Keeping track of all the documents involved in any construction or infrastructure project can be quite a headache. RFIs, design changes, estimates, mark-ups, approvals, and more, not forgetting the many-to-many relationships involved in the process. Sub-contractors are on and off the construction site, changes, issues, and requests are sent back and forth, new document sets are created and versions are updated.

The world drone market is anticipated to reach $127 billion in 2020, suggests PricewaterhouseCoopers. From real estate surveying and image capture to Hollywood films to hobbyists, the use cases are vast. But drones are also predicted to become a preferred tool for construction sites.

CAD and GIS data have traditionally existed in two separate domains. Yet, the explosion of GIS data is leading these two worlds to merge. According to P&S Market Research, the GIS market is expected to increase from $7,612.9 million in 2014 to reach $14,623.8 million by 2020, growing at a CAGR of 11.4%.

Extreme weather events have become a part of daily life for many countries across the globe. The low-lying Netherlands, in particular, is seeing an increase in flood activity and costly flood repair to its sensitive network of dike systems. Faced with a dilemma, the nation’s Ministry of Infrastructure and the Environment saw two possible solutions – give more room for the river or build higher dikes. It chose the former.

Last fall saw some major updates to Autodesk’s flagship civil engineering software -  InfraWorks 360 and AutoCAD Civil 3D.

To give users an overview of what’s new, the Autodesk product team have come together for “The Dan and Dave Show” once more. What features will be added or updated? Why were these changes chosen over others? The on-demand video below includes answers to these questions and more from the guys who call the shots when it comes to the development of InfraWorks 360 and Civil 3D.

Thanks to the increase in frequency of digital design data exchange between public sector agencies and outside firms, the adoption of CAD standards has grown exponentially in recent years.

We’ve written quite a lot about BIM lately, most notably its spotty adoption in government for civil engineering projects, airport infrastructure, and construction and facilities management.

If you thought BIM was going to eclipse CAD in the AEC world, think again. Even with the growing adoption of Revit, CAD is still being used on a lot of projects. So CAD folks and BIM folks need to learn to get along – capitalizing on BIM tools while making sure any AutoCAD 2D-based work is completed correctly.

Of course, that’s easier said than done. Ensuring your CAD files are compatible with Revit can be challenging. So where do you start?

If you’re a government user of Autodesk software, hold on to your hats. Autodesk is about to make some significant changes to the way its software can be procured.

What’s Changing?

Effective January 31, 2017, Autodesk will no longer sell perpetual licenses for most of its products, including AutoCAD, Civil 3D, Inventor, Revit, and more. You can view the full list of products affected here.

As Autodesk software gets more sophisticated and purchasing models change, users are getting access to new features as they become available and experiencing more seamless interoperability between products.