Explore industry trends and pioneering ideas from leaders in the Design and Make community. Theater sessions feature short talks on critical themes, from AI and the future of work to business resiliency in a time of digital transformation. Walk-ins are welcome. The past is the foundation for our present—and our potential. Whether you're talking about existing structures that we can repurpose for the future, historical artifacts that can inform our understanding of ourselves today, or circular approaches to managing finite resources, learn how we can redefine concepts of waste, combine experience with current data to create new possibilities, and use new technologies and approaches to do more with what exists—and what existed long ago.

In this session, we'll explain what machine learning (ML) is, what it's used for, and how it falls into the discipline of artificial intelligence (AI), data science, and computer science. We'll also provide an overview of how ChatGPT works, and what other kinds of ML applications and models you can use to solve problems using data from Autodesk Construction Cloud, building information modeling (BIM), or any of our Autodesk services and APIs. This session will benefit everyone who would like to enable their teams to quickly gain insight from historical data, speed up learning, and create a more agile collaboration environment.

After four decades in the architecture, engineering, and construction industry and more than two decades with Revit software, it's time to open up and share the cool tips and tricks that can help you get the most from your MEP models. The topics for this technical demonstration will include reviewing advanced family customization tips for HVAC, piping, electrical, and process equipment that we've used in a variety of projects. Next, we'll cover template and project tips that'll help you get the best head start on your models for content, systems, and views. And we'll wrap up with project model management tips to make sure everything runs as smoothly as possible. Join us for a brain dump of our favorite ideas to get the most out of Revit MEP and have a blast learning it!

Embark on an insightful journey into the do's and don'ts of publishing on Autodesk Construction Cloud (ACC), covering the entire process from Docs to Design Collaboration to Model Coordination. From creating and managing project documentation to collaborating with design teams and coordinating models effectively, we'll cover it all. You'll gain a comprehensive understanding of the ACC publishing workflow, including the importance of Publish Sets in organizing and managing your project data. Whether you're a seasoned ACC user or new to the platform, this session is designed to empower you with the knowledge and skills needed to optimize your publishing efforts on ACC. By the end of the session, you'll have a clear roadmap for success in ACC publishing, equipped with actionable strategies to streamline your workflow, enhance collaboration, and ensure the integrity of your project data. Don't miss this opportunity to master ACC publishing and elevate your design projects.

Learn how engineers and technologists in Saskatchewan, Canada, are innovating in the design of heavy industrial and mining facilities using some of Autodesk’s most innovative engineering technologies, such as Revit software, AutoCAD Plant 3D software, Advance Steel software, Navisworks software, and more. Although many people may think of Saskatchewan as the breadbasket of Canada—thanks to its vast areas of arable land and rich soil used to grow wheat, canola, and chickpeas—Saskatchewan is actually home to many other commodities, including potash, uranium, and mined salt. These commodities have encouraged a highly competent and skilled engineering community to develop within the province, and with these professionals has come a competitive environment with advanced technological and innovations to match. In the last 10 years, an industry boom has sparked billions of dollars of investment into Saskatchewan’s mining industries, and the innovations found throughout this time continue to live on today.

"What if projects empowered facility owners with building intelligence that maximizes the value from design and construction, and seamlessly transitioned knowledge to operations and maintenance, to run the facility optimally from the first day? What if we integrated models, drawings, documents, facility performance and analytics data, and delivered such capability as a simple, contextualized user experience? The VueOPS team has consulted on BIM for FM implementations for large-scale healthcare, aviation, bio-pharmaceutical, and public agency owners. We are passionate about these outcomes. This class shares our journey to bridge current and emergent FM requirements for projects and develop an integrated FM platform that uses the Autodesk Forge platform in our quest to integrate information from documents, models, asset management, and building performance and analytics systems to create building knowledge for our customers."

BuildingSMART International describes itself as the industry body driving the digital transformation of the built-asset industry, committed to the creation and adoption of open standards and solutions for infrastructure and buildings. While the buildings sector has been relatively well served by buildingSMART’s Industry Foundation Class (IFC) standards for more than 10 years, the infrastructure industry has had limited support. A program of developments under the buildingSMART InfraRoom is preparing new schemas for roads, bridges, ports, and waterways and tunnels, with the RailRoom preparing a new schema for rail working on the harmonization of the common asset types, testing, and deployment project. Autodesk has supported the development of the new schemas that are scheduled for release in 2021. This presentation will highlight the InfraRoom projects, industry engagement activities, and some early concept implementations of schemas within Autodesk software.

This class will focus on high-level workflows between BIM 360 Cost Management software and various, standard, industry enterprise resource planning (ERP) packages. We will also introduce the middlewares making these connections, and the importance of connecting project controls with construction ERPs.

The software industry has changed quite a lot recently; Autodesk is heavily investing in porting their most important packages to be accessible in the cloud. Revit software, for instance, can run as a part of the Forge platform. Microsoft is investing tremendously in its Dotnet platform development (which was rewritten from scratch to be open source and modular). When dealing with Revit API development, however, we often see monolithic apps that directly couple modules and components like the UI layer to gather input, introducing several technical challenges. Trying to manage and scale this type of codebase is frustrating and time consuming, but it doesn’t have to be. In this lab, you will discover a free and open-source framework that helps you quickly prototype Revit applications, while providing you with an easy way to develop modular code that can be portable to multiforms of Revit environments, like add-ins, Dynamo, and even the Forge Design Automation API.

Israel Sumano, Sr. Director of IT Infrastructure at Southland Industries, a billion-dollar MEP firm, combined forces with 5 AEC firms to create Penn First, a joint venture (JV) that is developing an innovative new hospital. Sumano will discuss how the JV partners broke new ground by using GPU cloud workstations in Microsoft Azure as the technology platform across all 5 partner firms. CAD and BIM experts access AutoCAD, Revit and many more applications from any device, anywhere and are able to collaborate with partners in real-time. This pioneering approach to collaborative design and construction is delivering outstanding results.

The class will be a lecture on the EQ house, the actually built architecture that AI and IoT deployed. It was completed in March of 2019. Installed with advanced IoT technology and AI, EQ House is expected to be attached by the owner as if it were life-like architecture. It is installed with varied sensors to perceive environmental status and accumulates data about the owner’s preference by means of “like” buttons from the smart watch. The experimental design, inspection, and fabrication process was also needed to actually realize the futuristic architecture of the EQ House. By using the optimization process, the design period to determine the pattern of the facade decreased by 60% and through the inspection using BIM 360 Docs software and mixed reality decreased 20%, and the fabrication by 25%.

AutoCAD® software has done a great job for you so far, but you're ready to start using BIM. You've created some great 2D drawings as architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) professionals, but it is time to move forward. AutoCAD Architecture is just your first step down the BIM road. See how transitioning from AutoCAD or any basic drafting package to AutoCAD Architecture can be easier than you thought. We explore some of the powerful features available in AutoCAD Architecture that can help you reduce your production time and provide greater control over your drawing process simply by incorporating some basic architectural features into your drawings. See the benefits of wall, door, and window styles. This class is not intended to move you completely to 3D, but to give you more tools to produce your 2D drawings in less time, while still creating a 3D model.

Come and listen to the BIM 360 product team discuss the recent updates and enhancements to the BIM 360 API. Now, Autodesk customers, partners and developers can build a connected construction ecosystem with the same BIM 360 API that is powering your favorite BIM 360 application built on top of the Autodesk Forge platform. Whether you are interested in automating your construction workflows, reducing manual data entry or building a custom app, BIM 360 can support your integration needs with secure access to your account, project and construction data via the API. We will discuss some of the exciting use cases and construction workflows enabled by the new BIM 360 API on Forge. Success stories from early adopter customers and partners will be highlighted along with best practices on using the BIM 360 API. You will also get a chance to hear about the BIM 360 API roadmap and understand what is in the pipeline and interact with experts from the product team to get your questions answered. (Joint AU/Forge DevCon class).

In this class, we will focus on the connection between the BIM model and project specifications. If a picture is worth a thousand words, then your specifications are a picture of your construction documents. Yet these two document types are typically done separately and without any automated coordination, requiring users to manually assure that the objects represented in the model actually are correctly represented in the specifications. We will go through the process of setting up the coordination environment, as well as the scenario of coordination with those outside your office environment who may be off your company network. We will review the process of automating and controlling the flow of information and review case studies of successful projects and clients that are utilizing these methods.

This session will bring together several companies that have developed unique integrations with the BIM 360 platform to extend the reach of the tools and workflows connected into BIM 360's common data environment for construction management. They'll each share their experience and offer insights into the development process and business opportunities. (Joint AU/Forge DevCon class).

Using highly accurate model data directly in the field reduces project risks and avoids errors and delays that can derail the entire construction schedule and budget. These challenges can be easily resolved by applying the latest best practices for integrated workflows. Attend this class to learn how to utilize the Autodesk Point Layout (APL) plug-in for Revit, Navisworks and AutoCAD for digital construction layout.  This course will show you how to add control points to align model data in the office and in the field, add points to Revit families and other components, as well as sort, filter and edit points.  You will learn how to prepare data for the field inside of Revit so that data flows seamlessly to the field software that controls the Leica iCON robot.  You will also learn how to as-built points and seamlessly bring them back into CAD or BIM to assess deviations identified in the field.

Efficient collaboration is very important for the success of a building project. How could gaming and cloud technologies help to reach it? In this lecture we explain how to use Revizto in life cycle of a building, thereby avoiding misunderstandings. You will learn how to turn your architectural designs from Revit, AutoCAD and other software into navigable 3D environment in few minutes, how to share it with the team through the cloud and open it on any device including iPad. We'll show you how to collaborate effectively with your teammates and clients, using handy real-time tools such as markers and camera sharing. Revizto doesn't require serious set of skills to learn it.

AutoCAD software, Inventor software, Revit software, and 3ds Max software are now in the cloud, and you can use them to perform batch operations, such as creating, modifying, and migrating files or exporting data. This class will cover the basics of how to use app bundles, activities, and work items. Bring your own laptop or use the lab. This class requires basic knowledge of .NET, and previous experience creating desktop apps for AutoCAD, Inventor, Revit, or 3ds Max.

Building Information Modeling (BIM) represents a great deal more than switching from 2D CAD to 3D modeling. Face it; these tools and work processes can be complicated. Throw in multiple office locations, different design partners, and old work methods, and you can have a real mess on your hands. In this session we will take a look at how programs like Revit software disrupt these ponds, and how you can learn to gain efficiencies while you’re in it. We will start by explaining how a basic peer-to-peer type of environment could work, and the pros and cons of this system. Next, we will throw CAD into the mix, and we’ll cover lessons learned. Then we’ll review document management tools such as Vault software, and we will wrap up with a discussion about how the Autodesk 360 software applications can help. If you’re a business owner trying to make sense of all of this, or a designer just looking to get your work done, you need to join us for this fast-paced and sometimes downright funny way to learn how to manage your BIM projects.

See this AU expert’s work in the gallery

Game engines empower us to enhance project understanding and make interactivity possible for all users, and they've grown from being super advanced to something more commonplace. Continuing that growth means we need to take advantage of the data and intelligence that we're building into our projects. To that end, this class will focus on 2 main aspects of the Stingray experience. First, we'll focus on streamlining workflows from Revit software to Stingray. This includes best practices for Revit families to ensure elements animate and work properly in Stingray. We'll also cover project workflows to ensure that our designs can progress while regularly updating our Stingray projects and not losing effort or time. Second, we'll ensure that we're getting more from Revit than just 3D geometry. Our design teams have put a lot of effort into creating intelligent Building Information Modeling (BIM); we should take advantage of that. So we'll cover the workflows used to bring that data into Stingray, and we'll look at how to take advantage of the data once it's there.