There are new Creative Suites in all divisions. Inventor Fusion technology is now in many products. We have the complete contents of every suite.
Autodesk yesterday introduced its 2012 software lineup not by pointing out specific new features in its wide array of products, but by presenting new Creative Suites. “Each suite is a set of design tools that match specific design objectives,” said Amar Hanspal, the Autodesk senior vice president who was the master of ceremonies for the hour-long webcast.
The move to bundle their products into suites is no surprise; Autodesk has been talking about it to financial analysts for more than a year, and Autodesk routinely bundled its 3D design tools with AutoCAD when they were new to speed their introduction to the market. But this year every professional segment has a variety of bundles available.
Hanspal insisted the Creative Suites are “not just products boxed together.” From licensing to installation to functionality, Autodesk intends each Creative Suite to be “an integrated experience for the desktop and for the web, taking advantage of the natural computational power of the cloud.”
To save on packaging costs and to improve the installation experience, each new suites will be delivered on a USB thumb drive instead of using several DVDs.
Each Autodesk division will give more in-depth introductions to their 2012 product lines in presentations to press, analysts, and user groups in the coming weeks. Pricing for the new Creative Suites has not yet been released, nor a specific release schedule.
The rise of Fusion
Perhaps the biggest news regarding specific technology is the release of Inventor Fusion from Autodesk Labs. Fusion technology will be included in the 2012 editions of AutoCAD, AliasDesign/Auto, Moldflow, Autodesk Simulation, and Inventor. Fusion is a design technology that provides direct manipulation of 3D objects and translation of 3D models to/from a wide variety of formats, along with other tools designed to unite direct and parametric workflows. Inventor Fusion was Autodesk’s response to the launch of SpaceClaim in 2007, which popularized the notion of freeform editing for parametric models.
Contents of each Creative Suite
Each professional category will have a suite, and each suite will be available in Standard, Premium, and Ultimate editions; think of them as small, medium, and large. By category and edition, the suites are:
Design Suite
Standard—AutoCAD, Showcase, Sketchbook Designer, Mudbox
Premium—Standard edition plus 3ds Max Design
Ultimate—Premium edition plus Alias Design
Product Design Suite
Standard—AutoCAD Mechanical, Vault, Showcase, SketchBook Designer, Mudbox
Premium—Standard edition plus Inventor, 3ds Max Design
Ultimate—Premium edition plus Inventor Professional, Alias Design
Factory Design Suite
Standard—AutoCAD Architecture, AutoCAD Mechanical, Vault, Factory Design Utility, Showcase
Premium—Standard edition plus Inventor, 3ds Max, Navisworks Simulate
Ultimate—Premium edition plus Inventor Professional, Navisworks Manage
Building Design Suite
Standard—AutoCAD, AutoCAD Architecture, AutoCAD MEP, AutoCAD Structural Detailing, Showcase, SketchBook Designer
Premium—Standard edition plus Revit Architecture/MEP/Structural, 3ds Max Design
Ultimate—Premium edition plus Inventor, Navisworks Manage, Quantity Takeoff
Infrastructure Design Suites
Standard—AutoCAD, Map3D, Navisworks Simulate
Premium—Standard edition plus Civil 3D, 3ds Max Design
Ultimate—Premium edition plus Navisworks Management
Plant Design Suite
Standard—AutoCAD, AutoCAD P&ID, Showcase, Sketchbook Designer
Premium—Standard edition plus AutoCAD Plant 3D, Navisworks Simulate, Revit Structure, AutoCAD Structural Detailing
Ultimate—Premium edition plus Inventor, Navisworks Manage
Entertainment Creation Suite
Standard—3ds Max or Maya, Motionbuilder, Mudbox
Premium—Standard edition plus SoftImage
Ultimate—Premium edition plus products yet to be determined.
