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Tuesday, August 09, 2011

Autodesk Infrastructure Modeler 2012 and AutoCAD Utility Design 2012

Today Autodesk announced the availability of the Autodesk Infrastructure Modeler (AIM) and AutoCAD Utility Design software products. AIM is formerly Project Galieleo and before that LandXplorer.

The Autodesk Infrastructure Modeler is really a planning tool. A tool to make it easier to model the existing data whether it be GIS, Lidar or other data with the new conceptual designs for the project. It provides an easier way to provide visualization of projects for the stakeholders who are not familiar with infrastructure methodologies.  Autodesk promises being able to create a 3D model of an entire city quickly (as long as you have the data).

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There seems to be a need for infrastructure as evidenced by all these headlines.

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Autodesk sees this technology fitting between and in the Plan and Design of the project loop of a project.

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The current workflow is clumsy (isn’t that what we’ve been saying?). The product helps create, evaluate and communicate alternatives.

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I’m not quite sure the value of the product in going from Planning to Design. It doesn’t seem to provide any direct link of the models. It doesn’t look like you can import the model and have a corridor with associated alignments, profiles and assemblies. It appears you get to start over with the design with only the location of the alignment.

AutoCAD Utility Design 2012

This product looks promising for electrical engineers in doing the off site electrical design. I didn’t see much evidence in the presentation that it did anything other than electrical work, which to me doesn’t reflect in the name what it does. Maybe in the future they will provide other types of utility design in the product.

The product provides the tools to do the electrical design including the ability to calculate voltage drop and size transformers. The design is rule based.

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