If you’ve ever wondered how AI works in Autodesk’s AEC (Architecture, Engineering and Construction) software then read on. In this blog post we’ll take a look at how we’re advancing AI in our software, and how it supports improved workflows, more informed decisions, and better project outcomes for AEC teams.
At Autodesk, we’ve invested in AI for the past ten years because we recognize its transformative power for the industries we serve. Across AEC disciplines and project types, Autodesk’s advancements in AI are helping customers tackle complex challenges and harness new opportunities in their projects–not just by increasing productivity, but by giving them the tools to be even more ambitious and creative.
Recent releases of popular tools like Midjourney allow AEC professionals to prompt, generate, and refine vast multitudes of ideas, spurring the imagination forward. The focus in our product teams takes a complementary approach: how can you use AI to translate imagination to reality? We invest in AI to improve the design, documentation and construction workflows that help AEC professionals turn their ideas into the buildings, infrastructure, and communities we all use and inhabit.
Our focus is on advancing Autodesk AI in three main areas:
Analysis
Augmentation
Automation
Our solutions use a combination of AI technologies, mostly rule- and learning-based systems. No matter the type of AI technology, we believe it should always support the user, to help improve your workflows and optimize for the best outcomes. AI is simply a tool that’s very good at completing specialized tasks. When we look at the toolbox used by AEC professionals, Autodesk AI is an evolution of these tools which lends a helping hand, like a digital assistant, to make light work of normally time-consuming tasks and help you get where you want to be faster.
What’s important to keep in mind is that the AI is always steered by the user. You’re the one who decides how you want to combine manual and automatic adjustments to achieve your targeted outcomes, whether it’s for design and feasibility, compliance or buildability. You’re in the driver’s seat and the final decisions are always yours.
Now, let’s take a look at some examples of how AI is integrated into our AEC software and how it helps users improve their way of working:
Analyze: immediate insights, earlier
What are the consequences of a design change? Where is there room for improvement? These questions can be answered even faster with predictive AI-powered analysis tools which analyse project data to provide quick, actionable insights to AEC professionals. They’re intended to help you better understand–and design for–the results you want to achieve from the very earliest phases.
Machine learning speeds up the analysis process because, unlike conventional computational analysis, it can make accurate predictions–that were impossible before– based on previous simulations. This means you’ll get feedback in seconds, allowing you to assess and iterate your designs faster and more fluidly. Forma’s rapid analyses predicts results for noise and wind conditions and operational energy for early-stage design and planning, helping AEC teams design the healthy, sustainable communities they envisioned for their clients. Think of it this way: the rapid analysis offers an almost instant, educated guess which is comparable in accuracy to a full analysis thanks to machine learning. Use it like a pre-analysis for rapid experimentation and complement it with a full analysis for more detailed verification.
Forma’s Rapid Operational energy analysis gives immediate insights into a building’s energy use, helping users design with energy efficiency in mind.
When it comes to drainage design, stormwater analysis is a must for the design of resilient environments that can weather extreme conditions. With Autodesk InfoDrainage’s Machine Learning Deluge Tool, drainage designers can quickly generate responsive flood maps without having to rerun complex computational simulations. The tool analyzes and predicts water channelling and ponding, giving live feedback to help you complete a site analysis faster. This enables more informed decision making in the drainage design process whether it‘s locating optimal areas for stormwater controls or helping infrastructure owners and developers avoid problem areas when siting their structures.
The interactive Machine Learning Deluge tool inside Autodesk InfoDrainage generates responsive flood maps for placing stormwater controls more accurately and efficiently.
Augmentation: enhancing exploration and experimentation
As many of you know, exploration, experimentation and iteration are at the heart of the design and make process–and now it gets a boost with AI and data. Augmentation features enhance the creative process by widening the scope of exploration while improving the speed and accuracy of iterations, helping users find innovative solutions faster.
These features have been game-changing for data-driven ideation and optimization across different project phases. Starting with massing, Forma’s initial set of generative design tools helps you answer the question ‘what if…?’ in a fraction of the time it normally takes when assessing a site. You can rapidly generate layout options, using these quick massing studies to easily gauge a site’s feasibility. Key area metrics help you monitor targets and consider any trade-offs. Then, send your generated proposal to Forma’s rapid analyses (see Analysis section) to get a first impression of wind and noise conditions and operational energy. For car parking design, normally a thankless manual task, Forma’s parking tool happily takes this over. It lets you efficiently generate parking options for enclosed areas according to parameters such as lot dimensions, aisle width, and number of stories. For outdoor parking, you can leverage the optional TestFit parking extension, a third-party tool. Combining insights from both tools gives you a more complete overview of parking needs already at the early stage, helping you create a more accurate parking strategy, faster.
Explore in Forma helps you create quick massing studies to get a first impression of a site’s potential.
Generative Design in Revit gives designers a way to model the most optimal solutions by defining desired design outcomes, considered alongside competing goals and constraints. For example, how can you maximize the number of seats in a new stadium while ensuring each spectator has good sightlines to the field? How can you configure desk layouts in an open office to provide optimal occupancy while addressing egress and circulation? Leveraging what’s known as a genetic algorithm, Generative Design in Revit assists designers in quickly turning complex, multivariable design challenges into viable design directions for further development.
Automation: reducing tedious tasks for more creativity
Fewer tedious, repetitive tasks and more time for creative exploration and problem-solving: this is the potential of automation to help you do more of the high-value design and make work that you love doing and excel at. Automation features have the potential to unlock more streamlined, efficient ways of working, speeding up steps in a workflow that traditionally require significant manual input and effort.
Automation features anticipate the user’s next move to help them complete their task faster. In AutoCAD, Markup Import and Markup Assist help drafters iterate faster. Markup Assist uses machine learning to identify markups on print or digital formats and help you incorporate changes easier and faster. When it comes to replacing block references, AutoCAD Smart Blocks: Replacement suggests similar blocks from your block library for you to choose from. AutoCAD Macro Advisor generates macro insights based on your unique command usage.
Another valuable automation feature is Revit’s Steel Connection Automation which assists in the design of steel structural systems, helping structural engineers model design intent faster and estimate cost and constructability with greater accuracy, especially when facing bid deadlines. Reducing a normally repetitive task in the structural engineering workflow, this capability allows you to use rules-based connection libraries to efficiently identify, place, and replace steel connections.
Revit’s Steel Connection Automation
For sewer asset inspections, we’re exploring the integration of VAPAR’s AI image technology into Info360 Asset. VAPAR technology automatically flags problematic issues in pipes, saving operators hours of watching tedious sewer line inspection videos while significantly reducing capital expenditure costs. We will share more details in the near future.
Like how a word processor predicts words to complete your sentence, Prescriptive Scripting in Dynamo (also known as Node Autocomplete) helps you create your scripts more quickly and accurately by predicting the upcoming nodes based on what you’ve written previously.
In the bigger picture, AI advancements in Autodesk’s AEC software are there to help enhance your creativity and decision-making, enabling you to find new solutions to challenges faster and more sustainably. Autodesk AI is an evolution of your AEC toolbox that thinks along with you and supports more fluid workflows for your project teams; throughout the process, you as the user remain in the driver’s seat. At Autodesk we are committed to the thoughtful, responsible development of AI to address our customers’ needs and are actively researching, developing, and acquiring additional AI technology so that together we can design and make a better world for all.
Young pharmaceutic seller explaining something to doctor in a hospital.
In the dynamic landscape of the healthcare industry, fostering workplace flexibility is paramount to meet the diverse needs of both healthcare professionals and the organizations they serve. Here, we delve into five key strategies aimed at creating a more adaptable and responsive healthcare workplace.
Flexible Scheduling Options:
Flexible scheduling lies at the core of workplace adaptability in the health care sector. Compressed workweeks, allowing professionals to condense their standard hours into fewer days, provide extended weekends or additional days off. Part-time schedules cater to those seeking a balance between personal and professional commitments, while job-sharing arrangements enable collaborative responsibility sharing among employees.
Telecommuting and Remote Work Opportunities:
The integration of telecommuting and remote work options introduces a new dimension to workplace flexibility. Administrative roles, such as billing and scheduling, can be seamlessly executed from home, enhancing work-life balance. Additionally, telehealth services offer healthcare practitioners the chance to provide remote care, expanding the reach of services and granting professionals the flexibility to work beyond traditional clinical settings.
Cross-Training and Skill Diversification:
Investing in cross-training initiatives is crucial for building a versatile healthcare workforce. Comprehensive training programs empower professionals to develop skills beyond their primary roles, fostering personal and professional growth. Skill-based task delegation ensures that multiple team members are adept at handling essential responsibilities, promoting resilience during times of increased workload or unexpected absences.
Flexible Leave Policies:
Leave policies play a pivotal role in employee well-being. Unlimited paid time off (PTO) alleviates the stress of limited leave, allowing healthcare professionals to prioritize their well-being and attend to personal matters. Furthermore, flexible use of accrued leave, such as half-day increments or intermittent days off, empowers staff to tailor their time away from work to suit individual needs, contributing to a healthier work-life integration.
Technology Integration for Workflow Efficiency:
Embracing technological advancements enhances workflow efficiency, a critical component of workplace flexibility. Electronic Health Records (EHRs) streamline data management, enabling professionals to access patient information securely from various locations. Telemedicine platforms facilitate remote care delivery, expanding access to services and supporting a more flexible approach to healthcare. Collaboration platforms, fostering effective communication and coordination, enhance connectivity among healthcare teams, regardless of their physical location.
In conclusion, creating workplace flexibility in the health care industry is a multifaceted endeavor that involves reimagining scheduling practices, embracing remote work options, investing in skill development, refining leave policies, and leveraging technology. By implementing these strategies, healthcare organizations can cultivate environments that empower their workforce, enhance job satisfaction, and ultimately improve the delivery of patient care.
Let Robotech CAD Solutions help you find your solution for workplace flexibility. Send a message to [email protected] or call us at 201-792-6300.
As the world continues to recover from the effects of the pandemic, organizations are struggling to bring employees back into the office. Remote work has become the norm for many, and it is no secret that many employees do not want to give up the level of flexibility that working remotely has provided them. So, how can workplace leaders encourage these employees to return to the workplace? The answer lies in consistent, data-driven optimization of your portfolio.
To help you strategize your next workplace initiatives, we will explore three expert-curated strategies to get people back into the office and create a more dynamic, collaborative, and effective workplace.
1. Force high usage by shutting down areas
With global occupancy rates hovering around 12%, it continues to be difficult to uncover how employees want to work. Though this strategy will not directly lead to more employees returning to office, forcing high usage through strategic area shutdowns and consolidation is the foundation of building an office that employees will want to return to. By temporarily shutting down specific spaces, floors, or even entire buildings, you will create higher usage rates in the remaining areas that will uncover more pronounced insights into employee preferences, behaviors, and patterns.
A neighborhood or team-specific approach can be highly effective in this context. By assigning specific days for different teams or departments to work in the consolidated office, organizations can encourage team collaboration and foster a sense of belonging while creating a deeper understanding of occupancy patterns and trends, especially those from team to team.
To explore this strategy, you need to first determine what areas of your workplace you should shut down. Utilize the following steps as a good foundation for how you can make this decision with intent:
Define your objectives: Clearly articulate the goals you aim to achieve through this experiment. Are you looking to swap unused space types for new ones? Do you want to realize the impact of design on space usage? Identifying your objectives will help guide your decision-making process.
Analyze your occupancy data: If you have an existing means of data for your workplace, such as an Occupancy Intelligence Platform, utilize its data to analyze occupancy patterns. Look for trends such as underutilized floors and space types. Also, keep in mind your build’s total capacity usage to help determine how many spaces you can reasonably shut down without causing overcrowding.
Prioritize based on potential ROI: Rank the floors and spaces you want to remain open based on their potential for generating pronounced insights. As general guidance, closing down an equal balance of popular and unpopular spaces can give you a better idea of how employees would behave in a smaller office space. Closing down the most unpopular spaces can create more pronounced insights as to what popular spaces employees enjoy the most and why they are so greatly enjoyed.
By experimenting with workplace availability and analyzing the resulting data, organizations can better understand how to optimize their office space for employee preferences and productivity.
2. Prioritize optimizing for collaboration, design, and well-being
Organizations must focus on creating office experiences that make commuting worthwhile. To achieve this, prioritize optimizing collaborative spaces, as collaboration is one of the primary motivators for employees to work in-office and it helps enhance company culture. Design is also regarded as one of the most inspiring factors for employees to make the commute.
Though it may not directly correlate to more employees coming into the office, well-being must be at the forefront of your strategy too, as transitioning from remote to hybrid/in-person work can be difficult for employees. By offering spaces that focus on wellness, organizations have the opportunity to build an empathetic work culture through the built workplace.
Optimize for collaboration
Provide a diverse range of collaborative spaces: Offer a mix of open and private collaborative areas, meeting rooms, and huddle spaces to address various collaboration styles.
Equip spaces with advanced collaboration tools: Incorporate technology-enabled solutions in collaborative spaces, such as interactive whiteboards, video conferencing systems, and space availability kiosks.
Encourage team bonding and informal interactions: Create comfortable social spaces, such as lounges and cafes, to promote spontaneous conversations and team-building activities away from the traditional office setting.
Optimize for design
Create inspiring and visually appealing workspaces: Incorporate natural lighting, modular furniture, and unique decor to create a beautiful and inspiring in-office experience.
Reflect company culture and values through design: Use design elements that align with the organization’s values and culture, such as branding, colors, and themed spaces, to inspire pride in employees and reinforce a sense of identity.
Implement sustainable design elements: Integrate natural elements, such as plants, greenery walls, natural materials, and water features, to enhance employee well-being and create an office space that is environmentally friendly.
Optimize for well-being
Focus on employee comfort: Invest in ergonomic furniture, standing workstations, and adjustable temperature/lighting controls to provide employees with comfortable, customizable environments.
Provide health-oriented spaces and initiatives: Offer on-site wellness programs and facilities, such as gyms, yoga rooms, meditation spaces, mother’s rooms, nap pods, and quiet spaces to promote employee physical and mental well-being while in the office.
Encourage movement: Design the office layout to promote movement, such as strategically located break rooms and social areas, to stimulate circulation and prevent sedentariness.
Regularly seek employee feedback and continuously adapt and adjust to evolving employee needs. Open lines of communication and a willingness to improve the office environment can foster a strong sense of belonging and commitment among employees.
3. Utilize artificial intelligence (AI)
In today’s fast-paced and ever-changing world, harnessing the power of artificial intelligence has given businesses additional tools to help them stay ahead of the curve. AI has proven to be a game-changer, revolutionizing work processes and enabling faster, easier, and more confident decision-making. From writing emails to coding and writing spreadsheet formulas, AI streamlines tasks across all job functions and industries.
The use of AI in the workplace industry can help further transform the decision-making process from being assumptions-based and time-consuming, to being data-driven and fast-paced. Just recently, VergeSense announced their collaboration with ChatGPT to leverage AI in analyzing workplace occupancy data, resulting in quicker and more confident decision-making without needing to manually analyze data.
By utilizing AI in your workplace to streamline data analysis and decision-making, you can better adapt to every-changing employee needs and build a workplace built on your workforce’s actual behaviors.
Create data-driven results
As the post-pandemic workplace continues to evolve, organizations have a unique opportunity to reshape their office spaces by building strategy and decisions around employee experience. By experimenting with workplace availability, optimizing spaces for the ideal in-office experience, and utilizing AI for data-driven decision making, organizations can create a greater demand for in-office work and foster a more dynamic, collaborative, and innovative working environment.
In this tutorial, we’ll cover how to migrate your AutoCAD settings using the AutoCAD Migration tools. Whether you are upgrading to a new AutoCAD Version or transferring to a completely different system, keep your workflow going by migrating your current settings.
The AutoCAD Migration Tool allows you to migrate custom user settings from an older release year of AutoCAD to a newer release year of AutoCAD on the same machine. The old release year must be on the computer when the new install is opened for the first time.
When to use: SAME COMPUTER. SAME VERSION. NEWER RELEASE YEAR OF AUTOCAD
Example: AutoCAD 2019 is already in use, and you are now installing AutoCAD 2020 on the same machine.
Migration Utility Process:
Download, install and open the software
When the settings migration wizard pops up, it will ask if you want to migrate your custom settings. You will see check boxes next to multiple customization elements that are able to be migrated. Make sure there are checks in the boxes next to the items you want to migrate. Uncheck any items that you don’t want to migrate. When your migration settings are all set, click the checkmark button on the bottom/right to proceed with the migration and follow the prompts on the screen
Other options if the wizard does not pop up or if it is accidentally skipped:
Open the start menu, go into the all apps, open the Autodesk folder with your new AutoCAD version and release year and then click the button that says “Migrate from a previous release” and follow the prompts on the screen
In this tutorial, we’ll walk through how to use the Import and Export Attribute tool within AutoCAD to easily export block attribute data to a .txt file that can be quickly edited in Excel. This can save a ton of time if you need to modify multiple attributes of your blocks at one time. It can also come in handy when needing to create parts lists, take offs and quantities.
Using blocks with attributes allows you to export the parameters to a text file that can be manipulated in Excel. The updated parameters can then be loaded into the blocks again. This can only be done if you have the full AutoCAD license with the express tools. Express tools are capabilities that other people programmed but that are included with the full AutoCAD license. Explore and use them to your benefit.
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