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

  • Field use solutions from mixed-reality
    May 22, 2018
    Trimble is now offering its Connect for HoloLens tool as well as a new hard hat solution for Microsoft HoloLens. According to the firm, the new package improves the utility of mixed-reality for practical field applications. “With the rise in acceptance for mixed-reality solutions in business today, the need for 3D visualisation outside the office is driving this next wave of Trimble innovation," said Aviad Almagor, director of Trimble's Mixed-Reality Program. “We are expanding the opportunities for implemen
  • Topcon beefs up eXchange AutoCAD 3D civil engineering software
    March 10, 2015
    Topcon’s latest eXchange software add-on for AutoCAD Civil 3D civil engineering design software converts data into files compatible with Topcon 3D construction solutions as well as the MAGNET software system. The add-on even converts complex road designs with defined corridors into Topcon standard file formats, such as MJF (MAGNET Field job) for land surveying and construction layout, and TP3 (3D Topcon Project File) for machine control systems. After installation, users are offered the ability to log in to
  • Machine control innovations from Trimble
    November 8, 2016
    New advances in machine control systems are revolutionising the construction industry - Mike Woof writes Trimble is working on innovations for machine control to meet demand for highly sophisticated solutions, as well as for more simple equipment. Major developments in available technology will provide revolutionary advances in efficiency and productivity as a result.
  • Bentley Systems boosting business with acquisition
    February 11, 2015
    Construction software specialist Bentley Systems continues to develop its portfolio of solutions with yet another acquisition. The company is growing both organically and through acquisition, this time buying up the French firm Acute3D, provider of Smart3DCapture software for reality modelling. Through reality modelling, observations of existing conditions can be processed into representations for contextual alignment within design modelling and construction modelling environments. According to Bentley, rap