3 Dozen Exciting Features in Autodesk 2020 Releases

If you’re in the AEC industry, design software has become a huge part of your world. When you’re on a deadline, it seems like it can also consume a huge part of your day. The newly-released Autodesk 2020 products have features that will streamline your design process, saving you and your firm precious time. We asked our industry-trained technical experts what new features they appreciate most, and here’s the short list:

REVIT

1. PDF Import – Use PDFs directly in Revit; full BIM 360/Desktop Connector support; able to snap to geometry.
2. Elliptical walls!
3. Path of Travel – Creates a new object type (Revit Path Element); optimizes travel path (Route Analysis) between two points and understands obstacles; schedulable and taggable; potential tool for life safety plans and life safety code analysis.
4. Electrical Improvements – User definable homerun symbol and more options for wiring tick marks; electrical panels now allow for Feeds through Lugs connections.
5. Rebar Improvements – Rebar in in-place modeled stairs
6. Dynamo – Version 2.1 ships with Revit and will update when Revit updates; refinery tool for generative design.

CIVIL 3D

1. Interface performance.
2. Analyze Gravity Networks – Updates to analyze a pipe network and apply the results.
3. Dynamo – Expedite workflows by defining scripts and routines in the visual environment.
4. SSA – New storage chambers, sub-basin hydrographs, and individualized tailwater conditions.
5. Collaboration and data exchange – Export DWG to 2D/3D and migrate survey databases to current version.

INFRAWORKS

1. Interface performance.
2. Calculate underground infrastructure quantities by depth.
3. Proposal model collaboration with BIM 360.
4. Precision edits for road profiles.
5. Terrain contour views.
6. Terrain enhancements for separate surfaces and multiple subsurfaces.
7. Extended schema transfer between features.
8. Spreadsheet-based edits of structures.
9. Road grading cut/fill materials.
10. Custom data fields – Add them to objects in InfraWorks.
11. Connectivity with ArcGIS – Make changes to GIS data, then save back to ArcGIS.
12. Bridge adjustments – Use a spreadsheet tool to make multiple edits to a bridge structure.

AUTOCAD

1. Redesigned purge – Drawing cleanup.
2. Updated drawing compare.
3. Partners with Microsoft and Box.
4. Blocks palette – Easy access to recently used blocks in any open drawing.
5. Quick Measure command – Hover in an object and it shows distances between parallel objects.
6. Dark theme – Contrast improvements, sharper icons and a blue interface.

INVENTOR

1. Translation enhancements and interoperability – AnyCAD for Fusion 360 is a feature for Inventor and Fusion 360 subscribers.
2. Frame generator – New editing tools, naming conventions and features.
3. Core design – Part modeling and sketching both function better.
4. UI enhancements.
5. Command UI and productivity enhancements.
6. Performance improvements – Assembly, part, drawing, and AnyCAD workflows.
7. Read-only mode.

VAULT

1. Streamlined internal and external collaboration – Support Vault customers in infrastructure and civil engineering with the expansion of Project Sync.
2. Design documentation – Create a PDF at any lifecycle state.
3. Design creation – Better copy design workflow; switch between list, tree and folder views.
4. Collaboration – Bi-directional connection with BIM 360.
5. Numbering scheme flexibility with custom schemes.
6. Support for Inventor read-only mode.

This is a sampling of the new, time-saving features the Autodesk 2020 products have to offer. To see a demo of any Autodesk 2020 software product, contact Applied Software today. It’s time to reclaim part of your design day.