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Autodesk Turns 42 - January 30, 1982

Autodesk’s 42nd Birthday

Autodesk was founded on January 30th, 1982 by John Walker and a group of co-founders. The company became public in 1985. Early on, Autodesk focused on developing AutoCAD, which quickly became its flagship product. AutoCAD's introduction of AutoLISP in 1986 allowed for third-party developers to extend its functionality, greatly enhancing its market reach​.

Autodesk’s Flying founders
Autodesk Flying founders

From left to right:
Rudolf Künzli, Mike Ford, Dan Drake, Mauri Laitinen, Greg Lutz, David Kalish, Lars Moureau, Richard Handyside, Kern Sibbald, Hal Royaltey, Duff Kurland, John Walker, Keith Marcelius

Here is a list of some of the Autodesk products that have been launched since the company's founding along with the year they were launched:

    • AutoCAD - 1982
    • AutoCAD Architecture - 1985
    • AutoCAD Mechanical - 1986
    • AutoCAD Electrical - 1990
    • 3ds Max - 1996
    • Maya - 1998
    • Revit - 2000
    • AutoCAD Civil 3D - 2005
    • AutoCAD Map 3D - 2006
    • Autodesk Inventor - 1999
    • Autodesk Alias - 2001
    • Autodesk Smoke - 2007
    • Autodesk Mudbox - 2007
    • Autodesk Flame - 2010
    • Autodesk Arnold - 2013
    • Autodesk Fusion 360 - 2013
    • Autodesk Tinkercad - 2013
    • Autodesk BIM 360 - 2016

More Autodesk historical milestones:

  • The release of AutoCAD in 1982, which revolutionized the way architects, engineers, and construction professionals design and document their work.
  • The acquisition of Revit in 2002, which brought the industry-leading building information modeling (BIM) software to Autodesk's portfolio.
  • The acquisition of Alias in 2005, which brought cutting-edge 3D design and animation software to Autodesk's portfolio.
  • The launch of the Autodesk Sustainable Design initiative in 2007, which encourages sustainable practices in the design and construction industry.
  • The acquisition of Tinkercad in 2013, a user-friendly 3D design tool that makes it easy for anyone to create and share their own designs.
  • The launch of the Autodesk Forge platform (now named Autodesk Platform Services) in 2014, which provides developers with the tools they need to create custom applications that integrate with Autodesk software.
  • The release of Autodesk Fusion 360 in 2013, a cloud-based CAD, CAM, and CAE tool that helps users design, test, and manufacture their products.
  • The development of Autodesk BIM 360 in 2016, a cloud-based platform for building information modeling (BIM) that helps architects, engineers, and construction professionals collaborate more effectively.
  • The launch of the Autodesk Construction Cloud in 2018, a set of cloud-based tools that help construction professionals manage their projects from start to finish.

 

Autodesk History info:

The Autodesk File
Bits of History, Words of Experience
The Autodesk File chronicles the history of Autodesk, Inc. and its principal product, AutoCAD, through contemporary documents edited and annotated by Autodesk founder and former CEO John Walker. The book traces the company from the first glimmer of an idea in the minds of the founders, through start-up, initial public stock offering, and growth from a loose confederation of moonlighting individuals to a leader in the industry of computer aided design. The book is available in several different editions, suited for on- or off-line reading with various tools. Click on the titles of the section describing the edition you prefer to view it or download to your computer.”

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Autodes

https://www.globaldata.com/company-profile/autodesk-inc/

 

From Autodesk Founder John Walker’s GPT
Autodesk Founder John Walker’s GPTs on Autodesk History

The Unusual Origin
Autodesk's story began with Marinchip Systems, a company I started in 1977. By 1981, it was clear that Marinchip did not have a bright future, prompting the idea of starting a software-only company. This led to the creation of the Working Paper, which formed the basis for what would become Autodesk​​. The initial plan for Marin Software Partners (MSP), the precursor to Autodesk, was to develop and market software for emerging mass-market computer systems, including CP/M, IBM 8086 DOS, and Unix System III​​.

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