San Rafael, Calif. - Autodesk Inc., maker of 2D and 3D design software, has passed the one million mark for users of its 3D model-based design solutions -- including Autodesk Inventor software, Autodesk Revit software, and AutoCAD Civil 3D software.
This milestone underscores the broad demand for Autodesk’s 3D solutions that deliver digital prototyping, allowing customers to visualize and simulate the real-world performance of their designs without a heavy reliance on costly physical prototypes.“We are very proud to have reached this significant milestone,” said Carl Bass, Autodesk CEO. “Our one million Autodesk 3D users work for companies in a broad range of industries across the manufacturing, building and construction markets. These diverse companies realize the value of digital prototypes as a competitive advantage, increasing the efficiency of their operations and enhancing quality and innovation.”
With digital prototypes, companies can not only see, but also experience their designs before they’re built. Through the digital prototyping process of detailed visualization, precise analysis, and real-time simulation, Autodesk’s advanced 3D tools give customers the ability to accurately model their designs—allowing them to optimize and make performance-related changes early in the design process.
"3D modeling is fast becoming the design standard in the manufacturing, building, and civil engineering industries,” says Michael Fauscette, VP of Applications Research at IDC. “Customers are adopting 3D because they see the productivity advantage of leveraging these tools into digital prototyping workflows.”
Gulf Stream Coach, an RV manufacturer based in Nappanee, Indiana, is the largest privately held full-line recreational vehicle manufacturer in the United States, offering 26 brands and more than 100 models. The company is a long-time Autodesk customer, having used AutoCAD software as its primary design tool for more than a decade. Gulf Stream Coach recently purchased Autodesk’s millionth 3D seat among almost a dozen seats of Inventor software. Gulf Stream is already employing Inventor to design its new Class A toy hauler which will launch later this year.
“Autodesk Inventor provides us with the power of 3D design without compromising our investments in 2D processes,” says Mike Potis, of the Product Development Group at Gulf Stream Coach. “Gulf Stream is a leader in RV manufacturing because our philosophy of lean manufacturing gives us the ability to provide what the market requires quickly. Using Inventor will increase our efficiency even further by allowing us to create digital prototypes of our products while reducing our need to produce physical prototypes. With Inventor we’ll be able to make better design decisions faster and increase the overall value to our customers. We are a company that invests in technologies when they add value for our customers.”