Making AutoCAD better for architects. With Autodesk Architectural Desktop you get flexibility in both implementation and use, the efficiency of real-world building objects, and the very best AutoCAD based design and documentation productivity for architects. The familiar AutoCAD user interface supports your existing working methods, and lets you easily introduce increasingly powerful architectural design features to save time and improve coordination at your own pace. Share your designs using the integrated Autodesk VIZ Render for visualization and presentation. Achieve better coordination with engineering consultants using intelligent, model-based object information. And choose from hundreds of partner applications to customize Architectural Desktop for your specific needs. Autodesk Architectural Desktop making AutoCAD better for architects. Immediate Productivity With intelligent architectural objects, such as walls, doors, and windows, which interact logically, Autodesk Architectural Desktop provides these and many other tools that automate tedious drafting tasks. You easily can make changes directly in an intuitive workspace, providing a smoother means of design. Edit-in-View Easily work on a specific portion of your design in a view other than plan. Autodesk Architectural Desktop streamlines this process with tools that are accessible via its enhanced right-mouse-click menu options. Display Themes Use Display Themes to graphically analyze and present your design intent with this release s ability to use nongraphic data, such as a wall s fire rating or a room s total square footage, to create colorfilled thematic displays, complete with Legends. Architectural Tool Palettes Ensure that you have the right set of tools for the job. When you are working in a project, you can assign a project-specific set of tool palettes and a project-specific Content Browser library to it. This ensures consistency across project drawings, and streamlines the list of available tools by removing unnecessary content from the palettes and the Content Browser.
With Autodesk Architectural Desktop, we can be more efficient in how we work and think more about the building and how the different components are detailed. That s essential with the increasingly tight schedules for our facilities. The ability to have intelligent architectural objects that automatically update to reflect design changes is extraordinarily useful. Autodesk Architectural Desktop is a tremendous help in collaborating and coordinating. Ben Barnert, Senior Principal, HOK S+V+E Object Conversions Flexible design modeling options enhance design productivity by allowing you to more easily convert one object type to another. In this release, you can change a door into a simple opening, a window, or a door/window assembly via context-sensitive right-mouse-click menu options. Data Connectivity Easily manage project design data with the ability to link information to a database, which can then be queried for the purpose of creating detailed reports. This external information also can be linked back to Autodesk Architectural Desktop designs for uses such as specifications and project updates. Curtain Walls Curtain Walls high capacity for detail and enhanced ease of use enable you to use them as the basis for accurate sections, elevations, and details. The new Create from Surface tool, and edit-in-place functionality increase productivity and streamline the design and modification of Curtain Walls. New Tools for Ease of Use: Break Mark, Tag, and Material Tools Improve drafting, documenting, and visualization tasks with three news tools that streamline the use of break marks, ease the creation of custom schedule tags, and enhance the workflow between design materials created in Autodesk Architectural Desktop and visualization materials created in Autodesk VIZ Render. More Editing Tools AEC Modify Tools streamline the design process into a fluid workflow, ranging from basic AutoCAD object modification to architectural detail customization. Column and Beam Layout Tools This release introduces tools that streamline the creation of column and beam layouts. Interactive editing features enhanced productivity. Finally, use the resulting column and beam layouts to visually check for interferences in your model, improving the accuracy and integrity of your designs.
With Autodesk Architectural Desktop, intelligent architectural objects update automatically: for example, change a wall, and all door frames and windows associated with that wall update automatically; it s an incredible timesaving device. It s very powerful to be able to change an object and have it automatically adjust an entire floor plan. Michael Masteller, Corporate CAD Manager, Perkins + Will Edit-in-Place Edit-in-Place functionality dramatically reduces the number of steps required to edit or create object styles, significantly enhancing design productivity. And because you can make design changes directly in the workspace, you stay focused on the task at hand, working fluidly with your designs. Detailing Work with an expanded library of detail components and leverage additional tools, such as the new Component Wizard and the powerful Keynoting Editing system that make it even easier to expand Autodesk Architectural Desktop s robust detail library with your own customized content. Spaces Automatically generate spaces from conceptual studies or design information to produce room information, complete with square footage that updates as your designs change. This release features useable and gross area support. Increased Efficiency Because daily revisions are a fact of life in most design projects, it is important that your designs are well coordinated with your construction documents. Autodesk Architectural Desktop ensures that the work you do in design development is available for use during the documentation process. Since your designs are linked to your construction documents, you can be confident that any change you make in your design is reflected in your construction documentation, helping to increase coordination and reduce errors. Project Standards Maintain consistency in your project standards with the ability to establish, maintain, and synchronize styles, display settings, and tools across an Autodesk Architectural Desktop project. The project is synchronized against the standards throughout the design and documentation process, ensuring that that project data is always up-to-date. Automated Detail Annotation Keynoting streamlines the error-prone process of manually annotating construction documents while ensuring that the notes are standardized notes that are controlled via a central Microsoft Access database. Keynote legends can be automatically created and maintained using the Keynote Legend Tool. Out of the box, Autodesk Architectural Desktop provides a robust keynoting database in the standard Master Format organization.
We ve easily accelerated certain phases of our document production by 30%. My estimate is that we could see increases of up to 50% in ideal circumstances. John Moebes, AIA, Associate Principal, Good Fulton & Farrell Architects. Materials Materials provide graphic and nongraphic detail to your drawings for design, documentation, and visualization purposes. Graphically, materials are made up of bitmap images for visualization and corresponding hatching for plan, elevation, and section views. Materials also enhance construction documentation; they interact with Autodesk Architectural Desktop s keynoting functionality. And since materials are style based, coordination among your designs and your construction documents is further enhanced. Scheduling Schedules are dynamically linked to your design data, automatically updating as your design changes. This reduces errors and omissions. Since schedules utilize formulas, a means to enable you to control how this information is displayed in your schedules through concatenation (linked properties) and calculation, you can use these tools to extract and report additional information about your building model. Autodesk VIZ Render With 3ds max technology at its core, Autodesk VIZ Render, a streamlined and simplified visualization application that is fully integrated into the Autodesk Architectural Desktop workflow, helps you capitalize on your existing building model to produce design presentations suitable for any stage of design development and marketing. This release introduces the Walkthrough Assistant to help produce animations. Extended Design Data Property Set Data is the nongraphic information, such as room size, door mark, and wall fire rating, that is included in your designs for scheduling and querying purposes. Property set data also can be included in 2D and 3D DWFs to communicate design intent. Display Manager Easily change a design s view level of detail with preset display options. Since each view is based on your design, you can be assured that any change you make is properly reflected throughout all views of your design data. Style Manager Manage an extensive library of architectural styles via this centrally located interface. Copy styles from one drawing to another or create custom styles that suit your project standards.
Using Autodesk Architectural Desktop, designers created a 3D project model to share with the client. It helped us visualize design elements, such as simple sun angles. Bill Brown, Partner and CEO at BeeryRio. Sheet Sets Elevations, sections, details, schedules, sheet numbers, sheet indexes, call outs, and general annotation are well coordinated and resulting sheet sets can be fully managed, plotted, published, etransmitted, and archived from this central location. Drawing Management Easily manage project drawings, create coordinated views based on your designs, and mange sheet sets. Since the drawings are managed from a centralized project directory, you can be assured that everyone on your design team is consistently accessing the most current documents from project templates to sections and elevation. AEC Dimensions Since the dimensions are associative, they update as your designs change, eliminating manual updates. Greater Flexibility For architects currently using AutoCAD software, Autodesk Architectural Desktop s file-based approach to design and use of intelligent building objects immediately enhances productivity while providing a familiar design environment consistent with your current standards and practices. Built on AutoCAD Since Autodesk Architectural Desktop is built on the latest version of AutoCAD software, Architectural Desktop will get the added benefit of all of the features that are currently available in AutoCAD. Architectural Desktop users can even elect to use the application in an AutoCAD-only mode. Deployment and Setup Options Setup options, for both network and single-user installations, and customized profiles and tool palettes, make it easier to control and manage content with its ability to point content support files to a centralized location.
We chose Autodesk Architectural Desktop because of the advantages of working on the familiar AutoCAD platform. We had standardized on AutoCAD and with Architectural Desktop so we could continue to use traditional drafting methods while implementing increasingly powerful architecture-specific features at our own pace. John Moebes, AIA, Associate Principal, Good Fulton & Farrell Architects. Layer Manager Since Autodesk Architectural Desktop manages layers, you can be confident that everything you draw goes on the correct layer, helping ensure the accuracy of your designs. Architectural Desktop supports AIA, BS1192, ISYBAU (long and short), STLB, and DIN 276 formats. Autodesk Building Systems Support Since Autodesk Building Systems is built on Autodesk Architectural Desktop software s object technology, coordination among team members and design teams has never been easier within the complex building design process. Smoother Collaboration To communicate effectively, designers require tools to visualize and present design intent at every stage of the design process in a way that is fluid and efficient. The Autodesk VIZ Render capabilities in Autodesk Architectural Desktop make this possible with visualization functionality that is effectively integrated into the Autodesk Architectural Desktop environment, enhancing design workflow. Because Autodesk Architectural Desktop is interoperable with other Autodesk building design solutions and services, as well as with third-party applications for specific needs, you can be sure that you can collaborate effectively with your extended design team. And because of broad support for industry-standard formats and interoperability standards, collaboration with the extended team is easier and better. Export to AutoCAD Export to AutoCAD allows users to easily generate pure AutoCAD DWG files to distribute to consultants who may be using various versions of AutoCAD. Publish Autodesk DWF With the click of a button, you can view pertinent information such as a door s fire rating or a room s square footage using Autodesk DWF Viewer. And since it is DWF file format, members of your design team can review and redline as well, making DWF an efficient means to distribute and share data.
With Autodesk Architectural Desktop, we have much greater confidence that our drawings reflect design intent and that floor plans and elevations are coordinated. And collaboration among extended teams is much easier. With everyone on a consistent platform, exchanging design ideas and project files is simple. Michael Masteller, Corporate CAD Manager, Perkins + Will Autodesk VIZ Support Use Autodesk VIZ, and its expanded toolset, to link Autodesk Architectural Desktop designs, complete with materials, in order to create compelling realistic design presentations. Import LandXML Import LandXML data from a civil application, such as Autodesk Land Desktop, and Autodesk Architectural Desktop can create accurate digital terrain models, so you can accurately understand the details of the building site without having to redraw it. Publish to Autodesk MapGuide With this tool, architects can provide additional support to other industry professionals, such as facilities managers, who are using Autodesk MapGuide software to give them quick access to building areas and their corresponding resources. Export IFC 2x IAI certified IFC2x partner plug-in makes data exchange possible with applications that can import IFC data. Export Property Data Easily export the data in Autodesk Architectural Desktop drawings to Microsoft Access, where it can then be viewed, sorted, queried, and even imported into other applications to perform specific tasks, such as cost estimation.
Architectural Desktop allows us to be much more efficient by relieving us from having to perform much of the traditional CAD work. Michael Masteller, Corporate CAD Manager, Perkins + Will Product Matrix Architectural Desktop 3/3.3 Architectural Desktop 2004 Architectural Desktop 2005 Architectural Desktop Sections and Elevations Spaces AEC Dimensions Architectural Content Architectural Objects Scheduling Layer Standards VIZ Render Materials Formulas Drawing Management Details Keynoting Export Property Data Import LandXML Sheet Sets Display Themes Edit-In-View Project Standards Project Tool Palettes Autodesk reserves the right to alter product offerings and specifications at any time without notice, and is not responsible for typographical or graphical errors that may appear in this document. Autodesk, AutoCAD, Autodesk MapGuide, Buzzsaw, DWF, Revit, Autodesk VIZ, and 3ds max are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Autodesk, Inc., in the USA and/or other countries. All other brand names, product names, or trademarks belong to their respective holders. 2005 Autodesk, Inc. All rights reserved.