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The Broader Applications of Autodesk Factory Design Suite
10 Nov, 2011 By: Rusty BelcherIMAGINiT Tricks Tutorial: If you think the Autodesk Factory Design Suite only works with factories, you’re missing out. Here's how you can lay out any confined space or floor with common design assets.
Editor's note: This tutorial courtesy of IMAGINiT Technologies.
The Autodesk Factory Design Suite offers functionality that can simplify the process of laying out and visualizing a factory design. But don’t let the word "Factory" limit your view of this application: Anyone who needs to lay out a confined space or a floor with common design assets can take advantage of the workflow offered by the Autodesk Factory Design Suite.
In this article, I will give an overview of some specific functionality available in the Factory Design Suite, and demonstrate how it can be used in other layout workflows.
Start at the Floor
I know it sounds simple, but the first thing addressed in any layout process is the floor, and Autodesk Factory Design Suite provides a generic floor in every layout file. You can resize the floor and change the elevation for designs with multiple levels. The DWG Overlay command allows you to paint the floor with reference lines from any AutoCAD drawing.
You can also create a solid floor with any necessary shape. In this example, a ship deck is used for the DWG overlay. A simple sketch and extrusion cuts away any unnecessary material from the solid floor, leaving a ship deck or platform. 
In this image, reference lines from a ship drawing are placed on the layout floor.
Place Your Parts
Once the floor is in place, it’s time to fill it with your design parts. This is usually where the real work begins. Proper layout designs require that you place your components in the most efficient location, much like placing game pieces in the best strategic location on a game board. The Autodesk Factory Design utilities make this process a snap — literally! The components automatically land upright on the floor, and snap together using built-in connectors.
In this example, an overhead wireway is created using custom assets. The complex process of laying out a wireway can be as easy as snapping together the pieces of a racetrack for toy cars. 
A complex wireway is created by snapping custom assets together.
Create Your Design
The layout environment in Factory Design Suite can be used for any design space you choose, such as the supermarket layout in this example. No two supermarkets are laid out the same, but they’re usually made up of the same common components. The shelves, freezers, and checkouts are all easily placed in the layout to develop a unique design based on common assets. 
The Factory Design Suite can be used for layouts other than factories, such as this supermarket created from common design assets.
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