Search | Autodesk University

Industry Talk / Nashville 2025

Empowering Tomorrow's Factories with Seamless Autodesk Integration

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.

15p

Instructional Demo / Virtual 2021

A Hitchhiker’s Guide to ArcGIS GeoBIM and the Forma

Get on the road to cloud-cloud integration between geographic information system (GIS) and BIM (Building Information Modeling) with ArcGIS GeoBIM and Forma software. This instructional demo will showcase customer examples of the benefits gained from the fusion of geography and BIM data for project portfolio management, collaboration, and construction project insights informed by geography. By following best practices for geolocating intelligent models, AutoCAD software, AutoCAD Civil 3D software, and Revit software, users can help ensure effective integration of these models in GIS. This reduces the cost of integration by ensuring upfront data quality. To facilitate this, ArcGIS GeoBIM provides analytics to identify documents with geolocation errors. Managing and visualization issues during the design, construction, and handover of BIM projects is crucial for financial and operational performance. We will show how the integration of GIS and BIM with project and issue performance dashboards significantly improves insights into these critical aspects of project management.

New Orleans 2022

What If... Convergence of Desktop, Collaboration, Data, and Digitization

We are starting to see a convergence of different industries and disciplines like we have never seen before. Construction and manufacturing for modular construction and building product manufacturing coming further into design. Plant and power owners using these same methodologies to help meet deadlines and set quality standards. Owners using digital twin and integrated factory modeling for digitalization of factory building and production lines. Digitization in infrastructure for everything below or above ground. Along with GIS, the ability to explore locations, events, and trends so stakeholders can be better informed or create awareness of the environment. See how today’s current desktop and cloud technologies like Revit, Inventor, Forma, and Fusion are helping to bring a common data environment to multiple industries. Understand how Collaboration, Connected Data, and Digitization are bringing the “art of the possible” to a level that we have never seen before.

Instructional Demo / Nashville 2025

Architecting with Steel: Design Large, Complex 3D-Printed Structures leveraging Fusion!

Meet "The Brænch"—an organic 3-meter-high steel structure fabricated with advanced 3D printing technology. This class showcases how our cross-disciplinary team used Fusion to unlock novel design workflows and create unique architectural elements that are 3 times cheaper than if they were die cast. We'll demonstrate why architects should consider adding Fusion to their toolbox for generative design, optimization, and FEA simulation to move beyond certain limitations of Rhino/Grasshopper. Through detailed examples, we'll present an integrated workflow improving material efficiency and structural performance in large-scale metal components. The class targets architects first approaching manufacturing, practically demonstrating how to align design with fabrication requirements, opening possibilities for applications such as façade components and structural elements while leveraging additive manufacturing to tackle material transportation, construction cost, and supply chain challenges.

61p

Instructional Demo / Nashville 2025

Enabling Industrialized Construction with the Informed Design API

In this session, we’ll cover the new Informed Design API. Informed Design is an Autodesk offering aimed at connecting products created in Inventor or Autodesk Fusion software with project data in Revit software. This will improve project outcomes and increase productivity by bringing together the capabilities of our manufacturing software with our architecture, engineering, and construction software. The class will start with an overview of Informed Design and how the API can be used to extend and customize the offering. We’ll cover product creation in Inventor and Fusion. And we’ll look at how to create good BIM content by generating well-formed Revit families for use in a Revit project. Then we’ll show how to create outputs from a Revit project at scale. We’ll follow up with an overview of specific examples of how our customers and partners are using the API, followed by an example of how to use the API.

25p

New Orleans 2022

Pharma Industry: Why BIM Can Become a Digital Transformation Cornerstone

Building information modeling (BIM) processes with federated 3D models and centralized common data environments (CDEs) are well-accepted norms in project delivery. Yet, the benefits derived from this digitalization favor the engineering companies over the manufacturing owner. Moreover, the owner's transformation focus is mostly on digitizing highly regulated drug releases and manufacturing performance. Converging these two digital approaches is not often seen as a priority. Yet, it may be a foundational step toward a successful digital transformation for businesses and their people. We’ll make the case for data convergence between digital assets (descriptive digital twins) and manufacturing data and analytics to solve business problems, like accessing the right information and documentation without time loss. We’ll share how the human-centered approach made visible the foundational benefit of BIM by linking objects to information using BIM 360 (collaborate) and data fusion technologies, and which KPIs can demonstrate value.

Instructional Demo / Las Vegas 2023

Data-Driven: Digitally Share CAD Data Throughout the Product Lifecycle

CAD data is the most important intellectual property that a manufacturer has. Autodesk offers products that create, manage, and enrich this data. AutoCAD, Inventor, and Autodesk Fusion 360 software create this data while Vault, Fusion 360 Manage Extension, and Upchain help manage it. The cloud-based Fusion 360 and Autodesk Forma platforms facilitate collaboration within the field, while Prodsmart helps collaboration within production. Simultaneously, aspects of this data need to be shared with other enterprise systems like ERP. Ultimately, all these systems must be able to share aspects of this data throughout the lifecycle of a manufacturer's products. We'll demonstrate, via examples of Autodesk customer projects, how technologies such as Autodesk Platform Services and other third-party technologies make it possible to share this important data between these systems rather than leaving it siloed in different systems.

Hands-on Lab / Nashville 2025

Design Like a Rocket Scientist: Generative Design Versus Topology Optimization in Autodesk Fusion

What’s the difference between topology optimization and generative design—and why does it matter when building advanced components? In this hands-on lab, we’ll explore the tools and workflows that helped Elara Aerospace design a launch-ready, record-breaking rocket built to survive the extreme forces of spaceflight. You’ll follow guided exercises in Autodesk Fusion software, learning how to harness both generative design and topology optimization to reduce mass, increase strength, and improve overall performance under tight constraints. We’ll walk through how to define loads, constraints, and materials. We’ll cover how to interpret and compare outcomes. And we’ll explore post-process geometry for manufacturability. You’ll gain practical experience in setting up a generative design study, comparing it with topology optimization, and understanding when and why each approach is appropriate. By the end, you’ll understand the theory—and have built and optimized a component for spaceflight-level performance.

13p

Industry Talk / Nashville 2025

From Idea to Assembly: Reimagining Product Design with Generative AI

There is no single way to design a new product. The design principles needed to manufacture a coffee maker will be different from those needed for an electric vehicle. So, why can’t today’s software tools adapt to meet designers' needs? Generative AI may offer a path forward to enabling product designers to adopt agile and adaptive design workflows and support the design of complex assemblies. In this interactive session, we’ll take an in-depth look at an early-stage software prototype for AI-assisted assembly design, developed by Autodesk Research. Participants will gain insights into how the researchers used large language models (LLMs), multimodal data, and system modeling to design products from 1D to 3D. Join us if you’re a product designer, software engineer, or UX designer interested in advancing your understanding of assembly design and learning how this new innovative technology can shape the future of Design and Make industries.

25p

Instructional Demo / Nashville 2025

Blueprints at the Speed of Thought: Fast-Tracking Engineering Drawings

In the world of engineering and design, speed and precision are crucial. Whether you’re working on complex mechanical systems, architectural plans, or intricate product designs, the time it takes to create and modify engineering drawings can make or break a project. This session will address both efficiency and faster, accuracy-creating engineering drawings in Autodesk Fusion software. We’ll explore the following innovative solutions/workflows and time-saving best practices that will help you accelerate your drawing process in Fusion: The power of Drawing Automation, Integration, & Customization, smart usage of drawing templates, techniques to speed up dimensioning and annotation, the magic of “shift” button in the Fusion Drawings, hidden gems “osnaps,” cut-copy-paste in Fusion Drawings, more than “just” a sheet bar, reusing title blocks across drawings, and many more. The goal of this session is to empower you with the knowledge to work smarter, not harder, and make your engineering drawing process more efficient and effective using Fusion.

23p

28p

Instructional Demo / Nashville 2025

Obliterating Barriers: Designing an Extreme Sports Machine for Wheelchair Users

In this session, we will travel on the journey of how students and staff at NYU created Project Mjolnir: the world’s first open-source, adaptive mountain bike to enable those with disabilities to participate in the sport of adaptive mountain biking. We’ll look at how we help students develop industry skills through experience-based learning, the methodologies we use, and the outcomes we produce with a project that goes beyond the boundaries of the university. The team has built and ridden more than 20 adaptive mountain bikes in different parts of the world, enabling people with disabilities to experience the outdoors in ways they never thought they could. Incorporating design to accommodate off-the-shelf bicycle components, an adaptable frame design, and the ability to self-build the bike, we aim to drive down the cost to a third of current offerings—as well as empower and grow a community of adaptive bike builders through educational experience-based learning.

78p

Industry Talk / Nashville 2025

Rock the Workflow: Music, Tech, and the Future of Design

Jam out with us as we explore how Avnet has amplified the music industry and is revolutionizing design workflows across all industries, powered by the free Avnet Add-in for Autodesk Fusion. Enjoy a live performance by Rogelio (AKA Kello) Gonzalez, Applications Engineering Manager at Avnet, and internationally acclaimed bass guitarist. From the stage to space, Avnet is pushing boundaries, innovating, and delivering what’s next. Don’t miss this dynamic showcase of creativity and technology.

Hands-on Lab / Nashville 2025

Hands-On Intro to Autodesk Fusion for Complete Newbs: Experience Why Fusion Is Disrupting the Entire Industry

Everywhere you look within Autodesk University, from mainstage to industry keynotes, everyone is talking about Autodesk Fusion software. You've heard how it’s Autodesk’s design and manufacturing platform and that it’s growing faster than any other software in the industry. But you likely still wonder what it’s like to actually use it. Fusion must be something truly special to make everyone so obsessed with this CAD/CAM tool, right? In this AU hands-on lab, you'll experience firsthand what the fuss is all about. Through hands-on exercises, learn how to create a design from scratch, analyze that design, and even optimize it. Then, you'll learn how to program your design for computer numerical control (CNC) milling so you can turn your idea into a reality. You heard that Fusion is the complete end-to-end solution, but now you'll have the opportunity to experience it in action, guided by a team of experts. If you're curious about Fusion, but have never tried it yourself, this beginner-friendly lab is for you!

61p

34p

Instructional Demo / Nashville 2025

Reimagining Assembly Design with Agent AI: A New Paradigm for Intelligent Systems

Assembly design is on the edge of a transformative leap. This session will introduce a groundbreaking approach that harnesses agentic artificial intelligence (AI) to redefine how we conceive, simulate, and build complex assemblies. We’ll explore early-stage research and prototypes demonstrating how intelligent agents can collaboratively generate geometry, streamline workflows, model dynamic systems, and adapt designs in real time based on performance feedback. If you work with systems design, simulation, or multidisciplinary workflows, this session will challenge your assumptions and offer a glimpse into the future of AI-augmented engineering. Prepare to rethink what’s possible!

48p

Instructional Demo / Nashville 2025

Autodesk Fusion: A Year in Review 2025

Interested in catching up on improvements made to Autodesk Fusion this year? Looking to take full advantage of Fusion software’s end-to-end platform capabilities? Join us for a chance to catch up on everything that’s changed in the last 12 months. You'll have an opportunity to discover new and exciting capabilities, see firsthand how customers are succeeding with this new functionality, and find out how the Fusion platform can unlock powerful new workflows. Learn more about unlocking advanced designs, manufacturing more-complex components with a focus on data at the center.

Instructional Demo / Nashville 2025

Accelerating Design Innovation: Integrating Autodesk Fusion 360 with AI-Powered Iterative Form Exploration

Discover how to seamlessly integrate ideation powered by artificial intelligence (AI) into your Autodesk Fusion 360 design workflow. This session will explore a dynamic, iterative process using generative AI platforms like Vizcom and GPT-4o to rapidly generate, refine, and visualize diverse form variations directly from your Fusion 360 models. Learn practical methods for exporting your designs, using AI-driven form exploration, and then effectively reimporting enhanced concepts back into Fusion 360 for further refinement. Unlock greater creativity, accelerate your iteration cycles, and elevate your design innovation by strategically combining Autodesk’s powerful CAD capabilities with advanced AI tools.

Hands-on Lab / Nashville 2025

Crafting Your Own Rabbit Bell: Integrating Seamless MCAD and ECAD in Autodesk Fusion

When friends reminisce about the 70s, 80s, and 90s, receiving a musical greeting card for their birthdays was truly a joyful experience. Gently unfolding the paper card to hear the Happy Birthday song was a simple yet delightful pleasure. Even after the birthday, revisiting the heartfelt wishes written by friends while listening to the melody brought back cherished memories, often accompanied by a smile. These moments are among the beautiful memories of that era. Inspired by these nostalgic thoughts, why not create a DIY mini rabbit bell and bring it back to home to share with others about the special moment from Autodesk University? Fusion is excellent for seamless integration of MCAD and ECAD. In this 90-minute class, you will craft your very own Rabbit Bell from scratch using Fusion. You could bring one Rabbit Bell PCB board back to home.

28p

17p

Instructional Demo / Nashville 2025

From Schematics to Reality: Turbocharging Mechatronics with Autodesk Fusion

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.

39p

Industry Talk / Nashville 2025

Innovators Stage | AI for Design: What's Now and What's Next

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.

54p

Industry Talk / San Diego 2024

3D AI for Automotive Concept Exploration

The landscape of automotive design is rapidly evolving, driven by the transition to electric architectures and the emergence of agile new competitors. This evolution places immense pressure on design studios to streamline their development processes. At Autodesk, our AI teams are dedicated to assisting these studios in unleashing their creative potential and achieving unprecedented levels of productivity. At this year's Automotive Innovation Forum, we gave a tech preview of Form Explorer, the first AI capability delivered within Alias software. With Form Explorer, automotive concept designers can effortlessly generate and refine 3D concepts within seconds, seamlessly transforming them into functional SubD surfaces. This creates the potential to expedite the creation of proportional exterior designs. This groundbreaking tool harnesses a fusion of AI capabilities exclusive to Autodesk, paving the way for a suite of innovative design interactions within Autodesk's arsenal of tools.

31p

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