For years, manufacturing has focused on the idea of a skills gap—the belief that we need more people trained to perform traditional tasks. But what if that assumption is limiting progress? What if the real challenge is a productivity gap—the growing difference between what skilled people are capable of and what current systems allow them to do? In this session, Al Whatmough, CEO of Toolpath, will explore how artificial intelligence (AI) and Automation, Integration, & Customization can shift the role of humans on the shop floor. Instead of replacing people, the opportunity is to empower them, automate the mundane, elevate decision making, and redesign work around human strengths. This session will spark a lively discussion about the future of manufacturing work. What roles will evolve? What skills will truly matter? And how can we build tools, workflows, and cultures that help people do their best work? Join the conversation and help shape what comes next.

If there were ever a “required class” for Fusion at Autodesk University—this would be it. In this interactive session, we’ll demystify assemblies in Fusion by grounding you in the core concepts every user needs to build confidently: top-down vs. bottom-up design, internal vs. external components, and finally clear up the confusion between components and bodies. Then, we’ll take a deep dive into Fusion’s brand-new assembly experiences, a transformative shift in how everyone will interact with Fusion design. You’ll learn how these changes simplify best practices, improve collaboration, boost performance, and make Fusion more intuitive—especially for those transitioning from other CAD tools. Whether you're just starting with assemblies or are a seasoned pro, this session will leave you with a clear mental model and the insight into what’s coming to the product.

In this session, we will present a research prototype featuring a web app add-in for Autodesk Fusion software that visualizes 3D objects in USD (Universal Scene Description) format using NVIDIA Omniverse. The use case involves an innovative product design process that integrates sensor-collected performance data into the design, setting the stage for a novel performance-aided design approach. This session will begin with guidance on downloading the Omniverse libraries from public NVIDIA repositories, and will cover how to develop a custom Autodesk Fusion add-in capable of presenting a streamed Omniverse application running on the cloud. You’ll gain comprehensive understanding of the potential and step-by-step guidance for this innovative approach, which enables designers to go beyond traditional Digital Prototyping visualization dashboards and optimize designs using actionable insights from sensor data to ensure products perform as designed in the real world.

Manufacturing today is faced with new and evolving challenges. Complex supply chains, rising material costs, geopolitical tensions, and labor shortages all impact productivity and growth, creating delays and shortages. Meanwhile, companies need to design and make products that are more sustainable, customized, and affordable. Advanced technologies like Internet of Things (IoT), artificial intelligence (AI), Automation, Integration, & Customization, and connected platforms are growing in popularity, giving manufacturers who adopt these solutions a competitive advantage. Innovation and Management are essential to keep up with technological advancements and market demands. Autodesk’s ever-evolving partner ecosystem delivers modern solutions, allowing customers to use the latest advancements in technology. Join this session to meet leading Design and Make partners, from hot start-ups to established industry leaders, and explore how together we’re accelerating innovation in manufacturing.

When Fox Nation’s Revolutionary War docuseries called for A-list performances in historic American locations, GO delivered the future. Instead of flying talent across the country, GO recreated the Boston Tea Party and Mount Vernon as immersive SCAPEs using LiDAR, NeRF, and photogrammetry. In this panel, we’ll break down how GO brought Rob Lowe to a virtual Boston Harbor and Kelsey Grammer to a digital Mount Vernon—without ever leaving LA. From Sustainable Design and cost-savings to creative flexibility, this is a case study in Digital Prototyping production, Autodesk integration, and the new blueprint for high-end, low-impact filmmaking.

Get an inside look at our multiaxis drilling add-in for Autodesk Fusion software. It automatically detects holes, groups them by orientation, and respects machine kinematics to optimize computer numerical control (CNC) workflows, including cross drilling and advanced parameter controls. This live demo will walk you through the entire process—from hole detection to final toolpath generation—showing how to reduce programming time, prevent collisions, and ensure consistent results. By automating repetitive tasks and adding safety checks that prevent unintended breakthroughs or hole intersections, shops have cut drilling cycle times by up to 40%. Whether you’re a CNC programmer, manufacturing engineer, or CAM enthusiast, this session will offer an exciting glimpse at how intelligent drilling Automation, Integration, & Customization can boost your productivity and profitability.

Unlock the potential of conversational artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance your design ideation process in Autodesk Fusion software. This session will explore how AI image generators like ChatGPT can serve as creative partners, helping you generate innovative design concepts through natural language interaction. Learn how to articulate your design goals and constraints to ChatGPT. Use it to develop a variety of conceptual ideas that can be developed further in Fusion. We'll discuss effective prompting techniques, methods for interpreting AI-generated suggestions, and strategies for integrating these ideas into your design workflow. Whether you're facing creative blocks or seeking fresh perspectives, this session will equip you with tools to harness AI for enhanced creativity and efficiency in your design projects.

Autodesk Fusion software is one of the most powerful design and engineering tools available. It enables industrial designers, mechanical engineers, and product design engineers to design, analyze, and even manufacture ideas quickly and easily. Because of this, the Fusion userbase is growing faster than ever. Thankfully, there are plenty of learning resources to help those new users get started. However, it can be challenging to find advanced content that shows users how to "level up" from an intermediate or even an advanced level. In this technical session, you'll learn the most-effective techniques to take your product design and engineering skills to the next level and beyond. You'll learn how to get the most out of Fusion so you can design the best products possible and get them to market before the competition. If you're interested in becoming a Fusion design and engineering expert, or you simply want to make consumer product design less time-consuming, this class is for you!

Join us for an engaging and interactive networking event centered around the Factory Experience at Autodesk University. This meetup is designed to provide attendees with curated, casual networking opportunities while exploring the concept-to-production process using Autodesk Fusion. Connect with peers and Autodeskers who share a passion for innovation, design, and manufacturing, and gain behind-the-scenes insights into the Factory Experience. Kickstart the session with conversations and discussions about the Fusion Factory Experience, focusing on the integration of CAD, CAM, CAE, and PCB processes in Autodesk Fusion. Learn how the team designs, develops, and produces a brand-new consumer product each year, showcasing success stories and innovations throughout the entire product development cycle. Additionally, we will have expert knowledge about the new Manufacturing data model and its APIs, as well as discuss any customization questions you may have. Engage with product design and manufacturing enthusiasts, sharing experiences and insights in a vibrant community dedicated to advancing product development and manufacturing.

This award-winning panel is back again with new topics to discuss and insights to share. This year, the panel will comprise a diverse group of CAD managers who are widely respected as leaders in their field. They will focus on connectivity, which can mean many things to a CAD manager. Topics will range from technology and data to the even more challenging human aspects of teams and workflows. Hear their unique perspective and learn about solutions to challenges faced by CAD managers from organizations of all sizes and backgrounds. Join us for a panel discussion that has become an anticipated AU tradition. You won’t want to miss this chance to hear the important lessons learned from decades of experience—from four CAD managers who have been there and done that.

Using Autodesk Fusion software for rapid PCB design, the E-Tech team at Ford Design is creating modular system components to streamline development and reduce wiring complexity. By embracing PCB basics, design rules, and community resources, we're building reusable libraries and integrating program-specific features in our experiential properties around the globe. This approach enables faster prototyping, repeatable builds, and enhanced system continuity—with ESP32-based modules featuring Ethernet for server communication. We're focused on adaptable form factors and making PCB design accessible for makers and rapid iteration.

This session will explore a practical, classroom-tested workflow for integrating advanced electronics and mechanical design using Autodesk Fusion software. Using a mechatronics case study—a Raspberry Pi Pico-controlled NERF turret—you'll learn to streamline multidisciplinary design, enhance collaboration, and prevent integration challenges. See how Fusion can simplify electronics PCB and mechanical design integration, optimize prototyping, and support real-world educational outcomes. Gain practical methods for improving your electronics-mechanical workflow efficiency.

Dr. Tonya Custis, senior director of artificial intelligence (AI) at Autodesk, draws on 20 years of experience in AI research to explore both the limitations and the transformative potential of AI in design workflows. While powerful, AI is often misunderstood—it’s frequently perceived as a catch-all magical solution rather than a tool with specific strengths and weaknesses. As AI becomes more commonly used in daily life, expectations rise for its role in professional tools. The best way to move beyond the hype, fear, and uncertainty surrounding AI is to develop an understanding of its history, limitations, and the types of tasks it’s best suited to help with. In this session, Dr. Custis will demystify how AI actually works, examine current trends, and outline the unique challenges of applying AI to design workflows—particularly those involving complex 3D design data. She’ll also share some recent work from the Autodesk AI Lab, offering a glimpse into the current state of AI in design and what the future may hold.

Difficult and costly importation of equipment. Lack of customized parts. Unavailable spare parts, especially in the remote areas where supply chains may be disrupted. These are some of the daily challenges faced by the staff of MSF (Médecins Sans Frontières—Doctors Without Borders). The 3D Printing for All project aims to democratize access to 3D printing and solve some of those challenges by getting 3D printing in MSF's projects, and developing procedures and guidelines on how to use it safely and efficiently. Describing design needs, context, and technical parameters for a CAD expert to make a design is critical to the production of the products that solve problems in the field. For the most part, the people who have the problems to solve do not have engineering backgrounds—and yet they have to provide precise information. Throughout the implementation of the project, we've experienced this communication gap, learned valuable lessons on how to minimize the number of iterations, and saved material and time involved in putting a product in use.

Join Ryan McMahon, general manager of Autodesk Informed Design to gain insights on how this platform tool enables Industrialized Construction. Roadmap and feature highlights as well as industry imact will be covered in this talk.

The session will provide an overview of the collaboration between Final Aim and Yamaha Motor to co-create a unique EV designed for agriculture. Using generative AI from the conceptual phase, the project exemplifies the integration of AI into industrial design processes to create innovative solutions for specific functional requirements. Generative AI facilitated extensive ideation, producing more than 2,000 design ideas—which led to a distinctive, practical vehicle design with high visibility and load-bearing features. In parallel, the project incorporated blockchain technology to manage and safeguard design data, intellectual property, and design contracts, demonstrating an advanced approach to maintaining data integrity and authenticity in the manufacturing industry. The project highlights the capabilities of generative AI and blockchain in design and manufacturing. It addresses the complexities of design process, data, and intellectual property in the era of AI-driven creation.

This will be a live demonstration of Alias 2025 software—showcasing the latest features in Alias 2025 and providing a sneak preview of new technologies under development. See firsthand how Alias is still an evolving and powerful surface modeling package for designers.

About USD$2 trillion—that's the amount of money the architecture, engineering, and construction industry has lost due to bad data. Bad data is data that's inaccurate, inaccessible, and incomplete. In the industries Autodesk serves, data is a critical lifeline for project decisions and automations. But all too frequently, that data is not easily accessible, or, even worse, the available data is simply bad. Across the globe, the ability to use data in an insightful manner is no longer a "nice to have"—it has become a primary source of competitive advantage. Furthermore, with the acceleration of AI, the need for data is increasing exponentially. Those who use their data to make informed decisions and gain performance insights will ultimately emerge as leaders in their industries. Meet the leaders behind the industry data models to learn more about how Autodesk will help solve top customer problems.

With the Manufacturing Data Model API, you can read, write, and extend your design model through cloud-based workflows—all without the need for desktop authoring applications like Autodesk Fusion software. You can access granular, transparent data via GraphQL APIs, and programmatically access manufacturing information to achieve a variety of cloud-based automations and workflows more efficiently than with REST APIs.

By 2027, the Digital Prototyping Automation, Integration, & Customization market will surpass $400 billion. This isn’t a trend, it’s a transformation. Rising shipping and raw material costs, plus geopolitical instability, are driving manufacturers to reevaluate global strategies. Labor-cost-driven models are giving way to nearshoring and supply chain optimization, enabled by Industry 4.0 technologies like artificial intelligence (AI), robotics, and 5G. Digital factories offer real-time data, autonomous decision making, and unmatched efficiency. Autodesk is uniquely positioned to lead this shift with end-to-end cloud solutions—from factory design to construction, simulation, Digital Prototypings, and asset management. With tools like Autodesk Fusion, Autodesk Tandem, Autodesk Forma, and Autodesk Forma, Autodesk ensures seamless data flow and collaboration across every phase. This talk will explore how Digital Prototyping Automation, Integration, & Customization is reshaping global manufacturing—and how Autodesk empowers businesses to build smarter, faster, and more resilient factories.