Autodesk University 2010, Day 2 – The Power of Partners

The second day of Autodesk University flew by and today’s sessions were as enlightening as they were yesterday. The field of digital design is extremely diverse and the partners that work with the different disciplines are as varied as the fields that Autodesk supports. On the AEC side, there are partners that do advanced survey and CAD integration. The manufacturing industry is also well represented with a variety of companies offering 3D printing and enhanced scan and manipulation tools. Autodesk’s media and entertainment partners are also out in force demo’ing the creation of live caricatures on iPads by an on-site graphic artist. But how do these vendors impact the government digital design space, well, there are in fact many opportunities for the public sector to take advantage of these new technologies. Digital scanning, for example, is a hot topic at this year’s AU with companies demonstrating the power of robotic scanners for as-built digitizing. Government and military vehicles are always being retrofitted and redesigned. These scanners are a way to easily take existing designs and bringing them into a workable digital format. This process will literally keep government mechanical engineers from re-inventing the wheel. If I have learned one thing at Autodesk University so far, it’s that Autodesk embraces its relationships with partners to the max, pairing them with its own vital services and products making it possible for users to realize their designs and produce innovative finished products. -Greg Cavanaugh, DLT Solutions