What is the AEC Collection?

On this edition of Design Under Influence we are unpacking?Autodesk?AEC Software Collection.?It has 15 unique and interesting tools.?We will discuss an overview of the collection, what is included, and give you the top three that may be the most useful to you.??In addition, we?discuss?a few bonus applications.?????

Overview of AEC Collection?

The AEC Collection is not just one?tool but?includes?14 additional tools.??Economically, it’s a sound deal:?in fact,?2?of the main tools included in the collection, if purchased separately, are?more expensive than?the value of?1 license of the AEC collection, and there are 12 other tools included.??This unique collection allows you to use more of?Autodesk’s software to?take-on complex?workflows?or try new capabilities?and?features.??This is an especially?good opportunity if you are already using?AutoCAD?and considering buying Revit or?you?if?have Revit and?are?considering a suite of?AutoCAD.??If you look at the monthly subscriptions for each of those, you will find it a great deal.?

The cost of Revit is about $320?per?month.?If you are using Revit and?AutoCAD?(which is the case for many people?because they are more comfortable with?AutoCAD?and only do certain things in Revit or the other way around),?it is basically another $220?per month?for the?AutoCAD.?The AEC collection itself is $390?per month.?If you are using both of those tools, then the AEC collection already makes sense.?A lot of our customers?have purchased?the AEC Collection because?it makes sense financially?and?let’s?them test the waters of other software.??

The AEC Collection?includes?tools like:?Revit, Civil 3D,?AutoCAD,?InfraWorks,?Navisworks?Manage,?Autodesk?Drive, Advance Steel, Insight,?FormIt?Pro,?ReCap?Pro, 3ds Max,?Autodesk?Rendering, Vehicle Tracking,?Dynamo Studio,?and?Fabrication?CADmep.?There are?also a couple more that I have not named.???

Our Top Three from the AEC Collection?

??Navisworks?Manage?–?comprehensive project review software solution for?VDC,?clash detection and?3D model?advanced coordination, 5D analysis, and simulation.?

??3ds Max?– enables full artistic control of 3D modeling and rendering for design visualization, games, and animation. It is often used by used by video game developers, television studios, and architectural visualization?and rendering?studios.?

??ReCap?Pro?– Reality capture and 3D scanning software and services.?

Using the AEC Collection to its Full Potential?

??Navisworks?opens the door for more text collaboration.?If you are working with any other company that?using?any software,?whether?it is MicroStation?or?ArchiCAD,?Navisworks?does a?has?the capability of bringing a large variety?of different formats together into one model for coordination and clash detection.?It is also?used for?project management.?The two are related because once you start doing clash detection, you are?beginning the?preconstruction phase?and can use Navisworks?through to?construction for quality assurance and control.?It also integrates?with tools like?Primavera?and Excel, so you can track the status of different clashes.??The project management?is helpful in?being able to visually see where issues are and to navigate through an entire building or facility without having?specialty?CAD skills.??

• Civil 3D?is?a?civil?design and documentation software that supports BIM workflows.???
• 3ds Max is?arguably the?best rendering tool?out there.??We have witnessed great results with 3ds Max from small and large firms.?It’s not only used to generate?still renderings, but?you can?also?create?animations?and interactions.??3ds Max?can?help?you deliver compelling?visualization?and?enhance?your customer/clients’?experience.?
• FormIt?is?an?intuitive 3D sketching app with native Revit interoperability.?It is?meant?to be used early on in a project and is?good for conceptual modeling.??It allows you to?work on your?iPad?and sketch out a few things?or?pull up and stretch out geometry,?like you might do in a software like SketchUp.??FormIt?is?user friendly?and?integrates?well with Revit and?AutoCAD.???

These tools enable different parts of the project.??FormIt?would be used in the early stage?–?3ds Max?could be used throughout the entire?project?lifecycle for renderings?–?and?Navisworks?is?great?once you are getting into?the nuts and bolts of coordinating for construction and?constructability.???

The?Difference Between 3ds?Max,?Enscape?and Lumion.???

Enscape?and Lumion?are?basically plugins for Revit?which make things easier for our customers to produce walkthroughs and 3d renderings.??The decision of?when?to?use?Encape?and Lumino instead of 3ds?Max,?would depend?on what your practice is doing.?If you want to have?all the tools imaginable?at your disposal, 3ds Max is the way to go.??While?Enscape?and Lumion?bring a lot?of the capabilities, they do not allow the?customization and tailoring?of?the?professional level?of 3ds Max.??You can achieve great outcomes with?Enscape?and Lumion,?but?you cannot tailor things as?much as?you could?with 3ds Max.??3ds Max?provides?more high-end?production volume?than?Enscape?and?Lumion.??3ds Max also comes with?many?assets included.??There is no?need to download additional libraries.?It is, however,?a steeper learning curve for users.??Enscape?and?Lumion?are?easier to use.???

Bonus?Number 1: Insight?

• Insight empowers architects and engineers to design more energy-efficient buildings with advanced simulation engines and building performance analysis data integrated in Revit.??If you are interested in daylighting studies,?designing facades for shading, orientation of building,?or?heating and cooling loads, there are some powerful NEP-based tools built in to allow you to analyze a Revit model quickly.?You can?visualize?the results of your building in?the?site?in?which?it will be built.??The daylighting analysis allows you to simulate,?calculate, and visualize key daylighting metrics, like daylight autonomy and annual sunlight exposure.?

Bonus Number 2:??ReCap?

??ReCap?offers reality capture and 3D scanning software and services.?Many?people are starting to?use?“point clouds”?generated from?3D scanning.?If you are working on an existing building?project, rather than having?to go to the site to?physically?measure it,?you?(or a surveying professional)?can take a laser scanner there and scan?it.??ReCap?then brings?that information together and allows you to?view it and offers the ability to work with it and?link it to Revit?or AutoCAD.?This is a great way to have someone view your design versus the existing conditions.??ReCap’s?impact will be seen in the future and?similar features may?become more integrated into Revit.???

Bonus Number 3:?Matterport?

• Matterport?creates a realistic digital twin for all types of built spaces enabling clients and stakeholders to explore and evaluate properties with ease.?This?is another company that may be worth?a look.???

If you have questions,?you can?find us?as?getArchIt.com.?We?are?an?IT management company specifically working with design engineering construction firms.?Look for us on Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, and at?https://getarchit.com.