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Well, that’s a wrap (no pun intended for Christmas) everyone. This is the last issue of the year. We are working on many changes in the background and with *fingers crossed*, you won’t notice a thing!
As you know, this month we will be hosting the AUGI General Meeting (AGM). Hopefully this issue will hit your mailbox/inbox before the AGM. If not, I hope you enjoyed it!
With that said, this month’s focus is on Industry Insights. What is your insight on the company you work for? What about the software you use on a daily basis for that company? Our authors have put together their insights, on their industry in this issue. A high-level perspective of where their industry’s are now, and where they are going, helps us stay aligned with broader industry movements.
A huge THANK YOU to all our volunteers for their efforts and contributions this past year. Without each and every one of you, AUGI could not exist. YOU are AUGI! We wish you all Happy Holidays and we look forward to working with you in 2025!
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Editors
Editor-in-Chief
Todd Rogers - todd.rogers@augi.com
Copy Editor
Isabella Andresen - isabella.andresen@augi.com
Layout Editor
Tim Varnau - tim.varnau@augi.com
Content Managers
3ds Max - Brian Chapman
AutoCAD - Matthew Marrero
Civil 3D - Shawn Herring
BIM/CIM - Stephen Walz
BricsCAD - Craig Swearingen
Electrical - Mark Behrens
Manufacturing - Kristina Youngblut
Revit Architecture - Jonathan Massaro
Revit MEP - Jason Peckovitch
Tech Manager - Mark Kiker
Inside Track - Rina Sahay
Advertising / Reprint Sales
Kevin Merritt - salesmanager@augi.com
AUGI Executive Team
President
Eric DeLeon
Vice-President
Frank Mayfield
Treasurer
Todd Rogers
Secretary Kristina Youngblut
AUGI Board of Directors
Eric DeLeon
KaDe King
Chris Lindner
Frank Mayfield
Todd Rogers
Scott Wilcox
Kristina Youngblut
AUGI Advisory Board of Directors
Shaan Hurley Shelby Smith
Publication Information
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2024 is shaping up as a transformative year for 3D artists, especially those using 3ds Max and similar software across the AEC (Architecture, Engineering, Construction) and entertainment sectors. Below, we highlight the key trends reshaping workflows—from digital twin technology to AI-driven Creativity—alongside emerging tools that can help artists stay at the forefront of innovation.
1.
Digital twin technology is revolutionizing AEC, enabling designers to create dynamic, real-time virtual replicas of physical assets. Unlike traditional 3D models, digital twins update in response to real-world data, offering powerful applications in project management, facility maintenance, and preservation. For 3D artists, this trend means honing skills in real-time data integration and virtual simulations and creating assets compatible with sophisticated monitoring systems. Major players like Autodesk, Bentley, Siemens, Unity, and Matterport invest heavily in digital twin tech,
signaling the importance of developing highly accurate, data-integrated models.
AI streamlines workflows, enhancing design, and driving new levels of efficiency across AEC. For example, AI tools can analyze past projects to suggest optimized designs, structural layouts, and energy-saving solutions. For 3D artists, learning to collaborate with AI-driven tools—like Adobe Firefly for rapid texturing or ChatGPT for ideation—can reduce repetitive tasks, speed up project phases, and improve the quality of final outputs. Embracing AI-powered tools is a critical step for artists looking to keep pace with the rapid evolution in AEC.
• NVIDIA: Offers AI-accelerated tools compatible with 3ds Max, Unreal Engine, and other software.
• ChatGPT: Aids in brainstorming ideas, generating dialogue for animations, and troubleshooting technical issues.
• Midjourney: Quickly generates concept art, mood boards, and textures to accelerate project ideation.
• Adobe Firefly: Integrates AI-driven image generation within Adobe’s creative suite.
• Runway: Converts text into video, enabling quick visualization of scenes and animation concepts.
These tools and others like ElevenLabs and Hugging Face enable artists to optimize workflows, spark Creativity, and stay agile in a fast-paced environment.
3. Sustainable Design and Eco-Friendly Modeling
Sustainability is now central to the AEC industry, pushing 3D artists to adopt eco-conscious practices. From simulating renewable materials to designing for energy efficiency, artists must focus on creating models supporting sustainable construction methods. Platforms like Autodesk Insight offer valuable resources for understanding environmental impact, making sustainability an essential skill set for artists aiming to work on green projects.
1. Virtual Production: Real-Time Visuals for Media
Virtual production, leveraging real-time engines like Unreal Engine, has transformed media production by creating interactive, real-time environments. This technology enables filming in digital spaces that respond to live camera movement, significantly reducing the need for physical sets. 3D artists working in entertainment can benefit greatly by developing skills in virtual production workflows. AI tools like Midjourney can enhance the process by quickly generating concept art and set designs.
2. Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR) for Immersive Content
AR and VR applications are booming in gaming, e-commerce, marketing, and live events, creating more demand for 3D assets optimized for immersive environments. This requires models with efficient poly-counts, high-quality textures, and responsive lighting setups. Tools like ElevenLabs for text-to-speech and voice-cloning provide additional layers of interactivity, making AR/VR projects more dynamic and engaging.
3. Generative Design: AI-Powered Creativity
Generative design tools enable artists to explore multiple creative options in a fraction of the time. Especially relevant in character and environmental modeling, generative design automates the
creation of variations, allowing artists to refine concepts more quickly. Familiarity with platforms like NVIDIA’s Omniverse will benefit artists looking to streamline creativity and focus on high-impact enhancements.
4. High-Resolution 3D for Ultra-Realistic Visuals
Demand for ultra-realistic visuals in 4K and 8K resolutions is rising. This trend requires artists to push the boundaries in texture quality, complex rigging, and intricate mesh design. Investing time in learning high-resolution modeling and texture software will position artists to meet the growing expectations in the entertainment industry.
5. E-Commerce Integration: Elevating the Digital Shopping Experience
3D modeling has become integral to e-commerce, as brands increasingly rely on 3D models to provide interactive, 360-degree views of products, and stills for promotion and sales. This trend opens new opportunities for artists skilled in creating product visualizations optimized for web and mobile. The emphasis is on creating visually appealing, highly functional 3D assets that offer a seamless user experience across various platforms.
2024 marks a pivotal moment for 3D artists in both AEC and entertainment. With rapid advancements in digital twin technology, AI integration, sustainable modeling, and virtual production, the demand for adaptive, tech-savvy artists is higher than ever. Mastering cloud-based tools, real-time engines, and generative design can give artists a competitive edge in an evolving landscape. By embracing these trends and tools, 3D artists can stay current and drive the next wave of innovation in digital art.
Brian Chapman is a Las Vegas 2D/3D design professional who creates content for the AEC industry, games, film, entertainment, education, training, and software development. Brian can be reached at procadman@procad.net.
Iam an optimistic guy. I look for positive outcomes, even in negative events. Even my blood type indicates my outlook – B Positive. It is said that the optimist says the glass is half full. The pessimist says the glass is half empty. But, as the joke goes, the Engineer says the glass is obviously the wrong size (har har). I am analytically minded with reason and logic playing a big role in my thinking. I tend to think things through before planning and rethinking as the plan unfolds. I take a realistic view in my decision-making process. I practice realistic optimism.
Realistic Optimism is defined by Andrzej Smiech of the Forbes Coaches Council as, “The ability to balance out negative and positive things in situations, circumstances and people. It is the courage to explore opportunities, where others are blocked by risk and failure, with the belief that the future will be better than the past.” This provides a good framework for this article.
Being overly optimistic overlooks the reality of a situation and has rose colored glasses on. It ignores reality, warning signs and moves ahead without caring about naysayers and negative feedback. Over optimism thinks that the best outcome will always happen and that the odds are always stacked in their favor. It does not weigh past outcomes and what might happen that will derail the achievement of a goal.
Being overly pessimistic does not see any light at the end of the tunnel and everything looks gloomy. It does not have much hope for good things to happen. It has a negative slant on every possible outcome. Over pessimism lets the negative thoughts creep in and prevents advancement. It is defeated even before it has begun.
Somewhere in the middle of the bell curve is an approach that sees things for what they are and
considers possible negatives, but then marches forward seeking and expecting good things to come. It is a better place to be when you balance the fear of failing with the hope of better things and come away with a plan that balances the two so that you can move forward. It is the ability to maintain a positive outlook, but not deny reality. It considers the reality of each situation and weighs possible outcomes to choose the best way to achieve a goal.
Maybe the best way to stay on track is to put up some guard rails. When you veer into either of the ‘overly’ edges, you can bounce back to the middle.
Look for evidence (not just feelings) that your outcomes may fail- or succeed. Define what your confidence is based on. Define what your misgivings are telling you. Are they realistic? Could it really be that good or bad? Constantly look for proof that your thinking is correct by seeing what is happening around you, not just in your head. Most people think that good things are more likely than bad things, but you need to avoid allowing your thinking to swerve into an extreme.
What is the best and worst that can happen? Take a serious moment to see if you can really envision the outcome that you think will happen. Can you really get everyone to follow every standard all the time? Can your system really have 100% uptime? Those are noble goals, but not guaranteed. And when you don’t achieve your 100% goal, you tend to press harder on people and things. That is annoying. Do you have to lock things down for everyone because you think the worst might happen? That is limiting to most people. And it is all because your expectations are not grounded in reality. Your goal can be lofty, but your expectations should be reality based.
Back in 2022 I wrote about how you can move past potholes by analyzing outcomes as possible, plausible, probable and finally predictable. When you put outcomes in these buckets, it helps you calculate risk and reward and then make a good choice on goals and expectations.
Wait, there are only two guardrails on the roads
I drive… but there are more in my mind. Always plan as if you will achieve what you set out to do. Include in your thinking available recourses. The ones that you control are predictable, but the ones you do not control are not. You probably don’t have total control over time, money or people. Get input about the availability of things you need, before you need them.
Always prepare for the worst things happening. Money can be refocused away from your initiatives. People can be reassigned. Time passes much quicker than we think, and delays will happen. In your mind and in your plan have some buffer for all of these. You can avoid troubles if you have already thought through the contingency plans.
I get someone to look over my shoulder. I write down my plan and explain it to someone I respect. You may do this multiple times sharing it with someone who is generally optimistic and someone who is pessimistic. This can help you shave off the extreme edges and reevaluate your thinking.
The goal of realistic optimism is to not have all positive thoughts or all negative thoughts. It should be a balance of positive thinking and some negative thinking. You need more positive than negative to even start a project, but too much positive and you might be living in a dream world. Too much negative and you might be driven by fear of failure. Keeping looking on the bright side… after the rain, there will be sunshine.
Mark Kiker has more than 30 years of hands-on experience with technology. He is fully versed in every area of management from deployment planning, installation, and configuration to training and strategic planning. As an internationally known speaker and writer, he is a returning speaker at Autodesk University since 1996. Mark has served as Draftsman, Principal Designer, CAD/BIM Manager, CTO and CIO. He can be reached at mark. kiker@augi.com and would love to hear your questions, comments and perspectives.
Building Information Modeling (BIM) has transformed the way we design, construct, and maintain buildings, offering a new level of collaboration and accuracy. In the field of fire safety, BIM has become an invaluable tool for designing effective systems, ensuring compliance with regulations, and improving overall safety standards. This article will explore best practices for using BIM in fire
safety system design to help optimize outcomes for construction projects.
One of the key benefits of using BIM is the ability to integrate different building systems early in the design phase. For fire safety, it’s crucial to
be involved from the outset to ensure that fire protection measures are well-coordinated with other building services like HVAC, plumbing, and electrical systems. This approach helps identify potential issues early, minimizing costly changes during later stages.
BIM allows for effective clash detection, which is particularly useful in ensuring that fire safety systems do not interfere with other building elements. Using BIM software, designers can run automated clash detection tests, allowing for quick identification of conflicts between fire sprinkler piping and structural or mechanical systems.
Resolving these conflicts early saves both time and costs.
Compliance with local fire codes and standards is a critical aspect of fire safety design. BIM tools can help automate the verification of fire safety code compliance by integrating code requirements directly into the model. Additionally, BIM can be used for fire and smoke simulations, which help in assessing building evacuation scenarios and ensuring that designs meet all safety requirements.
BIM allows designers to create parameter schedules for various fire safety components, such as sprinkler heads, fire alarms, and emergency lighting. These schedules provide a detailed overview of the quantity, type, and location of fire safety elements, which is essential for effective planning and installation. Automated schedules also help reduce human error and ensure consistency across the project.
Collaboration is key in any construction project, and BIM provides the platform for all stakeholders to work together seamlessly. Fire safety engineers
can coordinate with architects, structural engineers, and MEP designers in real-time, ensuring that all aspects of the building are compatible. This level of integration helps avoid costly rework and enhances the overall quality of the project.
While BIM offers numerous benefits, there are challenges to consider. One common issue is the need for training and upskilling within the team to effectively use BIM tools. Additionally, coordinating data among different disciplines can sometimes be complex due to varying software platforms and standards. However, these challenges can be mitigated through proper planning, training, and using open data standards.
BIM has transformed fire safety system design, offering precision and collaboration beyond
traditional methods. Integrating fire safety early, using clash detection, ensuring compliance, and fostering collaboration can greatly enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of fire protection systems. Embracing these practices is essential for fire safety engineers to maximize BIM’s potential and create safer buildings.
Nerold Abedin is a Mechanical Engineer specializing in fire safety systems with extensive experience in using BIM for optimizing MEP projects. Passionate about digital transformation in construction, Nerold enjoys leveraging technology to improve building safety and efficiency.
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Afew days ago, a post came across my LinkedIn feed that was a reminisce about the olden days of design. It was accompanied by a photo of gentlemen from what looked like the 1960’s in white shirt and tie, hand drafting a set of architectural plans. I couldn’t help but sense the relaxed nature of the era – the drawings looked like artwork, and one can imagine the slower pace that was necessary to create a set of plans in an arena where making a false move didn’t require an undo command, but an erasure – perhaps a lot of erasures. I’m also old enough to remember that life itself moved at a much slower pace back then.
Those days, of course, are long gone and everyone who either designs or drafts in the engineering world today has only experienced the bittersweet
experience of using a machine to more quickly convert ideas and concepts into lines and text, and hence to paper. I say bittersweet because, while some of the effort is made easier by the mechanization of the process, it’s also increased the pace – and the expectations – for anyone who creates engineering drawings. Moreover, the software has developed (read become more complicated) over the years, so now it takes years to master what used to take days or weeks.
I’d imagine this holds true for any drafting/design software and profession, but today, it’s about Civil Engineering and Civil 3D. Even if you don’t use C3D – and certainly if you do – and you’re in Civil Engineering, you know it’s incredibly powerful, and equally complex. Much of the learning curve comes from just trying to find out where a certain
command or process can be accessed. Some also comes from the fact the C3D, well, just doesn’t do some things so great. It also doesn’t do some things at all. To be fair, there’s only so much that can be programmed into the software while making it affordable (The term “affordable” is rather subjective, in this case.) What it doesn’t do well is another conversation for another article. In this one, we’re going to talk about what’s out there that can replace the not-so-good and furnish solutions for the just-ain’t-in-there.
What I’m talking about is 3rd party applications, which have been around for decades. I’m not sure when the first one was created, but I am quite sure it was made because someone a lot smarter than me was dissatisfied with one of CAD’s functions. Since then, the market has exploded, and today there are literally hundreds of lisps (suffix .lsp) and executable programs (suffix .msi), both free and with cost, that can perform a wide range of specialized functions. The following is comprised of twelve lisps and executables that I use weekly, if not daily, and – like the cell phone and TV remote - make me wonder how in the world I ever did without them. I have so many that I’ve created custom toolbars to group them – and so I can find all of them. In this article, I’ll share a few of my favorites with you. They are all free…
If you’ve never used lisps before, LISP stands for LISt Processing, a programming language initially developed for artificial intelligence and later adopted for CAD automation. To install a lips routine, type in “Appload” on the command line, and it will bring up this box:
If you want to just try out a lisp to see how it works, you can load it into your current session only. To do that, click on the down arrow in the “Look in:” window and browse to your lisp location. Once you’re there, click on the lisp you want to load and click “Load”. Again, when you close CAD and restart, that lips will no longer be loaded. If you want to load one permanently, click on the “Contents” button at the bottom right to load it into your Contents Suite:
This will bring up a list of lisps – if any – you’ve loaded. Click on “Add” in the bottom left:
Browse to your lisp’s location, choose it and click “Open”.
This will take you back to your lisp list dialogue box. Close that, then close the Appload box. Now – you need to know how to initiate the lisp. To determine that, browse over to the lisp, right-click on it, and choose ‘Open with Notepad’. I have my lisp routines set to open with Notepad based on file type in my Windows settings. Once it’s open, you might see some information regarding the purpose of the lisp, how it functions, and so on. Any non-programming language like this has two semicolons at the beginning of the line, telling CAD to ignore it. After this information, look for this text string near the top of the programming:
The text string after the “c:” is the command to start the routine.
Now, to the lisps:
I do a lot of grading plans, and the following three lisps are absolute gold. Since I have no idea where I got them – I’ve been using them all for a long time – the coding for them is listed after the description. Simply copy/paste into a Notepad .txt file and then rename it to “COMMAND NAME.lsp” – ex: “PLE.lsp”:
1. Polylines with Elevation (command line: PLE)
We all know that you can’t draw a polyline with any elevation other than 0. With PLE you can. Initiate the command, enter the elevation you want to use, and start drawing. It has the exact workflow and options that standard polylines do [Arc Halfwidth Length Undo Width], including the ability to close.
Download: PLE.lsp:
2. Contours Elevations at Intervals (command line: CEI)
Even when using PLE, it’s possible to create a contour on the wrong elevation, and that’s where CEI comes in. For whatever reason, say you’ve drawn a series of contours and assigned them incorrect elevations. Start CEI and you’ll be asked for your starting elevation. Give it the desired elevation of the first incorrect contour. You’ll then be asked for the contour interval. If you’re going up-gradient at an interval of 1 foot, simply enter 1. If you’re going down-gradient at a 2-foot interval, put in -2. Then, starting with your first contour, click on each one in order.
Download CEI.lsp:
3. Change Elevation (command line: CHELEV)
This has the same function as CEI but does it in a different way – it uses a fence line to select the contour lines. After starting the command, you’ll be prompted for the start point of your fence line. The prompt indicates this will be the low point of your slope but ignore that part – you can choose which direction the slope goes. You’ll then be prompted for the second point of the fence line, so cross all the contours you want to revise. You’ll then be prompted for the starting elevation (the prompt calls it “level”) and the interval.
Like CEI, you can use either positive or negative numbers at whatever interval you want to control the direction of slope, and the contours will be revised. The one thing I don’t like about this one is that you can’t make a multi-leg fence line, so if you must change direction to follow your contours, you’ll have to perform the command multiple times.
Note: Built into Civil 3D is a handy tool I use in conjunction with these three – Stepped Offset. It’s located under the “Modify” tab of the top ribbon in the “Edit Geometry” section. It allows you to perform multiple offsets of a feature at a specified distance and elevation interval:
When you initiate the command, you’ll be asked for an offset distance.
Once you do that, you’ll be asked for in elevation difference – again, you can use positive or negative integers at any interval – but you also have some other options:
Let’s cover the “Layer” option first, because you have to choose it first if you want to use it. This option allows you to choose either the same layer as the line you’re offsetting, or the current layer. That means, of course, that the original line can be on the “C-TOPO-MAJR” layer, and you can set the current layer to “C-TOPO-MINR” to offset and create minor contour lines.
If you select the grade option, it’s asking for a percentage – a 3:1 slope would be 33.3333, 4:1 is 25, and so on. For the 3:1 slope, I’d take it out four decimal places to make it work correctly.
The second option of “Slope” is easier to use. Go through the same steps, then choose Slope. An entered value of “5” means a 5:1 slope.
Last is the “Elevation” option. This simply means you can specify an elevation for each line as you place them.
Two things: One - note that when placing multiple lines, it will prompt you after each line for Grade/ Slope/Elevation/Difference. This is so you can change your parameters at any point.
Two – slopes, grades, elevation and difference all work with certain offsets. A slope of 5:1 corresponds to an offset of 5 feet, 3:1 equals 3 feet, and so on. Ensure the two of them match up.
These next three come from the acknowledged king of lisp creation, Mr. Lee Mac at Free LISP Programs | Lee Mac Programming. The thing I like most about Lee is that if you reach out to him in his Contact section, he will answer you. Though I’ve not done it, in the various forums I lurk in, several folks have mentioned that he’s custom-created lisps for them. The man is a saint in my book.
Next is the offset part. For the offset distance, you can either specify a distance or use the “Through” option. With the “Through” option, you first select the line you want to offset, then click on the point representing the offset distance you want to use –say, the base of a wall.
After selecting the distance, you’ll be prompted for a side to offset or [Multiple]. If you’re creating a slope and want to offset your line multiple line, choose “Multiple”, then the side of the line the slope is to be created on.
4. Copy2DrawingsV1-3.lsp (command line: C2DWG)
You’re going to love this one. It enables you to copy a selection of objects to a selected set of drawings, without the drawings being open. The program will first prompt you to select objects that are to be copied. After you select them and click Enter, you’ll then be prompted via a dialog interface to compile a list of drawings (dwg/dwt/dws) to which the selected objects will be copied. You use the Browse button to go to your recipient drawing folder:
Select the drawing or drawings you want in the left column and use the “Add Files” button on the bottom to send them over to the right. There’s also a “Remove Files” button that allows you to move them back:
The program will then proceed to copy every object in the selection to each selected drawing using an ObjectDBX interface.
All information associated with each copied object will be retained, including the position, scale, rotation, etc. Properties such as layers & line types will be imported if not already present in the external drawing.
A vital note: if the copied objects are in paper space, the drawing layout in which the source objects reside will be created if not already present in the external drawing.
It’s compatible with all drawing objects (including XRefs & Dynamic Blocks). The only thing it won’t copy is viewports.
Download Copy2DrawingsV1-3.lsp:
5. Copy2LayoutsV1-1.lsp (command line: C2L)
I use this one a ton. C2L lets you copy a selection of objects to all or selected layouts in a drawing. We use legends and notes in all our sheets, and I will construct them in one layout tab then simply copy them to all the others.
Once you initiate the command, you’re prompted to select objects in the active layout to copy. Following selection, you’re prompted to choose one or more layouts to which the objects will be copied: Once you’ve selected, hit “Okay” and they are copied.
Note: If you start the process with ‘C2AL’”, every object in the selection is automatically copied to all layouts in the drawing automatically, without the need for the above dialogue interface.
Download Copy2LayoutsV1-1.lsp:
6. Copy2XREFV1-2.lsp (command line: C2X)
Finally, we come to C2X, which allows you to copy a selection of objects to an xref in your drawing, without opening the xref. Copy, by the way, is a misnomer – the selected objects will actually be transferred to the xref. This is a grand way to transfer unwanted annotation in sheet drawings over to, say, the design base dwg.
After initiating the command, you’re prompted to select one or more objects to “copy”. After selection, you’re then prompted to elect the external reference (xref) to which the objects are to be copied.
Again, the program will copy the selected objects to the selected xref and delete them from the source drawing. You will see them disappear from your
drawing and appear in the xref. Once you copy them in, the xref is resaved automatically and, even if you undo your command, it’s not coming back. You’ll have to go into the xref and copy it back into the original drawing. This function will work with the xref open. When you’ve finished the process, the objects will appear in it in real time and the xref is saved.
The transferred objects will be brought into the xref in the correct position, scale, rotation and orientation of the xref relative to the selection of objects, regardless of all UCS & View settings.
Download Copy2XREFV1-2.lsp:
7. The last lisp to discuss is GoogleStreetView.lsp (command line:gsv), courtesy of Brian Strandberg at C3DK.com (C3DK.COM – Civil 3d Knowledge & Tips). This one you will lowish you had it 10 years ago. First of all, you need to make sure you have your drawing set to the correct geometric location in your drawing settings:
This lisp uses a drawing interface with Google Maps and will drop into Maps wherever mapping is available, typically on the right-of-way frontage of a property. When you initiate the routine, it will ask you to select a spot in your drawing. Click on a spot within the right-of-way in front of your site. It will open Google Maps in street view at the spot you selected. From there, you have the full functionality of Google Maps – you can travel along the right of way, rotate your view, and if you want, escape street view and go to overhead to change your position.
Download Google Street View.lsp:
An MSI program generally refers to an installation package created in the Microsoft Installer (MSI) format, commonly used for deploying software on Windows systems. These are installed by going to the program’s folder and double-clicking the program. It will install and come into CAD automatically. It will show up in the “Add-Ins” tab.
Let’s now look at three great programs from Husson Engineering and Management, an engineering company in Ontario that focuses on stormwater management and construction administration.
Working with pipe networks can be very involved. Often, you’re working with multiple networks, surfaces and alignments. The Husson group of tools (available in the Autodesk App Store) are all free and make life much simpler when working with complex networks.
It’s often necessary to use two different surfaces with a network. For instance, you have a new sanitary sewer network within a proposed subdivision, but the last manhole and pipes are typing into a pump station in an existing area that’s not being regraded. When you create a new network, you of course choose the surface to which the network will be associated. If you have a one-off structure like I just described, you can still choose the proposed surface. Create the network, including the manhole in question.
Now, go to your “Add-Ins” tab, choose “Set Pipe Network Surface” and this will come up on your command line:
In this case, you’d choose “Pipes and Structures”, select the affected items, and click enter. It will then ask you to:
If your existing surface’s style is set so that it’s showing, you can physically select it, or click enter and a box with a drop-down opens:
Click on the drop-down, choose your surface and okay out. Check on your structure’s rim elevation to ensure that it matches the surface elevation shown in your Structure Properties box.
Download HussonPipeNetworkSurface.msi:
2. Husson Tool – Set Pipe Network Alignment
As with surfaces – and in fact more frequently –pipe networks travel along multiple alignments. In this case, of course, it’s simple to associate the network with your initial alignment, construct it until it is going to be along a second alignment, go into the network properties, change the associated alignment to the new one, and continue drawing. Occasionally, however, we forget to do that, and continue to the end without changing. Husson to the rescue!
The process is identical to the surface tool – initiate the command, it will ask you if you want to select the whole network or select pipes and structures, select individual pipes and structures. It will ask you to name an alignment to reassociate them with. Click enter and a dialogue box comes up identical to the surfaces one shown above. Click the dropdown, select your alignment, okay out, and the selected parts are reassociated.
There are, of course, times when you just didn’t set the correct alignment or surface for an entire network. In that case, initiate either one of the above and choose “Entire Network”.
Download HussonPipeNetworkAlignment.msi:
3. Husson Tool – Crossing Pipe Label
Boy, do I like this one! This is great for conflict checking as it allows you to choose two pipes and
get the top of pipe/inv of pipe elevations at the crossing point. Click on the tool and it asks whether you want to label the pipes by pipe number or pipe style. I choose style, since I typically don’t number my pipes based on utility.
Once you do that, it will ask you to choose the two crossing pipes, one at a time – it doesn’t matter which one first. After that, it will ask you where you want the text label to be, and you choose a spot. It then creates a multileader – not a Civil 3D label, just a regular multileader. I say that because, if you need to change the inverts of one or both of the crossing pipes, the label will not update. You’ll need to repeat the process to see if the conflict is resolved.
Also, the multileader has a style called “Pipe_ Cross” which is enormous and ugly, and it has a box around the text. To be sure, this is typically a temporary label, but I’ve used it as a permanent one to exhibit lack of conflicts for certain clients. If you want to fashion it as permanent, first create a text style called L60 and assign whatever height and font you want. Then create an mleader style called Pipe_Cross and set its text style to L60, then set all your other leader parameters. Now, when you bring the label in, it will conform to your style.
Download HussonCrossingPipeLabel.msi:
4. This is one I don’t like, but I’m not in the business to tell you how to use tools, just what those tools can do. As a matter of fact, I don’t even have this one installed and had to install it just to write this article.
Husson Tool – Multi-Part Style Changer allows you to change the style of both pipes and structures.
I’ll say that again.
It allows you to change the style of, say, a water valve, and change it to a water well style. Me, I have all kinds of problems with that. If I want a part to be a water well, I swap parts and make a darned water well. I have no idea the logic behind this one, but here it is:
First of all, unlike the other tools, you choose either pipes or structures:
We’ll say you choose pipes. You’re first asked if you want to change all the pipes in the network (oh my God) or select pipes, and you choose:
If you choose Entire Network, you’re asked to choose one pipe in the network. After doing so, this dialogue box comes up:
You then hit the down-arrow and choose the style you want all of them to be changed to.
The process of structure is exactly the same, but with one caveat. If you change the entire network to style “Water Quality Unit”, then every single structure changes. That includes the profile style as well. Trust me, stick with “Swap Part.”
Download HussonToolsMultiplePartStyleChanger.msi:
5. Dotsoft (DotSoft Home Page - The Leading Developer of AutoCAD Add-on Utilities) has been in business for over three decades and their sole endeavor is developing add-on programming for Autocad and compatibles. They are registered developers of Autodesk, Bryscad, and Intellicad products.
Last on our list is a splendid msi called DotsoftLLCAutoWblock.msi, which is available in the Autodesk App Store. Again, it’s an MSI executable, so after installion, it’s in your Add-Ins tab.
As a CAD manager, I do a bunch of work with blocks, and I typically will create a number of related blocks in the same drawing so I can reuse certain parts – say, a number of manholes for storm, sanitary, water and so on. After I’m done, I will use
AutoWblock to export them out to individual drawings.
Initiate the routine and this dialogue box comes up:
All the blocks in the drawing are listed in the large window. You can check them singly or click on the small box with the check mark in it to select all. The empty box next to it can be used to deselect all. Under “Output Control”, click on the “Select” button to browse to where you want to save the separate drawings. Below that is the Format dropdown, and you can choose drawing formats back to 2000.
Download DotSoftLLCAutoWblock.msi:
As I mentioned at the outset, there are many, many more from Lee Mac, Dotsoft, the Autodesk App Store and others. Too many, perhaps, and like a kid in a candy store, it can be overwhelming to choose. It’s always a good idea to study the “Readme” documents or descriptions that accompany them to see if their capabilities match your needs. When you find ones that do, install them, familiarize yourself with them, then pass them along.
In the meantime, I’ll be back with another list soon.
Tom Schrecengost has 40 years of experience in land surveying and civil engineering, including survey rodman, instrument operator, survey party chief, civil designer, and CAD Manager. He has been a civil designer since 1993 and has been a Senior Civil Designer and the CAD Manager at MJ Engineering in New York since 2014. As CAD manager, he creates and maintains all of the company CAD standards and also trains the design staff in CAD methodologies and company CAD protocols. He is an Autodesk Certified Professional.
Welcome to AUGIWorld Inside Track! Check out the latest opportunities to advance your skills, processes, and workflows in your firm with the most current AEC-related software and hardware updates available.
Gentle Reader - Let’s talk about the world around…
Unlike the US, Europe (largely) mandates that deliverables be provided in the IFC format. Another reason for the popularity of the IFC format is that (again!) unlike the US, Revit, Navisworks, and other Autodesk products are not the predominant authoring tools for projects.
When I started in my new position earlier this year, I was thrown feet first into a large industrial project based in the US, which involved collaboration with overseas consultants. I’m going to share some of the lessons learned in this process!
But before that, as always, let’s get the formal introductions out of the way — Gentle Reader - IFC files IFC files - Gentle Reader
The Industry Foundation Classes format (IFC) is an open, non-proprietary, vendor and platform neutral file format for exchanging building information models. This improves interoperability between BIM related authoring tools, collaboration between stakeholders, and is a major push towards openBIM standards on a global scale. This format also serves as data preservation against obsolescence of software versions. This allows for consistent data for future development.
The latest version of the IFC schema is IFC4, which was released in 2018.
For your education, edification, enlightenment, and entertainment - here’s more information
in this whitepaper “Global IFC Mandates2024 Edition” (https://drive.google.com/file/ d/13HkZANdZgI5dZK8mLpKC_-_IsivdegeC/view)thank you, Ignacy from BIM Corner for this resource!
This can be a challenge for collaborators for whom IFC deliverables are not mandated. Knowing the Revit settings to use from the export would be most helpful! Revit gives you options to select
• File version
• Elements and Phase to export
• Coordinates to locate the model
Among others! Here are some of my favorites - that I’ve found to be useful time and againby:
2) Phase to export -
3) Export ONLY elements visible in the view.
Export or not export Linked files (this is definitely my favorite feature!).
Export 2D plan view elements Include Steel Elements
4) Geographic Reference (a DEFINITE lifesaver!!)
Now that we know how Revit can assist us hapless IFC exporters. Pray what, you may ask, O Gentle Reader, tools exist to this effect OUTSIDE of Revit? Let’s take a quick look -
Remember the DiRoots rhapsodies in my previous write-ups? I must refer to a member of that family again - ProSheets - because it also exports from Revit to IFC!!
Let’s get a quick refresher on some of the helpful things that ProSheets does for us -
You may think - Revit already has quite a few of these features natively, right? As an example, let me explore for you the IFC Export options. The major benefit of the ProSheets’ setup - all required settings for successful export to IFC are on ONE screen. Less scrolling / clicking on links to make sure you have all bases covered. Helpful, right?
A reminder about ProSheets - with DiRoots’ current shift to a Freemium model, do remember O Gentle Reader, that ProSheets will remain free, but advanced features—such as DocRegister, automatic image embedding, and scheduled batch printing—will now require a premium subscription.
Now - let’s complicate things and add NavisWorks to the mix!
But WHY, you may ask, O Gentle Reader - Navis does NOT export to IFC! Natively it doesn’t. You will need to explore third party applications to accomplish this. An example that I investigated was Codemill IFC Exporter. This is available in the Autodesk App Store with a fifteen-day trial period. You can have a permanent or rental license, single use or network license.
Caution: This app is best used to export simple Navisworks models which don’t have links. To export a file with links, you will need to select each link and then drill down to the object level. This leads to HUGE file sizes.
In addition, there is CellBIM for Excel and IFC Exporter by Nomitech.
You will need to start by preparing your file output by hiding any Models or Model Items that you don’t want to include in your export directly inside the Navisworks Scene. The IFC Exporter will convert all data displayed in the Navisworks Scene to IFC and automatically detect Elements from Model Items. No user interaction is required, all data will be available including Buildings, Sites, Storeys, Spaces, Elements, Materials, Textures, and Properties and the geometry is an exact match to what you see in Navisworks.
This is a freeware solution (HURRAY!!). The IFC files created will not have colors and properties, you can subscribe at the CellBIM Store for a registered version that will add all features to the IFC exporter.
Now let’s take a look at some tools for testing and managing IFC files!
DiStellar is an online IFC FREE viewer developed to manage BIM models. This is a completely mouse driven web app that can be opened from https:// diroots.com/apps/distellar/. You do need an account to sign in and use the tool. It supports IFC2x3 and IFC4.
To start with, you can set up your Preferences to control and override how elements are displayed. You can even set materials to be transparent to get a better view of the inside of the model!
You can add multiple IFCs and view thembut not save them.
My favorite capability is that you can use the Section Planes tool to section the model!
This add-in needs Blender 3.6 and above to run. Bonsai is another free, open source software that allows you to open, append, AND save IFC files! How cool is that!
BIMVision (by Datacomp) is another freeware IFC model viewer. It allows you to view models from authoring software like Revit, Archicad, BricsCAD BIM, Advance, DDS-CAD, Tekla, Nemetschek VectorWorks, Bentley, Allplan and others without necessity of having commercial licenses of these systems or having dedicated viewers.
It offers several plugins for purchase to tackle a variety of tasks. They can be purchased in customizable bundles to suit your purpose.
BIMvision visualizes the BIM models created in IFC format 2×3 and 4.0.
And now, O Gentle Reader, let’s take a break! Till the next issue of Inside Track - KEEP REVIT-ING!
A bit about myself. I’m the BIM Manager at Abonmarche, based in glorious Grand Rapids, Michigan (Great Lakes, anyone?). Started my Autodesk journey with AutoCAD Release 10 (remember that dreary DOS interface - and the need for super-duper spelling skills?). Learned enough Revit to stay one chapter ahead of college students in the classroom. That changed in a hurry when I made a triumphantly painful return to industry as a BIM Specialist and had to use Revit in the worst way possible. I HATED it, and grieved for my beloved AutoCAD I bid thee farewell, O Gentle Reader! Till the next Inside Track - KEEP REVITING!!! Every day! Until I figured Revit out - the rest, as they say, is history. Autodesk Expert Elite in 2018, presenter at Autodesk University since AU2019 (and I have Best Speaker awards for 2021 and 2022 to show for it!). And now here I am, to educate, enlighten, and hopefully, entertain.
Please let us know if you have some news to share with us for future issues. Likewise, if you are a featured product or news item user and would like to write a review, we want to know. Drop me a line at: rinasahay@ gmail.com. We’d love to hear from you!
In October, the Bricsys® team announced the release of their latest version of BricsCAD® V25.
Bricsys welcomed attendees with an overview of “Smart Meets Easy” which was the theme of this year’s highly anticipated online digital launch. Once again, BricsCAD has outdone itself as customerdriven updates add new features to accelerate 2D drafting, optimize 3D workflows, and work with DWGs from multiple sources.
While we might not be able to cover all of the 60+ features in this article, stay tuned and we will point you in the right direction for you to see them in action. So, let’s explore BricsCAD V25 to uncover the new features and latest advancements in CAD technology that automates workflows in a userfriendly design space.
Before diving into the specifics of the new features, it is explained that Bricsys’ commitment is reflected in four core values.
• Familiarity – Extended commands and functions for workflow parity with users’ other CAD tools
• DWG Fidelity, Compatibility, and Health – Produce more accurate deliverables with Enhanced Drawing Health tools for DWG fidelity.
• Performance and Productivity – Productivity features in a familiar UI for CAD, BIM, Mechanical, and Civil users
• Open and Interoperability – Ability to open/ import/export a wide variety of file formats and work seamlessly.
Don Strimbu (Executive Product Manager, BricsCAD Lite and Pro) says BricsCAD Lite V25 and BricsCAD Pro V25 have new tools and features to give users the best, easy-to-use CAD software for design and drafting. (See Fig 1.)
80% of the users do 2D drafting every day so BricsCAD is determined to be the best choice for a 2D DWG editor, making 2D drawings faster. Don also adds that about 15% of BricsCAD users utilize 3D modeling frequently. With BricsCAD Pro, reduce the time required to generate 2D layouts from 3D models ensuring a more accurate representation of the design. (See Fig. 2)
Surprise! 100% of BricsCAD users interoperate with DWG from multiple external sources and are created by multiple CAD products, so drawing fidelity matters; displaying the highest fidelity with the DWG regardless of where those files come from, incoming and outgoing files.
Input history – Now access and re-use input history from the command line and command context menus.
2D reference parameters – BricsCAD now supports AutoCAD® style 2D reference parameters.
CURSORMODE – Choose to switch the cursor to a solid color mode for better legibility hovering over raster imagery.
DIMJOGGED / DIMJOGLINE – New DIMJOGGED and DIMJOGLINE commands are available in BricsCAD V25.
EXPORTTOAUTOCAD – Unique to BricsCAD, create a new version of a drawing file with AEC entities converted into blocks.
Manual point-cloud classification – Automatic point-cloud classifier augmented with a manual override to supplement or replace classified objects in point clouds.
Selection Cycling – Selection Cycling makes selecting overlapping entities simple in BricsCAD.
User interface - Unique to BricsCAD, Improved search for missing attachments and better panel status updates.
BricsCAD Status Bar - Unique to BricsCAD, clear icons, and text-based buttons to understand and access functions quickly, speeding up your workflow. USENEWSTATUSBAR system variable to turn it on (1).
Built-in parametric, 2D, and 3D Blocks LibraryUnique to BricsCAD, work with familiar features in your workflows with the enhanced Blocks Library.
GEOMAPKEY – Starting in the last release of BricsCAD V24, V25 now supports importing ESRI base maps. An Esri Maps key provides access to Esri online maps and can be generated at ArcGIS Location Platform.
PEDITEX - Implemented a streamlined method for modifying PLINEs (Polylines). Try it, you’ll like it!
SCALE - Now offers a dynamic preview when dragging the mouse cursor to set an entity’s scale factor.
TABLE – Autofill - Easily click and drag to autofill TABLE cells.
TABLE – Row and column selection - Select rows and columns by selecting the column heading or the row number.
VPSCALE - Viewport scale controls added to the Status Bar for setting the layout scale simply.
Melissa Rivera, (Senior Product Manager, BricsCAD® BIM) highlights the continuous development efforts to make BricsCAD BIM the easiest path for CAD users to deliver and exchange IFC models. (See Fig. 3)
• Data Exchange: Open, edit, and share the necessary data to participate in BIM projects without increasing complexity.
• Design Changes: Easy to use 3D modeling for anyone needing to edit 3D digital assets before generating 2D documentation. (See Fig. 4)
• Reality Capture: Allows engineering to go from scan to 3D BIM, reducing complex and time-consuming tasks into a simple and fast workflow. Fewer clicks for importing scan data into 3D solids, and then converting solids to BIM parts.
Model Federation and Georeferencing – IFC - Set survey, project, and site location data to be used during IFC import and export.
BIMPROPERTIES - Import IDS-XML to add property definitions from external sources: BIMQ, BIMids. eu, ILSconfigurator.nl.
BIMWALL - Provides smarter behavior between wall connections when modeling.
BIMATTACHCOMPOSITION - Delivers better persistence-of-wall connections when changing wall thickness or compositions.
BIMINVERTSPACES - Generate 3D floor layouts based on 3D planes more accurately with predictable results.
IMPORT (IFC) - Save profile settings from the IFC Import Settings dialog box.
IMPORT (WCS) - BricsCAD BIM now stores IFC geo-reference points in the drawing: Global origin, Project origin, and Site origin.
Cliff Brown, (Executive Product Manager, BricsCAD® Mechanical) introduces the fastest route to complete and accurate production materials, inside a familiar, DWG-based CAD software for engineering and manufacturing, helping mechanical engineers optimize their designs for production.
BricsCAD Mechanical is closing the workflow gaps and providing AutoCAD Mechanical users with a true alternative for 2D mechanical design and drafting. (See Fig. 5) New tools for fast 2D mechanical design and drafting, optimizing manufacturing workflows, and leveraging 3D models for 2D documentation include:
• AutoCAD user familiarity: Dialogs, Annotation, and 2D Finite Element Analysis (FEA) experimental features
• DFX optimization tools: Assembly Sequence and Assembly Inspection
• 3D to 2D tools for accurate documentation: fast annotation for SVG files
AMRESCALE - Create scaled versions of any drawing section, and the dimension, annotation text, and positioning will automatically update.
BMASSEMBLYINSPECT – Included more 3D content and Path Clearance rule which allow parts to be checked in any direction allowing the user to validate producibility before sending designs to the shop floor.
BMARROW – Place annotation arrows in assembly instructions.
AMSURFSYM - Provides an effortless way to visually set the parameter values for surface symbol definition and to quickly position the symbol.
BMSEQUENCE - Allows mechanical assembly designers to manually create assembly sequences quickly. The new panel showcases intuitive tools for assembly sequences, streamlining the process of assembly inspection and instruction documents.
PowerDIM - Introduces a placement option for power dimensioning to snap distance-to-freeze dimension and annotation position on placement.
Rick Ellis, (Product Owner, BricsCAD® Civil/Survey Platform) tells us BricsCAD Pro V25’s Civil/Survey Toolset unlocks new capabilities tailored for civil engineering workflows, but more specifically surveyors. Furthermore, surveyors using Leica® equipment.
New and enhanced features simplify survey data integration and streamline construction documentation in BricsCAD:
• Data collection: Fast and easy access to complete survey data and import survey data from Leica in one click. (See Fig. 6)
• Drafting tools for surveyors: Added 3D String, Linear labels and tables, and Curve Calculator, providing true drafting tools for surveyors that work the way they do.
• Deliver accurate terrain models: TIN Surface smoothing provides realistic and accurate TIN surface output, even allowing TIN surfaces to be referenced from one drawing to another.
Survey data exchange: Leica to BricsCADStreamline data exchange from Leica Infinity with new tools to optimize survey data workflows.
Curve Calculator and Geometry Creator - Define curves based on any combination of curve geometry parameters and graphically pick their placement.
Line and curve labels - Create smart, dynamic user-defined labels for lines and curves to meet civil and survey standards.
Strings - Add control and enhance productivity when creating and editing break lines, importing survey data, and grading.
TIN surface data sharing - Share TIN surfaces dynamically between drawings, reducing file size and unlocking parallel workflows.
TIN surface smoothing - Smooth TIN Surfaces based on user-defined parameters to show existing surface conditions more accurately.
As promised, you can explore the 60+ features by visiting www.bricsys.com/en-us/bricscad/v25.
Want to see the latest CAD and BIM software and toolsets in action? Learn how to get more from intelligent tools and familiar features with Bricsys’ product experts. Visit www.bricsys.com/V25/ BreakoutSessions.
I am sure you noticed each of BricsCAD’s products benefits from new or enhanced tools that help users complete designs faster. BricsCAD delivers with familiarity, best-in-class interoperability, and
DWG fidelity which leads to greater performance and end-user productivity. Smart meets easy, the harmony between intelligent features and userfriendly functionality; sounds like a perfect package.
Bricsys BricsCAD is professional CAD software without compromise. Accelerate your time to deliverable without compromising on performance, cost, licensing flexibility, and data security. Not ready to buy? Download the free, 30-day trial of BricsCAD at Bricsys.com. Would you like free lessons? We have that available with Bricsys Learning. Ready to migrate to BricsCAD? Download the Migration Guide. The newly released BricsCAD V25 has even more tools and features users love, as well as new functionality and UI that supercharge productivity. Follow us today on LinkedIn and YouTube.
Bricsys, part of Hexagon®, is the global technology company that creates the BricsCAD family of computer-aided design (CAD) products and the Bricsys 24/7 project collaboration platform. We are relentlessly committed to the success of our customers by offering cost-effective, mission-
critical CAD software with industry-leading product support. Learn more at www.Bricsys.com.
Hexagon is a global leader in digital reality solutions. Learn more about Hexagon (Nasdaq Stockholm: HEXA B) at hexagon.com and follow us @HexagonAB.
Mr. Craig Swearingen is a Global Implementation Specialist and Consultant at Bricsys. Currently, Craig provides migration and implementation guidance, management strategies, and technical assistance to companies that need an alternative, compatible CAD solution. Craig spent 19 years in the civil engineering world as a technician and Civil 3D & CAD power user, becoming a support-intensive CAD/ IT manager in high-volume production environments. Craig is a longtime AUGI member (2009), a Certified Autodesk AutoCAD Professional, and he enjoys networking with other CAD users on social media.
Land surveying has evolved significantly over centuries, from early manual techniques to today’s precise digital methods. Shaped by advancements in technology, increased regulatory standards, and shifting project demands Surveyors are no longer just “measuring land”— they’re now spatial data experts essential to urban planning and development.
So since one of my partners in a survey company is also a history buff…..or nerd as I sometimes remind him, I decided to do a bit of digging on the history of land surveying, and not just from the days of chains, but WAY BACK in the day!
Egypt and Mesopotamia (3000 BCE): Early evidence of surveying in Egypt includes the use of ropes and simple tools to measure fields for taxation and to rebuild after floods (particularly after the Nile River flooded). These floods would wash away boundary markers between agricultural lands, making it necessary to reestablish property lines. They achieved this by using simple geometric principles and tools to measure distances and create the right angles.
The rope stretchers (known as “harpedonaptai”) were the surveyors who played a crucial role in this process. They used ropes with evenly spaced knots to form right angles and measure land boundaries accurately. By employing basic geometry, the Egyptians could maintain a reliable land management system, crucial for agriculture and resource allocation. This practical application of geometry was among the earliest uses of mathematical principles for civil purposes.
SURVEYORS ARE NO LONGER JUST “MEASURING LAND”— THEY’RE NOW SPATIAL DATA EXPERTS ESSENTIAL TO URBAN PLANNING
Greece and Rome (circa 500 BCE): Greek mathematicians like Thales and Pythagoras developed geometric principles that influenced surveying. Roman land surveyors, known as “agrimensores,” marked boundaries with tools like the groma and chorobates, creating efficient road networks and aqueducts. The groma was one of their key instruments, consisting of a vertical pole with cross arms at right angles, with plumb lines hanging down. By aligning the plumb lines, surveyors could establish right angles and straight lines for roads, buildings, and plots of land.
The chorobates, on the other hand, was primarily used to measure level surfaces, especially useful in constructing aqueducts, which required exact
gradients to maintain water flow. The chorobates were a long wooden or stone beam with a water trough to help ensure the surface was level. These tools, along with detailed written records, enabled the Romans to create remarkably accurate and lasting land surveys, some of which still influence property lines in Europe today!
Surveying in Europe (circa 1000-1500 CE): Between 1000 and 1500 CE, surveying in Europe evolved gradually from basic land measurements, often based on Roman traditions, to more organized practices influenced by emerging urbanization and agricultural needs. This period saw the development of manorial systems, the growth of towns, and the rise of centralized kingdoms, all of which required more accurate surveying for taxation, property ownership, and land division. Land division and ownership required more precision, particularly with the rise of feudalism. Simple tools like rods and ropes were common, while basic geometrical principles were applied sporadically. Later, surveyors in the late medieval period began using rudimentary compasses and quadrants, adapting knowledge from Middle Eastern and Greek sources. Although not highly accurate by modern standards, early maps and
property charts were used to visually represent land divisions. These maps were typically hand-drawn and often not to scale but laid the foundation for future cartographic developments.
The Theodolite (1571): English mathematician Leonard Digges is credited with inventing the theodolite, an instrument for measuring horizontal and vertical angles. The design was a groundbreaking step in surveying, enabling more accurate land measurements for applications like construction, mapping, and even military planning.
Early theodolites consisted of a base, compass, and a rotating telescope that could be aligned with specific points in the landscape. The telescope allowed surveyors to line up their measurements with distant points, and the circular scale allowed precise angle measurement. This tool also included a compass for orienting measurements relative to magnetic north.
The theodolite is still used in surveying today, although now mostly in its digital form or as part of total stations, which integrate theodolite functions with distance measurement capabilities
Vernier Scale: The Vernier scale, invented in 1631 by the French mathematician Pierre Vernier, is a precise measuring tool used to make fine adjustments in length measurements. It enhances the accuracy of readings on instruments like calipers, micrometers, and theodolites. The Vernier scale works by introducing a secondary scale, called the Vernier scale, which slides along the main scale to provide a more precise measurement by allowing readings to be made between the smallest graduations of the main scale.
The principle of the Vernier scale is based on aligning marks on the two scales to determine
finer measurements. Typically, if a main scale division is 1 mm, the Vernier scale is designed with divisions slightly shorter than that—perhaps 0.9 mm. When the scales are read together, the difference between the graduations on each scale gives readings as fine as one-tenth of the smallest division on the main scale.
This invention marked a significant advancement in scientific instrumentation, allowing for more accurate measurements in fields such as engineering, astronomy, and surveying.
Triangulation (Late 1700s): Triangulation, developed in the late 1700s, revolutionized land surveying by providing a reliable way to measure large distances and map vast areas with greater accuracy. The method relies on creating a network of triangles, a technique that allows surveyors to determine positions and distances without directly measuring every line or angle in the field. This method was key to early national mapping projects, such as the Ordnance Survey in Great Britain and the French efforts to map their territory. It was widely used because it minimized the need for direct measurements, which were labor-intensive and prone to error over long distances.
The Great Trigonometric Survey (GTS) of India was a monumental scientific endeavor conducted during the 19th century to map the Indian subcontinent using the principles of trigonometry. Led by the British colonial administration, the survey played a crucial role in establishing accurate geographical
data and developing cartographic techniques. Spanning over several decades, this ambitious project led to the creation of detailed maps of India, established foundational techniques for surveying, and contributed to several scientific advancements.
The GTS was initiated in 1802 by British surveyor William Lambton and later carried forward by George Everest, after whom Mount Everest was eventually named. The survey’s primary objective was to map India with precise detail, which was essential for military, administrative, and economic reasons. It also aimed to understand the subcontinent’s geography better, including its terrain, elevations, and distances.
Today, the Survey of India, a direct descendant of the GTS, continues the work initiated by these early surveyors, using advanced technology to build upon the foundational work laid down centuries ago.
Steel Tape Measures (Early 1900s): Replacing chains, steel tape allowed for more accurate, less labor-intensive measurements, increasing efficiency and accuracy.
Photogrammetry (Early 20th Century):
Photogrammetry in the early 20th century marked a period when the technique, still in its nascent stages, began to transition from primarily manual processes to early mechanical and optical methods. This period saw photogrammetry evolving from basic stereoscopic principles (using paired images
to gauge distances) toward more refined practices in surveying, cartography, and topography, particularly for military and civil engineering purposes. These developments laid the foundation for modern digital photogrammetry and remote sensing, transforming mapping, surveying, and geospatial analysis.
Mechanical and Optical Improvements: Refinements in theodolites and levels allowed for more detailed land surveys, supporting urban expansion and public works.
Electronic Distance Measurement (EDM) (1950s-1970s): Devices like the Tellurometer used microwave signals to measure distances with incredible accuracy, revolutionizing the field by reducing the need for line-of-sight measurements over vast distances.
Global Positioning System (GPS) (1980s): With the launch of satellites, GPS transformed surveying by enabling precise positioning without traditional surveying lines. GPS eliminated many previous limitations, allowing surveys in remote and difficultto-access areas.
Total Stations (1980s): Combining the theodolite, EDM, and electronic data recording in one instrument, total stations streamlined surveying workflows. This technology quickly became standard for surveyors.
Drones and LiDAR: The use of drones and LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) technology allows surveyors to quickly gather detailed topographic data over large areas. LiDAR uses laser pulses to create 3D models of the terrain with high precision, even through dense vegetation.
GIS Integration: Geographic Information Systems (GIS) enable surveyors to store, analyze, and visualize spatial data. GIS mapping tools are central to land management, urban planning, and infrastructure projects.
Real-Time Kinematic (RTK) GPS: RTK improves GPS accuracy by using a fixed base station to send correction data to the rover, providing centimeterlevel accuracy in real time, which is essential for tasks that require exact positioning.
Automation and Robotics: Automation and robotics are increasingly transforming the land surveying industry, enhancing efficiency, accuracy, and safety in various processes. Surveying robots and automated instruments can conduct routine measurements with minimal human input, increasing efficiency.
AI and Machine Learning: These technologies are being integrated to analyze massive data sets collected from LiDAR, photogrammetry, and remote sensing, potentially automating pattern recognition and anomaly detection. Algorithms can now assist in classifying land types, identifying structures, and detecting changes in land use. This trend will allow surveyors to extract insights
faster, freeing them to focus on analysis rather than data management.
Digital Twin Technology:
Digital twins are digital replicas of physical spaces that integrate real-time data from sensors and monitoring equipment. These twins are becoming popular for complex infrastructure projects, such as smart cities, where stakeholders need continuous monitoring and control over large systems.
Land surveyors are increasingly creating digital twins for real estate and construction projects, providing an interactive model of the physical landscape.
Surveying has moved from simple line-and-rope methods to sophisticated technologies that map the world in unprecedented detail, responding to both technological advancements and societal needs for accuracy in land management. As these technologies mature, the role of surveyors will expand beyond traditional boundaries to include responsibilities in data analysis, environmental stewardship, and even digital asset management. This trend toward a data-driven, technologyenabled approach will help surveyors meet the complex demands of future development projects. So next time someone asks what the future of land surveying looks like, maybe we start with reminding them of the past! Surveyors have been around for a long time, and they’re not going anywhere anytime soon.
Shawn has been a part of the surveying and design engineering community for roughly 20 years in all aspects of design, construction and software implementations. He has implemented and trained companies across the Country on Civil 3D and other infrastructure tools and their best practice workflows. Shawn can be reached for comments or questions at sherring@ prosoftnet.com.
Autodesk University 2024 showcased Autodesk’s latest innovations for the AECO (Architecture, Engineering, Construction, and Operations) industry, emphasizing a future shaped by advanced BIM, AI-driven tools, and connected data ecosystems. Key highlights included outcome-based BIM for sustainability, AI-powered features like Autodesk Assistant for enhanced project guidance, and deeper integrations across Autodesk’s suite, including Autodesk Forma and Docs, that streamline workflows and reduce inefficiencies. These tools empower AECO professionals to
improve project speed, accuracy, and sustainability, tackling challenges like carbon reduction and realtime collaboration. As Autodesk pioneers these advancements, it positions AECO teams to adapt confidently to evolving industry demands, making way for a more connected, data-centric, and environmentally responsible future.
As the excitement of Autodesk University 2024 (AU24) settles, AECO (Architecture, Engineering, Construction, and Operations) professionals are reflecting on the transformative ideas that emerged. This year’s event not only celebrated
Autodesk’s latest innovations but also offered a forward-thinking vision for how we design, build, and sustain our world. From advancements in AI and connected data environments to groundbreaking shifts in Building Information Modeling (BIM), AU24 showcased tools that are meeting today’s industry demands while shaping tomorrow’s potential workflows. These technologies are tackling some of the industry’s biggest challenges: how BIM can drive sustainability and reduce carbon footprints, how AI can increase productivity and redefine design, and how integrated data systems can enhance collaboration and streamline project outcomes.
In exploring these key areas, AU24 highlighted Autodesk’s commitment to helping AECO professionals not just adapt but thrive amid evolving industry expectations. This year’s innovations are equipping teams with the tools they need to work smarter, faster, and more sustainably, enabling them to deliver impactful, data-driven projects that align with both current standards and future demands.
Let’s take a closer look at the technologies and ideas that are redefining AECO’s future. These key takeaways from AU24 reveal how Autodesk is empowering professionals to lead projects with precision, efficiency, and a clear focus on sustainability.
As AECO professionals tackle the complexities of modern construction projects, Autodesk’s evolution of Building Information Modeling (BIM) has become central to addressing both immediate project needs and long-term sustainability goals. At AU24, Autodesk underscored its shift toward outcome-based BIM, an approach that reframes
BIM as a strategy for managing projects not only in terms of design and function but also with a focus on measurable, real-world impacts throughout the entire lifecycle. This expanded perspective on BIM aligns technology with today’s industry priorities, where sustainability, lifecycle efficiency, and practical resource management are key.
Autodesk’s outcome-based BIM approach shifts the focus from BIM as a design tool to BIM as a strategic solution for sustainability and efficiency. At a time when the AECO industry faces heightened pressure from accelerated project timelines, constrained budgets, and rising environmental concerns, outcome-based BIM empowers project teams to actively manage resource use, reduce waste, and support carbon neutrality from the start. This approach enhances decision-making across the project’s lifecycle, from initial planning through post-occupancy, enabling teams to set actionable sustainability goals.
like Autodesk Forma’s
Carbon Analysis allow designers to assess the environmental impact of materials and construction methods during the early design phase. This foresight supports project decisions that align with sustainability goals and helps prevent wasteful practices before they are embedded in the project. By integrating carbon analysis into design workflows, AECO professionals are now better equipped to pursue carbon-neutral construction practices without compromising the aesthetic or functional intent of their projects.
Data-driven collaboration was another focal point of AU24, and Autodesk demonstrated how platforms like Autodesk Docs and Autodesk Forma enable AECO teams to work from a single, centralized source of truth. This unified approach to project data helps eliminate silos that often disrupt project workflows, enabling real-time collaboration among all stakeholders—from architects and engineers to contractors and facility managers—throughout each phase of a project.
Autodesk Docs serves as a Common Data Environment (CDE), consolidating essential project documents, models, and information into one
organized location. This setup reduces the risks associated with outdated or inconsistent data, enabling AECO professionals to share accurate, upto-date information seamlessly across tools such as Revit, AutoCAD, and Civil 3D. Autodesk Forma enhances this capability by offering the Forma Board, a digital whiteboard that allows stakeholders to collectively review live models, discuss design concepts, and implement real-time adjustments. This collaborative space reduces the likelihood of rework, creates a shared project vision, and optimizes resource allocation.
The impact of BIM on sustainability in AECO is profound and multi-faceted. With outcome-based BIM and data-driven collaboration, Autodesk empowers AECO professionals to make sustainable, data-backed decisions at each phase of a project. BIM models allow teams to meticulously plan resources, identifying areas of potential waste before construction begins, which translates into both environmental and cost-saving benefits. Autodesk Forma’s carbon analysis tools enable project teams to evaluate and select lower-impact materials, contributing to carbon reduction goals without sacrificing quality or performance.
Through the comprehensive data embedded in BIM, AECO professionals are designing buildings that provide energy efficiency and sustainability benefits long after the construction phase. From maximizing natural light and temperature regulation to reducing long-term operational energy consumption, BIM-driven data insights allow AECO teams to design structures that reduce greenhouse gas emissions and support sustainability beyond the project’s initial footprint.
Autodesk’s advancements in outcome-based BIM and data-driven collaboration represent a significant evolution in AECO practices, providing professionals with tools to meet both project and environmental objectives. By fostering a sustainable and efficient approach to design and construction, outcome-based BIM enables AECO teams to create a built environment that meets today’s needs without compromising the resilience and resources of future generations. As these tools continue to evolve, AECO professionals are empowered to make substantial progress toward building a sustainable future for the industry and beyond.
At AU24, Autodesk showcased how artificial intelligence (AI) is transforming AECO workflows, introducing a suite of AI-driven tools designed to simplify project data management, optimize design processes, and align construction practices with sustainability goals. By embedding AIpowered features within tools like Autodesk Assistant, Autodesk Forma, Revit, and AutoCAD, Autodesk is enabling AECO professionals to work more intelligently and efficiently. These AI-driven innovations support enhanced collaboration, automated workflows, and data-rich decisionmaking that improve both project outcomes and environmental impact.
One of the most notable AI innovations unveiled at AU24 is Autodesk Assistant, an AI-powered tool within Autodesk Construction Cloud that enhances how AECO teams access, interpret, and use project data. Autodesk Assistant allows users to interact with their data through natural language queries, so users can ask specific questions about project specifications, documentation, or details and receive real-time responses. This capability reduces the time spent searching through data and documentation, helping teams stay aligned on essential details and quickly access the information they need.
Autodesk Assistant can assist users in navigating complex specification documents, generating clear summaries, and compiling lists of required components or materials, reducing oversight risks and improving project efficiency. As Autodesk Assistant continues to evolve, its capabilities are expected to expand to include predictive insights and proactive suggestions, further enhancing productivity and helping AECO professionals make
informed decisions throughout the project lifecycle. By integrating AI-powered assistance directly into project workflows, Autodesk enables teams to leverage data as a strategic asset, allowing them to stay focused on project-critical tasks.
Autodesk’s embodied carbon analysis tools within Autodesk Forma reflect the increasing focus on sustainability within the AECO industry. These AIenhanced tools empower designers to evaluate the carbon impact of materials and construction methods at the earliest stages of a project. By enabling teams to make informed decisions about sustainability from the start, these tools allow AECO professionals to minimize a project’s environmental footprint before it becomes embedded in the design.
Using embodied carbon analysis, teams can explore material choices and design alternatives with a clear view of their environmental impact, selecting lower-impact materials or refining resource-intensive design elements to align with carbon reduction targets. This proactive approach supports industry goals for responsible, low-impact development, while also ensuring that sustainability remains integral to project planning. Beyond simply measuring carbon, the lifecycle-oriented AI in embodied carbon analysis helps AECO teams make adjustments that reduce long-term operational emissions and resource consumption, positioning AECO firms to meet both regulatory standards and client expectations.
In Revit and AutoCAD, AI-driven automation enhances precision and simplifies workflows, enabling AECO professionals to dedicate more time to value-added tasks and reduce time spent on manual processes. Recent updates bring intelligent automation to drafting and documentation, supporting teams in managing complex projects with accuracy and consistency.
In Revit, AI-powered automation aids in document management, with features like Sheet Collections that allow project teams to organize and maintain large document sets efficiently. This capability ensures that all documentation remains accessible and up to date throughout the project lifecycle,
reducing the risk of errors and simplifying workflow. AutoCAD now includes real-time AI-assisted insights that provide immediate feedback on design choices, allowing users to make informed adjustments early in the design phase. This tool enables AECO professionals to catch potential issues before they escalate, streamlining project timelines and improving overall design quality.
These AI-powered tools reflect Autodesk’s commitment to reducing manual work, improving data accuracy, and supporting high-quality project delivery. By enhancing automation in Revit and AutoCAD, Autodesk enables AECO professionals to execute projects with greater precision and efficiency, aligning with the industry’s growing demand for reliable, streamlined workflows.
Autodesk’s integration of AI in AECO workflows represents a significant evolution in how the industry approaches design, collaboration, and sustainability. Advanced AI enables AECO professionals to accelerate decision-making processes, design with sustainability in mind, and achieve consistency across complex projects. As these capabilities continue to expand, here’s how AI is expected to reshape AECO workflows:
• AI-driven insights, like those offered by Autodesk Assistant, help teams quickly access essential information, streamlining decision-making and aligning project goals. The sustainability-focused embodied carbon analysis in Autodesk Forma demonstrates AI’s potential to prioritize environmental impact in design choices. As AI technology evolves, it will integrate more environmental data, enabling AECO teams to make choices that optimize both functionality and sustainability.
• Increased automation within Revit and AutoCAD reduces human error and improves consistency, ensuring that design intent remains intact across project stages. This is especially valuable in large projects, where even minor inconsistencies can lead to significant issues. AI-facilitated collaboration allows realtime data sharing and intelligent queries, enabling clearer communication and project alignment. By providing a unified source of accurate, actionable information, AI fosters a collaborative environment where decisions are cohesive, and project timelines stay on track.
• Autodesk’s commitment to AI-driven innovation signals a transformative shift in AECO practices. By integrating AI across its toolset, Autodesk is equipping AECO professionals with powerful capabilities to tackle complex projects with greater insight, efficiency, and environmental responsibility. As AI technology continues to develop, Autodesk’s vision for an AIempowered AECO industry highlights a future where professionals are prepared to meet the demands of today’s projects while embracing the opportunities of tomorrow.
In the AECO industry, connected data and integrated workflows are essential to improving collaboration, reducing errors, and driving better project outcomes. Autodesk is at the forefront of this transformation, creating a unified digital ecosystem that strengthens connectivity across platforms, teams, and project stages. By linking critical AECO tools such as Autodesk Forma and Autodesk Docs, and enriching workflows with real-world geographic data from sources like Esri’s ArcGIS, Autodesk enriches a seamless flow of information that empowers AECO professionals to make informed, data-driven decisions at every step.
The integration of Autodesk Forma with Autodesk Docs represents a substantial leap forward in bridging early design and operational workflows, making critical project data accessible to all stakeholders from initial planning through to construction and operation. Autodesk Docs serves as a common data environment, centralizing and securely organizing essential project documents, models, and data in one place. This unified structure provides real-time access and coordination, ensuring that architects, engineers, contractors, and facility managers remain aligned and informed at every stage of the project.
Autodesk Forma builds on this connectivity by offering tools for conceptual design and planning that integrate seamlessly with Autodesk Docs. Within Forma, the Forma Board—a collaborative digital whiteboard—enables teams to review live models, discuss design concepts, and implement real-time adjustments. By fostering early-stage collaboration, Forma and Docs allow AECO professionals to finalize decisions early in the project timeline, reducing the likelihood of costly rework during construction and ensuring continuity as projects transition from design to implementation. This unified approach supports a single source of truth, creating a connected project lifecycle where data flows smoothly between design, construction, and operations.
Autodesk’s partnership with Esri introduces a new layer of geographic intelligence into AECO workflows, bringing essential real-world data into Autodesk Forma that enhances project resilience and adaptability. By incorporating geographic data from Esri’s ArcGIS, AECO professionals gain access to contextual insights about terrain, zoning, infrastructure, and environmental considerations that inform early-stage design decisions.
This collaboration enables architects, planners, and engineers to make data-informed choices that account for environmental, regulatory, and community factors. For instance, by integrating sitespecific data, such as flood risk zones, conservation areas, or utility constraints, teams can identify and address potential challenges early in the design process. This proactive approach ensures that projects align with local environmental standards and regulatory requirements, reducing approval times and promoting sustainable development. By embedding geographic data directly into the design workflow, Autodesk and Esri empower AECO professionals to develop solutions that are both resilient and environmentally responsive.
Autodesk Construction Cloud continues to evolve as a robust hub for managing construction projects, offering tools that simplify data management and improve collaboration among stakeholders. Enhanced features within Autodesk Build, including Sample Project Templates and Budget Snapshots,
provide project managers with standardized workflows and real-time budget tracking capabilities. These tools reduce setup time, ensure consistent data structures, and provide real-time insights into financial status, which are essential for cost-effective, on-time project delivery.
Moreover, Civil 3D’s enhanced collaboration tools within Autodesk Construction Cloud enable engineers and construction managers to share and access project data seamlessly, visualizing essential infrastructure elements such as grading, utilities, and site constraints directly within the model. This level of integration supports efficient project planning and decision-making, reducing the risk of rework and improving overall project efficiency. By enabling teams to visualize, coordinate, and manage complex data in real-time, Autodesk Construction Cloud strengthens collaboration across disciplines, creating a more cohesive construction process.
The adoption of connected data environments and integrated workflows in AECO brings significant business advantages by increasing productivity, minimizing rework, and enabling agile, informed decision-making. Centralizing data access reduces the risk of errors and fosters more effective collaboration by ensuring all project teams operate from an accurate, up-to-date source of information. Real-time data access enables teams to anticipate challenges and respond proactively, while geographic integrations, like those with ArcGIS, add valuable environmental insights that support compliance and promote sustainable practices.
By unifying data across platforms and improving connectivity, Autodesk empowers AECO professionals to deliver projects more efficiently, sustainably, and cost-effectively. As the AECO industry continues to evolve, Autodesk’s advancements in data integration and connectivity set a new benchmark for collaboration, positioning teams to tackle modern construction and infrastructure projects with increased precision, accountability, and success.
Autodesk’s core products – AutoCAD, Civil 3D, and Revit – are indispensable to the daily workflows of AECO professionals, driving efficiencies from initial design through construction
documentation. At AU24, Autodesk revealed key updates that streamline processes, elevate productivity, and address user feedback for a more connected and intuitive experience. Alongside these improvements, Autodesk Construction Cloud continues to evolve with new features in Autodesk Build and Civil 3D collaboration tools, demonstrating Autodesk’s commitment to enhanced project management and data visualization capabilities. These advancements align with broader industry trends, where AI and integrated data environments are transforming how projects are planned, managed, and executed.
Autodesk’s ongoing investment in AutoCAD, Civil 3D, and Revit targets speed, interoperability, and user-centered functionality, helping AECO professionals work more effectively and collaboratively.
AutoCAD 2025: The latest version of AutoCAD offers load times that are twice as fast as previous versions, allowing users to spend less time waiting and more time designing. This improvement supports quicker project iterations and the ability to work with larger, more complex files effortlessly. A notable feature in the pipeline is the private beta of real-time insights, which enables users to access near-instant feedback and performance metrics directly within AutoCAD, improving design quality and reducing potential errors.
Civil 3D: Civil 3D’s latest updates, particularly in Autodesk Collaboration for Civil 3D, include enhanced sectioning and infrastructure measurement tools. These features allow civil engineers to integrate 3D models more effectively, visualize design implications with greater precision, and manage critical project information seamlessly.
In addition, updates to the web-based Sheet Set Manager align its functionality with the desktop version, enabling consistent sheet set management across different locations and devices.
Revit 2025: Revit’s enhancements stem directly from user feedback, delivering improved workflow efficiency and greater interoperability. Key updates include the introduction of Sheet Collections, which allow users to group, organize, and manage document sets for large projects more efficiently. Expanded PDF functionality also simplifies document sharing, enabling project teams to create, combine, and distribute files seamlessly. Revit’s improved interoperability with other Autodesk platforms supports more open BIM workflows, making it easier for AECO professionals to collaborate across various software environments. Additionally, Revit’s performance and personalization upgrades allow users to customize their workspace and streamline repetitive tasks for a more tailored, efficient experience.
These enhancements demonstrate Autodesk’s commitment to user-centered development, reducing workflow friction and enabling AECO professionals to focus on design and project delivery. By incorporating feedback and fine-tuning core features, Autodesk ensures that its tools evolve in line with the needs of AECO professionals, supporting both current demands and future industry shifts.
Visualization with Autodesk Construction Cloud
Autodesk Construction Cloud continues to serve as a centralized hub for managing construction projects, providing tools that simplify data visualization and enhance collaboration. Recent updates to Autodesk Build and new collaboration features in Civil 3D enable project teams to work seamlessly across platforms and gain valuable insights through real-time data visualization.
Autodesk Build: The latest additions to Autodesk Build focus on improving project transparency and management. New Sample Project Templates provide standardized templates for common project types, simplifying setup and ensuring consistent data structures from the outset. Budget Snapshots, another new feature, allow project managers to capture and monitor budget status throughout different project phases, delivering real-
time insights into financial health. This functionality enhances cost control and supports teams in staying on budget, which is essential for successful project outcomes.
3D
Tools: Civil 3D’s enhanced collaboration features within Autodesk Construction Cloud offer seamless integration for sharing and visualizing project data. This integration empowers civil engineers and construction managers to coordinate infrastructure planning and construction workflows with greater clarity and precision. For example, improved data visualization capabilities enable stakeholders to view and assess infrastructure elements, such as grading and underground utilities, directly within the project model. This clear visualization of site constraints and construction requirements helps reduce rework, improve decision-making, and boost overall project efficiency.
These updates underscore Autodesk’s dedication to improving transparency, accountability, and efficiency throughout the project lifecycle. By equipping AECO professionals with enhanced project management and data visualization tools, Autodesk Construction Cloud ensures that teams have the insights needed to deliver successful, datarich projects.
The advancements across AutoCAD, Civil 3D, Revit, and Autodesk Construction Cloud reflect Autodesk’s vision of an AI-driven, data-centric AECO industry. These enhancements are redefining how projects are conceptualized, designed, and executed by empowering teams to operate more quickly, collaborate more effectively, and make data-driven decisions that align with client and project goals.
Increased speed and efficiency are achieved through faster load times in AutoCAD and streamlined document management in Revit, allowing AECO teams to focus on high-value tasks and creative problem-solving. Improved collaboration and connectivity in Civil 3D and Autodesk Construction Cloud ensure that all project stakeholders access and work from realtime data, which is especially valuable in complex, multi-disciplinary projects. The availability of realtime insights, such as those provided by AutoCAD and Autodesk Build’s budget tracking, enhances
decision-making by equipping teams with up-todate, actionable information.
Autodesk’s focus on user-driven development and customization, exemplified by the updates in Revit, demonstrates the company’s commitment to adapting its tools to meet the specific requirements of AECO professionals. This adaptability allows teams to customize workflows and improve overall productivity, fostering a software environment that evolves alongside the AECO industry’s dynamic needs.
By prioritizing speed, connectivity, and user feedback, Autodesk is providing AECO professionals with tools that meet the rigorous demands of modern construction and infrastructure projects. These core product enhancements reflect Autodesk’s vision of a connected, data-driven AECO industry, where teams can deliver high-quality projects more efficiently, sustainably, and with greater impact.
Autodesk University 2024 offered AECO professionals an insightful glimpse into the future, showcasing Autodesk’s vision for an industry defined by innovation, sustainability, and datadriven collaboration. From outcome-based BIM fostering sustainable design to the seamless integration of Autodesk Forma and Autodesk Docs, Autodesk is transforming the AECO landscape with tools that support smarter, more efficient project lifecycles. With advancements in AIdriven automation, like Autodesk Assistant and embodied carbon analysis, Autodesk reinforces its commitment to sustainability and intelligent workflows that meet the challenges of modern projects head-on.
The latest updates in AutoCAD, Civil 3D, Revit, and Autodesk Construction Cloud have streamlined processes and empowered AECO teams to work with greater speed, accuracy, and connectivity. As these core tools evolve, Autodesk ensures that AECO professionals have the resources they need to adapt to a complex, interconnected industry and deliver high-quality, data-rich projects with confidence.
Yet, this is just the beginning of Autodesk’s journey toward an even more innovative and environmentally responsible AECO industry.
As AI and connected data environments continue to advance, Autodesk’s roadmap promises exciting possibilities—transforming how AECO professionals design, construct, and operate buildings and infrastructure. What new breakthroughs will redefine the way we approach the built environment? How will deeper data integration and predictive AI shape the industry’s response to sustainability and project complexity? Autodesk’s ongoing commitment to innovation and environmental responsibility signals a promising future, where AECO professionals are equipped to build a smarter, more resilient, and sustainable world.
Jordan Bullock is a Technical Specialist and Implementation Consultant who is recognized by Autodesk and Bluebeam as a Certified Instructor.
Jordan has over a decade of experience immersed in construction technology and extensive experience in Computer-Aided Design (CAD) & Building Information Modeling (BIM). His approach to education seamlessly merges creative visualization with meticulous documentation, enabling the simplification of intricate concepts into easily digestible materials. Guided by the mantra “Learn, Grow, & Educate,” Jordan embodies an unwavering commitment to perpetual learning, an innate drive toward continuous advancement, and a passionate mission to share knowledge indefinitely.
As we reach the end of 2024, it’s time to reflect on the significant developments and trends that have shaped the industry as well as shaped myself over the past year. This article delves into the key advancements, from the release of Revit 2025 and its subsequent updates to the introduction of Autodesk’s Content Catalog. We’ll also explore the impact of large language models like ChatGPT and Microsoft CoPilot, and the innovative AI tools transforming Revit workflows. Additionally, we’ll highlight the importance of industry conferences and the valuable insights they provide. Join me as I navigate through the pivotal moments and technological strides that have defined 2024.
In early April, Revit 2025 was released. As I wrote in my What’s New article earlier this year, while there were a decent number of features and enhancements, Revit 2025 only had 4 MEP related updates. One of the biggest changes to Revit 2025 was the switch from .NET4.8 to .NET8. This affected all the add-ins that we use daily. These
add-ins, while usually available shortly after a new version’s release, have taken months upon months to get updated to work with Revit 2025. I want to commend those developers for pushing through those major changes to get us, the end user, the tools that we love. Unfortunately, some of those add-ins are still not ready for use.
Shortly after its initial release, 2025.1 was also released. When 2025.2 was released on July 23rd, the most notable of the handful of improvements was the Tabbed Browser and the new Manage Links dialogue. October 14th marked the release of Revit 2025.3 with just seven, yes seven, updates. We finally got an in-context spell checker. This means that as you are editing text, misspelled words are underlined. I am not currently using Revit 2025 so I cannot tell you if that works in Tags or Schedules but there is no mention of that in the Autodesk Help page for it, so I don’t think it does. While I was writing this, I opened 2025 and did some testing. I can confirm as of the writing of this article, that this does not work in Tags or Schedules.
I still believe, as I wrote in last year’s Insights article, that “Autodesk needs to adapt, innovate, and change otherwise more companies will lose faith and jump ship to a competitor who is doing more innovative things for the industry”.
I would like to discuss Autodesk’s Content Catalog. Following Autodesk’s acquisition of Unifi Labs in March 2023, the platform was rebranded as Content Catalog. After an extensive beta testing phase, Content Catalog (CC) was officially launched in August 2024 and is now integrated into Autodesk Docs, available at no additional cost for users with access through AEC Collection licenses, BIM Collaborate/Collaborate Pro, or specific entitlements to Autodesk Docs.
Initially, CC lacked several features previously available in Unifi v3, such as Content Request, Batch Editor, Manufacturer Channels, and Project Analytics. For further details, the Unifi Labs website provides a comprehensive FAQ section.
Over the past five months, I have consistently advised against transitioning to Content Catalog for those currently using Unifi V3 due to the absence of several key features. The feature set of Content Catalog does not yet match that of Unifi, which may result in disruptions to your established workflows and procedures. If you depend on any features that are absent in Content Catalog, the transition will likely be unsatisfactory. Please note, there is no method to migrate your Unifi v3 content to Content Catalog. All saved searches, tags, and libraries (now referred to as collections) will need to be recreated from scratch and manually uploaded or exported to Content Catalog.
However, for individuals who have never used Unifi, Content Catalog offers an excellent content management solution that seamlessly integrates with Autodesk Docs. It provides a streamlined way to manage, organize, and access BIM content directly from the cloud, which enhances collaboration and efficiency. Furthermore, the platform supports cloud-based file upgrades, ensuring that users always have access to the latest versions of their content. Currently, Content Catalog is available at no additional cost for users with Autodesk Docs, making it a valuable resource for teams looking to optimize their workflows without incurring extra expenses.
Currently, there are four major players in this field: ChatGPT, Microsoft CoPilot, Gemini, and Claude. ChatGPT was released to the public in November 2022 and quickly gained users. Microsoft CoPilot was launched shortly after and utilizes OpenAI’s codex and GPT models. Microsoft has made significant investments in OpenAI, which aligns with their use of OpenAI’s technology for Microsoft CoPilot. The first version of Claude was introduced in March 2023. Gemini, developed by Google, was released in December 2023.
I would like to begin by stating that I am a subscriber of both ChatGPT+ and Microsoft CoPilot Pro, and I actively utilize both services. The sequence of events leading to this situation is rather interesting. As a Microsoft 365 subscriber, I was enthusiastic about the announcement of Microsoft CoPilot and its potential integrations with Microsoft Office applications, such as Word and PowerPoint. However, initially, CoPilot was available only to certain companies and not to the general public. Due to this limitation, I began using the free version of ChatGPT. After experiencing satisfactory results with ChatGPT, I decided to upgrade to the personal paid subscription for a full year.
Unexpectedly, approximately three days later, Microsoft released CoPilot for Windows and Microsoft Office, albeit requiring a paid subscription. This development presented me with a dilemma. On one hand, I had just committed to a year-long subscription with ChatGPT+. On the other hand, I was keen on leveraging CoPilot’s integration with Microsoft Office. When I considered canceling my ChatGPT+ subscription, I discovered that even if canceled, the subscription would remain active until the renewal date, without any refund.
Ultimately, I chose to subscribe to CoPilot Pro specifically for its Microsoft Office functionality. In retrospect, I do not regret this decision. Both ChatGPT and CoPilot Pro serve distinct purposes for me. By posing the same questions to both, I obtain different insights and results. Primarily, I use CoPilot Pro for tasks within Microsoft Office and rely on ChatGPT+ for various other requirements.
I like being able to revisit my history within ChatGPT or CoPilot. I have asked both to generate images for me with varying results. I do find some of the images to be awkward if text is included and a
lot of that text is misspelled or gibberish. Maybe I am not giving them good enough prompts. *shrugs* I just recently asked ChatGPT to generate some Halloween-themed images for my one-year anniversary issue of my Buildings BIM Bulletin at Garver. I have included one here for you all.
I utilize ChatGPT for tasks such as calculating values based on specific criteria, generating themed quotes to be included in my BIM Bulletins, and conducting various information-gathering searches. For CoPilot, I mostly use it within Word and PowerPoint to assist with rewriting text or creating PowerPoint slides from diverse information sources. Both tools have proven to be highly beneficial in my work over the past year, and I anticipate continuing to use them in 2025. Garver is currently testing CoPilot internally and may implement it companywide in the near future. If this occurs, I will fully embrace the tool and integrate it into my daily workflows, meetings, and other activities involving Microsoft Office.
As for Gemini and Claude, I have not really used them. Even though I am an avid Android user and just recently picked up a Google Pixel 9 Pro, I have
not used Gemini as of yet. If you have used either of them, feel free to reach out and share your experiences with them. I would love to hear it.
Last year I wrote that AI was all the rage, despite being a thing since the 50’s. Lots of AI tech companies have popped up and some of them have disappeared as quickly as they appeared. There are a few standouts in the AI space for Revit,
Veras from EvolveLabs, WiseBIM AI and Skema AI. Veras is an AI rendering tool for Revit that significantly enhances Revit models by incorporating realistic materials, lighting, and backgrounds. This powerful tool allows architects to create highly detailed and visually stunning renderings directly within Revit, eliminating the need to export models to other rendering software. By integrating seamlessly with Revit, Veras streamlines the workflow, saving valuable time and effort.
One of the standout features of Veras is its ability to apply realistic materials to Revit models. Users can select from a vast library of pre-defined materials or create custom materials to suit their project
requirements. This level of customization ensures that the final renderings accurately reflect the intended design aesthetics and materials.
Lighting is another critical aspect where Veras excels. It offers advanced lighting tools that simulate natural and artificial lighting conditions, allowing architects to visualize how their designs will look in different lighting scenarios. This feature is particularly useful for evaluating the impact of lighting on interior spaces and making informed decisions about lighting design.
The tool offers a user-friendly experience by allowing users to select types for exterior and dividing walls, single and double doors, main windows, and floors. It also includes functionality to identify rooms within the imported files. While the initial conversion provides a strong foundation, some manual clean-up may be required to perfect the model. Overall, WiseBIM AI is an excellent starting point for architects and designers aiming to efficiently build 3D models from 2D data.
In addition to materials and lighting, Veras also enhances backgrounds and environments. Users can choose from various background settings, such as urban landscapes, natural scenery, or custom environments, to provide context and depth to their renderings. This ability to place Revit models within realistic environments helps convey the project’s vision more effectively to clients and stakeholders.
Furthermore, Veras is designed to be user-friendly and accessible, even for those who may not have extensive experience with rendering software. Its intuitive interface and straightforward workflow make it easy for users to quickly learn and utilize its features. This ease of use, combined with its powerful capabilities, makes Veras an invaluable tool for architects looking to elevate the quality of their Revit renderings.
Overall, Veras is a cost-effective and highly efficient solution for creating professional-grade renderings within Revit. By enhancing the visual appeal and realism of Revit models, Veras helps architects present their designs in the best possible light, ultimately leading to more successful project outcomes.
WiseBIM AI is an innovative tool designed to transform 2D drawings into 3D models within Revit. It handles various file formats, including DWG, JPG, BMP, PNG, TIFF, PDF, and DXF. By converting these 2D files into 3D Revit elements, such as walls, doors, windows, floors, and rooms, WiseBIM AI streamlines the modeling process and saves significant time.
Finally, let’s turn our attention to Skema AI. Specifically tailored for projects featuring repetitive units or rooms, such as multi-family housing, hospitality, or healthcare facilities, Skema AI presents a unique advantage. Users must first create a comprehensive catalog of these typical units or rooms. Once this database is established, it becomes remarkably efficient to select and place the desired units within a model. Furthermore, Skema AI can automatically generate room layouts based on the building’s footprint and designated common areas. This tool also allows for easy substitutions, enabling users to swap units from the catalog with unparalleled ease. For architectural firms specializing in these project types, Skema AI proves indispensable, optimizing both design precision and workflow efficiency.
I really miss the BILTNA conference, formerly known as RTCNA, and I was truly bummed to hear that it was not going to happen in 2024. RTC is a staple of the AEC industry. While it began in Australia, it was brought over to the states in 2010. It also expanded into Europe and Asia as well. I attended in 2014 and 2015 but not again until 2021 (virtually). I finally attended as a speaker in 2023. Wes, if you are reading this, please bring it back to the states! In the wake of BILTNA’s absence a few new conferences came into the fold, AUGI CON and BIM Invitational Meetup.
At AUGI CON, I was one of 12 main speakers, some of which were round tables with a few added folks to them. I had the pleasure of presenting with Jason Kunkel and Jason Peters about 3 BIM Models, 3 Outcomes, 3 Dead Ends. It was a great experience, and I am looking forward to what AUGI CON 2025 brings either as a speaker or attendee.
A few months ago, I wrote an article on the Importance of Industry Conferences. In it, I highlighted my time at the BIM Invitational Meetup. While it was on the smaller side, the things that were discussed were meaningful and very impactful and comprised of the best parts of traditional conferences, the conversions and networking between sessions. I highly recommend attending this conference in 2025. Registration opens in January with a July 28-29 date already established.
I did not attend Autodesk University (AU) in person this year. Although I had the opportunity, our company-wide Garver Summit was scheduled for the same week. I submitted our AUGI CON session for AU, but it was unfortunately rejected. I later found out that many industry leaders I know also had their sessions rejected, which made me feel less disappointed.
I managed to attend some virtual sessions. However, as with most virtual events, I was multitasking while listening, so my engagement wasn’t as deep as it would have been if I were there in person. Autodesk has recently made most of the sessions and their materials available on the AU Learning Platform. The night they announced this, I spent over an hour browsing through all 682 sessions to find the ones I wanted to watch later. Disappointingly, I only bookmarked about a dozen.
While AU covers all things Autodesk, I found the selection lacking, especially for the AEC industry. Many sessions had similar names and
almost identical content but were led by different presenters. Specifically, there were fewer sessions dedicated to AutoCAD and Revit for the AEC sector.
If I find time to watch those bookmarked sessions, I’ll share my thoughts. AU is moving to Nashville in 2025 and will take place in September, so perhaps I’ll finally get the chance to attend in person.
In conclusion, 2024 has been a year of remarkable progress and innovation within the industry. The release of Revit 2025 and its updates have brought both challenges and improvements, while Autodesk’s Content Catalog has emerged as a valuable tool for content management. The rise of large language models and AI tools has revolutionized workflows, offering new possibilities for efficiency and creativity. Industry conferences have continued to be a vital platform for knowledge sharing and networking, despite some notable absences. As we look ahead to 2025, it’s clear that the industry will continue to evolve, driven by technological advancements and the collective efforts of professionals dedicated to pushing the boundaries of what’s possible.
Jason Peckovitch is an Autodesk Revit Certified Professional for Mechanical and Electrical Design located in SE Iowa. He is a BIM Manager for Garver’s Buildings Business Line, specifically MEPF. Garver has more than 50 offices across the United States and more than 1200 employees. His CAD/BIM career spans over 25 years but he didn’t switch to the AEC Industry until 2007 as a Mechanical HVAC Drafter and transitioned into BIM Management shortly after where he has been working since. Jason is also the father of three children; Shelby – 12, Blake – 10 and Logan - 7, a published photographer, gamer, and car/ tech guy. He can be reached at jmpeckovitch@garverusa.com.
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