Top Nine AU Articles of 2020

Expanding your skills, moving forward in your career, and staying informed on the latest innovations in your industry are all part of learning online year-round at AU. In addition to exploring classes and watching Theater talks on demand at the AU website, you can also read articles on a variety of topics, from new workflows to perspectives on industry innovation and everything in between.

2020 was our best year yet for articles, and we were curious about which pieces published during the year drew the most interest from the AU community (and we know you are, too). Based on article views, the list below is broadly organized by industry, plus one for those especially interested in AutoCAD. Find out what your industry peers have been reading and learning, and remember you can recommend, comment, and share using the icons at the top of each article page.

And now for the top nine articles published on the AU website in 2020:

Building Design & Engineering

Revit for Modular Design, Prefabrication, and Repetitive Layouts | Bridget White and Kristoffer Tungland
Bridget White and Kristoffer Tungland share an interdisciplinary BIM workflow for the design and analysis of prefabricated modules that can be applied to schools, hotels, and other projects with high levels of repetition. Discover new techniques for data management that enable you to monitor component changes, identify deviations, and align project outputs with the demands of the building industry.

Building Your BIM Standards: Essential Elements for Revit Workflows | Johnny Fortune
If you’re in charge of your firm’s BIM standards, this article is for you. Johnny Fortune presents data collected from standards and guidelines of various entities, including corporations, academia, local and federal governments, and national and international groups. He then identifies commonalities from each of the standards to guide you in developing and implementing the BIM standards that work best for you and your team.

Construction

Practical 4D Construction Simulation Using Revit and Navisworks | Kenneth Flannigan
Ken Flannigan explains how to apply a practical approach to 4D construction simulation, including management of large equipment routing, on-site material storage, and key milestone indicators. Learn how his team uses a combination of Revit and Navisworks to visualize and animate these important factors to get more from virtual construction.

Using Generative Design in Construction Applications | Dieter Vermeulen and Mostafa El Ayoubi
Get started with generative design for construction and build better buildings using Dynamo. Dieter Vermeulen and Mostafa El Ayoubi provide an overview of generative design and then outline applications of generative design that optimize construction processes, and showcase a few case studies, too.

Infrastructure

Computational Design for Civil Engineers | Paolo Serra and Safi Hage
Learn how to automate workflows for transportation, land development, and pipe networks in Civil 3D software using Dynamo and Python. Paolo Serra and Safi Hage introduce you to what’s possible with Dynamo for Civil 3D, focusing on the implementation of computational design for infrastructure.

Getting Started with Dynamo for Civil 3D: A Beginner’s Guide | Samir Rezk
Find out why Dynamo is gaining popularity among Revit users and how to use it to benefit your Civil 3D workflows. Explore the Dynamo interface and get to know the fundamental concepts you need to create your first logic graph with geometry-driven data.

Design & Manufacturing

Inventor iLogic Best Practices and Fundamentals for Success | Thomas Fitzgerald
Join the automation revolution with this article from Thomas Fitzgerald. Learn how to write your iLogic code using industry best practices. Avoid common mistakes and gain knowledge of the fundamentals for success when developing your iLogic rules.

Fusion 360 Introduction to Generative Design | Robert Savage
In this introduction to generative design in Fusion 360, Robert Savage walks you through three main steps: setup, analysis, and results. After gaining an understanding of the process and seeing how it works, you’ll be ready to try it yourself.

AutoCAD

Three AutoCAD Productivity Tips for Success | Chad Franklin
Check out Chad Franklin’s top three AutoCAD tips that can help achieve your efficiency goals, from individual designer to product design team to firm-wide drawing production staff. Learn how you can capitalize on some of AutoCAD’s advanced productivity tools to gain the upper hand in your work.

You can read articles on demand anytime at the AU website—we publish new articles every week.