Skip to main content

Autodesk introduces new software tools

As World Highways was going to press Autodesk was due to announce the 2014 versions of its entire range of programs including AutoCAD, Civil 3D, NavisWorks and Revit Structural and others programs used by the road industry. As previously, they are packaged in suites; Standard, Premium and Ultimate. Key aspects focus around the inclusion of a completely new and fast point-cloud “engine” developed from the Alice Labs company acquisition made last year. Part of a new Autodesk Recap, standing for reality captur
April 25, 2013 Read time: 2 mins
As 3260 World Highways was going to press 685 Autodesk was due to announce the 2014 versions of its entire range of programs including AutoCAD, Civil 3D, NavisWorks and Revit Structural and others programs used by the road industry. As previously, they are packaged in suites; Standard, Premium and Ultimate.

Key aspects focus around the inclusion of a completely new and fast point-cloud “engine” developed from the Alice Labs company acquisition made last year. Part of a new Autodesk Recap, standing for reality capture, this will be able to open point-clouds in the main tools used in civil engineering such as Map, Civil 3D and Revit. Recap is included in all of them. The company says the new engine is fast, inputs most of the major formats, and can translate point-clouds into different local coordinate systems to match other data.

The Infrastructure Modeller tool, for conceptualising projects and testing sketch scenarios is now relaunched as a enhanced version, re-named InfraWorks.

In the Ultimate suite this will include roads and highway modules which allow early design sketches to be done with precision data, so that they can be imported directly into Civil 3D for further work. It will also link to the cloud for tasks like optimisation of the vertical alignment

– part of a general philosophy for all Autodesk products using more "infinite" computing power of the cloud for heavy "grunt" work, instead of the local desktop.  Rendering capacity is another aspect.

The cloud will also be used for communication, and design and construction collaboration, with BIM360 Glue, a cloud accessed tool for design integration and class detection, which is a “NavisWorks light" - accessed via a very small client application with full high quality graphics whatever the capacities of the local laptop.

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • IRD joins Canadian data vault project
    April 9, 2021
    IRD has joined the “Project to Enhance the Reliability and Development of Canada’s Prairie and Northern Region Transportation Network”.
  • Solari gives Doha airport baggage truck drivers the VMS signal
    March 6, 2015
    VMS innovations offer transportation efficiency gains – David Arminas writes. Baggage truck drivers at the new Hamad International Airport in Doha, Qatar, are now getting real-time imformation and directions on variable message signage. The airport opened last April and will be the first touchdown point for fans attending the football World Cup in Qatar in 2022. The airport is only 4km away from the overused but now redundant Doha International Airport, which will be demolished and redeveloped as an urban p
  • C-ing is believing for Cat telehandlers
    January 6, 2017
    Caterpillar says its new Telehandlers - TH336C, TH337C, TH406C and TH407C - feature the company’s C4.4 ACERTTM engines that meet Stage IIIB emissions standard and are available in a 92.6kW (124 hp) or a 106kW (142hp) rating. The C4.4 engine is said by Cat to be designed and manufactured to ensure smooth, quiet operation and longevity. Fuel consumption is also said to be optimised to match the tasks, lowering operating costs. A larger, redesigned cooling package with a hydraulic reversing demand fan is also
  • C-ing is believing for Cat telehandlers
    April 12, 2012
    Caterpillar says its new Telehandlers - TH336C, TH337C, TH406C and TH407C - feature the company’s C4.4 ACERTTM engines that meet Stage IIIB emissions standard and are available in a 92.6kW (124 hp) or a 106kW (142hp) rating. The C4.4 engine is said by Cat to be designed and manufactured to ensure smooth, quiet operation and longevity. Fuel consumption is also said to be optimised to match the tasks, lowering operating costs. A larger, redesigned cooling package with a hydraulic reversing demand fan is also