The MEP design journey is an iterative process between P&ID schematics and the 3D modeling and detailing on Revit. Using out of the box solutions, this workflow is lacking some dynamic link between P&IDs and 3D Model that would avoid redundant data creation and would help to ensure consistency between synoptic schemas, BIM models and the project documentation. We will present the Revit plugin created in collaboration with Autodesk Consulting that bridges that specific gap and how Bouygues Construction is using this Revit API development (among others) to help improve Revit adoption and move forward in its BIM maturity journey.

This class will demonstrate how using a Revit model as a single source of information for MEP (mechanical, electrical, and plumbing) engineering design, installation detailing, and fabrication data can reduce rework, increase accuracy of the model, and improve workflow efficiency of the entire design process. The class will be demonstrated from the point of view of electrical systems, but the lessons can be applied to other trades as well. Challenges this class will address include the following: 1) How to create Revit families that address the needs of all involved in the project (engineers, installers, owners, fabricators, other trades), and how to make them easy to understand and use; 2) How to maintain a balance of enough information to accomplish design goals but not add too much information that model performance is slowed or undue burden is placed on the designers; 3) How to identify opportunities for kitting and assemblies by using modeled data in Revit software. We'll also cover strategies for an iterative design workflow between engineers and installers.

Many MEP (mechanical, electrical, and plumbing) engineering calculations (heating/cooling loads, pipe and duct sizing, lighting calculations, and so on) are currently carried out in separate tools, with a separate model in each tool. Integrating engineering calculations in Revit software requires creating only one model, which greatly increases efficiency. Other benefits include increased quality and consistency of calculations, improved customer satisfaction, and the possibility to keep responding to the many design changes that can occur in the design of a project. This class will show how we have integrated engineering calculations in Revit. We aim to inspire you to start integrating your own calculations in Revit, and to reap the associated benefits.

As BIM Lead for the MEP team in a multi-disciplinary design consultancy, trying to achieve a consistent look for our deliverables not only across a number of offices geographically, but also across multiple software platforms can be quite challenging. There is only so much content can be included in a template without overwhelming it. This case study will follow our journey to find a way to standardize the symbols we use, colors, naming conventions, classifications and more. The projects we work on vary from sizable new builds, which we would model in Revit, to "small works", where we may just be replacing a boiler in a plant room we originally designed some time ago, which will have been drawn up in AutoCAD. These smaller projects usually do not have a big enough budget to include modelling and then editing any existing services. Our aim is to provide drawings of the same look and quality across all our projects, regardless of the software package used.

Can 2D wiring drawings and 3D mesh models play together? This class will explore the possibilities of using iPhone/iPad Pro LiDAR to create mesh models of substation assets in the field. In this case study, working with a utility customer, we scanned their substation wiring panels with an iPad and iPhone Pro. Next, we created mesh models in a ReCap Photo environment and connected it to its 2D drawings in AutoCAD Electrical software. Finally, we attached it as part of a lifecycle in Vault software. Capturing this data could allow engineers and designers to see the actual wiring in a model with their 2D wiring drawing. This can also allow snapshots of how the rack was wired at that point in time. We’ll go over the process of retrieving the data, the differences in hardware, exploring the advantages and shortcomings of the data retrieved and how we may further the process as the technology improves.

Revit software is a powerful tool in the building information modeling (BIM) world that can be linked to Robot Structural Analysis software. Structural analysis requirements and constraints make this link difficult to manage and often result in time-consuming manual adjustments in models. This class will explain how you can use Dynamo for automated creation of intelligent models (including MEP design) and structural analysis models with one engineering data set input based on shaft structure and pumping station project example. The intelligent model output includes all necessary information, schedules with concrete, and mapped required reinforced steel quantities. The second model output uses the same unique geometry while considering all structural load cases and combinations required for detailed design. We’ll show you how this engineering workflow allows users—with a previously impossible agility— to react quickly to change, leaving more time to on focus on core engineering rather than model and deliverable generation.

What happens when some enthusiastic software developers team up with a few innovative mechanical designers? Henderson Engineers is an MEP design firm that’s been working on developing a modular DFMA (design for manufacture and assembly) air duct system for a while now, and has developed some clever Revit families and Dynamo scripts to help its designers model them. The firm joined forces with EvolveLAB, a building information modeling (BIM) consulting and software development company, to create a Revit add-in that focuses on the real-time generative design of these modular duct layouts. In this session, we’ll review how these companies used some unique properties of the Revit API to create a co-authoring system that allows a mechanical design to sketch out a main duct layout in Revit while the computer simultaneously and continually produces the most optimal layout using the DFMA kit of parts for that sketch—which is then finalized and converted into a fully connected Revit duct system.

Change orders are frustrating and expensive. Preventable change orders are even more frustrating. For an MEP (mechanical, electrical, and plumbing) firm, uncoordinated equipment is a huge source of preventable change orders and RFIs. Revit software doesn’t natively allow users to link mechanical and electrical equipment for coordination. Coordinating mechanical and electrical requirements in an MEP design requires a lot of data to flow between team members. Historically, our firm used PDF cutsheets, spreadsheets, and emails. But this data is static and can’t take advantage of our parametric families. We’ve created a Revit add-in that displays real-time data from both disciplines, side by side. This allows us to flag problems automatically and prevent mismatches in construction documents. In this session, we’ll discuss the methodology we used to create this coordination tool, and how it prevents expensive change orders, keeps projects on schedule, and can be extended to integrate with Autodesk Forge and Microsoft Power BI.

In an ever-changing and increasingly automated world, the need to develop and improve individual skills is vital. Our people and their skills are the key to our future success, and it is our imperative to create an environment where they thrive. To do this, we need to integrate learning insights with project and individual development. We need to chunk up learning to make it digestible, and we need to make it easy to apply that learning. Mott MacDonald and Autodesk are partnering to explore how product usage and other data can inform individual and organizational software skill development through Autodesk Insights, Skill Tree, and Mott MacDonald’s own learning systems to build a stronger business and a more equitable team. We’ll share how our partnership has developed an innovative approach to growing and maintaining skills that allows us to connect people, projects, processes, and data to transform our approach to building skills and scaled technology adoption across projects.

The current standard practice in MEP (mechanical, electrical, and plumbing) design involves many parallel uses of a variety of engineering and computational tools, without a link between them. The results of these tools are often manually copied to the intelligent model, equipment schedules, room lists, and so on. This manual data copying is error prone, inefficient, and not especially fun to do. This class will present a workflow that integrates and automates engineering, calculation, and intelligent modeling in Revit software, resulting in major improvements in efficiency and quality of the MEP design process. We’ll also show and explain the different tools needed to practically implement this workflow. Think about thermal load calculations, pipe and duct sizing, electrical load assessment, cable length calculations, and management of design requirement data integrated within Revit. You’ll learn how you can actually break down the silos, keep and share data across disciplines and project phases, and communicate clearly with all stakeholders.

AutoCAD uses grips showed with a selected object not only to provide visual hints of the object—such as start/end/center points, or mid/tangent points or vertices—but also, more importantly, to provide shortcuts to various operations against the object, such as stretch, move, rotation, and scale. Other AutoCAD-based applications (Civil 3D software, AutoCAD Architecture software, AutoCAD MEP software, and so on) use custom grips with architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) entities extensively. Fortunately, with .NET API, we can add custom grips to an AutoCAD object for our own specialized operation against the selected object. This session will show you a few practical examples of using custom grips.

As an MEP (mechanical, electrical, and plumbing) engineer, we’ve used architectural/structural models for just visualizing 3D elements. The next step is to analyze Revit data and think about how to interface this model with another in the same geometries by Dynamo. In this class, we’ll explore two examples of Dynamo ideas among MEP services. The first Dynamo script will provide automated checks between plumbing fixtures and the structural ribs before modeling pipework. When receiving the architectural/structural models, we can run quick checks with Dynamo—and when input information changes, we just rerun Dynamo to quickly update results. Second, we can check the distances between two specified objects/ranges of similar objects with given conditions. Understanding this script will help Dynamo users write similar scripts to verify MEP designs in order to meet regulations and standards—for example, to verify relations between air intake and air exhaust, or exhaust and architectural doors and windows.

This class will present the new JavaScript API for AutoCAD software, and attendees will learn how to use this technology to create web- and cloud-based plug-ins. We will connect web capabilities to the JavaScript API technology, demonstrating how users can quickly create the AutoCAD Thin Client software plug-ins, utilizing amazing JavaScript libraries and obtaining a unique user experience with professional results.

Inventor software and AutoCAD Electrical software are powerful products of electromechanical design. The data in these two software systems can be transferred to each other bidirectionally. We can manage the data of electromechanical design via Vault software. We can create a BOM with objects drawn in AutoCAD Electrical and Inventor in Vault. We can map the Properties of our AutoCAD Electrical project to Vault Items. Come to this session to see how.

Learn how field teams can complete construction layout ten times faster with a higher degree of accuracy, while providing more depth of information used for building at a higher quality level directly from your AutoCAD or Revit models. Hear directly from a large general contractor about experiences delivering improved project quality with better collaboration from design to layout to construction, and get a live demonstration of the Dusty Robotics FieldPrinter system.

Join us to unlock the power of AI in AutoCAD Toolsets, revolutionizing CAD by enhancing efficiency, precision, and innovation. Autodesk's AI empowers users to automate tasks, streamline workflows, and augment design intelligence. Features such as intelligent object recognition and predictive analytics accelerate the design process, reduce errors, and foster creative exploration. These tools not only automate dimensioning and optimize material usage but also can help preventing design issues, significantly speeding up the design cycle from concept to completion. AI-driven analysis tools evaluate performance, simulate real-world scenarios, and facilitate data-driven decisions for optimal outcomes. Enhanced interoperability with other Autodesk products and third-party applications promotes seamless collaboration among multidisciplinary teams, marking a transformative step for intelligent CAD design.

Dashboards allow companies to present data in a way that's easy to digest. With a consolidated view of data and insights, they also play a key role in helping to derive actionable insights and tell the right stories to the right stakeholders to propel business performance. Autodesk Construction Cloud provides users with the incredible ability to extract project data and display it on an unlimited number of dashboards, as data visualization is paramount to any business to understand complex data in a very simplistic manner—enabling companies to track key performance indicators (KPIs) and business metrics, and make informed decisions leading to enhanced productivity and greater project collaboration. Autodesk Insight software empowers companies to display data generated from a vast number of sources using an unlimited number of dashboards as data visualization becomes the leading source for making informed decisions to enhance productivity.

Throughout 15 years of collaboration, Windover Construction and Endicott College have embarked on more than 25 design-build projects, transforming the campus located on Boston's North Shore to accommodate growing student enrollment. This partnership has seen the construction of new classrooms, laboratories, and residence halls, as well as a student center, a main dining hall, and an auditorium. The trust Endicott placed in Windover empowered the firm to become a steward of the college's growth, interweaving the institution's history and vision into each project. This case study will explore the digital transformation journey from scan-to-building information modeling (BIM), digital handover, and the innovative use of digital twins and IoT to enable real-time data collection, enhancing facilities management, and paving the way for a smarter, more efficient campus. Join us for an insightful exploration featuring perspectives from Endicott College's facilities director, the virtual design and construction (VDC) team behind the digital-twin models, and an Autodesk expert.

Times have changed, and the next generation of project owners has arrived. Modern owners demand more than just on-time and under-budget delivery; they seek innovative technology on their sites, like drones and advanced digital tools. These tech-savvy owners prefer a hands-on approach, requiring sophisticated delivery and handover methods. At Burns & McDonnell, we've embraced these challenges, leading to successful projects across various sectors. Our session will share insights from these experiences, and provide strategies to manage innovative demands effectively without compromising margins. Join us to enhance your confidence for your next modern project engagement.

This session will dive into the real-world experience of Thornton Tomasetti, a multipractice engineering firm, as it migrates from BIM 360 software to Autodesk Construction Cloud. This session is ideal for consulting firms considering a move from BIM 360 to Autodesk Construction Cloud, construction professionals interested in optimizing project workflows through cloud-based collaboration tools, and anyone seeking practical guidance on navigating a successful BIM 360-to-Autodesk Construction Cloud migration. Walk away with actionable takeaways to help your firm achieve a smoother transition and unlock the full potential of Autodesk Construction Cloud for enhanced collaboration and project efficiency.