Autodesk has announced its 2013 software and services for building design and construction, civil infrastructure, and plant design professionals.

Enhancements for Autodesk Building Design Suite 2013, Autodesk Infrastructure Design Suite 2013 and Autodesk Plant Design Suite 2013, together with expanded cloud services and improved collaboration and data management tools, are aimed at helping design, engineering and construction professionals address today’s business challenges with enhanced Building Information Modeling (BIM) workflows, says Amar Hanspal, senior vice president, Information Modeling and Platform Products Group, Autodesk.

For design, engineering and construction professionals, a combination of Autodesk Building Design Suite 2013, Autodesk Infrastructure Design Suite 2013 or Autodesk Plant Design Suite 2013 with Autodesk Subscription, Autodesk 360, Autodesk Vault Collaboration AEC 2013 software and Autodesk Buzzsaw 2013 software-as-a-service, can help solve a wide range of today’s business challenges, he says.

The 2013 software and services portfolio includes access to Autodesk 360, a cloud computing platform designed to help users improve the way project teams design, visualize, simulate, and share work. Autodesk 360 offers secure access to project data anytime, anywhere, while taking advantage of computing power through a broad range of cloud-based services. Autodesk 360 is now available to all Autodesk design suite customers, with additional capabilities available to design suite customers who purchase an Autodesk Subscription.

Autodesk Building Design Suite 2013 is the foundation of the 2013 software portfolio for architects, MEP and structural engineers, and construction professionals. It provides a set of tools to help users address a variety of workflow needs, from design, visualization and simulation to documentation and construction.

Available in three editions -- Standard, Premium and Ultimate -- Autodesk Building Design Suite 2013 updates include the addition of Autodesk Revit 2013 software to the Premium and Ultimate editions; Autodesk Navisworks Simulate 2013 software for the Premium edition; and Autodesk Infrastructure Modeler 2013 and Autodesk Robot Structural Analysis Professional 2013 software for the Ultimate edition.

Autodesk Revit 2013 is a new application exclusively available in the Premium and Ultimate editions that combines the capabilities in Autodesk Revit Architecture 2013, Autodesk Revit Structure 2013 and Autodesk Revit MEP 2013 software in a single, comprehensive application to help users support multidiscipline workflows.
Enhanced BIM for Civil Infrastructure

Autodesk Infrastructure Design Suite 2013 provides civil engineering, GIS, planning and utility design professionals with a BIM for infrastructure solution for planning, designing, building and managing civil infrastructure and utility infrastructure projects. Available in three editions -- Standard, Premium and Ultimate -- Autodesk Infrastructure Design Suite 2013 adds AutoCAD Raster Design 2013 software to all three editions. Autodesk Infrastructure Modeler 2013 software is now included in the Premium and Ultimate editions.

AutoCAD Utility Design 2013 and Autodesk Revit Structure 2013 software have been added to the Ultimate edition. With these new tools for conceptual design, utility network design, structural engineering and working with raster imagery, professionals working on transportation, utility, land, and water infrastructure projects can more efficiently explore design options, better analyze project performance, and use visualization to help communicate with project stakeholders, says Hanspal.

Autodesk Plant Design Suite 2013 is available in three editions: Standard, Premium and Ultimate. The Premium and Ultimate editions provide a t 3D modeling and review software package for plant design, from small to large-scale projects, such as oil and gas facilities.

The Premium and Ultimate editions offer enhancements to help simplify cross-department coordination among process plant design stakeholders. Other key enhancements for the Premium and Ultimate editions include improved AutoCAD isometrics and customizable report creation for AutoCAD Plant 3D 2013 software, and drafting productivity enhancements for AutoCAD P&ID 2013 software (all editions).

The 2013 software portfolio also includes collaboration and data management applications to help provide access to information across the project lifecycle from the office, the web, or the field. Autodesk Vault Collaboration AEC 2013 software provides improved integration with Autodesk design tools, including Autodesk Navisworks Manage 2013, Autodesk Navisworks Simulate 2013 and all Autodesk Revit 2013 software.

Autodesk Buzzsaw 2013 expands cloud-based collaboration with multi-browser web access for both Mac and PC users. Buzzsaw users can now view Revit and Navisworks models in a browser or on an iPad or iPhone. An Autodesk Buzzsaw mobile app with 2D and 3D DWF viewing capability for Android devices is also now available. The integration between Autodesk Vault Collaboration AEC 2013 and Autodesk Buzzsaw 2013 has been enhanced with options for scheduled and on-demand synchronizations.

Product availability varies by country. For details go to http://www.autodesk.com/purchaseoptions .