What Is Forge and Why Is It Important for AEC?

8 May 2018All, Architecture and Engineering, Construction, Fabrication, Manufacturing

Autodesk Forge is a relatively new platform, a set of web services API’s. An API is an application programming interface, a way to extract data. Think about it as a box of Legos or parts that make up a model assembly. Documents and Information resides in multiple file formats and will need to exchange data using a common platform. Forge is the latest user friendly platform for just that!

If you use a Forge app, you will also need an internet browser that supports a WebGL compatibility. More advanced uses for Forge is to extract meta data from the BIM model. This database can be non-SQL and streamlines data extraction for the AEC Industry. Revit users can enjoy viewing 3D and 2D views of their BIM Model and extract model-based information in real-time.

The Forge AR/VR Toolkit is another technology that supports the Unity & Unreal gaming engines. By simply sharing a QR code with your clients or consultants, you’ll be able to have a BIM gaming experience. This can run also on Microsoft Hololens, Apple AR Kit and iPad. This functionality can be used for Augmented Reality, which is becoming increasingly popular in the Construction industry.

Step-by-Step Tutorials

Use this link in order to access Autodesk page full of tutorials regarding Forge. Use this page to help set up your Forge accounts and help you configure the applications that you wish to build. Also, feel free to view any of the videos below to get a sense of the full functionality of Autodesk Forge. If you have any questions on this powerful platform, please feel free to leave us a comment below!