10 Misconceptions Your Boss Has About Autodesk

If you knew Autodesk like we know Autodesk . . .

Founded in 1982 by John Walker, the coauthor of AutoCAD, Autodesk just celebrated its 36^th year in the computer-aided design business. Leaders come and go. Software products come and go. If you’ve been using Autodesk software products for decades, you’ll have to admit, it’s definitely not the same company that it was 36 years ago. What was it your boss said . . . ?

1.) Autodesk is the same as AutoCAD? This is so not-so! AutoCAD is a software program that resides on a thumb drive or on your computer or in the cloud. Autodesk is an enormous corporation – the largest design automation software company in the world – with offices located in nine countries. AutoCAD was the first product Autodesk developed and marketed. Since then, Autodesk has developed and markets hundreds of software titles.

2.) Applied Software is Autodesk? Also not-so. Applied has a staff of friendly folks who help end users navigate the maze that the Autodesk software world has become. If you have a smiley-face sticker, put it on the corner of your monitor, then look at it when you’re talking to your Applied account advisor (the real face never matches the voice anyway, right?). Choose Applied as your Reseller of Record, and you can work with those smiling faces.

 3.) Autodesk software belongs to me? The world of intellectual property is complicated. The license you purchase is not ownership of the software, it’s a license to use that software in the manner the owner (Autodesk) specifies. It’s best to comply from the beginning. Avoid situations of . . .

• Unauthorized previous version use
• Using versions that you’ve already upgraded or traded in
• Installing the license on more than two stations
• Using someone else’s software (even a company that’s gone out of business)

. . .Eventually they are discovered, and fines are assessed. The license agreement includes allowing Autodesk to access to your system to audit software installations and use.

4.) They don’t play nice? Autodesk is not really a nasty 800-pound gorilla in the software business. The company is headquartered in San Rafael, California, where gorillas are not headquartered. Also, gorillas don’t play very nice with competitors, but Autodesk has software products that actually integrate with the competition:

• Infraworks with ESRI and Bentley
• Civil 3D with Bentley
• Vault and Navisworks, which read over 200 different file formats
• Construction Operations Building Information Exchange (COBie) data format for publishing BIM asset data

5.) Autodesk products are expensive? Nearly all Autodesk software products are now available as monthly, annual and multi-year subscriptions. You need only subscribe to the software when you need it for as long as you need it. And Autodesk recently bundled together complementary software products into “Collections,” saving users thousands of dollars over subscribing to the products individually. Likewise, the flagship product AutoCAD has been revamped to include specialty toolsets that were once individual products:

• Architecture
• MAP 3D
• Mechanical
• Electrical
• Raster Design
• MEP
• Plant 3D
• Web App
• Mobile App

6.) Autodesk is only a “design” company? Check out the construction tools:

• Navisworks – combine model coordination with project quantities and schedule to simulate time and cost.
• Fabrication CADmep – detail workflows and shop drawings for MEP contractors and prep systems for field installation.
• Point Layout – import field conditions; export to robotic instruments or Navisworks.
• BIM 360 – collaborate and create seamless connections between design and fabrication.

7.) Autodesk does not do virtual reality? Revit LIVE begs to differ. This cloud service, available in the Architecture, Engineering & Construction Collection, turns a Revit model into an immersive visual experience. Architects can understand, explore and share their designs inside and out.

8.) Autodesk wants customers on subscription so they can jack up the price? Many users don’t realize that in mid-2018, Autodesk released a 10-year plan for its software renewal pricing. Coming from a corporation historically so tight-lipped about price increases that even its resellers only knew two weeks in advance, the plan gives an unprecedented commitment to modest subscription increases. Maintenance will increase faster than subscription, because it’s a dinosaur now. Subscription prices are expected to go up an average of 5% a year through 2028. And let’s be real, Autodesk is in business to make money.

9.) Autodesk is just for architects? Well, if you just fell off the turnip truck, you may be surprised to know that Autodesk has its development tentacles in just about every industry around the world – even genetic engineering and DNA mapping. There are products for design, entertainment, engineering, manufacturing, animation, process controls, rendering, visualization, maintenance, and the generic consumer.

10.) It’s a pain for Autodesk software to use manufacturing data from other CAD systems? Find out more about Inventor. It works with data from any 3D CAD system (inventively named AnyCAD) and maintains an associative link. Perfect for collaboration. Inventor offers multiple modeling options, and no complex code is required for automation.

There’s a reason why you and millions of users like you have been using Autodesk software products for decades. Autodesk is the leader and the innovator. Autodesk is evolving with you and your industry. And Autodesk will be there for decades to come.

If you want to know Autodesk like we know Autodesk, contact us today to change your reseller of record to Applied Software.