3 Dozen Exciting Features in Autodesk 2020 Releases
29 April 2019All, Architecture and Engineering, autodesk, Construction, Manufacturing, Uncategorized

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:
- PDF Import – Use PDFs directly in Revit; full BIM 360/Desktop Connector support; able to snap to geometry.
- Elliptical walls!
- 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.
- Electrical Improvements – User definable homerun symbol and more options for wiring tick marks; electrical panels now allow for Feeds through Lugs connections.
- Rebar Improvements – Rebar in in-place modeled stairs
- Dynamo – Version 2.1 ships with Revit and will update when Revit updates; refinery tool for generative design.
- Interface performance.
- Analyze Gravity Networks – Updates to analyze a pipe network and apply the results.
- Dynamo – Expedite workflows by defining scripts and routines in the visual environment.
- SSA – New storage chambers, sub-basin hydrographs, and individualized tailwater conditions.
- Collaboration and data exchange – Export DWG to 2D/3D and migrate survey databases to current version.
- Interface performance.
- Calculate underground infrastructure quantities by depth.
- Proposal model collaboration with BIM 360.
- Precision edits for road profiles.
- Terrain contour views.
- Terrain enhancements for separate surfaces and multiple subsurfaces.
- Extended schema transfer between features.
- Spreadsheet-based edits of structures.
- Road grading cut/fill materials.
- Custom data fields – Add them to objects in InfraWorks.
- Connectivity with ArcGIS – Make changes to GIS data, then save back to ArcGIS.
- Bridge adjustments – Use a spreadsheet tool to make multiple edits to a bridge structure.
- Redesigned purge – Drawing cleanup.
- Updated drawing compare.
- Partners with Microsoft and Box.
- Blocks palette – Easy access to recently used blocks in any open drawing.
- Quick Measure command – Hover in an object and it shows distances between parallel objects.
- Dark theme – Contrast improvements, sharper icons and a blue interface.
- Translation enhancements and interoperability – AnyCAD for Fusion 360 is a feature for Inventor and Fusion 360 subscribers.
- Frame generator – New editing tools, naming conventions and features.
- Core design – Part modeling and sketching both function better.
- UI enhancements.
- Command UI and productivity enhancements.
- Performance improvements – Assembly, part, drawing, and AnyCAD workflows.
- Read-only mode.
- Streamlined internal and external collaboration – Support Vault customers in infrastructure and civil engineering with the expansion of Project Sync.
- Design documentation – Create a PDF at any lifecycle state.
- Design creation – Better copy design workflow; switch between list, tree and folder views.
- Collaboration – Bi-directional connection with BIM 360.
- Numbering scheme flexibility with custom schemes.
- 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.