Between the Lines

How AEC Firms Can Harness the Power of AI

The Architecture, Engineering, and Construction (AEC) sector is experiencing a transformative digital shift, thanks to Artificial Intelligence (AI). From design conception to construction management, AI has found applications across a myriad of tasks. Let's explore some key ways AEC firms can utilize AI. Design Optimization AI algorithms can sift through complex data sets to recommend the most efficient design layouts. By analyzing factors such as sunlight, wind direction, form, and material strength, AI can offer eco-friendly and cost-effective designs. Predictive... Read more →

Dive into XR: Shaping the Future of Building and Design

What is Extended Reality (XR)? The advent of XR has been very helpful for many industries, including Architecture, Engineering, and Construction (AEC) and also Manufacturing. XR technology is revolutionizing the way we design, construct, and manage buildings and infrastructure, facilitating better communication, enhancing collaboration, inspection, and increasing overall productivity and efficiency. Read more →

How Might AI Impact the AEC industry and Construction

The Architecture, Engineering, and Construction (AEC) industry is one of the most rapidly evolving industries of the 21st century, and to me, it is feeling like the speed is accelerating. With the introduction of AI (Artificial Intelligence), the industry is undergoing a transformation that is expected to have a major impact on the AEC design tools, data, construction process, and the entire industry, including all of us. The what and how we build. The potential applications of AI in the... Read more →

Manufacturing Design Software Trends

The MFG Trend Nostradamus.. I have been deep dive researching in AEC and Manufacturing design software and the greater industry trends. Here is my overview of manufacturing design software trends. There are several trends in mechanical design software technologies that are shaping the future of engineering and product design. Some of these trends in no particular order of significance include: Cloud-based software: Cloud-based software is becoming increasingly popular as it allows engineers to access design tools and data from anywhere... Read more →

Learn About the Autodesk AI Lab

Artificial Intelligence is a hot topic, and Autodesk is also looking into how we can intelligently utilize AI and machine learning to solve customer challenges. Find out about the new Autodesk AI Lab from theDirector of AI Research at Autodesk Tonya Curtis, and what they are researhing and papers they have submitted. Read more →

Interesting AI Possibilities from OpenAI Using ChatGPT

Last Wednesday, OpenAI released their ChatGPT for free and is based on GPT-3.5. https://openai.com/blog/chatgpt/ ChatGPT is like a smarter search engine as a bot with the ability to create results including code or text in response to natural language queries. What I find interesting and the possibilities exciting as well as spooky is the ability to not only get really interesting returns to text questions but also write code including Autodesk product customization like ObjectARX, Lisp, Forge, Dynamo, or mel for Maya and Maxscript for 3ds Max. simply by asking the ChatGPT. ”ChatGPT: Optimizing Language Models for Dialogue We’ve trained a model called ChatGPT which interacts in a conversational way. Read more →

Down the Melting Neon Rabbit Hole of AI-Generated Art

I have recently been experimenting with a new technology, I know, I'm a techy geek and your are not shocked that I'm geeking out on something new. There are many new technologies harnessing AI to generate images based on words and instructions you feed it like Dall-E, Dall-E Mini aka CrAIon, and Midjourney. I got on the beta of Midjourney. Midjourney runs using Discord (desktop or mobile) as its interface using the bot to send the commands to their trained... Read more →

DAISY AI in Toronto Collaboration with Autodesk Research on Using AI for Sustainable Structural Design

DAISY AI in Toronto collaborated with Autodesk Research team in London to produce residential construction designs using artificial intelligence. Read more →

Autodesk & Smithsonian Arts + Industries Building

A great article by my crazy smart friend and Autodesk colleague as well as fellow Bend Oregon resident, Brian Pene on explaining our (Autodesk) long strong relationship with the Smithsonian and the new exhibition showcasing the future of human/machine collaboration. New Autodesk & Smithsonian Arts + Industries Building exhibit showcases the future of human/machine collaboration America’s first National Museum, the Smithsonian Arts + Industries Building (AIB) has been dormant for nearly two decades. A few years ago, Autodesk learned the... Read more →

Collaborative Future at the Reimagined Smithsonian Arts + Industries Building

How will we design sustainable communities in the future? Debuting this November, take a first look at the new interactive exhibit from Autodesk and Smithsonian Arts + Industries Building “Future Communities” highlights the benefits of automation in how we work. http://autode.sk/32KLSkR Quote from Autodesk CEO Andrew Anagnost “Proud to be part of an experience that highlights the benefits of automation in how we work” ”Design shapes billions of lives. What if we could invite everyone to create, together, almost every... Read more →

How Innovators Are Exploring Emerging Technologies

“Innovation and collaboration are at the heart of the Autodesk Technology Centers, which provide a platform for exploring new possibilities of designing and making. With a global network of innovators from the industry, academic, and entrepreneurial communities—and physical workshops in San Francisco; Boston; Toronto; and Birmingham, England—the technology centers provide support for residents as they seek new ways of designing for impact.” Read More and get the free eBook Here: https://redshift.autodesk.com/designing-for-impact/ Read more →

Learn About Revit Automation and Generative Design

There is a free Autodesk eBook now available on learning about how automation and generative design can empower you to meet new challenges and shape the built environment of the future. The Future is a Design Challenge eBook ”Solving tomorrow’s challenges with automation and generative design “ autode.sk/2W3H6f0 Read more →

COVID-19 Design Challenges – Call To Action

My longtime friend and Autodesk colleague Kean Walmsley and I have been talking about ways Autodesk technology might assist our customers, and even us at Autodesk in these changing times or the “new normal”. How might we evaluate social distancing, points where people could congregate or HVAC flows all based on best health and safety practices being publicly discussed in this potential new normal environment when many self isolated communities slowly phase back in public settings and buildings. I would... Read more →

What is Autodesk Researching with AI and VFX

Problems grow in complexity with time, what is Autodesk doing to solve this challenge for VFX? “From specialized image segmentation to AI-powered UV creation, and natural language art directing, see where Autodesk stands and is going with AI-fueled entertainment creation. Evan Atherton, Senior Research Engineer, kicks off the conversation of how designers and artists will work in the future with the help of Artificial Intelligence. Will Harris, Flame Family Product Manager, discusses AI for VFX and Color Finishing, and Sebastian... Read more →

Got My Bags Packed for My Mars Condo!

A great story of smart young minds tackling a challenge put forth by NASA helped AI SpaceFactory Win NASA’s 3D-Printed Habitat Challenge for additive constructed habitats. NASA awarded AI SpaceFactory $500,000 for the successful construction of a 15 foot Mars habitat with three windows named MARSHA. Read more →

Interested in Artificial Intelligence for Engineering– Attend our Engineering Summer School 2019

Autodesk is hosting an immersive event in Toronto to help students and professionals acquire expertise in state-of-the-art AI methods and techniques. autode.sk/2PUKipw Artificial Intelligence (AI) for Engineering Summer School 2019, hosted by Autodesk, is a two-week event that brings together a talented group of engineering graduate students and industry professionals to acquire expertise in state-of-the-art AI methods and techniques, with the focus on deep learning and reinforcement learning. While there has been a significant resurgence of AI technologies, other scientific... Read more →

Power of AI & Machine Learning in Construction

Subscribe to our BIM 360 Newsletter and get access instantly to this PDF report on AI and Machine Learning in AEC Construction, and much more. AI and Machine Learning will be a big part of all of our future from how our personal phones process our photos, provide navigation, and deliver data tips from the massive amounts of data we use daily to make it beneficial and personalized and AI and Machine Learning will also have a great benefit to... Read more →

Autodesk Launches Construction IQ – AI to Reduce Construction Risk

Increase your project’s intelligence and reduce risks by using some artificial intelligence trained using machine learning models from data from over 30,000 projects. Autodesk just introduced Construction IQ in a public preview where an artificial intelligence service works with Autodesk’s BIM 360 project management platform. ”Formerly known as Project IQ, Construction IQ for quality and safety analysis started in private preview in 2016. Altogether, the algorithm was developed with 150 million construction issues and checklist observations. Subcontractor assignments and historical... Read more →

Interested in AEC Space Analysis for Dynamo and Refinery – Meet Project Discover

Kean Walmsley from our Autodesk Research Team wrote a great blog post on space analysis using Dynamo and Refinery. “For Project Discover we used 2D space analysis to calculate various metrics that scored the individual layouts: Adjacency Buzz Productivity Views to outside Daylight The first two are largely about calculating paths between various locations, while the last three are implemented by ray-casting. These approaches are definitely connected, though: you need to specify boundaries (and barriers) that the various algorithms will... Read more →

Industrialized Construction Is Growing and Needed

Yesterday I attended the 2019 Industrialized Construction Forum held by Stanford University Center for Integrated Facility Engineering. This was a packed event attended by by not only academia, but industry. The presentations, panel discussions, and conversations with attendees were very good and thought provoking on the impact and changes to construction and our built world in the near term and long term future. Some of the technologies and considerations involved society, AI/ML, robotics, offside prefab, modular construction, skyrocketing costs from labor and materials, and sustainability. My big takeaway is that Industrialized Construction “IC” may be the best solution to solving the limited resources, reducing carbon footprint, addressing the global housing shortage, and overcoming the labor shortage in the construction industry. We at Autodesk couldn’t agree more in doing More, Better, with Less. Read more →

Reimagining the Future of Making

Automation Helps People Live and Work Better “Humanity inevitably needs, desires, and demands more. At the same time, it must also confront the reality of less—fewer natural resources, less space, and fewer skilled construction and manufacturing workers than the world needs.” “Automation also helps companies stay ahead of their competitors, but more important, it encourages and supports the imagination that moves humanity forward. Better cities, better buildings, better things, better work: Reimagining the model for automation can balance the inevitability... Read more →

Thank You Seattle Startup Week

Last Thursday I spoke on a panel How Technology is changing the $10 trillion construction industry at Seattle Startup Week with: Greg Howes - Cofounder, CutMyTimber, AEC Hackathon, Seattle Proptech Amy Hutchins - Founder, Chief Product & Technology Officer, Unearth Technologies Salla Palos - Director of Emerging Technology & Innovation, Sellen Construction Greg Howes opened the panel discussion with a quote on a slide from Autodesk CEO Andrew Anagnost about AEC and Manufacturing are merging. He then asked the panel... Read more →