The Power of the Cloud: AU Learning for Remote Collaboration

Companies across industries and around the globe are undergoing digital transformation at an unprecedented rate. For the AEC industry, BIM adoption and the pandemic are both contributing to this change. According to a report by McKinsey & Company, during the lockdown of 2020 companies accomplished in weeks what would have otherwise taken years. These changes included increasing remote working and/or collaboration, increasing use of advanced technologies in operations, and increasing migration of assets to the cloud, among others.

“In the case of remote working, respondents actually say their companies moved 40 times more quickly than they thought possible before the pandemic.”
—McKinsey & Company

Digital transformation is not a uniform process—it differs by industry and company—but one common aspect is the move to cloud-based workflows. That’s because, with the right tools, systems, and culture in place, the cloud enables teams to collaborate from anywhere on the same projects and even share the same files—a single source of truth.

Designers and engineers from around the globe can work together on a common product to be manufactured. Animators and VFX artists can collaborate on the same sequence from their home offices. Architects can take clients on an immersive walkthrough, even from different cities. And construction project managers can monitor and oversee work without being on-site.

Autodesk has been investing in cloud technology for years, and at AU 2021, we shared important updates, including new capabilities for Autodesk Construction Cloud, new cloud-based tools for infrastructure, and the acquisition of a new cloud-based production pipeline technology for media and entertainment, among others.

Ready to build your skills for cloud-based collaboration? Check out these AU classes:

Architecture, engineering, and construction

Traditional construction processes became difficult or impossible during the pandemic. Arturo Flores and Daniela Gutierrez share how the team from Hermosillo, one of the biggest general contractors in Mexico, moved to standardized cloud-based workflows using BIM Collaborate Pro. And Elna van der Merwe describes how DRA Global, an engineering services provider for mining companies, used BIM 360 Docs to connect clients, subcontractors, and project teams.

Infrastructure

Connecting buildings and infrastructure in the cloud allows multidisciplinary teams to work together on design, model coordination, review, clash detection, markups, and even building performance analysis. Wes Newman, Marco Ramolla, and Aaron Vorwerk take you on a whirlwind tour of their process using BIM Collaborate Pro to create, organize, and manage projects.

Manufacturing

The cloud capabilities in Fusion 360 enable users to step away from the office while staying connected to their teams and projects. John Helfen and Tyler Henderson explore how to collaborate with multiple team members on complex assemblies in Fusion 360 using new capabilities and advanced assembly design techniques.

Media and entertainment

Animation and effects pipelines are also making the move to the cloud, giving artists the opportunity to collaborate like never before. Fernando Novo shows what’s possible for VFX artists with Flame on the Cloud, and how you can create greater efficiencies and closer coordination in production.

And that’s just the tip of the iceberg. You’ll find hundreds of classes on cloud collaboration at Autodesk University. We’re ready when you are.