging from the most advanced technology for BIM to the most widely adopted design and documentation solutions, Autodesk supports information and management needs through the building lifecycle. Building solutions products include Autodesk Revit Building, Autodesk Architectural Desktop, Autodesk Building Systems, and Autodesk AutoCAD Revit Series. In addition, customers can take advantage of widely available third-party applications purpose-built for Autodesk software.
Autodesk Revit Building 8 is the state-of-the-art building information modeling (BIM) system that mirrors the real world of architecture by letting architects, designers and engineers work on buildings holistically, rather than in terms of separate floor plans, sections and elevations. All designs and documentation are coordinated, consistent and complete, regardless of the number of changes made throughout the design process. Through Revit parametric change technology, any change is automatically coordinated throughout a project, including model views, drawing sheets, schedules, sections, plans and renderings-making the design iteration and revision process significantly more streamlined. Additional new features in Revit Building 8 include:
• Interference Detection scans models for conflicts between user- specifiable elements and systems
• Easy upload of files from Autodesk Revit Building to an Autodesk® Buzzsaw® project site, and automatic conversion to DWG or Autodesk® DWFT format
• Link DWF markups made in Autodesk® DWFT Composer, allowing you to keep your revision markup process digital, preserving data integrity and ease of sharing
• New API allows developers to access object data, query properties, extract geometry and change properties.
Autodesk AutoCAD Revit Series 8 preserves current investments while enabling users to gain the competitive advantage of building information modeling. AutoCAD Revit Series 8 combines Autodesk's AutoCAD software with Revit Building 8 to accommodate existing ways of working while making it easy to move to building information modeling.
Autodesk Architectural Desktop 2006, the very best AutoCAD-based design and documentation productivity solution for architects, provides the familiar AutoCAD user interface to support existing working methods, flexibility in both implementation and use, and the efficiency of real-world building objects. New features in Architectural Desktop 2006 include:
• Project Standards, which automate the maintenance and synchronization of standards such as style definitions and display settings across an entire multi-file project.
• More standard 2D detail components that enable greater productivity in preparing detail drawings
• Display of the project according to non-graphical themes such as program data, which increases efficiency
• One-click conversion to Autodesk DWF file format, which simplifies and accelerates collaborative efforts
Autodesk Building Systems 2006 provides integrated AutoCAD-based building systems design and analysis for increased productivity, accuracy and coordination. Building Systems 2006 enables building systems engineers to take advantage of workflow improvements in an intuitive design environment to develop construction documents that clearly represent design intent. The object-based design improves efficiencies and enables coordination with the extended design team, from conceptual 2D design through construction documentation. New features in Building Systems 2006 include:
• The ability to lay out HVAC systems easier with objects that respond to changes, update and stay connected.
• Improved design accuracy, with easier access to the engineering design data and exporting to third-party applications that now include fabrication and estimating
• The ability to directly schedule engineering data without manual editing
• One-click conversion to DWF or to publish to the web
"The new versions of Revit Building and AutoCAD Revit Series 8 bring significant new functionality and further deliver on the promise of building information modeling," said Phil Bernstein, FAIA, vice president, Autodesk Building Solutions Division. "Along with Autodesk Architectural Desktop and Autodesk Building Systems, we're enabling even greater profitability, helping reduce risk, and minimizing inefficiencies throughout the building lifecycle."
In addition, Autodesk is announcing Autodesk® VIZ 2006, a new version of the professional design visualization software that will bring complex modeling, rendering and animation to life. Autodesk VIZ 2006 will feature new tools that break ground in turning design concepts into realistic presentations with effects such as indirect illumination, soft shadowing and color bounce. VIZ 2006 can import directly from a DWG file created in Revit Building and maintain all materials, object hierarchy and active camera views assigned and created in Revit Building. This integration makes it easy to use VIZ to produce high quality or photo realistic renderings directly from the Revit Building model.
Distribution and Availability
Autodesk Building Systems 2006, Architectural Desktop 2006, Revit Building 8, AutoCAD Revit Series 8, and Autodesk VIZ 2006 will be available to U.S. and Canadian customers this spring via Autodesk's reseller channel. The products are planned for release to customers in Europe and Asia later this year.
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