At the company event, Autodesk had demonstrated how users can set up geolocated sites, and create and detail building options with automated design to add or edit facades, floor plans and other elements commonly found in schematic design. Autodesk said this workflow also allows architects to evaluate building performance, with analyses considering daylighting and carbon footprints.

Autodesk's earlier conceptual tool, Forma Site Design, had focused more on basic elements such as building materials, site orientation and size of a built asset and did not offer these features. Arcadis has been testing Forma Building Design. “It is showing real potential to connect early-stage and detailed design workflows,” says Sandra Petkute Roberts, the firm's solutions consultant for major AEC platforms. “Forma Building Design is making it easier for us to explore more facade and layout ideas without heavy manual effort or in-depth expertise in more complex tools.”

As Autodesk continues to introduce such artificial intelligence-enhanced tools as Forma Building Design, it still aims to keep user data in a single cloud ecosystem, even as many of its design customers are working on their own internal AI agents.

“This designation reflects a deeper integration between our core products and the Forma industry cloud,” said Amy Bunszel, Autodesk senior vice president of AEC, in a blog post about the release. “It allows teams to continue working in the tools they trust while tapping into more connected cloud-based workflows.”

The launch also introduced Revit as the first Forma Connected Client in a technology preview. Revit will have a direct integration with Forma Cloud tools, and its data layer will be able to send granular information into cloud tools such as Forma Site Design and Building Design with no file conversions needed. “It allows teams to continue working in the tools they trust,” she wrote.