Autodesk Unveils 2010 Software for BIM, Animation, Infrastructure, and More

Company stresses software updates will help designers work better and faster.

The new Autodesk Revit platform-based products for BIM feature an aligned user interface, giving the entire range of products a consistent look and feel. The updated Autodesk Revit platform also allows a greater level of interoperability for green building analysis, providing support for the green building extensible markup language (gbXML) format.

Autodesk Revit Architecture 2010 includes an intuitive conceptual design workspace to create complex geometry more easily, a new user interface that works the way designers think, providing a smoother and more continuous design workflow, and improved interoperability with programs such as AutoCAD Civil 3D 2010 software, Autodesk 3ds Max Design 2010 software, and Autodesk Inventor 2010 software, the company states.

Autodesk Revit Structure 2010 includes enhanced conceptual design, modeling, and analysis to handle more complex architectural forms, an improved user interface with a new customizable ribbon toolbar, and improved performance and interoperability, including native 64-bit support.

Autodesk Revit MEP 2010 provides native heating and cooling loads analysis that reportedly enables MEP engineers to determine the energy demands of the building; enhanced gbXML export with the ability to examine an analytical model of the project before exporting to a gbXML file; and improved performance of the application especially when working on large project files.

AutoCAD Civil 3D 2010 includes a new application menu, Ribbon UI, and quick access toolbar; improved design and analysis functionality that enables users to automate design tasks while analyzing project conditions to optimize performance; and broad support for popular formats and interoperability standards, making collaboration with an extended team smoother and more effective.

Autodesk Navisworks 2010, including Autodesk Navisworks Review 2010 software, Autodesk Navisworks Simulate 2010 software, Autodesk Navisworks Manage 2010 software, and Autodesk Navisworks Freedom 2010 software, enables design and building professionals to unite project contributions into a synchronized model for building information modeling. Updates to the Autodesk Navisworks portfolio include improved usability and new measuring tools and sectioning enhancements to help improve workflow. A greater level of interoperability allows for enhanced collaboration, the company states

Autodesk 3ds Max Design enables architects, designers, engineers and visualization specialists to explore, validate, and communicate their creative ideas, from initial concept models to final, cinema-quality presentations. New features include more than 100 additional modeling tools, interactive lighting analysis, and an extensive library of particle effects, and flickerless rendering improvements.

Autodesk also announced new Infrastructure modeling software products.

AutoCAD Map 3D 2010 uses open-source Feature Data Object (FDO) data access technology and provides direct access to the leading data formats used in design and GIS. New features include increased options for importing survey data, enhanced data analysis capabilities, a new workflow framework, and more.

AutoCAD Raster Design 2010 enables designers to turn scanned designs into digital CAD data that can be incorporated into infrastructure models. AutoCAD Raster Design 2010 includes support for additional AutoCAD products and more deployment options.

Autodesk MapGuide Enterprise 2010 offers improved performance, raster reprojection capability, and new FDO providers for Microsoft SQL Server 2008 and GE Energy Smallworld. In addition, Autodesk MapGuide Studio 2010, the authoring environment for Autodesk MapGuide Enterprise 2010, will be offered free to Autodesk MapGuide Enterprise subscription customers.

Autodesk Topobase 2010 infrastructure model management software provides a single source of accurate network information for maintenance, planning, reporting, and integration into asset management and operational systems. New features include simplified underground asset profile creation tools; enhanced reporting and charting capabilities; improved web performance; and easier and greater control over user access.

Details of product availability and purchasing options will be accessible in March on Autodesk's web site.