Design suites cut costs

Autodesk is changing the way it sells its systems

Design software group Autodesk is changing the way it sells its systems by bundling together previously separate packages into design “suites” in its 2012 release which is due to be available from 14 April. 

The change means that purchasers and subscribers of the core design software systems will now also get simulation, analysis, visualisation and communications elements as part of the package. 

Stephen Hooper, European manufacturing business development manager for Autodesk, said: “The idea behind the suites is to adapt the technology for the actual workflow.” Data is fully integrated across all the different packages within the suite, though Autodesk is also including its new Fusion direct modelling software in all the suites for making fast history-free changes.   

The suites will all come in three grades: standard, premium and ultimate. For engineers in manufacturing, the standard Product Design Suite starts off with AutoCAD Mechanical and adds SketchBook Designer and Mudbox for quick product definition, Showcase for visualisation and Vault product data management.

The premium edition then adds Autodesk Inventor and 3dsMax for full digital prototyping, and the ultimate edition further adds Inventor Professional and Alias.

A Factory Design Suite for designing production areas and workflows incorporates some of Autodesk’s architectural design software alongside the NavisWorks simulation package. 

Hooper said that a purchaser of the premium Product Design Suite would save 56% of the list price of the individual elements by buying the suite.

Enhancements within the core Inventor CAD package for 2012 include faster deployment on a USB memory stick, with a typical 10-minute install.