software
Software is a set of computer programs and associated documentation and data. This is in contrast to hardware, from which the system is built and which actually performs the work.
At the lowest programming level, executable code consists ...
corporation that makes software products and services for the architecture, engineering, construction, manufacturing, media, education, and entertainment industries. Autodesk is headquartered in
San Francisco, California
San Francisco (; Spanish for " Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the fourth most populous in California and 17th ...
, and has offices worldwide. Its U.S. offices are located in the states of California, Oregon, Colorado, Texas, Michigan, New Hampshire and Massachusetts. Its Canada offices are located in the provinces of Ontario, Quebec, and Alberta.
The company was founded in 1982 by John Walker, who was a coauthor of the first versions of
AutoCAD
AutoCAD is a commercial computer-aided design (CAD) and drafting software application. Developed and marketed by Autodesk, AutoCAD was first released in December 1982 as a desktop app running on microcomputers with internal graphics controllers. ...
. AutoCAD, which is the company's flagship
computer-aided design
Computer-aided design (CAD) is the use of computers (or ) to aid in the creation, modification, analysis, or optimization of a design. This software is used to increase the productivity of the designer, improve the quality of design, improve c ...
(CAD) software and
Revit
Autodesk Revit is a building information modelling software tool for architects, landscape architects, structural engineers, mechanical, electrical, and plumbing (MEP) engineers, designers and contractors. The original software was developed by ...
software are primarily used by architects, engineers, and structural designers to design, draft, and model buildings and other structures. Autodesk software has been used in many fields, and on projects from the
One World Trade Center
One World Trade Center (also known as One World Trade, One WTC, and formerly Freedom Tower) is the main building of the rebuilt World Trade Center complex in Lower Manhattan, New York City. Designed by David Childs of Skidmore, Owings & Mer ...
AutoCAD
AutoCAD is a commercial computer-aided design (CAD) and drafting software application. Developed and marketed by Autodesk, AutoCAD was first released in December 1982 as a desktop app running on microcomputers with internal graphics controllers. ...
, but now develops a broad range of software for design, engineering, and entertainment—and a line of software for consumers. The manufacturing industry uses Autodesk's
digital prototyping
Digital Prototyping gives conceptual design, engineering, manufacturing, and sales and marketing departments the ability to virtually explore a complete product before it's built. Industrial designers, manufacturers, and engineers use Digital Prot ...
software—including
Autodesk Inventor
Autodesk Inventor is a computer-aided design application for 3D mechanical design, simulation, visualization, and documentation developed by Autodesk.
Features
Inventor allows 2D and 3D data integration in a single environment, creating a virt ...
,
Fusion 360
Fusion 360 is a commercial computer-aided design (CAD), computer-aided manufacturing (CAM), computer-aided engineering (CAE) and printed circuit board (PCB) design software application, developed by Autodesk. It is available for Windows and mac ...
, and the Autodesk Product Design Suite—to visualize, simulate, and analyze real-world performance using a digital model in the design process. The company's
Revit
Autodesk Revit is a building information modelling software tool for architects, landscape architects, structural engineers, mechanical, electrical, and plumbing (MEP) engineers, designers and contractors. The original software was developed by ...
line of software for
building information modeling
Building information modeling (BIM) is a process supported by various tools, technologies and contracts involving the generation and management of digital representations of physical and functional characteristics of places. Building informatio ...
is designed to let users explore the planning, construction, and management of a building virtually before it is built.
Autodesk's Media and Entertainment division creates software for visual effects, color grading, and editing as well as animation, game development, and design visualization.
3ds Max
Autodesk 3ds Max, formerly 3D Studio and 3D Studio Max, is a professional 3D computer graphics program for making 3D animations, models, games and images. It is developed and produced by Autodesk Media and Entertainment. It has modeling capabil ...
and
Maya
Maya may refer to:
Civilizations
* Maya peoples, of southern Mexico and northern Central America
** Maya civilization, the historical civilization of the Maya peoples
** Maya language, the languages of the Maya peoples
* Maya (Ethiopia), a populat ...
are both 3D animation software used in film visual effects and game development.
History
The company was founded by John Walker and a team of programmers in 1982. Walker founded the company after acquiring Interact, a
computer-aided design
Computer-aided design (CAD) is the use of computers (or ) to aid in the creation, modification, analysis, or optimization of a design. This software is used to increase the productivity of the designer, improve the quality of design, improve c ...
program that operated on microcomputers running the
8-bit
In computer architecture, 8-bit Integer (computer science), integers or other Data (computing), data units are those that are 8 bits wide (1 octet (computing), octet). Also, 8-bit central processing unit (CPU) and arithmetic logic unit (ALU) arc ...
CP/M
CP/M, originally standing for Control Program/Monitor and later Control Program for Microcomputers, is a mass-market operating system created in 1974 for Intel 8080/ 85-based microcomputers by Gary Kildall of Digital Research, Inc. Initial ...
operating system
An operating system (OS) is system software that manages computer hardware, software resources, and provides common services for computer programs.
Time-sharing operating systems schedule tasks for efficient use of the system and may also in ...
and two of the new
16-bit
16-bit microcomputers are microcomputers that use 16-bit microprocessors.
A 16-bit register can store 216 different values. The range of integer values that can be stored in 16 bits depends on the integer representation used. With the two mos ...
systems, the
Victor 9000
The name Victor or Viktor may refer to:
* Victor (name), including a list of people with the given name, mononym, or surname
Arts and entertainment
Film
* ''Victor'' (1951 film), a French drama film
* ''Victor'' (1993 film), a French shor ...
and the
IBM Personal Computer
The IBM Personal Computer (model 5150, commonly known as the IBM PC) is the first microcomputer released in the IBM PC model line and the basis for the IBM PC compatible de facto standard. Released on August 12, 1981, it was created by a team ...
(PC). This tool provided made it affordable for smaller design, engineering, and architecture companies to create detailed technical drawings. The program had been developed by Michael Riddle in 1979. Riddle had struggled to sell the program, and agreed to sell it to Walker in exchange for royalties. The program was further developed and renamed
AutoCAD
AutoCAD is a commercial computer-aided design (CAD) and drafting software application. Developed and marketed by Autodesk, AutoCAD was first released in December 1982 as a desktop app running on microcomputers with internal graphics controllers. ...
.
Autodesk became a
public company
A public company is a company whose ownership is organized via shares of stock which are intended to be freely traded on a stock exchange or in over-the-counter markets. A public (publicly traded) company can be listed on a stock exchange (l ...
in 1985. John Walker did not enjoy the process of writing the prospectus, relating the process to "lying on the beach or juggling chainsaws".
Release 2.1 of AutoCAD, released in 1986, included
AutoLISP
AutoLISP is a Dialect (computing), dialect of the programming language Lisp (programming language), Lisp built specifically for use with the full version of AutoCAD and its derivatives, which include ''AutoCAD Map 3D'', ''AutoCAD Architecture'' and ...
, a built-in
Lisp programming language
Lisp (historically LISP) is a family of programming languages with a long history and a distinctive, fully parenthesized prefix notation.
Originally specified in 1960, Lisp is the second-oldest high-level programming language still in common us ...
interpreter initially based on XLISP. This opened the door for
third party developer
A video game developer is a broad term for a software developer specializing in video game development – the process and related disciplines of creating video games. A game developer can range from one person who undertakes all tasks to a large ...
s to extend AutoCAD's functionality, to address a wide range of
vertical market
A vertical market is a market in which vendors offer goods and services ''specific'' to an industry, trade, profession, or other group of customers with specialized needs. A horizontal market is a market in which a product or service meets a nee ...
s, strengthening AutoCAD's market penetration.
Subsequent to AutoCAD Release 13, the company stopped supporting the
Unix
Unix (; trademarked as UNIX) is a family of multitasking, multiuser computer operating systems that derive from the original AT&T Unix, whose development started in 1969 at the Bell Labs research center by Ken Thompson, Dennis Ritchie, and ot ...
environment and the Apple Macintosh platform. After AutoCAD Release 14 (R13 was last DOS & Unix release), first shipped in 1997, Autodesk discontinued development under
DOS
DOS is shorthand for the MS-DOS and IBM PC DOS family of operating systems.
DOS may also refer to:
Computing
* Data over signalling (DoS), multiplexing data onto a signalling channel
* Denial-of-service attack (DoS), an attack on a communicat ...
, and focused exclusively on
Microsoft Windows
Windows is a group of several proprietary graphical operating system families developed and marketed by Microsoft. Each family caters to a certain sector of the computing industry. For example, Windows NT for consumers, Windows Server for serv ...
.
AutoCAD has grown to become the most widely used CAD program for 2D non-specialized applications. The native file formats written by AutoCAD,
DXF
AutoCAD DXF (Drawing Interchange Format, or Drawing Exchange Format) is a CAD data file format developed by Autodesk for enabling data interoperability between AutoCAD and other programs.
DXF was introduced in December 1982 as part of AutoCA ...
interoperability
Interoperability is a characteristic of a product or system to work with other products or systems. While the term was initially defined for information technology or systems engineering services to allow for information exchange, a broader defi ...
.
In 1989, Autodesk's sales grew to over $100,000,000 after just four operational years.
Walker remained a programmer at Autodesk until 1994, when he left due to disagreements with changes at the company. With the purchase of Softdesk in 1997, Autodesk started to develop specialty versions of
AutoCAD
AutoCAD is a commercial computer-aided design (CAD) and drafting software application. Developed and marketed by Autodesk, AutoCAD was first released in December 1982 as a desktop app running on microcomputers with internal graphics controllers. ...
, targeted to broad industry segments, including architecture,
civil engineering
Civil engineering is a professional engineering discipline that deals with the design, construction, and maintenance of the physical and naturally built environment, including public works such as roads, bridges, canals, dams, airports, sewage ...
, and
manufacturing
Manufacturing is the creation or production of goods with the help of equipment, labor, machines, tools, and chemical or biological processing or formulation. It is the essence of secondary sector of the economy. The term may refer to a r ...
. Since the late 1990s, the company has added several significant non-AutoCAD-based products, including
Revit
Autodesk Revit is a building information modelling software tool for architects, landscape architects, structural engineers, mechanical, electrical, and plumbing (MEP) engineers, designers and contractors. The original software was developed by ...
, a parametric building modeling application (acquired in 2002, from Massachusetts-based Revit Technologies for $133 million), and
Inventor
An invention is a unique or novel device, method, composition, idea or process. An invention may be an improvement upon a machine, product, or process for increasing efficiency or lowering cost. It may also be an entirely new concept. If an ...
, an internally developed parametric mechanical design CAD application.
In 2007, Timothy Vernor sued Autodesk (''
Vernor v. Autodesk, Inc.
''Vernor v. Autodesk, Inc.'' was a case in the United States District Court for the Western District of Washington regarding the applicability of the first-sale doctrine to software sold under the terms of so-called " shrinkwrap licensing." The ...
''), alleging that he was entitled to resell "used" copies of AutoCAD software on
eBay
eBay Inc. ( ) is an American multinational e-commerce company based in San Jose, California, that facilitates consumer-to-consumer and business-to-consumer sales through its website. eBay was founded by Pierre Omidyar in 1995 and became a ...
. He had obtained the software from an Autodesk licensee at an office liquidation sale. A federal district judge in Washington denied Autodesk's initial motion to dismiss in early 2008. In February and March 2009, both sides filed motions for summary judgment addressing the issue whether the
First Sale Doctrine
The first-sale doctrine (also sometimes referred to as the "right of first sale" or the "first sale rule") is an American legal concept that limits the rights of an intellectual property owner to control resale of products embodying its intellec ...
applies to previously licensed software. The Court ruled in Vernor's favor, holding that when the transfer of software to the purchaser materially resembled a sale (non-recurring price, right to perpetual possession of copy) it was, in fact, a "sale with restrictions on use"''United States v. Wise'' 550 F.2d 1180 (9th Cir. 1977). giving rise to a right to resell the copy under the first-sale doctrine. As such, Autodesk could not pursue an action for copyright infringement against Vernor, who sought to resell used versions of its software on eBay. Autodesk appealed the decision to the
United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
The United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit (in case citations, 9th Cir.) is the U.S. federal court of appeals that has appellate jurisdiction over the U.S. district courts in the following federal judicial districts:
* District ...
, which reversed the lower court ruling, denying Vernor the right to resale Autodesk software due to Autodesk's nontransferable licensing restrictions. In October 2011, the U.S. Supreme Court let stand the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals ruling.
Autodesk introduced a new logo at the
TED conference
TED Conferences, LLC (Technology, Entertainment, Design) is an American-Canadian non-profit media organization that posts international talks online for free distribution under the slogan "ideas worth spreading". TED was founded by Richard Sau ...
in
Long Beach
Long Beach is a city in Los Angeles County, California. It is the 42nd-most populous city in the United States, with a population of 466,742 as of 2020. A charter city, Long Beach is the seventh-most populous city in California.
Incorporate ...
, California, on February 26, 2013.
Autodesk announced the largest lay off in its history on November 27, 2017, with the lay off of 1,150 jobs. This was in addition to the almost 1,000 job cuts announced in January 2016. The number of Autodesk employees decreased from approximately 9,200 to 7,200 in less than 2 years.
Autodesk updated to its current logo in September 2021.
In 2022, Autodesk moved their headquarters to San Francisco from
San Rafael, California
San Rafael ( ; Spanish language, Spanish for "Raphael (archangel), St. Raphael", ) is a city and the county seat of Marin County, California, Marin County, California, United States. The city is located in the North Bay (San Francisco Bay Area), ...
— which served as their headquarters since 1994.
Corporate acquisitions
* In 1992 Autodesk acquired Micro Engineering Solutions (MES) Inc., a developer and marketer of manufacturing CAD / CAM software.
* In 1993 Autodesk acquired Ithaca Software, a 3D computer graphics company founded by Autodesk's former CEO Carl Bass and Garry Wiegand.
* In December 1996, Autodesk announced its plan to acquire Softdesk, a developer of architecture, engineering and construction software.
* In 1998 Autodesk acquired assets of Genius CAD-Software to strengthen the functionality of its core mechanical products.
* In August 1998, Autodesk agreed to acquire Discreet Logic Inc. for about $520 million in stock.
* In 1999, Autodesk acquired VISION* Solutions, a vendor of enterprise automated mapping/facilities management/geographic information systems (AM/FM/GIS) from MCI Systemhouse Corp.
* In January 2001, Autodesk acquired Gentry Systems, a supplier of specialized software tools and services in the electric utility industry. The asset was used to strengthen Autodesk's position in the utility industry.
* In September 2001, Autodesk acquired Buzzsaw.
* In February 2002, Autodesk acquired Revit Technology Corporation, a developer of parametric building technology for building design, construction, and management.
* In August 2002, Autodesk acquired CAiCE Software Corporation, a developer of surveying and engineering applications for transportation agencies and consultants; the product was released in 2003 as "Civil 3D".
* In December 2002, Autodesk acquired the assets of truEInnovations, Inc. to create the application
Autodesk Vault
''Autodesk Vault'' is a data management tool integrated with Autodesk Inventor Series, Autodesk Inventor Professional, AutoCAD Mechanical, AutoCAD Electrical, Autodesk Revit and Civil 3D products. It helps design teams track work in progress a ...
.
* In 2003 Autodesk acquired Linius Technologies, Inc. and purchased certain assets of a third software company—VIA Development Corporation.
* In 2004 Autodesk acquired MechSoft, Inc., the developer of the MechSoft product.
* In 2005 Autodesk acquired the assets of COMPASS systems GmbH, to strengthen Autodesk's position in the European product data management market.
* In 2006 Autodesk acquired
Alias
Alias may refer to:
* Pseudonym
* Pen name
* Nickname
Arts and entertainment Film and television
* ''Alias'' (2013 film), a 2013 Canadian documentary film
* ''Alias'' (TV series), an American action thriller series 2001–2006
* ''Alias the ...
, with its automotive styling and digital content creation applications such as
FBX
FBX (''Filmbox'') is a proprietary file format () developed by Kaydara and owned by Autodesk since 2006. It is used to provide interoperability between digital content creation applications. FBX is also part of Autodesk Gameware, a series of vid ...
file format
A file format is a standard way that information is encoded for storage in a computer file. It specifies how bits are used to encode information in a digital storage medium. File formats may be either proprietary or free.
Some file formats ...
.
* On August 6, 2007, Autodesk announced the acquisition of Skymatter Inc, developer of
Mudbox
Mudbox is a proprietary
{{Short pages monitor
* Autodesk plugins for
Rhino
A rhinoceros (; ; ), commonly abbreviated to rhino, is a member of any of the five extant species (or numerous extinct species) of odd-toed ungulates in the family Rhinocerotidae. (It can also refer to a member of any of the extinct species o ...
** Autodesk T-Splines Plug-in for RhinoThe future of Autodesk plug-ins for Rhino Autodesk November 17, 2016
** Autodesk Shape Modeling Plug-in for Rhino (formerly VSR Shape Modeling)
** Autodesk Realtime Renderer (formerly VSR Realtime Renderer)
* Autodesk ForceEffect family
** Autodesk ForceEffect
** Autodesk ForceEffectMotion
** Autodesk ForceEffectFlow
* Autodesk Spark - the 3D Print API in Autodesk Forge was also discontinued.
* Print StudioAutodesk Discontinues Manufacture of Open Source Ember 3D Printer April 12, 2017. 3DR Holdings - the tool was replaced by Netfabb.
* Autodesk Footwear CAM Software (formerly
Delcam
Delcam is a supplier of advanced CAD/CAM software for the manufacturing industry.
The company has grown steadily since being founded formally in 1977, after initial development work at Cambridge University, UK.
It is now a global developer of ...
Crispin)
* Autodesk Delcam for Solidworks CAM Software
* Autodesk Delcam Dentmill CAM Software
* Autodesk Delcam Orthomill CAM Software
* Autodesk Artcam CAM Software
* Autodesk Partmaker CAM Software
* Autodesk Inventor Publisher - the product was replaced by the presentation feature of Autodesk Inventor Professional.
** Inventor Publisher Viewer
* AutoCAD Utility Design
*
Pixlr
Pixlr is a cloud-based set of image editing tools and utilities, including a number of photo editors and a photo sharing service. It was acquired by Autodesk in 2011. The suite is intended from the range of simple to advanced photo editing. It ...
for Desktop
*Autodesk Showcase
** Autodesk Real-Time Ray Tracing Cluster
* Autodesk Simulation Mechanical
* Autodesk Homestyler
* Autodesk Within - its functionality was merged into Netfabb.
* Autodesk ReMake - the product was replaced by ReCap Photo in ReCap Pro.
*
Autodesk Gameware
Autodesk Gameware is a discontinued middleware software suite developed by Autodesk. The suite contained tools that enable designers to create game lighting, character animation, low level path finding, high-level AI and advanced user interfaces. O ...
** Autodesk
Scaleform
Scaleform Corporation is a developer providing middleware for use in the video game industry. As a result of Autodesk's acquisition of the company in March 2011, Scaleform has become part of the Autodesk Gameware line of middleware.
Products
...
Autodesk game middleware products are no longer available for purchase , Autodesk, 2017
** Autodesk Beast
** Autodesk HumanIK
** Autodesk Navigation (the successor of Autodesk
Kynapse
Kynapse is the artificial intelligence middleware product, developed by Kynogon, which was bought by Autodesk in 2008 and called ''Autodesk Kynapse''. In 2011, it has been re-engineered and rebranded ''Autodesk Navigation''.
Since the discontinua ...
)
** Autodesk Population
** Autodesk Cognition
* Lagoa
* Autodesk Stingray (formerly Bitsquid) - the product is now part of 3ds Max as "3ds Max Interactive".
* Autodesk Infrastructure Map Server (formerly Autodesk MapGuide Enterprise Server)
* Autodesk Live ViewerAutodesk Live 2.0 Viewer Autodesk, January 8, 2018 - The presentation published by Autodesk Live (Revit Live) now comes with internal viewer but its mobile publishing feature was dropped.
* Autodesk Flow Design
* AutoCAD variants
** AutoCAD P&IDAutoCAD P&ID is no longer available Autodesk - the product was replaced by AutoCAD Plant 3D.
**
AutoCAD Architecture
AutoCAD Architecture (abbreviated as ACA) is a version of Autodesk's flagship product, AutoCAD, with tools and functions specially suited to architectural work.
Architectural objects have a relationship to one another and interact with each other ...
(formerly Autodesk Architectural Desktop) - the product was merged into AutoCAD itself.
** AutoCAD Electrical - the product was merged into AutoCAD itself.
** AutoCAD Mechanical - the product was merged into AutoCAD itself.
** AutoCAD MEP (formerly Autodesk Building Systems) - the product was merged into AutoCAD itself.
** AutoCAD Map 3D - the product was merged into AutoCAD itself.
** AutoCAD Plant 3D - the product was merged into AutoCAD itself.
** AutoCAD Raster Design - the product was merged into AutoCAD itself.
* Structural Analysis for Revit - the product was replaced by Robot Structural Analysis Professional.
* A360 Desktop
* Autodesk InfraWorks 360 iPad app
* Autodesk MatchMover (formerly RealViz MatchMover)
* Autodesk Composite (formerly
Autodesk Toxik
Autodesk Toxik was an interactive node based, film compositing solution developed by Autodesk Media and Entertainment, a subsidiary of Autodesk, Inc.
History
Autodesk Toxic is a film compositing software first released in 2007.
Features
...
)
* BIM 360 Team (formerly A360 Team)
** P&ID Modeler for Revit - deprecated to expand the use of the product.Notice: Changes Impacting P&ID Modeler for Revit and Collaboration for Plant 3D , Autodesk, May 4, 2018
** Collaboration for Plant 3D (C4P) - deprecated to expand the use of the product.
* Autodesk Revit Extensions
* Autodesk TruFiber - the product was merged into TruComposites.
* Autodesk TruLaser - the product was merged into TruComposites.
* Autodesk TruPlan - the product was merged into TruComposites.
* Autodesk Life Sciences' productsAutodesk Life Sciences Autodesk
** Genetic Constructor
** Molecule Viewer
* Configurator 360
* Alias SpeedForm - its functionality was merged into other Alias products. Autodesk, June 20, 2019
* Alias Design
* Revit Live
* Revit Model Review - the product was replaced by Autodesk BIM Interoperability Tools.What’s new in Revit 2021 Autodesk, April 8, 2020
* Site Designer add-in for Revit
* ReCap Pro for mobile
* Slicer for Fusion 360
* A360 Drive - the product was replaced by Autodesk Drive.
* Autodesk Constructware
* Inventor LTNew subscriptions to Inventor LT are no longer available Autodesk
** Inventor LT Suite
* Dynamo Studio - the product was replaced by Dynamo Sandbox.
* Autodesk TruComposites
* Autodesk TruNest
* Autodesk Meshmixer - though it's still available as free, the development was discontinued; its technologies were merged into Fusion 360 and Netfabb.Autodesk Meshmixer Autodesk. September, 2021
* Netfabb Online Service - the product was merged into Fusion 360.
* Autodesk 3ds Max Asset Library
Maintenance-mode products
* BIM 360 - the product was replaced by Autodesk Construction Cloud.
** BIM 360 Field (formerly Vela Systems) - the product had become to provide through BIM 360 Build.
** BIM 360 Build - the product was replaced by Autodesk Build.
** BIM 360 Coordinate (formerly BIM 360 Glue) - the product was replaced by BIM Collaborate which is a subset of Autodesk BIM Collaborate Pro (formerly BIM 360 Design). Autodesk. February 9, 2021.
Non-maintained products
*Motion FX
*Autodesk
Smoke
Smoke is a suspension of airborne particulates and gases emitted when a material undergoes combustion or pyrolysis, together with the quantity of air that is entrained or otherwise mixed into the mass. It is commonly an unwanted by-product ...
- only works on
macOS
macOS (; previously OS X and originally Mac OS X) is a Unix operating system developed and marketed by Apple Inc. since 2001. It is the primary operating system for Apple's Mac computers. Within the market of desktop and lapt ...
before
Catalina
Catalina may refer to:
Arts and media
* ''The Catalina'', a 2012 American reality television show
* ''Catalina'' (novel), a 1948 novel by W. Somerset Maugham
* Catalina (''My Name Is Earl''), character from the NBC sitcom ''My Name Is Earl''
...
.
Formerly owned and have since been divested
* Autodesk Seek - acquired by BIMobject AB.
* Autodesk Pixlr - acquired by 123RF.
* Creative Market - became independent again in funding by Palm Drive Capital and others.
*
Autodesk SketchBook
Sketchbook (formerly StudioPaint, Autodesk SketchBook), is a raster graphics software app intended for expressive drawing and concept sketching also for making animations (Jelly Boo, Teatralka). The software was first developed by Alias Systems ...
(formerly Alias Sketchbook Pro) - became independent
Sustainability
Autodesk CFD (formerly Autodesk Simulation CFD) includes modeling and thermal modeling tools for architectural and MEP applications. Common applications for environmental
sustainable design
Environmentally sustainable design (also called environmentally conscious design, eco-design, etc.) is the philosophy of designing physical objects, the built environment, and services to comply with the principles of ecological sustainability ...
include mechanical ventilation, external flow (wind loading), natural ventilation, and occupant comfort. Other energy applications include analysis for building energy, solar load, advanced energy and heating and cooling. Autodesk introduced C-FACT, an open-source, science-driven approach to setting
greenhouse gas
A greenhouse gas (GHG or GhG) is a gas that Absorption (electromagnetic radiation), absorbs and Emission (electromagnetic radiation), emits radiant energy within the thermal infrared range, causing the greenhouse effect. The primary greenhouse ...
reduction targets, which calls for greenhouse gas (GHG) reductions to be made in proportion to a company's gross domestic product (GDP). Unlike other carbon accounting methods, Autodesk's C-FACT measures carbon dioxide emissions that are proportional to a company's global GDP contribution. Autodesk will derive its own targets using this approach through 2020.
In 2006, Autodesk sponsored a
PBS
The Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) is an American public broadcasting, public broadcaster and Non-commercial activity, non-commercial, Terrestrial television, free-to-air television network based in Arlington, Virginia. PBS is a publicly fu ...
program named ''e² Design'', which focused on green building design around the world, describing the leaders and technologies that drive sustainable design.
See also
*
Digital prototyping
Digital Prototyping gives conceptual design, engineering, manufacturing, and sales and marketing departments the ability to virtually explore a complete product before it's built. Industrial designers, manufacturers, and engineers use Digital Prot ...