There are stereotypes attached to every job: the architect is the person sitting at a drawing desk sketching out a blueprint on a grid; the engineer is out in the field surveying with a theodolite; and the construction worker is the guy wearing fluorescent orange, and a hard-hat, hammering away at a building site.
In reality, these stereotypes are largely outdated. Experts in the Architecture, Engineering, and Construction (AEC) industry have, like many of us, moved toward doing their jobs digitally, thanks to technology like Artificial Intelligence (AI), cloud-based workspaces, and niche software.
What is design automation? Is it AI? Is it coding? Below, we explain what design automation is and how CTC Software’s digital tools optimize AEC designers’ efficacy, so they can spend more time creating with fewer keystrokes.
What Is Design Automation and How Can It Optimize My Projects?
Autodesk®, the behemoth multinational software corporation, specializes in programs for the AEC sphere. Design automation is one niche product that Autodesk offers to “Design & Manufacturing” professionals. Though Autodesk is not the only software company that sells design automation programs, using their product as an example helps to understand how design automation functions.
Autodesk defines “Design Automation” as a software program that allows designers to “capture and reuse engineering knowledge and intent.” Designers must start by using a Computer-Aided Design (CAD) program, such as Autodesk’s AutoCAD®, to render 2D or 3D models of the objects they are tasked with creating. Then, within the CAD program, a mix of human direction and algorithm magic essentially generates shortcuts that curtail “tedious, repetitive modeling tasks” that bog down design operations.
Design Automation and AI
Design automation is not synonymous with AI, though designers can integrate the two to accelerate their workflow. To trigger a design automation algorithm, designers must enter certain commands into the code embedded in the CAD program. A designer must, therefore, have some training in coding; but, software, like Autodesk’s, guides the user to set simple rules to be entered into the code.
When commands are introduced, then the design automation algorithm begins to work its magic, learning more as different directions are entered into the code, and ultimately, automating tedious actions that the designer wishes to avoid. Beyond its productivity benefits, design automation not only reduces human error but also can “be scaled to streamline” development procedures down the design pipeline.
Thus, design automation has had a major impact on efficiency and accuracy for AEC experts, freeing designers from tedious and repetitive actions that slow down their output, thereby speeding up the overall project. Where a designer used to spend a day making customizations to, for example, a vehicle (per client request), they are now able to complete that work in under 20 minutes.
What Design Automation Solutions Are Offered by CTC Software?
CTC Software develops software that supplements and elevates user experiences with Autodesk Revit and Autodesk Civil 3D. Our Building Information Modeling (BIM) and Civil Information Modeling (CIM) “Suites” contain myriad add-ons that make digital automation more accessible. The BIM and CIM Suites, as well as HIVE (our content management system), aim to “enhance and optimize remote working” for any AEC firm–big or small–and for any user–novice or coding wizard. This decreases project costs and gives designers flexibility in their work-life balance.
Our extensions supporting design automation are part of that goal, as automation’s cost-effectiveness trickles down from designer to construction worker, all the while increasing your profits. To visualize how CTC Software’s programs can save you labor and money, try out our ROI calculator.
