Autodesk 2010 Design and Engineering Software Product Line Now Available

By DE Editors

Autodesk is shipping its new 2010 line of 2D and 3D design and engineering software. More than 50 new products offer new features and functionality as well as improved tools for digital prototyping, building information modeling (BIM), infrastructure modeling, and sustainable design and analysis, which will help architects, engineers and designers meet increasing commercial and public sector demand for more energy-efficient buildings,  products, and infrastructure.

“The new functionality in our 2010 products will help design professionals worldwide improve the efficiency of their workflows and increase competitive advantage,” said Carl Bass, Autodesk CEO. “As governments around the world invest billions in infrastructure and development projects, 3D design modeling technology will be vital for project planning,  tracking spending, ensuring accountability, minimizing errors and maximizing sustainable performance.”

The 2010 software for Infrastructure Modeling—which includes AutoCAD Map 3D software, Autodesk MapGuide Enterprise software and Autodesk Topobase software—allows users in telecommunications firms, state and local governments, and utilities to improve performance and increase ROI of their infrastructure projects. New features now enable users to more easily aggregate multiple sources of data, improving the design of smart electric utility grids,  making planning city projects easier, and enabling more efficient design and repair of highways.

Autodesk has enhanced sustainable design and engineering functionality across the product portfolio. In its digital prototyping solution for manufacturers, the new assembly stress analysis and motion simulation tools in Autodesk Inventor Professional 2010 help users simulate and optimize their designs early in the process—reducing both material waste and cost. A new circuit builder tool in AutoCAD Electrical 2010 software enables designers to analyze the energy efficiency of circuits and make more sustainable engineering decisions. Autodesk Moldflow 2010 software now includes an energy usage indicator so designers can further decrease manufacturing energy requirements and evaluate different materials to make product design choices that can contribute to sustainability initiatives.

For architects, engineers and contractors, Autodesk’s 2010 portfolio provides expanded tools for energy analysis including the new Autodesk Ecotect Analysis 2010 green building software, a sustainable analysis tool that delivers a range of simulation and analysis functionality including energy, water, and carbon analysis capabilities with desktop tools to conduct detailed environmental simulations and visualize results. Users of the 2010 Revit software platform for BIM can now make more informed decisions to optimize sustainable building performance. Revit MEP 2010 software now makes it easier for mechanical, electrical, and plumbing engineers to determine energy demands of a building with native heating and cooling loads analysis, and export enhanced gbXML that provides the ability to examine analytical models of a project before export.

Other 2010 product updates include new free-form 3D design tools in AutoCAD 2010 software, new conceptual design tools in the Revit platform, and extended simulation capabilities in the Autodesk Inventor family for digital prototyping. Autodesk previewed the new software releases last month in three virtual press conference webcasts, which are available for viewing at www.autodesk.com/2010webcasts.

For more information, visit Autodesk.

Sources: Press materials received from the company and additional information gleaned from the company’s website.