Preview
Autodesk Skyscraper Moving BIM models to the cloud for collaborative workflows is a growing trend. This month Autodesk previewed its forthcoming ‘Skyscraper’ technology. by Martyn Day
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utodesk has made a number of significant moves to embrace the cloud over the last three years. In fact, AEC magazine first broke the news of its Skyscraper development last year, after visiting Autodesk’s San Francisco HQ while trying to find out what it was doing to help customers get over Revit’s performance challenges. Skyscraper, it was said, would put the database in the cloud, connecting teams and removing the complexity of Revit server implementation and expanding its capabilities.
Skyscraper Project Skyscraper is described by Autodesk as a technology preview, which means that it is not yet commercially available. However, it is expected to be released sometime later this year.
Skyscraper is built on Autodesk’s 360 platform, its cloud backbone architecture that connects users but also provides access to services such as cloud rendering, simulation, file storage, SaaS applications and license management. With Skyscraper, multiple companies or firms with multiple locations can concurrently author a model using a Revit BIM process. Extended teams can also log in and view, search and provide feedback on project models. “Our customers have told us that technology can actually get in the way of their collaborative workflows. They end up exchanging data inefficiently, with email as a lowest common denominator for communication among the team,” said Kyle Bernhardt, Cloud Services product line manager, Autodesk. “We built Project Skyscraper and integrated
Phil Bernstein cloud vision Phil Bernstein, a vice-president, at Autodesk, is responsible for future vision and strategy for technology serving the building industry. At the Skyscraper beta launch he spoke about the next digital phase of design: “We are seeing a re-convergence of design with construction. Digital technology has affected that relationship. We have gone from plans sections and elevations, analogue constructs of complexity through digital drawings to digital
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prototypes and simulation to the new era of ‘context’. ‘Context’ is the cloud, infinite computing, distributed information, deep connectivity, social networking etc, We are starting to design within a systems context . It’s about measuring and predicting outcomes. “What is the relationship between design, ideation and construction in a world where digital technology is moving from these episodic models to representations
July / August 2014
it with Autodesk 360 to break down those barriers and let the team focus on delivering high quality buildings on time and on budget. “Our production beta customers are already reaping those benefits, and we look forward to delivering an entirely new form of collaboration to our AEC customers.” The software features an integrated chat capability and this is in some way context sensitive to the project. Other features like view and mark-up are also slated to make an appearance. Mr Bernhardt explained the growing benefit of Autodesk 360. “By connecting to the new Autodesk 360 (autodesk360.com), the entire project team can now view, search, and do social interactions on the project data — RVT, DWG, NWD, Office, video, images, cloud renderings, with
Phil Bernstein Autodesk of systems? We are going to have teams connection by the Internet, where things are connected by the Internet. “We have multiple projects in the pipeline that will enable this, such as Project Skyscraper, which is Revit Server in the Cloud. It removes the need for IT infrastructure and provides a place where rich contextual data can reside that is accessible to all participants, breaking down walls between design, ideation and construction.
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