Introduction

Graphisoft framed its latest software developments around the concept of “design intelligence,” paired with an unwavering commitment to elevating the core “design experience.” Crucially, executives emphasized that effective technology must absorb complexity rather than delegate it back to the user—a philosophy driving the company’s newest cloud frameworks and AI implementations. For Archicad practices, IGNITE 2026 offered a compelling roadmap: early-stage conceptualization in Nemetschek Creator, unified cloud reasoning via OCP, and a deeply intelligent, agentic modeling environment in Archicad 30.

Graphisoft CEO Daniel Csillag opened Graphisoft IGNITE 2026 with enthusiasm, which was understandable given the sheer number of new products and technologies being introduced. (Image: Graphisoft)

Opening the event, Graphisoft CEO Daniel Csillag anchored the company’s technological ambitions in human purpose, reminding the audience that “buildings matter.” Beyond providing shelter, he noted, “they are where we live, where we learn, and where we recover.” Framed by this responsibility, Csillag addressed the industry’s evolving relationship with artificial intelligence:

Csillag urged the audience to view all upcoming announcements through those three core pillars—creativity, responsibility, and authorship—before handing the stage to Chief Product Officer Márton Kiss and Graphisoft’s product leadership team to detail the road ahead.

Nemetschek Creator — In Brief

Architosh recently published an in-depth feature on Nemetschek Creator—arguably Graphisoft’s most significant software release since BIMcloud in 2014. Creator differs from other BIM 2.0 cloud applications because of its later market entry. While a late start often signals a disadvantage, strategic patience this time offers distinct benefits.

A detailed screenshot of the new Nemetschek Creator cloud application, built from day one with Agentic AI in mind and element-level AI reasoning at its database core.

Consider Apple’s deliberate approach to AI—a company the Hungarian BIM pioneer often admires. Fast-paced shifts in the AI landscape can lead developers down costly dead ends. Like Apple, Graphisoft can afford to be patient compared with legacy competitors and cloud startups. CPO Márton Kiss notes that Archicad’s modular codebase already provides proven geometric math, B-Rep algorithms, and parametric solvers, avoiding the need to write new code from scratch. Furthermore, Graphisoft has historically led the AEC industry through major computing shifts, and it is now leveraging group-wide Nemetschek synergies rather than working in isolation. Combined with an unusually loyal user base, these factors give Graphisoft a unique strategic advantage. (see: Architosh, “IGNITE 2026: Nemetschek Creator and the Agentic BIM Architectural Shift,” 19 Oct 2026)

Deeper Dive on Creator: IGNITE 2026: Nemetschek Creator and the Agentic BIM Architectural Shift

Crucially, Creator isn’t positioned to replace desktop software; unlike Autodesk, Nemetschek and Graphisoft aren’t telling Archicad customers that Creator is the future and Archicad is the past. Instead, Archicad remains the heart of Graphisoft, leveraging desktop computing for its unique advantages and pairing it with new cloud tools that leverage the cloud’s unique advantages. The message was clearer and more reassuring, helping customers see their journey going forward.

Core Capabilities and Creator Ecosystem

Nemetschek Creator targets early-stage decision-making by integrating cost, carbon, energy, and microclimate analysis directly into early workflows. By replacing the traditional “model-export-analyze-rework” loop with centralized creative and analytical tools, design teams can prototype quickly and adapt directions while concepts remain flexible.

Your Architosh editor-in-chief asking questions about Rhino integration with Nemetschek Creator. While the presentation didn’t cover it, Graphisoft said integration with Rhino 3D is already on the Creator roadmap, enabling architects to use Creator’s analysis and AI on more geometrically advanced Rhino-generated building models. (Image: Graphisoft)

Beyond automated site context models, Creator imports DWG, DXF, and OBJ files. Built as an open ecosystem, it brings external data and regulations into the cloud platform through partners like Cetopo, SSK Sky Rate, Google Earth, and the Nemetschek Open Collaboration Platform. And deeper internal integrations will extend to dRofus, MEP Designer, AI Visualizer, and Morpholio.

Pictures from the Graphisoft IGNITE 2026 event in Budapest. (Images: Graphisoft)

Graphisoft executives. Media Q&A.

(L) Saskia Tödler, Baunetz Wissen, (R) Soo Kim, Newsweek

Ivanna Papushenko, Fraulein_Architektin

Morpholio Trace—recently acquired by sister company Vectorworks—featured prominently at IGNITE 2026. With over one million users, including high-profile designers at Zaha Hadid Architects, Morpholio Trace creates a powerful halo effect for Creator, bridging initial freehand sketches directly into early-stage massing workflows.

During media Q&A, Graphisoft confirmed Creator will remain highly extensible, highlighting dRofus programming integration and an upcoming Rhino integration to run Creator’s analysis tools on complex 3D forms. Creator enters early access on October 28 for Archicad Max and Collaborate subscribers.

Nemetschek Open Collaboration Platform (OCP)

Nemetschek Creator wasn’t the only cloud milestone unveiled at IGNITE 2026. The new Nemetschek Open Collaboration Platform (OCP) debuted as a complementary cloud framework designed to span the entire project lifecycle—whereas Creator targets pre-design and early-stage workflows.

Nemetschek’s grand design intelligence strategy in one chart showing the Nemetschek Open Collaboration Platform (OCP) as an agentic AI intelligence layer that connects tools and platforms, including third-party ones across a project’s entire pre-design and construction phases. (click for larger view)

In private 1:1 meetings, Graphisoft executives emphasized that OCP is not merely another Common Data Environment (CDE). Instead, it operates above existing CDEs to provide a more comprehensive data umbrella. According to Sylwester Pawluk, Vice President of AI & Data, OCP shifts the industry away from file-based handoffs to real-time, element-level data streaming while keeping stakeholders in their design tools of choice.

A Metaphor for True Openness

To set OCP apart from proprietary competitor platforms, Nemetschek is anchoring the platform on open integration. During the keynote livestream, Graphisoft Senior Product Marketing Manager Marcell Hillier who is educated as a bridge engineer, offered a compelling metaphor:

That philosophy drives OCP’s open-ecosystem approach. While the Nemetschek Group has championed OpenBIM and IFC for decades, cross-platform data exchanges remain cumbersome. OCP addresses this gap by acting as a unified “intelligence layer” connecting tools, data, and teams.

Under the hood, OCP leverages Graphisoft’s award-winning BIMx viewing engine and will feature native integrations with Group tools like Solibri and dRofus—alongside third-party connections like the Archicad-to-Forma Connector to link OCP data directly into Autodesk Forma workflows.

Powered by Agentic AI

OCP’s intelligence layer utilizes a Model Context Protocol (MCP) server. Rather than parsing monolithic files, the system enables plain-language queries across models, drawings, and documents:

• Element-Level Reasoning: AI can analyze individual components—such as doors, properties, or geometry—rather than entire file containers.
• Instant Data Streaming: Background publishing streams specific data views in ~5 seconds, bypassing heavy IFC or Revit uploads.
• Automated Quantification: Users can query the AI Assistant to pull real-time material takeoffs, object counts, and volume calculations.
• Cross-Tool Interoperability: Native bridges connect Archicad, Revit, and Solibri to query unified data across multi-software environments.

While presentation materials pointed to Claude as a core engine, Graphisoft confirmed an open, adaptable approach to underlying LLM technologies.

Strategic Timing in the Agentic Era

While competitors like Autodesk and Trimble launched cloud platforms years ago, Nemetschek’s timing aligns with the emergence of agentic AI. Because legacy platforms are currently undergoing complex re-engineering to support agentic capabilities, Nemetschek and Graphisoft are building natively for this new paradigm.

IGNITE 2026 presenters included (L-R) Pelin Haynes, Yasmin Herden, Sára Pintér, and Mercell Hillier, all of Graphisoft. (Image: Graphisoft)

Development has moved remarkably fast: work began in February 2026, reached customer beta in August, and is slated for a broad 2027 release with embedded AI workflows. By pairing strategic patience with group-wide synergy, Nemetschek is carving out a distinct position in the next generation of AEC cloud infrastructure.

Graphisoft Archicad and New AI

“Design intelligence” sits at the core of Graphisoft’s latest strategy. As its CEO emphasized at IGNITE 2026, while Archicad remains central, “design starts before a model exists and decisions continue long after modeling is done.” Rather than adding platform complexity, Graphisoft is expanding the Archicad ecosystem through open integration and strategic group synergies.

Headline changes begin with Archicad Max, a new subscription tier tailored for data- and AI-driven practices of any size. Built to support global, multi-office operations with full language pack support, Max bundles advanced AI tools—including the beta MCP (Model Context Protocol) server, upgraded AI Assistant, AI Spaces, and updated visualization models (Nano Banana 2 and Pro).

MEP Designer now includes an easy, transparent architecture model feature that renders only MEP elements as solid.

Beyond headline offerings, Archicad 30 introduces critical system refinements:

• UI & Data Management: A fully customizable Project Info dialog with smart search, custom folder creation in the Project Map, revamped attribute handling, and native Windows Dark Mode.
• Visualization & Extensions: Enhanced PBR rendering, updated Redshift engine tech, and the inclusion of “Pro Kit” add-on capabilities.
• MEP Designer: Updated with reliable routing and BIMx integration, MEP Designer now features an Autodesk Forma Connector for multi-platform cloud coordination. Unlike regional offerings like DDSCad, MEP Designer provides a state-of-the-art, global BIM solution—and remains the market’s only 3D MEP BIM system native to macOS.

Agentic Intelligence & Connected Workflows:

AI in Archicad 30 moves beyond simple generation to actionable model interaction via the new MCP-powered AI Assistant and AI Spaces:

• Model Automation: Through the agentic AI Assistant (MCP), users can query elements, execute model filters (e.g., isolating load-bearing columns), or alter renovation statuses via natural language. To prevent accidental overrides, the MCP server provides action previews prior to execution.
• Model Optimization: AI identifies structural or data issues within the BIM model and generates step-by-step resolution guides.
• AI Spaces: Users can index external project data—briefs, local codes, and office standards—into persistent, account-linked “Spaces.” The AI Assistant cross-references this documentation against the active model to flag non-compliant elements, such as non-conforming stair runs.
• Extensible Ecosystem: Graphisoft’s controllable MCP architecture allows external models like Claude and ChatGPT to interface directly with Archicad models, enabling users to trigger UI shortcuts and query project data directly from third-party AI interfaces.

Media Q&A and Architosh Analysis

Several key takeaways from our media Q&A and 1:1 interviews further clarify Graphisoft’s trajectory. First, Chief Product Officer Márton Kiss confirmed that Rhino model support in Nemetschek Creator is already on the roadmap. Second, on AI openness, Graphisoft reinforced that flexibility is central to its posture—supporting private LLMs and firm IP datasets. VP of AI & Data Sylwester Pawluk emphasized that small language models (SLMs) will be critical to AEC’s future.

Relatedly, while acknowledging the promise of on-device AI and Apple’s M-series unified memory for off-grid job sites, Graphisoft has not yet made any formal announcements on local AI compute.

Graphisoft spends quality time with selected media and influencers, giving them ample time to understand the company’s products and direction in both formal and informal settings, such as post-live event Q&A, private 1:1 interviews, and information conversations like the one captured here. (Left: Architosh’s editor, Center: Daniel Csillag, Graphisoft CEO, Right: Sywester Pawluk, Graphisoft VP) (Image: Graphisoft)

Our broader takeaway from IGNITE 2026 centers on strategy and timing. Graphisoft and Nemetschek introduced two major cloud initiatives—Nemetschek Creator and the Nemetschek Open Collaboration Platform (OCP). Branding both under “Nemetschek” signals cross-brand interoperability and a unified, group-wide posture. Without AI, these tools might seem like tardy cloud entries.

However, in the era of agentic AI, existing AEC software must be re-architected at the data layer to support agentic workflows. So these tools aren’t really late; they’re timely. Pawluk noted that data generated between 2020 and 2026 is projected to be ten times that of the preceding two decades (2000–2020). Because AI efficiently navigates both structured and unstructured data—mountains of it—the “I” in BIM is finally poised to realize its full potential—a sharp turnaround from Architosh’s landmark 2010 BIM report, which found that maximizing information was often too labor-intensive for architects to justify. The era of agentic AI will make this far easier and, critically, of more value for architects and their clients.

With element-level reasoning baked directly into Nemetschek’s new cloud architecture, these platforms’ timing makes profound sense. As AEC/O professionals adopt these tools, the industry finally gets the capabilities it has long wanted.

The post Graphisoft IGNITE 2026: Archicad Max, Nemetschek Creator & Cloud Innovation appeared first on Architosh.

Key announcements included Nemetschek Creator (previously previewed as Project Aurora) and the Nemetschek Group’s Open Collaboration Platform (OCP), both now open for early access registration. These announcements accompany the launch of the Archicad 30 flagship product line, along with updates to MEP Designer (Studio), BIMx, BIMcloud, and the new Archicad MCP (Model Context Protocol) initiative.

IGNITE 2026 Highlights

Graphisoft’s IGNITE events are global broadcasts where users worldwide watch detailed presentations of core technologies rolling out each fall. In this studio broadcast-like setting, an invited group of AEC technology press, industry influencers, and other media participates in a Q&A session with Graphisoft CEO Daniel Csillag, Chief Product Officer Márton Kiss, Vice President of AI & Data, Sylwester Pawluk, and key software architecture executives.

IGNITE 2026 Media Q&A session. Architosh editor Anthony Frausto asks the executive panel a question about Nemetschek Creator.

This format provides press outlets with critical access. The intimate media roundtable—comprising seasoned industry analysts and journalists—offers a platform for deep technical questioning that complements global industry reporting. In recent years, the media pool has become more strategic, with less overlap and broader touchpoints for reaching users.

As in prior years, Graphisoft IGNITE for media included an architectural tour led by an Archicad-based architectural practice. This year, Bánáti + Hartvig Architecture led media around their beautiful restoration and expansion project of the historic Drechsler Palace, a Neo-Renaissance building originally designed by Ödön Lechner and Gyula Pártos in the late 19th century. This building is now the W Budapest Hotel. (More on this subject in another future report). 

Hungarian architecture firm Bánáti + Hartvig Architecture has stunningly designed the W Budapest Hotel inside the historic Drechsler Palace (former Pension Institute of the Hungarian Railways).  (Image: Architosh / All rights reserved)

In this first IGNITE 2026 feature, Architosh will focus on Graphisoft and Nemetschek’s new cloud-based Nemetschek Creator, with our next report covering other announcements.

Nemetschek Creator

During the press Q&A, I asked why Project Aurora was branded as Nemetschek Creator, given its initial positioning as Graphisoft’s direct response to Autodesk Forma and other emerging BIM 2.0 platforms.

Márton Kiss, Graphisoft’s Chief Product Officer, explained that adopting the Nemetschek parent name reflects the platform’s deep, multi-brand integration and long-term role. He cited dRofus—the group’s advanced building program and data management tool—as a primary integrated engine within Creator. Other Nemetschek Group solutions may play an integrative role with Nemetschek Creator, but only dRofus was clearly mentioned at this time.

Márton Kiss, Chief Product Officer, Graphisoft, explains why the Nemetschek brand name is attached to the new cloud-based, agentic BIM-centric Nemetschek Creator.

This naming decision reflects a broader structural reorganization across the Nemetschek Group. As Ulrike Beringer, Senior Director of Group Communications & Corporate Responsibility, explained to Architosh in an email back in late August:

Architosh has been told several times, including last week, that Nemetschek’s Design Segment is increasingly co-developing core technology stack modules. This marks a definitive shift from the Group’s historical “hands-off” holding company strategy toward shared enterprise infrastructure across its globally scattered subsidiaries.

In more concrete terms, if sister company Vectorworks develops a tech stack, say, related to Maxon’s Redshift rendering technology, the Group shares that work across its other BIM authoring apps, Archicad and Allplan. The same has happened in the reverse direction with Archicad’s AI Visualizer technology. The Group’s individual BIM authoring companies are not only coordinating on agentic AI technologies like MCP but also conducting independent agentic AI research into alternative applications of AI technologies.

During the same week as Graphisoft IGNITE 2026, Germany’s Maxon, a sister company to Graphisoft, announced Redshift for Architects 2027 with new support for Archicad. This technology sharing at the Group level exemplifies enterprise-level efficiency and global leverage.

This mix of Group-level coordination and independent research, under the umbrella of global enterprise resource sharing, gives the Nemetschek Group a strong formula to compete with its primary peer, Autodesk. And this brings us to Nemetschek and Graphisoft’s answer to Autodesk Forma.

Answering BIM 2.0 with Agentic Architecture (BIM 2.0+)

The AEC industry is well aware of the cloud-native design platforms targeting early-stage site, massing, and environmental analysis. These so-called “BIM 2.0” web tools offer browser-native multi-user canvases that desktop monoliths struggle to replicate.

Evolution of AEC Software Architectures Part 1/2. Click to see larger.

However, Nemetschek Creator represents a distinct branch: it was conceived, architected, and coded post-ChatGPT and for agentic AI. To understand why a post-AI architectural foundation matters, we must examine the paradigm shift across three generations of AEC software architecture. (See images above and below.)

The Evolution of AEC Software Architectures Part 2/2

Nemetschek Creator introduces Intent-Based Interactive Design—an operational paradigm in which users define programmatic goals, environmental constraints, and spatial criteria, enabling generative AI agents to propose compliant spatial iterations. Graphisoft says on its website that “Nemetschek Creator is an AI-first approach that turns project intent into feasible design options before detailed modeling begins.”

Nemetschek Creator offers users an AI-first approach that turns design intent into feasible design options.

“Using project requirements, site constraints, performance goals, or visual references, teams can generate, evaluate, and refine concepts against sustainability and performance criteria,” says Graphisoft.

Beyond iterative spatial generation, Nemetschek Creator performs core BIM 2.0 environmental analytics—simulating daylight, carbon footprint, building code compliance, and contextual terrain physics. It functions as a cloud workspace where early massing options can eventually be pushed and bidirectionally synced with Archicad. Additionally, multiple project stakeholders can be invited into the project on the cloud through their web browser.

As Nemetschek Creator enters early access beta, Graphisoft said its generative capabilities will evolve rapidly over the coming year. This acceleration is possible because Graphisoft has spent years quietly re-architecting its codebases and data structures, and refactoring its core codebase to prepare for agentic orchestration.

Archicad’s Hybrid Microservices Advantage

In a one-on-one interview at IGNITE 2026, Márton Kiss highlighted a structural asset observers often overlook: Archicad’s modular, hybrid microservices architecture.

To drive this point home, note a recent Architosh report on Autodesk Revit 2027’s GPU-accelerated graphics, which enabled smooth sectioning. In that analysis, we noted that Graphisoft decoupled Archicad’s display pipeline from its core parametric database over a decade earlier.

Nemetschek Creator can do unit studies for buildings, similar to other BIM 2.0 tools. At this early stage, Creator doesn’t yet match all the capabilities of rival BIM 2.0 solutions, but Graphisoft is a fast innovator with some of the world’s top CAD industry programmers.

While thread decoupling within a desktop binary isn’t a microservice in itself, that early modularization is the prerequisite software engineering needed to build and deploy successful cloud microservices.

The Role of Microservices in Agentic BIM

Unlike monolithic C++ desktop binaries—where the user interface, geometry evaluation, and display logic compile into a single executable—microservices operate as isolated, single-purpose network services.

In an agentic BIM ecosystem, Large Language Models (LLMs) and Small Language Models (SLMs) do not directly calculate B-Rep solid math or rasterize geometry. Instead, they act as reasoning orchestrators, calling external microservices via standardized protocols like Model Context Protocol (MCP).

When an AI agent evaluates a floor plan, it invokes an independent Egress Microservice or Daylight Analysis microservice to receive deterministic mathematical facts.

Sun studies and microclimate analysis in Nemetschek Creator. A user inputs criteria and goals to establish (design) intent. The AI-first approach generates feasible design options (massing models) which are then evaluated against daylight and microclimate analysis.

This pattern solves generative AI’s primary weakness: probabilistic hallucination. While neural models excel at spatial reasoning and intent parsing, microservices act as deterministic truth engines. The AI agent proposes spatial options, but headless C++ B-Rep microservices execute the exact solid modeling with sub-millimeter precision.

Scalability and Legacy C++ Refactoring

Microservices also unlock heterogeneous cloud scaling. When an agent generates 150 compliant floor plan options simultaneously—it offloads these tasks across cloud server clusters that auto-scale in seconds—a computational feat impossible on a single-threaded desktop monolith.

Furthermore, microservices allow Graphisoft to deploy local SLM microservices on an architect’s Apple Silicon Mac or Windows workstation for fast, private building-code checks, while offloading heavy structural matrix solves to cloud microservices.

Closing Reflections

Unlike early-stage BIM 2.0 startups building new geometry kernels from scratch, Graphisoft sits on 40 years of battle-tested C++ geometric math, B-Rep algorithms, and parametric solvers. Re-coding those millions of lines of complex geometric math for modern web canvases could take decades and introduce thousands of edge-case bugs.

Instead, as Márton Kiss confirmed, Archicad’s modular architecture lets Graphisoft systematically refactor its legacy C++ libraries and use them for its new cloud tools, wrapping the core math in modern, containerized cloud services.

Graphisoft is not rebuilding its geometric foundation from scratch for the agentic BIM era. It is leveraging decades of disciplined C++ code modularization—originally partly necessitated by its cross-platform support for both macOS and Windows—to deliver new cloud-based solutions like Nemetschek Creator. 

The post IGNITE 2026: Nemetschek Creator and the Agentic BIM Architectural Shift appeared first on Architosh.

The official Archicad support comes after the product launched with Redshift for Architects for Vectorworks and then Revit. Adding Archicad closes the loop, and now Redshift’s real-time, high-end visualization system works on the top three global BIM solutions.

Redshift for Architects

The 2027 release builds on previous releases with additional features and improvements. Architects can visualize and refine designs directly within their preferred BIM environment, then move projects into Maxon’s Cinema 4D when they need deeper creative control, advanced animation, simulation, or cinematic-quality (film- and broadcast-level) presentations.

Key Takeaways

• Version 2027 adds official Archicad support for Max Redshift for Architects, adding support for the new Archicad 30
• Ray-traced Refractions improve the accuracy of glass and transparency and deliver an advantage over competitor solutions that only approximate refraction
• New Material Creation native in the app, plus dedicated Light Manager

“Architectural visualization increasingly has to do more than show what a building will look like; it must help communicate an idea, tell a story and, in many cases, become a finished marketing asset in its own right,” said Nicolas Burtnyk, Executive Vice President of Rendering at Maxon. “Redshift for Architects provides a path from fast visual feedback all the way through to the kind of high-end rendering, animation and simulation workflows used in film and advertising, within an environment that keeps them in their creative flow.”

Version 2027 now supports Archicad in addition to Revit and Vectorworks.

Redshift for Architects 2027 includes updates such as better interactive previews with faster shader compilation, refraction, transparent shadows, and ray-traced depth of field. The latest version also adds a new Custom Material Creation manager and a dedicated Light Manager, giving architects and archviz professionals more direct control over how their designs and scenes look and are presented.

In-App Real-Time Interactive

Maxon’s solution works like its chief competitors, letting the rendering technology embed directly into the creative authoring packages they know and love. Whether that’s Vectorworks, Revit, or now Archicad, users build scenes in the environment they already know.

MORE: AIA26: Maxon’s new Redshift for Revit and More

The new ray-traced depth of field (DoF) technology improves how the live preview presents glass, transparency, and camera effects. The ray-traced refraction is also critical in architectural visualization, where glass and transparent materials play a central role in design. Unlike competitor real-time renderers, Maxon’s Redshift for Architects doesn’t approximate refraction; it can now trace these interactions directly, helping architects trust their design decisions as the preview delivers more realistic light behavior.

Custom Materials Creation

Architects can now create custom materials from scratch in Redshift using physically based rendering (PBR) controls, rather than relying only on materials converted from the host BIM application or pulled from the Redshift Library.

This gives users more creative control when a specific material isn’t already available in the model or library. Users have full control over base color, specular, transparency, fuzz, coat, emission, and geometry channels. When materials come from your host BIM application, they convert to Redshift materials and lock. To modify them, users must unlock them and create a copy. Adjustments to the copy overwrite the existing objects assigned this material.

Dedicated Light Manager

Architects now have dedicated controls in Light Manager to create and manage supplemental Redshift lights directly in the visualization workflow. These lights remain separate from the host BIM model, letting users shape the final image without altering the architectural lighting scheme.

Redshift 2027 features a new dedicated Light Manager for finer control of scene lighting.

Users can place and aim lights visually in the Redshift viewport, then fine-tune properties such as intensity and color temperature with fully ray-traced feedback. The net result is greater separation between design lighting and presentation lighting, in other words, between intended built environment and artistic freedom.

Push to Cinema 4D

Maxon’s new push into real-time interactive rendering with Redshift for Architects marks a much-needed use of the company’s industry-leading visualization technologies, traditionally used in markets such as film and broadcast television. Cinema 4D, its flagship application, has long had a strong following among agencies and archviz pros. Bringing this technology downstream to typical architects follows a natural evolution in the market’s democratization of rendering technology.

When architects want to take their visualizations further, they can push their scenes directly to Cinema 4D, either in-house or to third-party professionals.

The post Maxon announces Redshift 2027 for Architects appeared first on Architosh.

Cinema 4D MCP Server

“The idea is simple: artists retain control while handing off any tasks they consider a chore. MCP support enables us to make Cinema 4D more powerful without taking the creative process away from the artist,” said David McGavran, CEO of Maxon. “There are countless small technical and repetitive tasks that artists deal with every day before they can get back to the part of the work that actually requires their taste and judgment. This gives them more freedom to explore, iterate, and take on greater creative complexity while preserving the craft and creative intent that only the artist can bring.”

Key Takeaways

• MCP Server is built into the latest Cinema 4D but turned off by default. It works with Claude and ChatGPT or Codex AI assistants
• Users use natural language text inside Claude, for example, to command Cinema 4D to execute various time-consuming tasks so they can focus on more creative work
• MCP server AI commands work through the Cinema 4D API, and the user can select which groups of Cinema 4D tools to allow AI automation to implement

Users can use natural-language instructions to direct Claude, ChatGPT, or Codex AI assistants securely within Cinema 4D workflows. Every action happens through Cinema 4D’s own tools, directly in an artist’s own scene, and on their machine under their control. And the results remain native Cinema 4D scene data, which means artists can fully inspect what has been created, refine or undo it, and continue building on the creative work itself inside Cinema 4D.

Maxon’s new Cinema 4D MCP Server will greatly streamline user workflows over time and offers many useful workflow benefits now.

Maxon’s MCP implementation supports procedural, iterative, and repetitive work, which aids artists in streamlining workflows by automating the tedious tasks inherent in 3D scene building. Some examples of what the user can do with this technology using AI automation include:

• organizing hundreds of imported objects into a consistent hierarchy
• creating object and material variations
• preparing multipass renders and organizing scenes
• handling basic 3D camera tracking, UV mapping, rigging, animation, and more

This gives Cinema 4D users a wide range of tasks to streamline with natural-language instructions to their AI assistant of choice.

MCP Guardrails, Security and Visibility

The MCP server is built directly into Cinema 4D and the connection runs locally on the artist’s computer with a separate opt-in required to work with other machines on your network. The MCP server is protected by an MCP adapter access token.

Users can select which groups of Cinema 4D tools their assistant can use, offering a scaled approach to testing AI automation. Users can also control Python execution, adding an extra safeguard for workflows that don’t require code execution.

All actions the AI assistant takes via the MCP server run through Cinema 4D’s API, and the application records all actions and commands in its Undo history. They also write to a local audit log, providing visibility into the actions the AI assistant has taken. The result is that you still end up with a standard Cinema 4D scene, not a flattened generated output.

For studios and enterprise teams, MCP adapter access tokens, configurable permissions, and audit logging provide the visibility and oversight needed to evaluate MCP use against established production and security requirements.

Availability and Notes

Just a few more notes on this. Cinema 4D’s built-in MCP server is off by default, so users must enable it. Maxon is serious about security and user control, and for studios and enterprise teams, MCP adapter access tokens, configurable permissions, and audit logging provide visibility and oversight needed to evaluate MCP use against established production and security requirements.

MCP support is available now in Cinema 4D 2026.4 or later on Windows and macOS versions. The MCP connection can be activated without the need for additional installs.

Artists can learn more about Cinema 4D MCP support, setup, security controls, and example workflows at https://www.maxon.net/cinema-4d/features/mcp.

The post What’s In Maxon’s New Cinema 4D MCP Server appeared first on Architosh.

For long-time Architosh readers tracking Nemetschek Group’s broader cloud architecture investments, a key highlight of this launch is the groundwork laid for Nemetschek Creator. Set for early-access availability in October, this cloud-native BIM 2.0 era tool directly continues and commercializes the initiative previously previewed as Project Aurora.

MORE: IGNITE 2026: Nemetschek Creator and the Agentic BIM Architectural Shift

Designed as an open, browser-accessible workspace, Nemetschek Creator connects early conceptual design, generative analysis, site feasibility, and sustainability metrics directly back to Archicad—ensuring early design intent transitions seamlessly into downstream BIM environments.

The new Nemetschek Creator showing Mass Creation features. This is a new cloud-native BIM 2.0 application previously previewed under the code name Project Aurora.

Below is a detailed summary of the primary technical and commercial announcements included in Graphisoft’s 2026 portfolio update.

New Products in Detail Summary

Archicad 30 Core Refinements

The core Archicad authoring platform sees targeted enhancements focused on daily drafting speed, UI modernization, and project navigation:

• User Interface & Visibility: Native Dark Mode for Windows has officially arrived, alongside improved multi-story wall visibility to streamline complex vertical modeling.
• Documentation & Data: Enhanced documentation controls provide increased flexibility for drawing outputs. The platform introduces modernized Project Info data management, customizable layout tree organization within the Navigator, and expanded, versatile drawing-label formatting options.
• Core Philosophy: According to Chief Product Officer Márton Kiss, these core enhancements focus on reducing administrative overhead, ensuring architects spend less time managing software state and more time designing.

Design Intelligence, AI Roadmap, and Protocol Architecture

Graphisoft is expanding its AI strategy beyond simple image generation, introducing structured knowledge management and open interoperability protocols:

• Model Context Protocol (MCP): Graphisoft is embedding planned MCP connectivity to establish a standardized communication architecture between BIM data structures and external AI agents or Large Language Models (LLMs).
• AI Assistant & Personalized Spaces: The integrated AI Assistant receives a structural update via AI Assistant Spaces. This feature lets practices train or ground the AI assistant in their proprietary office standards, detail libraries, and project documentation—creating a customized firm knowledge base.
• AI Visualizer Upgrades: The conceptual AI rendering pipeline now integrates next-generation image models, including Nano Banana Pro, offering refined artistic control and photorealistic conceptual output directly from BIM geometries.

Expansion of MEP Designer and DDScad

Graphisoft’s multidisciplinary design tools receive key feature and market availability updates:

• Global Expansion: MEP Designer is officially launching in 40+ new international markets, giving a much wider global user base access to integrated mechanical, electrical, and plumbing workflows within the Graphisoft environment. (MEP Designer is the only modern, macOS-native MEP software system of its kind).
• BIM Querying & AI: Both MEP Designer and DDScad receive upgraded spatial BIM querying tools, visualization improvements, refined discipline coordination workflows, and direct hooks into Graphisoft’s AI ecosystem.

Nemetschek Creator & Ecosystem Opportunities

Throughout October, Graphisoft is offering Archicad subscribers early access to expanded Nemetschek Group technology stacks:

• Nemetschek Creator (Project Aurora): Bridging early-stage ideation and BIM, this cloud-native platform brings together architects, real estate developers, urban planners, and municipal stakeholders in a unified cloud space for rapid iteration, preliminary cost/carbon analysis, and AI-assisted site design.
• Open Collaboration Platform & Maxon Redshift: Users gain access to the Nemetschek Open Collaboration Platform alongside high-performance GPU rendering via Maxon Redshift, providing production-grade visualization capabilities natively tied to Archicad models.

Restructured Subscription Tiers: Introducing Archicad Max

To align with varying practice scales and technological demands, Graphisoft has reorganized its software offerings into three distinct subscription tiers:

• Archicad Studio — Standard architectural drafting and core BIM modeling features for baseline practice needs.
• Archicad Collaborate — Designed for growing practices requiring enhanced cloud access, team collaboration, and elevated platform productivity tools.
• Archicad Max — New Flagship Tier. Tailored for large, innovative practices requiring high-complexity capabilities. Includes full access to advanced AI tools, Design Intelligence features, cloud workflows, and premium Nemetschek Group integrations (e.g., Redshift, Creator).

To learn more, readers should sign in to the Graphisoft IGNITE 2026 Global Virtual Event.

Graphisoft will present live demonstrations and technical deep dives during its IGNITE Global Virtual Event on October 13, 2026, at 2:00 PM CEST. The fast-paced session will feature executive leadership and product developers walking through the 2026 suite, live AI workflows, and the Nemetschek Creator integration.

MORE: IGNITE 2026: Nemetschek Creator and the Agentic BIM Architectural Shift

Free registration and localized subtitle replays (in nine languages) are available on Graphisoft’s official portal.

The post Graphisoft Unveils Archicad 30 & Nemetschek Creator appeared first on Architosh.

The primary vehicle for this transformation is a massive, multi-year overhaul of Autodesk Assistant. While the current, first-generation Assistant operates locally inside standalone applications, the next-generation iteration acts as a cross-platform, proactive orchestrator. It spans teams, data ecosystems, and tools to synthesize what the company brands as “project intelligence”. Slated to debut as an expanded standalone platform in 2027, the rollout signals a critical industry pivot: the era of entering prompts into a side panel is giving way to autonomous AI agents that quietly manage downstream engineering workflows in the background.

Orchestration, Personal Pulse, and Open Spaces

Three core operational pillars anchor Autodesk Assistant’s future direction, as the agentic AI technology gets more impactful across all workflows:

• What Needs Attention — A new feature called Personal Pulse acts as a personalized dashboard, proactively flagging design issues, clashes, or anomalies across projects. At the same time, Assistant Spaces establishes focused, shared sandboxes where project teams and AI agents can collaboratively isolate structural problems and run automatic impact analyses
• Act Across Workflows — Leveraging natural-language and voice interaction, the Assistant connects discrete design and engineering engines. It translates user intent directly into physics-validated, reviewable geometric outputs without forcing the user to manually switch software suites
• Your Own Intelligence — Crucially, an environment known as Assistant Builder allows enterprise clients to plug in proprietary AI models, internal databases, or third-party automated tools. These external agents can be commercialized and deployed via a dedicated “Design & Make Marketplace.”

Powering this entire experience is the Autodesk AI Orchestrator. Instead of leaning on a singular, massive foundational model to solve every task, the Orchestrator acts as a traffic controller. It continuously evaluates smaller, specialized sub-models based on accuracy requirements, processing speed, security limitations, and cost, choosing the leanest tool for the job at hand.

Connecting the Dots on Autodesk’s AI Arc

Regular Architosh readers will find this development familiar. For years, our coverage of Autodesk’s structural evolution has tracked how the vendor has systematically dismantled legacy file-format silos in favor of granular, cloud-native data environments. When Autodesk initially rolled out Autodesk AI, the focus centered primarily on localized automation—such as automated rapid site studies within Forma or generative design constraints inside Fusion.

MORE: Autodesk Cloud-based Platforms and AI/ML Aim to Help Solve the Biggest Problems We Face

What we are witnessing at AU 2026 is the logical convergence of these isolated initiatives. Agentic AI requires fluid, non-proprietary data pipelines to function successfully. Autodesk’s multi-year engineering migration toward common cloud data schemas—especially the web-native backbone underneath Forma—was never just about real-time file sharing or replacing Revit’s file infrastructure. It was a long-term play to build a clean data foundation that an autonomous AI layer could read, reason through, and manipulate. By introducing an AI Orchestrator that connects these clouds, Autodesk is shifting the user paradigm. The software is evolving from a passive digital drafting board into an active, predictive participant in the studio workflow.

Why Agentic Matters and the Battle for Geometry

To evaluate this announcement critically, we must separate marketing buzzwords from architectural reality. The industry is currently experiencing some form of “AI fatigue.” As AI technologies rush into the industry, dozens of new software solutions put AI at their center, promising both automation and workflow speedups. Generative text and image models are notorious for producing hallucinations, which limits their utility in professional AEC environments. As Autodesk CEO Andrew Anagnost pointed out in the announcement, in the real world of bricks, steel, and tightly regulated building codes, being “probably right” equals a failure.

Autodesk Assistant in its upcoming iteration shown here.

General-purpose Large Language Models (LLMs) struggle with spatial reasoning because they understand tokens, not physical tolerances. Autodesk’s competitive defense strategy relies entirely on “grounding”. By anchoring their AI models within the explicit geometry, physical constraints, manufacturing processes, and deep histories of four decades of CAD metadata, they aim to build an intelligence layer that respects real-world physics. If a user requests a structural adjustment via the Assistant, the system doesn’t just sketch a visual revision; it evaluates downstream impacts on fabrication detailing, construction scheduling, project costs, and sequencing.

Legacy AI (First-Gen Chatbots)

Capability Dimension:

• Operational Boundaries = Restricted inside a single app (e.g., Revit/Forma)
• User Interaction = Reactive: Responds directly to explicit prompts
• Model Architecture = Single model processing
• Ecosystem Openness = Closed, vendor-controlled tools

Next-Gen Agentic AI (2027 Framework)

Capability Dimension:

• Operational Boundaries = Cross-product, cross-project, and cross-team orchestration
• User Interaction = Proactive: Surfaces issues via Personal Pulse
• Model Architecture = Multi-model routing via AI Orchestrator
• Ecosystem Openness = Open extensible framework via Assistant Builder

This architectural shift addresses a critical macroeconomic reality: the professional capacity crisis. Autodesk’s own 2027 State of Design & Make Report notes that 70% of industry leaders expect AI to mitigate staffing constraints by absorbing repetitive, administrative data management. Agentic AI directly targets this friction. By automating the mundane tasks of coordinating data between design phases, it frees up architects to focus on spatial judgment, material creativity, and client relationships.

Another image showing the new Autodesk Assistant in action.

However, the “Bring Your Own Intelligence” strategy is perhaps the most significant competitive maneuver here. By enabling firms to connect custom AI agents via the Assistant Builder, Autodesk is positioning itself as the operating system for design tech. Rather than fighting off nimble, AI-native AEC startups entering the market, Autodesk is building an infrastructure—complete with a marketplace—designed to absorb them.

Architosh Analysis & Commentary

While the vision displayed at AU 2026 is compelling, architectural firms must look closely at the implementation timeline. These advanced cross-cloud agentic capabilities are previews. Autodesk explicitly notes that the expanded next-generation experience is not yet generally available, with pricing models, regional rollouts, and exact licensing terms under wraps until 2027.

Furthermore, data privacy, security, and liability remain major question marks for firms handling sensitive client data. Autodesk’s commitment to publishing “AI Transparency Cards” to detail training origins and limitations is a step in the right direction. Yet, as autonomous agents begin modifying building geometry and checking code compliance in shared “Spaces,” firms will need to establish strict protocols regarding where the AI’s recommendation ends, and professional liability begins.

Ultimately, Autodesk has drawn a clear line in the sand for the future of CAD. The focus is no longer on making drawing tools faster—it is about orchestrating project data intelligently so that architects can solve complex spatial problems without being bogged down by the tools themselves.

The post AU2026: Autodesk Shifts AI from Chatbots to Agentic Ecosystems appeared first on Architosh.

Six Finalist Categories

This year marks the 20th year of the Construction Computing Awards, which seek to showcase and reward the technology, tools, and solutions that are making a significant impact for AEC/O professionals in the construction industry—covering design, construction, and operations across all building and civil engineering sectors.

Vectorworks 2027 includes industry solutions, including Vectorworks Architect 2027, which is up for three awards.

“It’s an honor to see both Vectorworks and Morpholio recognized across these categories,” said Anna Kenoff, director of marketing – cloud and mobile at Vectorworks.

MORE: Vectorworks 2027 — A Look at What’s New

“These nominations reflect the creativity and impact of Morpholio’s design tools, while the recognition for the Vectorworks and Morpholio Trace integration highlights what becomes possible when designers can move more fluidly from early ideas to developed project information.”

Nominations this year include the following categories where Vectorworks solutions are contending:

• BIM Software of the Year 2026 – Vectorworks Architect
• Architectural Design Software 2026 – Vectorworks Architect
• Mobile Technology of the Year 2026 – Morpholio from Vectorworks – Morpholio Trace
• Product of the Year 2026 – Vectorworks Architect
• Company of the Year 2026 – Vectorworks
• Innovation of the Year 2026 – Vectorworks and Morpholio Trace Integration, released in Vectorworks 2026 Update 5

In addition to the official judged panel categories, users can also submit popular votes on the Construction Computing Awards website until 30 October 2026. The award ceremony will announce winners on 12 November 2026 at the Leonardo City Hotel in London.

The post Vectorworks a Finalist in ‘The Hammers’ Awards appeared first on Architosh.

Architectural students generally understand the purpose and value of diagramming workflows in the architectural design process—helping them express and explain the key reasoning behind conceptual decisions in building designs, as well as the ability to communicate conceptual ideas that 3D renderings and technical construction drawings cannot.

Axogram

Axogram is a live diagramming tool that works alongside your CAD and BIM application. This includes Autodesk Revit, Graphisoft Archicad, and Trimble’s SketchUp (only Windows versions of Archicad and SketchUp, with macOS coming soon).

Lumion’s new Axogram is a dedicated plugin for architectural diagramming workflows that works inside Revit, Archicad, and SketchUp.

With Axogram, users can do all of the following:

• Explore different viewpoints and keep diagrams current as the project evolves
• Test conceptual styles without touching the original geometry or materials
• Add arrows, labels, zones, and styles directly around the model and in 3D
• Create, duplicate, organize, and revisit multiple diagram types in one project: basic, context, sequence, section, circulation, and presentation

Diagram types such as context help clarify a building’s wider context in which the design interacts, while sequence diagram types explain how the architect sees the project’s components flow from element to element. Circulation diagrams clarify how users move to and through a building project, and section diagrams clarify structure, building floors, and spatial dynamics.

A top-down view of a circulation type diagram in Axogram.

Axogram is free to use but is limited, with the user able to save up to five (5) diagram views. The solution is also available for USD 25.00 per month per user or USD 299 per year and removes the saved views limit, ups render image quality to 4K, and removes the watermark,

All plans include AI tools such as an image enhancer, upscaler, and material generator, plus Lumion’s cloud collaboration environment where users can compare versions, gain post-processing tools, manage versions and approvals, and organize and share content.

Architosh Analysis and Commentary

It is wonderful to see the emergence of this type of application, and it will speed up workflows that architects today use to generate diagrams. As someone who taught architectural diagramming at the Boston Architectural College in Boston over 25 years ago, I often utilized HTML technology to show diagrams that had dynamic components (on mouseover) or recorded into QuickTime animations. I see only the beginnings of what is truly possible with a dedicated architectural diagramming tool and hope to watch (and test out directly) Axogram. 

As for the lack of macOS support? Lumion today has support for macOS on the SketchUp version of Lumion View, which helps explain why only macOS support for Axogram for SketchUp is planned. 

The post Lumion intros Axogram—new architectural diagramming tool appeared first on Architosh.

Autodesk CEO Andrew Anagnost spoke with sincerity and passion about his commitment to creating connected solutions that increase productivity and ease of use while cutting unnecessary costs. The aim is to unlock capacity to be more productive, creative, and innovative beyond current desktop pipelines.

One of the coolest moments during the Autodesk keynote was when he spoke about how an Autodesk-backed organization, the Foothill Catalog Foundation, was helping rebuild and restore communities that have lost their homes to fires, floods, or other natural disasters, such as those that affected Altadena and Pacific Palisades. It has a collection of preapproved home designs to help displaced residents rebuild quickly and affordably while preserving their community identity and local architectural character. This helps residents get back into their homes sooner.

Andrew Anagnos, CEO of Autodesk, delivers his keynote address on Day 1, AU2026.

Stellar Creative Labs was bringing zombies to life for Marvel in its television series. It used AI for established IP to help complete episodes faster. A company from India, Kheyti, is helping farmers adapt to climate change. Kheyti creates low-cost farming solutions that help farmers reliably grow more. The company hopes to reach one million farmers in the next year.

2027 State of Design & Make Report

Autodesk released its 2027 State of Design & Make Report, introducing us to Pacesetters—a small group of professionals who stand apart from the curve. They are better prepared for macroeconomic and geopolitical disruptions to their businesses. They are early adopters of technology, making the digital transformation that helps them retain clients and maintain a productive workforce. AI execution is becoming a competitive advantage in retaining clients and projects. You can download the report here.

The Autodesk Design and Make Platform, with its three industry clouds—Forma, Fusion, and Flow—spanning AEC to media and entertainment, unifies workflows through AI and a data-driven platform to simplify work. While we have heard about it for years and have wondered, today convergence is real and happening on the Autodesk Platform.

Autodesk Forma

Autodesk opened its keynote by showcasing the latest version of Forma, which creates a connected environment for the AEC industry, with new capabilities across design, engineering, and construction. Autodesk is expanding Forma across much of the AEC workflow lifecycle. Forma may replace Revit in a decade or so (see this new Architosh article for more on that). This connectivity gives everyone working on a project the ability to see it from start to finish and contribute seamlessly, often at the same time as their teammates.

Forma is the cloud centerpiece of Autodesk’s AEC strategic direction for the global construction industry. Its booth at AU26 was jam-packed with attendees looking at how the Forma platform delivers new capabilities that traditional desktop-era software cannot, plus showing new AI and automation features across tools, including Autodesk Revit.

Amy Bunzel, EVP of AEC, spoke at the second keynote about the importance of real-time collaboration throughout a project’s lifecycle. She discussed defining the roles people will play using AI. Context gives every decision substance. Forma is transforming collaboration: it allows you to move from files to granular data and hyper-collaboration. This changes what BIM can become outside the model, with data and AI. Autodesk is also making significant investments in infrastructure, as briefly discussed in Architosh’s AU26 news coverage here. (see: Architosh, “AU2026: Autodesk expands Forma and leverages AU,” 16 Sep 2026)

Autodesk connected Revit and Forma to make collaboration easier. It is easier to collaborate with Forma Board, a BIM-connected board. Forma Board stays current, revealing changes and the reasons for them to all teams involved in the project. New AI tools will become part of construction. A new viewer supports more complex models, complex information, sheets, and geospatial data in model-based workflows. Workflow Studio, integrated within Forma, helps coordinate the different aspects of jobs, making it easier to communicate changes and inspect work before installation to ensure things line up before execution. With Daily Log Agent, a superintendent can give a voice memo, and the AI agent can transcribe it. Details are captured without typing notes. AEC software will be driven by agents in the future to boost productivity and collaboration.

Civil engineering, via Autodesk Civil3D, will become the newest connected client on Forma. It will support new infrastructure workflows as teams move from planning and design to the complexities of engineering a project. You no longer need to wait to see how plumbing, water lines, and sewage relate to your design.

Shared geolocation engine in Civil 3D, shown in this screenshot. Read below for more information.

Forma Street Design enables transportation planners to explore land configurations, traffic flow, intersections, and transit routes alongside building projects. Street Design can give you a 2D view with sections and let you adjust problems on the spot, early in the design.

Forma and Revit, connected through new AI capabilities, will enable architects to explore their ideas and reduce repetitive tasks in design documentation, helping teams work better together and focus on priority decisions. As Architosh touched on earlier in this report, new AI capabilities can surface drawing information that may indicate issues across a range of common problems in building design and documentation, such as missing dimensions.

MORE: AIA26: Kestrel Labs — Native BIM Compliance Platform

Forma is bringing more preconstruction, coordination, and field workflows into this connected environment to help carry a project through execution. A unified geolocation engine coordinates workflows across Forma, Revit, and Civil 3D, ensuring location information is consistent across all teams and reducing manual transformations or model misalignment. Esri and third-party collaboration are already built in.

Autodesk is also expanding a set of specialized AI-powered construction agents to support document search, submittals, drawing review, and bid processing. This can save time while keeping decisions with the people doing the work.

The ‘O’ in AEC/O

The letter “O” in AEC/O is for operations and Autodesk has been keenly aware for how operations data can virtuously cycle back to the beginning of the design process in building design and renovation projects, as well as help owners and building tenants maximize human comfort, performance, and health in all forms of building structures.

Back in June, Autodesk bought MaintainX for $3.6 billion to create a new business unit called Autodesk Operations Solutions. Stephen Hooper, formerly VP of cloud-based design and manufacturing solutions, will run it.

MaintainX is a new acquisition by Autodesk.

MaintainX can help coordinate and manage maintenance events such as equipment failures, repairs, and performance improvements. Hooper spoke about three types of convergence in the keynote:

• Industry Convergence creates a digital twin from data you already have.
• Digital & Physical Convergence brings the digital twin into the real world.
• Lifecycle Convergence helps the design evolve through changes.

Tandem defines, maintains, and optimizes the product lifecycle. Tandem can access BIM data to create a complete digital twin with live operational data. Tandem and FlexSim have been brought together to provide a full solution. Richard Bude, Principal Experience Designer, spoke about bringing operational data to life. He uses simulation models to make changes to improve efficiency. He showed how he used this method to improve the flow of travelers through an airport. Tandem can identify a problem in advance and create a ticket to replace a part or product before it fails. Tandem follows the process from beginning to end: locating the problem, creating a ticket, assigning it to someone to replace the part, and replacing the part without interruption.

Artificial Intelligence (AI)

Autodesk Assistant is Autodesk’s AI chatbox technology, which continues to grow and evolve from a basic in-app prompt chatbot into an agent that can provide information from your project data and help find solutions across its cloud-connected product line.

Some of these features may not be available yet. Autodesk Assistant is bringing project intelligence into customers’ workflows so they can connect, understand, plan, and make decisions quickly throughout the product lifecycle. Autodesk President and CEO Andrew Anagnost stated that Autodesk Assistant will soon be available as a standalone, agentic-first experience that can reach across its products. The standalone Assistant is not available yet, but we should hear about timing, pricing, and terms in 2027.

Drawing Compliance uses AI to surface drawing information for possible issues, such as walls too close to adjacent walls, missing wall dimensions, etc. Users can also add rules for design standards, owner requirements, and cross-disciplinary coordination. To learn see our earlier AU2026 report here.

In its second keynote, Autodesk covered Flow and Fusion in more detail, revealing how they are helping creatives use AI to work more effectively throughout a product lifecycle and reduce costs significantly. Flow and Fusion are Autodesk’s non-AEC industry clouds for the Media & Entertainment and Design & Manufacture industries, respectively.

Even though Architosh is centered principally on the AEC/O industry, I will provide a brief summary of Autodesk Flow and a bit more detailed coverage of Autodesk Fusion. Fusion naturally touches manufacturing and has crossover into the AEC/O industries, as buildings, in particular, are made up of manufactured products and filled with manufactured products, plus manufacturing technologies bear upon industrialized construction.

Autodesk Flow

Diana Colella, EVP of Media & Entertainment, spoke about how Flow’s new AI tools can save time during the conception of a movie. She talked about a film project, “Robots of the Wild West.” Nikola Todorovic, the visual effects supervisor and co-founder of the AI filmmaking company Wonder Dynamics, demonstrated how Flow was used to create his movie, starting by generating a 3D model with Nano Banana, refining it with prompts, and creating a model that fit the movie’s needs.

Autodesk Flow Studio production still, showing the movie called “Robots of the Wild West,” which was crafted using Autodesk Flow.

You can also generate a rig using AI rigging and use Flow to capture an actor’s performance. Then you can use the 3D editor to put all the pieces together on a Wonder Human (first, apply the animation, and swap the Wonder Human for the model you generated earlier. Now you just need a background. Marble was used to generate a saloon background. Motion Maker in Maya was used to animate a horse quickly, with the ability to make changes on the fly. Once all these elements are put together, you have a short film.

Autodesk Fusion

Jeff Kinder, EVP of Design & Manufacture, spoke about Fusion and how its new AI tools empower product designers to create better products and find quick solutions for design and engineering. AI turns an idea into a better product with thousands of parts. Companies using Fusion for design include JDD Furniture, Wet Sounds, and O’Neal. Thomas Saier, CEO of O’Neal, stated that they use Fusion from product conception through design visualization to create helmets that save lives. He feels it is about the people who wear them and how to protect them.

The three principles of the work process in Fusion are:

• For individuals: AI to Design and Make
  For companies: Digital Thread with Data
  Product ecosystem: Agentic PLM

Richard Stubley, a Fusion expert, gave an example of how Fusion works for a lawnmower design. He used two Autodesk agentic AI tools:

• AutoAssemble
• Auto Timeline Generator

AutoAssemble is great for putting together all the parts quickly, in minutes rather than the few days it might take a person. AutoAssemble analyzed the model, found the locations for parts, and placed them where they belonged. You can test the parts to make sure everything works properly. Later, while reviewing the design, the team found that a different part did not have enough clearance for the consumer of the product.

Auto Timeline Generator fixed the part in a few minutes by redesigning it. It created drawings, specifications, and everything needed to make sure the part worked effectively and would not impede the manufacturing process.

Autodesk Fusion is shown here with AutoAssemble Split, an automation feature new in Fusion.

Autodesk Assistant in Fusion uses natural language to leverage the breadth of Fusion’s capabilities. A new way to create configurations with Assistant will generate variations for you, with fully editable geometry in Fusion. You can send this straight to the shop floor.

Daniel Graham, VP of Manufacturing, stated that he trusts Richard’s work but wants to validate it for manufacturing. Autodesk System Modeler, a visual tool, uses its Graph Editor to adjust the model. He used an automated sheet metal graph to find and update all the components. He used the nesting capabilities to put these pieces together.

Having AI handle repetitive tasks across the product lifecycle helps productivity. You will be able to find existing designs to update and evolve your project.

Hybrid Platform with New Connections

Autodesk Fusion is a hybrid platform. While it serves conceptually and operationally as Autodesk’s unified cloud platform for D&M, the software itself installs and runs locally as a desktop product on Windows and macOS. In fact, at one point, Andrew Anagnost, CEO of Autodesk, told Architosh that this specific hybrid nature could be a possible future of Revit. (see: Architosh, “What’s Beyond Revit—Anagnost on Autodesk AEC Futures,” 1 Oct 2020). And while Autodesk did get more specific than ever at this AU2026 about the future of Revit versus the Forma platform, if you read the details of how Anagnost talks about Fusion serving as a development and data-model template for the future of Revit, back in 2020, one can still imagine Fusion as a useful model.

New this year, Inventor and Vault are the first Fusion Connected Clients, in much the way Revit was the first Forma Connected Client. I saw a demo from Haworth showing how they were designing spaces in their online 3D build software and then working inside Autodesk Inventor to develop the design further, giving them the ability to work seamlessly on both desktop and online.

Stephanie Canora, Director of Product Management, and Mike Alcazaren spoke about handling tasks efficiently in real time, introducing the Agentic Task Board. The Agentic Task Board provides integrated task management. Autodesk Assistant helps manage a task as it passes from one person to the next in real time, making the process fast and effective while reducing mistakes. The agentic experience increased productivity by making part replacement faster through the Agentic Task Board.

Product lifecycle management (PLM) has been reimagined with Agentic PLM. You will be able to connect unstructured conversations to make decisions. Agentic PLM will connect to third-party systems to accelerate the product-making lifecycle and make it feel invisible. It is an open and extensible platform. An MCP service can make connecting to Claude easier.

The Fallingwater Exhibit

Fallingwater, created and designed by Frank Lloyd Wright, receives the highest standard of care in historic preservation as a UNESCO World Heritage site. The restoration project for the landmark in Pennsylvania is now complete. Autodesk technologies were used in the restoration process.

The Fallingwater exhibit entrance at Autodesk University 2026.

Case Technologies scanned the entire site using laser technology, producing 6.8 billion points in a point cloud, with each point less than 2 millimeters apart, to help create a digital twin of the site and the home. After importing the laser scans into software called ReCap, Case Technologies uploaded the entire project into Autodesk Revit. Revit takes the data and turns it into a 3D model. Case Technologies completed the visualization process by using a game engine to create Fallingwater’s digital twin in Twinmotion.

Third Party Exhibitors

As usual, we struggle to find enough time to meet vendors on the show floor, but we did manage to meet some and discuss what they were showing at AU2026 this year.

IMAGINiT Technologies

IMAGINiT Technologies spoke about its new product, Clarity. (see: Architosh, “IMAGINiT Technologies unveils Clarity 2025,” 30 May 2024, for our last detailed coverage of this tool here.)

Clarity enables Revit and AutoCAD customers to accelerate their workflows by automating manual, repetitive tasks, developing custom software to address unique business needs, and preparing data and technology environments for AI.

IMAGINiT’s workforce development and education programs help clients adopt new capabilities and automate redundant tasks. Clarity is useful for Revit and AutoCAD users who want to automate tasks such as creating sheets, printing, and creating PDFs. IMAGINiT says its software has saved more than 5 million working hours in the past year.

Chaos Group

Chaos Group showed off recent versions of V-Ray and Enscape, along with the Chaos ecosystem, at AU. Enscape was running in real time with impressive, realistic visualizations that you could change instantly, from the time of day to objects and textures. Enscape offers more flexibility than Twinmotion for textures and custom objects.

Lenovo Access

Lenovo Access is simplifying remote workstation access. Lenovo Access claims to change the traditional approach by centralizing remote workstations while ensuring predictability and performance. Lenovo Access places individual ThinkStation P-series desktop workstations into racks, then layers on management tools to access and manage the files. Users feel as though they are using robust local workstations, but the workstations operate as a single managed solution. Lenovo demonstrated how Lenovo Access works at AU.

Global eTraining (GeT)

Global eTraining (GeT), an AI-powered digital adoption platform trusted by AEC firms worldwide, shared its AI-powered innovations. Some of those innovations include:

• AI Knowledge Banks & Challenges
• AI MCP Server Integrations
• AI-Generated Custom Workflow Courses
• AI Analytics & Insights for ROI
• AI Dynamic Search Assistant
• AI Contextual Translations

This brings together human intelligence and agentic AI workflows across the AI-enabled tech stack, creating a connected knowledge infrastructure that continuously learns from company workflows, project standards, and organizational expertise.

HP

HP is improving automation in SitePrint and Build Workspace. HP discussed new capabilities for its SitePrint robotic layout system and the Build Workspace construction drawing management and collaboration platform, focusing on faster document workflows and fewer on-site revisions.

HP and AMD in the booth together promoting multiple solutions, including AI, and One Mobile Workstations like the HP ZBook Ultra G3a

The headline addition to HP SitePrint is a new cloud-based CAD editor built directly into the platform. In the past, you had to prepare layout sheets in separate CAD applications. Now users can edit and prepare layout files in the cloud using tools and automation to streamline prelayout setup. This allows on-site crews to make changes or corrections instantaneously. At the construction site, SitePrint gains a new smart navigation feature. The robot uses cameras to locate unmapped obstacles on the floor and automatically replans and adapts its route without user intervention. This helps in real-world conditions where materials, equipment, and temporary work could block the originally planned path.

AMD

AMD announced the new HP ZBook Ultra G3a 16-inch mobile workstation PC featuring AMD Ryzen AI MAX PRO 100 series processors.

• Up to 192 GB of unified memory (160 GB can be dedicated to the GPU) to support 300-billion-parameter local AI models
• Options such as 5G Starlink satellite service
• A 2.8K OLED or 4K DreamColor display
• Thunderbolt 4 support

AMD Ryzen AI Max Pro 100 series processors feature a unified memory architecture similar in many respects to Apple’s M-series processors. A key benefit of the Ryzen AI chip is its ability to run localized AI models, offering on-device inference, AI privacy, and sheer AI performance advantages compared to high-latency-bound AI cloud inference.

AU2026 Closing Remarks

Autodesk laid out its plans for the future of AI in its products and how they will help people connect and collaborate in real time. The phrase “unlocking capacity” was used often to describe how AI will increase productivity by automating some redundant tasks and simplifying others.

Autodesk will help those who design and make work more effectively while saving the costs of redundant tasks. When you consider the price of hardware these days, cloud solutions using AI make perfect sense. Autodesk products are completing their convergence with these new updates.

Autodesk Assistant plays a very important role in the future alongside other agentic AI tools. The upcoming standalone version of Autodesk Assistant will help integrate Autodesk’s product line with clients’ data, saving time and streamlining project management throughout the product lifecycle.

If you are still working with legacy software, you may want to consider migrating in the next few years to gain access to these tools as they become mainstream. I think referencing some of the companies using the software provides real-world context for what is being designed and built with AI and the cloud in Autodesk’s latest software solutions. The era of desktop software solutions is behind us, as hybrid tools and cloud-first solutions infused with connected data and agentic AI promise transformative automation and aligned workflow objectives.

The Fallingwater exhibit was very impressive and shows how the right use of Autodesk products can make dreams happen.

The post AU2026: Key Announcements in Agentic AI, Forma, and Fusion appeared first on Architosh.

Morpholio Trace is an application that runs on tablet computers like the Apple iPad and works with the Apple Pencil to enable sophisticated hand sketching, drawings, markup, and annotation, and can interact with Vectorworks. (More info below.)

Trace for Business

Trace for Business is a new enterprise tier that gives organizations a streamlined purchasing set of options and centralized access to Morpholio Trace via the Vectorworks Customer Portal. For experienced Vectorworks users, the Portal is your online hub for all things licensing management for Vectorworks products.

Trace for Business is a new enterprise offering from Vectorworks for Morpholio Trace.

Until recently, Trace purchases have been exclusively through the Apple App Store, a model that has helped build a loyal following among individual designers and small teams around the world. The Portal option is more ideal for larger organizations, offering business-friendly invoicing, centralized license management, and enterprise deployment capabilities.

“Trace was built to preserve the joy and immediacy of drawing, and now we’re making sure that joy scales to an entire firm without losing any of its soul,” said Mark Collins, Vectorworks Principal Software Engineer and Morpholio Co-Founder. “Business tools shouldn’t get in the way of design tools. Trace for Business gives IT the control it needs and gives designers the sketching experience they already love.”

Trace for Business fits into existing IT environments, supports MDM (Mobile Device Management), and can align with internal IT controls for access, storage, exports, AI features, and other application settings.

“Enterprise deployment shouldn’t be tedious,” said Vectorworks Chief Revenue Officer Nicole Davison. “With MDM support, IT teams can deploy Trace the same way they deploy the rest of their design software, and designers keep drawing working exactly the way they always have.”

Trace Ultra Coming Soon

Trace for Business also introduces the first capabilities of Trace Ultra, a new product tier that will be available to the public later this year. The new offering will expand Trace’s role as a vector-based BIM and CAD companion app.

Trace Ultra will include new capabilities, such as an increase in the maximum number of layers per project from 25 to 50. Other Ultra features will roll out throughout 2026.

Morpholio Trace was an Architosh AIA BEST of SHOW winner this year. Architosh wrote at the time of the announcement, “In addition to bringing the sketching-thinking process closer to an advanced BIM tool—where there are so many layers of interaction opportunities—Morpholio [Trace] can serve as the ultimate first step to sketch-to-AI rendering and animation.”

About Morpholio

Founded in 2011 by four architects, Morpholio began with the belief that hand drawing was critical to the increasingly digital design process. Together, they envisioned a creative renaissance for design through the iPad and Apple Pencil. With a global community of users, they have been recognized on numerous “Best Apps” lists.

The suite for iPad and iPhone includes Trace for sketching and drafting, Board for mood and design boards, and Journal, a digital sketchbook.

In 2026, Morpholio became part of the Vectorworks family, bringing its suite of mobile design tools together with an industry leader in technology and an expert in CAD and BIM solutions tailored to design. Today, the original mission remains: to empower designers of all types with intuitive tools that support creativity and innovation from sketch to reality.

The post Vectorworks’ New Morpholio Trace for Business appeared first on Architosh.

One key development vector where Vectorworks tends to shine is in advancing underlying OS-based technologies utilizing the latest advancements in both macOS and Windows operating systems. Another development vector much anticipated is in the area of visualization technologies, both internal and external to the program. And because Vectorworks Architect is very much a true “hybrid CAD/BIM” application—meaning that it can go toe-to-toe with pure CAD-focused applications (ie: AutoCAD) in addition to being a competitive BIM app—watching its BIM maturity advance and its unique take on BIM is yet again another interesting development vector to watch. (More on this in Analysis and Commentary below).

Vectorworks 2027 product line annual update includes numerous development advancements, including UI/UX, BIM, Visualization, Performance, and more, as well as new features across its industry series products.

All three are yet again interesting to see in this latest update.

What is Vectorworks 2027

Vectorworks 2027 is actually a rather large product line across AEC and media and entertainment industries, almost a tiny microcosm of the Nemetschek Group itself, sans an engineering-facing product. On the pure AEC side of the product line, we have the following solutions:

• Vectorworks Architect 2027 — A full professional BIM environment combined with an extensive professional CAD environment for AEC pros.
• Vectorworks Landmark 2027 — The AEC industry’s leading BIM environment for landscape architects, urban design and planning professionals, and other landscape design professionals
• Vectorworks Fundamentals 2027 — A non-industry-specific 2D/3D CAD platform targeted at non-architectural 3D and 2D designers, drafters, makers, and fabricators.
• Vectorworks Design Suite 2027 — Bundles the features of Landmark and Spotlight with Architect and is therefore ideal for certain architectural professionals doing extensive site development work or urban design and planning, or M&D professionals who need a full BIM solution as part of their workflows.

On the media and entertainment (M&E) side of the product, we have these solutions:

• Vectorworks Spotlight. 2027 — this is now the global industry standard solution for entertainment, lighting, and live event design professionals. It pairs with Braceworks for those professionals also responsible for designing rigging
• Vectorworks Design Suite 2027 — Again, a catch-all bundle as stated above
• Vectorworks Braceworks 2027 — acts as an engineering calculus engine that plugs directly into Vectorworks Spotlight workflows. While Spotlight lets you draw and model trusses, hang lights and audio arrays, Braceworks calculates real-world physics.
• Vectorworks ConnectCAD 2027 — this too is an add-on module to Vectorworks Spotlight and addresses advanced signal-flow and system integrations of A&V and lighting equipment used in the entertainment industry or by audiovisual integrators.

There is no need to place Vectorworks Fundamentals in the M&E category above, since Vectorworks Spotlight includes all the core features of Vectorworks Fundamentals.

New in Vectorworks 2027

We are going to highlight what is new in Vectorworks 2027 for AEC professionals, with a particular focus on architects. At the core product level Vectorworks 2027 features some excellent advancements in the area of visualization and graphics.

Vectorworks 2027’s newly upgraded graphics engine utilizes the latest Apple Metal and Vulkan APIs for Mac and Windows versions, respectively, delivering maxim GPU chip leverage in overall visual performance. With Apple’s stunning M5 and M6 chips, Vectorworks is easily one of the fastest BIM solutions on the market.

Vectorworks 2027 now includes a new modern PBR (physically-based rendering) system, alongside a redesigned Edit Texture dialog with live previews. This makes it easier for users to create stunning PBR material textures for their projects. With one click, old textures can be converted to modern PBR textures, and these can be sent forward to dedicated visualization tools like those from Chaos, D5, Maxon, and others.

MORE: What’s Driving Nemetschek Group’s Financial Performance

Also new this year is the modernization of the core Vectorworks graphics engine (VGM), leveraging Apple Metal on Mac and Vulkan on Windows. Hugues Tsafak, Vice President of Product Development at Vectorworks, says:

The company says in some cases, users can experience performance gains (FPS) of 15x to 35x in workflows like panning and zooming, and up to 50x faster multi-object selection. This new performance means navigating large 3D models and rendering complex projects at speeds that to many users previously seemed out of reach.

Other Core Features

Vectorworks has introduced The Exchange, a “trusted” hub where expertise and community knowledge can come together. Think SketchUp 3D Warehouse, but we believe this community library is more curated and guarded (Architosh to confirm in future report). Community-built assets can be any kind of Vectorworks model, from furniture, appliances, and various objects to textures, hatches, etc.

PRB texture creation with updated core features in Vectorworks 2027 make Vectorworks stronger for in-app renderings and to pushed out 3rd party renderers.

In Vectorworks 2027, you can now bring in AutoCAD dynamic blocks into Vectorworks and choose to convert each representation into editable Vectorworks Symbols or consolidate them into a single Dynamic Object with a type dropdown, so you can swap the graphic representations with a single click. This is another massive win for the Vectorworks global community in terms of globally available assets to bring in and leverage in Vectorworks.

For subscription customers, Vectorworks 2027 features Nano Banana AI visuals with various free, unlimited model renderings and limited Nana Banana Pro or 2 for sharper 2K AI rendering generation, with in-palette credit tracking so you can prevent overspending and running out of credits.

Vectorworks Architect 2027

As promised in its free roadmap, this year’s BIM improvements include better and faster modeling of doors and windows, including new pivot door capabilities. There is also a new Geolocation Setup Wizard that allows users to align surveys, point clouds, GIS layers, and bring in location imagery into Vectorworks. The imagery comes from Google Maps. Importantly for federated model reviews, users can easily toggle between true geospatial positions and local project coordinates.

A new multi-phasing system enables users to represent existing conditions and renovations across phases, and it includes an as-built layer. These features will be highly useful to European customers, who do more renovation work than customers in other parts of the world. And Vectorworks Architect 2027 can now deliver compliant area takeoffs meeting DIN 277, NED 2580, SIA 416 standards or custom rule sets.

Other Notable Items

In Landmark 2027, there is a new Volume Fill tool that can quantify site elements like retention basins, fills, and more.

For other improvements in the Vectorworks 2027 product line, visit here.

Analysis and Commentary

This year’s annual update seems oriented towards massive under-the-hood upgrades and quality-of-life optimizations rather than groundbreaking new features. This was expected based on both the public roadmap and the Nemetschek Group’s new synergistic, groupwide strategies. Architosh has covered the VGM (Vectorworks Graphics Module) technologies at length in the past, and so we look forward to diving in a bit deeper in both an upcoming product review and an interview article. The panning and zooming speeds of up to 35x are quite impressive numerically, especially given that on the latest Apple M-series chips (M5 and above), Vectorworks performs strongly thanks to Apple’s industry-leading chip performance. 

We mentioned that this program is a bit more exciting to see updated every year than most BIMs. The balance between OS-specific updates, performance, and groundbreaking new features tends to set that up, but this year, without groundbreaking new features, it feels muted. However, the Exchange community asset new feature set will no doubt be an exciting development for existing users, as will the PBR texture improvements, DWG Dynamic Block features, and visualization and graphics performance. 

Perhaps the most noteworthy news with Vectorworks 2027 is the features that enable users to benefit from already created elements—an important aspect as Vectorworks’s third-party tools, resources, and assets lag behind stronger BIM communities like sister application Graphisoft Architect and industry heavyweight Autodesk Revit. The use of dynamic blocks from the DWG (AutoCAD) world, improved Revit Family support, and the new Exchange all contribute significantly to this aspect. 

The post Vectorworks 2027 — A Look at What’s New appeared first on Architosh.

The Forma Platform

This year at AU2026, Autodesk is showing just how much more mature the Forma cloud platform and ecosystem have become in a few short years. Essentially all of Autodesk’s previously disparate and scattered product-named cloud applications have been rebranded under new Forma brand names, helping to unify the significance of Forma for the global AEC/O industry.

Key Takeaways

• Infrastructure Integration — Civil 3D is officially now a Forma Connected Client, and Autodesk introduced Forma Street Design (Beta)
• Next-Gen AI Agents — Autodesk introduces practical AI features across Revit and Forma
• Pre-Construction Forma Advancements — with Forma Bid (integrating BuildingsConnected) and mobile tools like Daily Log Agent convert spoken field updates into structured data

Autodesk has emphasized that commodity AI solutions, while useful in some respects, lack the capacity to serve the AEC industry the way artificial intelligence ought to. Saying in its press release, “the built world sets a high bar,” Autodesk is making the smart point that “AI for the built environment needs the right data, project context, and industry expertise to understand the site, design intent, schedule, requirements, and decisions that shape a project.”

Forma to Replace Revit?

Curiously, Autodesk’s official AU press release asks the rhetorical question of whether Forma is to replace Revit. This is a big subject area of expertise here at Architosh, and one can find a bounty of exclusive reports, interviews, and analysis on this question. Let’s quote Autodesk itself, and then we can add our analysis layer.

Forma Street Design (Beta) is the latest Forma-branded product and is aimed at early-stage civil design work.

“Over time, yes,” says Autodesk about Forma replacing Revit. “More and more of the work that happens in Revit today will happen directly in Forma,” says Autodesk.

In practical terms, Autodesk Forma Site Design and Forma Building Design are cloud-based solutions designed to support the early phases of a building design project and transfer that data into the desktop (and Windows-dependent) Revit solution everyone knows today. Autodesk is being clear about something, though, and this is critical for its customers to understand:

Autodesk continues, “We will continue investing in Revit to give customers a practical path toward that future.”

New AI Capabilities

Autodesk is introducing a range of practical AI features across Revit and Forma, such as Autocomplete Room Elements, Optimized Annotations, and Automated Documentation, framing its AI technologies and features around high-context “Project Intelligence” rather than generic commodity AI.

Drawing Compliance uses AI to surface drawing information for possible issues, such as walls too close to adjacent walls, missing wall dimensions, etc. Users can also add rules for design standards, owner requirements, and cross-disciplinary coordination.

Autodesk Assistant (an AI) can search inside drawings and take users directly to relevant sheets, while Drawing Change Analysis (new) helps teams identify meaningful differences between different versions of drawings (revisions).

MORE: Autodesk Construction Cloud (ACC) is now Autodesk Forma

Drawing Compliance Review surfaces potential issues so teams can resolve critical, major, or minor project issues faster. (see image above) Users can build rule sets that instruct the AI to surface drawing information for specific types of issues, such as owner requirements or cross-disciplinary issues.

Forma For Construction

Autodesk is also aiming to make a more connected future for AEC with Forma, linking design phase teams more strongly with building phase and occupancy phase teams and stakeholders. As Autodesk argues in its press release, “Better continuity gives architects more time for design choices, engineers a clearer picture of real-world conditions, and construction teams an earlier view of issues that could affect delivery.”

Autodesk says that over time more work will happen directly in Forma, with project information remaining connected across the AEC lifecycle as noted above. To that end, at AU 2026, Autodesk is previewing the next-generation Autodesk Assistant (AI agent), which brings together specialized AI agents, Autodesk tools, and project information to deliver better outcomes.

Meanwhile, Forma Bid brings BuildingsConnected bidding workflows into Forma. This lets contractors manage invitations, level bids, compare pricing with estimates, and find scope gaps. Forma Bid is available today as a beta.

And in an effort to capitalize on the popularity of AI products like Pocket, Autodesk has unveiled Autodesk Daily Log Agent, which runs on mobile and can turn a superintendent’s spoken update into a structured daily log while the details are still fresh, reducing manual, typed-in daily entry.

This is our first of many upcoming AU 2026 news and feature reports. Stay tuned as we release special items available only to members of the press who attended AU2026.

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In addition to major updates to Maxon One, some of the updates to individual products will be some of the biggest product advancements in years.

What’s New and Coming

So readers must be curious about what all the excitement is about. So Architosh will go through what’s new and what’s next with Maxon’s product line and technologies. Here is a high-level breakdown per product:

Cinema 4D — More Ways to Build, Simulate and Create

Cinema 4D has been a 3D industry mainstay for decades, and recent developments have expanded its capabilities and day-to-day workflows, from simulation and modeling to UVs and production tools.

• A completely modernized UV workflow: Cinema 4D’s redesigned UV Editor brought professional unwrapping, packing, seam editing, texel density tools and UDIM support directly into the application, keeping the production workflow in one place.

• More precise MoGraph workflows: New Cloner distribution options, including Edge, Rivet and UV Projection modes, give artists more direct control over how objects are placed and animated without complex workarounds.

• More intuitive simulation-powered modeling: Fabric Brush uses Cinema 4D’s simulation system to let artists shape soft materials directly in the viewport, creating folds, draping and deformation without complex rigs.

• Coming next: At IBC, Maxon will preview the next major evolution of Cinema 4D, with substantial new capabilities that continue expanding how artists build, populate and simulate complex 3D worlds.

ZBrush — Create Anywhere with Smoother Sculpting Workflows

ZBrush continues expanding professional sculpting workflows across desktop and iPad, giving artists more flexibility in how and where they work, while reducing friction across the entire production pipeline.

• More places to create: Native Windows on Arm support expands where artists can sculpt.

• Stronger pipeline connections: Direct Substance Painter integration streamlines texturing workflows.

• Continued workflow refinement: ZModeler and pipeline improvements keep everyday work moving faster.

• Coming next: At IBC, Maxon will preview how ZBrush is becoming a more complete end-to-end sculpting workflow across desktop and iPad, with improvements designed to minimize app-switching and keep artists in the creative flow.

Redshift — See Changes Faster, Stay in the Creative Flow

Redshift continues to improve in speed and responsiveness of the rendering experience, and the latest updates will please users, including tighter integrations with Cinema 4D.

• Faster interactivity: Redshift responds more quickly as artists adjust lights and materials.

• Smarter memory use: A new memory architecture improves efficiency across a wider range of hardware.

• Tighter Cinema 4D integration: Streamlined material workflows reduce steps and keep artists in the flow.

• Coming next: At IBC, Maxon will preview major Redshift improvements in performance and interactivity, plus new creative capabilities including procedural fur and more cinematic color workflows.

Red Giant — More Creative Power, Better Performance

Red Giant continues to expand what motion designers and VFX artists can create while improving the speed, responsiveness, and capability of the tools across Maxon workflows.

• Faster Universe effects: Core tools like Glow, Chromatic Aberration and RGB Separation are being modernized for major performance gains.

• More Maxon inside Red Giant: Maxon Noise brings Cinema 4D’s versatile procedural noises into Universe.

• Deeper integration in Autograph: More Red Giant tools and capabilities are being incorporated into Autograph workflows.

• Coming next: At IBC, Maxon will preview new creative tools including AI-powered relighting with Scene Light, designed to make complex lighting changes faster while keeping artists in control.

Autograph — A Modern 2D/3D Motion Graphics Workflow

Since its return earlier this year, Autograph has continued to expand as a free professional motion graphics and compositing application, with ongoing developments focused on stronger performance, broader creative workflows, and deeper integration across the Maxon ecosystem.

• Maxon Studio integration: Autograph now offers native access to Red Giant effects, plus full OpenFX support for third-party plugins.

• Stronger typography tools: Vertical text and CJK support expand multilingual motion design and text animation workflows.

• Unified 2D and 3D workflows: A USD-powered 3D workspace brings extruded text and shapes, textures and multi-pass compositing into one environment.

• Coming next: At IBC, Maxon will preview the next stage of Autograph’s evolution, with continued improvements to performance and stability and deeper integration with Maxon tools.

These latest developments, taken together, reflect how Maxon is advancing its tools and technologies for 3D artists across disciplines and industries.

IBC 2026 Details

“We’re constantly listening to artists and building on the technology underneath our products so that each release opens up more creative possibilities,” said David McGavran, CEO of Maxon. “A lot happens between the big momentous releases; we’re building a technology stack that will continuously enable more creativity, so artists can do something today that they couldn’t do a year ago. IBC is a chance to come see what we’ve been building, experience the latest updates, and get a show-only preview of what’s coming next.”

Maxon at IBC 2026: The Nemetschek Group company will show off major advancements.

From 11 – 14 September 2026 at RAI Amsterdam, visitors to Maxon’s booth 7.B24 in Hall 7 can grab a sneak peek at the upcoming capabilities across the Maxon product lines.

In addition, there will be artists’ presentations, workflow demonstrations, and opportunities to meet directly with the teams developing the tools.

And because discovering new tools is better with good company, Maxon is making plenty of time to hang out with the creative community:

• Friday, September 11: Maxon Cocktail Hour, 4:30-6:30 p.m., booth 7.B24

• Saturday, September 12: Maxon and Lenovo community meetup at Aloha Amsterdam following the show – register here

• Sunday, September 13: Maxon Cocktail Hour, 4:00-6:00 p.m., booth 7.B24

Again, the exhibit details are:

Maxon will be exhibiting at IBC2026, September 11-14 at RAI Amsterdam, booth 7.B24 in Hall 7. Complimentary visitor registration is available using Maxon customer code IBC5151.

The post IBC2026: Maxon Brings Exclusive Fall Innovation Preview appeared first on Architosh.

While headlines often focus on megawatt capacity, advanced cooling technologies, or construction costs, another challenge deserves equal attention: managing the information required to deliver these highly complex facilities.

Today’s data center projects involve hundreds of organizations, thousands of decisions, and millions of pieces of project information. Every design revision, meeting discussion, email, instant message, document, model update, and field observation contributes to the final outcome.

Unfortunately, many project teams still manage this information much as they did ten years ago. Documents live in one system. Emails remain in Outlook. Teams conversations are isolated from project records. Drawings are stored elsewhere. Decisions are documented inconsistently, if at all.

The result is not a lack of information.  It is a lack of connected information.

Complexity Grows Faster Than Coordination

Data center projects differ from many commercial building projects because nearly every system is interconnected.

A modification to electrical distribution affects mechanical loads. Cooling strategies influence rack layouts. Security systems intersect with networking infrastructure. Owner requirements evolve as technology vendors introduce new hardware. Construction sequencing changes to accommodate equipment availability.  Every decision creates downstream impacts.

The challenge is ensuring every stakeholder understands not only what changed, but why it changed and how it affects the rest of the project.  Traditional document management solves only part of this problem.

Project teams increasingly need access to the conversations, approvals, assumptions, and decisions that surround every project document.  Context has become as valuable as the document itself.

Information Exists Everywhere

Few organizations expect project information to reside in a single platform anymore.

Architects collaborate in design applications. Contractors manage construction workflows through specialized project management software. Owners maintain operational systems. Microsoft Outlook, Teams, SharePoint, Autodesk Construction Cloud, Bluebeam, BIM applications, and numerous discipline-specific solutions all play important roles.

David Wagner, Product Marketing Leader, Newforma.

The challenge is not replacing these systems.  The challenge is connecting them.  When information remains fragmented across disconnected applications, teams spend valuable time searching for answers instead of solving problems.

Questions become surprisingly difficult to answer.

Which drawing revision was discussed during last week’s coordination meeting?
Why was this specification changed?
Who approved this design exception?
Was the contractor working from the latest version?
Which conversation led to this decision?
The information often exists.  Finding it quickly is another matter entirely.

According to Autodesk and FMI’s research on construction data, poor data management continues to cost the industry billions of dollars annually through rework, poor decisions, and lost productivity.

Decisions Need an Audit Trail

As projects accelerate, decision-making becomes increasingly distributed.  Design teams span multiple offices and time zones. Consultants work independently. Owners provide rapid feedback. Contractors identify field conditions requiring immediate resolution.

Many important project decisions now occur through email, instant messaging, virtual meetings, and collaborative platforms rather than formal meeting minutes.  While this improves responsiveness, it also introduces risk.

Newforma Konekt is Newforma’s modern, cloud-centric, browser-based CDE for AEC/O with advanced project information management (PIM) capabilities that can tie data together from diverse sources into a single unified view and single source of truth for a project’s information. (see more images below)

Months later, teams often remember that a decision was made but struggle to reconstruct the reasoning behind it.

Without a complete project record, organizations lose valuable institutional knowledge.  This becomes especially significant during disputes, warranty claims, commissioning, future renovations, or facility expansion.  For complex infrastructure projects like data centers, preserving the decision history can be just as important as preserving the design itself.

Commissioning Depends on Trusted Information

Data centers undergo one of the most rigorous commissioning processes in the construction industry.  Power redundancy, cooling systems, fire protection, networking infrastructure, security controls, monitoring systems, and backup generators all require extensive testing and documentation before facilities become operational.

MORE: Newforma Konekt—Cloud Solution Merges PIM and BIM Worlds

Commissioning teams depend on accurate information.  Outdated documentation, missing approvals, incomplete submittals, or disconnected communication records create unnecessary delays.  Owners ultimately inherit more than a physical facility.  They inherit decades of operational responsibility supported by the information delivered during construction.

The quality of the project record directly influences future maintenance, upgrades, troubleshooting, and regulatory compliance.

Connected Information Creates Better Decisions

The industry’s digital transformation has focused heavily on digitizing individual workflows. Established building information management guidance reinforces the need to keep project information organized, accessible and useful throughout a facility’s lifecycle.  The next opportunity lies in connecting those workflows.

Newforma Konekt features BIM issue tracking and workflows fully compatible with BCF standards.

Rather than forcing organizations to standardize on a single application, successful project teams are creating environments where information remains connected regardless of where it originated.  An email discussing a design change should be discoverable alongside the drawing revision it references.  A Teams conversation should provide context for an approved field change.  A meeting decision should connect directly to the documents and issues it affects. This connected approach transforms isolated records into a comprehensive project narrative.  Instead of searching multiple systems, teams gain a complete view of project activity with the context needed to make informed decisions.

Information Is Becoming Critical Infrastructure

Data centers exist to support the world’s digital infrastructure.

Ironically, many projects that build this infrastructure still struggle with fragmented project information.

As facilities become larger, schedules become shorter, and stakeholder ecosystems become more complex, project information management will increasingly determine project success.  The firms that outperform their competitors will not necessarily produce more information.  They will connect information more effectively.

When every document, communication, decision, and project activity contributes to a trusted project record, teams spend less time searching, less time resolving uncertainty, and more time delivering successful projects.

In an industry where every day of delay has significant financial implications, connected information is no longer an administrative advantage.  It has become a strategic one.

About the Author

Dave Wagner is a Product Marketing leader at Newforma with more than two decades of experience helping architecture, engineering, construction, and owner (AECO) organizations improve project delivery through better information management, project collaboration, and digital workflows. His work focuses on helping firms reduce project risk by consolidating project communications, documents, and decisions into a complete, accessible project record. For more information, visit www.newforma.com/

The post Why Information Rules Data Center Delivery appeared first on Architosh.

Trimble’s Conference

Attendees can enjoy deep-dive technical sessions on Trimble products, keynotes and presentations, plus cross-industry networking.

MORE: AIA26: Expo Show Floor Report 3 — Trimble and SketchUp

Industry speakers this year include Jason Li of global workplace design firm M Moser, who will demonstrate how their firm customizes and scales SketchUp workflows to drive efficiencies in commercial spaces.

3D Basecamp Summit 2026 and Trimble Dimensions take place in early November in Las Vegas.

Nationally recognized urban planner Devin Lavigne, FAICP, will show how he integrates GIS, CityEngine, and SketchUp for 3D urban planning. And Tola Ojuolape of Tola Ojuolape Studio will showcase her process of turning digital interior concepts into physical realities.

Other highlights include:

• Interoperability and ecosystem integration
• Reality capture and Scan-to-BIM
• The generative AI frontier
• Advanced workflows, engineering, and fabrication
• SketchUp Ascent Competition
• Trimble Global Construction Startup Competition
• and more..

The Trimble events are a single event and take place from 9-11 November 2026. Interested readers can click here to learn more.

The post Event: 3D Basecamp Trimble Dimensions—Early November appeared first on Architosh.

Ichi Features

Ichi analyzes typical architectural drawing sets, specifications, and construction documents to catch missing information, scope gaps, cross-sheet and cross-document discrepancies, and internal conflicts. The aim is for architects to use tools like Ichi—which benefits from AI models—to find all such issues before they are eventually discovered in the field at the construction site, where their cost impact can be detrimental to project success.

Architects are already using AI tools, including Bluebeam’s new Bluebeam Max suite, to analyze and pore over architects’ drawings to identify discrepancies, scope gaps, and missing information. Clients that feature paid consultants functioning as construction managers (CMs), a type of watchdog role in the construction industry, are especially interested in such new AI tools because this kind of tool is precisely what they have never had at their disposal.

Ichi is a leading new AI-QA/QC and CA tool for the AEC industry.

Ichi therefore helps architects discover issues before documents are released to clients and their consultants, forming a tighter set of documentation and a more highly resolved technical design.

Ichi uses AI to analyze drawing sets against a massive library of ICC-licensed building codes (including IBC, IECC, and ADA) along with local regional amendments. Ichi says its AI models are not like generic AI models (eg: ChatGPT) but instead operate collaboratively within a “walled garden” workspace. Using AI tools to rapidly check for code compliance was the hot new focus at AIA26 this year, as we have noted several times on Architosh. However, AI isn’t just great at code and zoning.

The CA Phase

Ichi also speeds up the construction administration phase. And it can capture and distribute firm knowledge from these interactions so staff architects gain future insights and benefits in the next or current projects. And Ichie isn’t just built for architects or engineers, but also for jurisdictions and professional reviewers.

But back to CA. Ichi analyzes submittals, RFIs, and construction documents and surfaces the information at scale to determine that things are conforming, identify what is missing, and highlight what needs attention.

Ichi can also pull submittals from Procore to work on. For RFI analysis, Ichi automates the context-gathering phase of addressing RFIs, including the history of responses to previous RFIs.

Ichi begins by having users upload all of their documents or link to these documents in Procore. Once complete, Ichi can run deep analyses of all documents—from construction drawing sets to specifications to project manuals and other industry or office standards.

Closing Comments

I like that all such AI QA/QC tools don’t remove the professional obligations of licensed architects and engineers. The tool accelerates those workflows via AI automation and helps professionals become not just faster but possibly more thorough. To learn more, visit them here.

Architosh Analysis and Commentary

AI tools that operate on uploaded PDF documents are in a separate class from tools that perform QA/QC directly within design and documentation authoring systems, such as BIM programs and CAD tools. Within this different class of QA/QC tools, the possible selections are fewer. We have already written about Kestrel Labs and its award-winning (see: Architosh, “AIA26: Architosh 12th ‘BEST of SHOW’ honors for digital technologies at AIA San Diego,” 22 Jun 2026) plugin for Revit and future integration with Trimble solutions. We are also aware of VitruAI and its plugin for QA/QC and general compliance workflows in Revit, which we mentioned here (see: Architosh, “AIA26: Expo Show Floor Report 7—Layer, Arcol, Egnite, and more.” 13 Aug 2026). 

These two solutions function differently from Ichi and its kind. They do, or have the capacity to do, this QA/QC work directly within Revit. At the same time, one must acknowledge that not all AEC professionals use Revit. Thousands of firms and professionals work with competitor tools from Bentley, Trimble, and Nemetschek. Moreover, jurisdictions, consultants, CMs, and the like don’t know Revit and will prefer solutions that work with uploaded PDF drawing sets. So there is a need in the industry for both in-app hosted QA/QC solutions and external QA/QC solutions like Ichi. 

The post ToolTalk: Ichi is AI-powered QA/QC and CA review for AEC appeared first on Architosh.

More AI Software

ArchiBoost AI

ArchiBoost AI is another AI-powered QA/QC compliance software, but also a tool that functions as a knowledge hub for your firm. As their website says, “Every project depends on two types of intelligence: what your firm already knows — and what this project uniquely requires.”

ArchiBoost AI works to bind these two together, linking the first knowledge layer (Firm Intelligence) to the second layer (Project Intelligence). That first layer is about what you reuse, including BIM execution plans, documentation standards, QA/QC checklists, internal best practices, specifications, and master spec templates, etc.

The second layer is about what the project demands uniquely across standard data and documents.

As we noted in reports twice now, using AI software for scanning and reviewing plans and models was the hot big thing at AIA26 this year in San Diego. Suddenly, QA/QC (quality assurance and quality control) is all the rage. And while many new firms were showcasing such technology, other important leaders in this segment were not at AIA26, like VitruAI, which has truly ambitious plans for agentic AI in AEC.

ArchiBoost AI image showing its knowledge hub structure. A firm’s best details shouldn’t disappear into archival folders. ArchiBoost extracts metadata from a firm’s past projects and builds a living, searchable library that evolves with your firm.

There is an interesting differentiator between these new AI-powered QA/QC software systems. Some work with the PDF output only, while others work with the actual BIM models. In the case of Architosh AIA26 BEST of SHOW winner Kestrel Labs, their solution works inside of Revit via a plugin. It also works in a web browser as a general code compliance system to help architects understand requirements on a project before they even have BIM models. Kestral Labs’ system is designed for the duration of the project from inception to post-occupancy. And Kestrel Labs is aiming to work not just on Revit but also soon on SketchUp models. That part has us excited because we believe that is quite challenging to do.

MORE: AIA26: Kestrel Labs — Native BIM Compliance Platform

At the same time, VitruAI, like Kestrel Labs, works inside Revit as a plugin. But VitruAI is an agentic AI production system, not just a QA/QC platform. Their plans are grander and more ambitious. They are starting with codes, compliance regulations, office standards, and project requirements, but they have AI agents planned for much more within their VitruAI Labs, including AI agents for structural sizing, MEP routing, and a document-parsing AI agent. And their roadmap for agentic AI is even larger. Plus, they are looking at integrations between VitruAI and Solibri, SketchUp, Rhino and Grasshopper, and IFC. We bring this up about VitruAI to point out that developers are looking at the entire architectural process as being served by AI agents at every step, across more tools than just Revit.

Arcol

Arcol won the AIA Architosh BEST of SHOW award for the BIM category two years in a row this year. The well-funded BIM 2.0 industry darling has won over numerous top architecture firms and since last year added marquee US large construction firms to its client roster.

Arcol is showing its new integration of spreadsheets that can be bi-directionally synced with Excel files.

This momentum is driven by continuous innovative development, adding useful features to its easy-to-use UI and UX. The latest is the bidirectional bridge between Rhino 3D geometry and Arcol. As senior associate editor Architosh Pete Evans, AIA, remarks:

Arcol had already added Boards to its BIM 2.0 program in the summer of 2025, but recently they added sophisticated table linking so that Arcol model data can be linked into other table applications or worksheets such as those for pricing data.

Arcol firmly believes that agentic AI will power Arcol along with human architects in the near future.

While agentic AI is being plumbed into Arcol today, a distinguishing feature of Arcol is its Figma-style multiplayer engine that allows multiple architects, owners, builders, and others to click a link and enter the same model (file) and simultaneously edit geometry in real time without file locking, manual syncing, or lag. As you work, you can see your teammates’ cursors moving around the user interface. In the near future, instead of seeing your human teammates’ cursors in the UI, human architects will also see the cursors of AI agents working in the model as well. That is the vision of the future!

Egnyte

Egnyte is a leading platform for secure file sharing, content management, and governance. Unlike enterprise cloud storage offerings from Dropbox, Box, Microsoft and others, Egnyte is specifically tailored for industries with heavy data loads, complex file types, and strict compliance needs—such as AEC, life sciences, and legal.

Egnyte is a hybrid cloud architecture platform and virtual appliances that run on a local office server or a network-attached storage (NAS) computer and mirror the Egnyte cloud data. Dropbox and similar offerings, instead, are direct-to-cloud syncing platforms. Clients individually link to the cloud and sync directly to files whose masters are stored on the Dropbox cloud.

One powerful advantage of Egnyte is performance and data file protection. Since the appliance server syncs to the Egnyte cloud rather than to an architect’s own computer while sitting in the office, the architect can work swiftly, opening a 2 GB AutoCAD, Revit, or Archicad file and working at local gigabit network speeds (near instantaneous). Egnyte quietly syncs changes slowly in the background (the work happens between the Egnyte appliance and the cloud)

The other advantage is true file locking. Folks who use Dropbox and similar cloud services know that if two people try to open the same file at the same time, it is possible, and users only get soft warnings. But they can also get, in some cases, “conflicted copies,” which create a mess for IT and BIM managers, not to mention end users.

With Egnyte, you can use the platform as a cloud service, or you can deploy a NAS or appliance on your network in your offices (yes, offices as in plural). Egnyte can sync multiple appliances across offices worldwide. Having the hybrid architecture helps with large-file access and write speeds on local LANs within offices, particularly for very large files.

A newer feature in Egnyte is secure AI (artificial intelligence). You can turn files within an organization into “firm-wide knowledge” to power both collaboration and governance. Using Anthropic’s MCP technology, users working across a myriad of applications can use Egnyte’s AI chat box to ask questions about projects and teams, and the AI accesses data from email and other applications.

Egnyte AI MCP connectors today include Gmail, Jira, Confluence, Procore, Slack, and others, plus a growing library of other apps. The AI can draft responses, like for email, and then send the draft back to Gmail as a draft after you approve it. This essentially turns Egnyte into a central intelligence hub.

In addition to the performance and data security benefits, Egnyte has specific AEC-only features, including XREF and path preservation (for DWG/AutoCAD files), smart cache SMB collaboration for single-site Revit Co-Editing, and integrations with Autodesk Forma Cloud, Procore, and Bluebeam Studio.

Layer

In 2019, the innovative mobile-cloud-first application Layer won Architosh AIA BEST of SHOW in the Mobile + Cloud category. Since then, the application has continued to evolve. Layer was not shown in a booth at AIA that year but was a major feature in a large, well-attended educational session that Architosh attended.

Layer 4 is the current version of this innovative app that refers to itself as a “workflow platform for buildings.” Being mobile-cloud-first, Layer is very strong in the field capture of data and photos and the management of the same in the field on your mobile device.

Layer 4 is the latest version of this award-winning app for architects. The modern platform helps architects work smarter with data records, getting data away from inefficient spreadsheets and into Layer. Layer has a flexible UI/UX and can be configured in infinite ways. It is ideal for collecting survey data of existing buildings, FF&E management, field reports, Room Data Sheets, CMMS, and more.

For those of you old enough to recall the FileMaker Pro solutions built for the architecture industry back in the 1990s, Layer shares one common aspect with that legendary relationship database tool—the ability to easily customize the data fields in the UI/UX and the reports the application can spit out. On some level, Layer is the heir apparent to FileMaker Pro in AEC since that application and the company behind it (Apple, of all things) have largely turned their backs on AEC.

Layer 4 is designed to reduce your firm’s use of spreadsheets like Excel or Google Sheets. It’s not that spreadsheets are evil, but that spreadsheets are horrible to work with in the field on mobile devices. And they are also horrible to work with as a way to store data records of things like furniture, equipment, appliances, and all manner of objects that are placed in buildings.

These are just a sampling of the pre-build templates for managing this kind of data inside Layer 4.

Layer 4 works with Revit so you can link Revit to your Layer data fields. Layer has captured the attention of leading architecture firms, including POPULOUS, AECOM, DMA, Leo A Daly, SmithGroup, and others.

Bimbeats

BIMbeats is an analytics platform for architecture firms. The firm says, “We automate data collection and visualization so you can understand how your team really works, what’s helping, what’s slowing you down, and where to focus next.”

BIMbeats is software that helps practices right-size computing equipment and software. From this perspective alone, the software can more than pay for itself by helping to find performance bottlenecks and underutilization of powerful equipment.

What BIMbeats does is integrate with leading industry tools like Revit, AutoCAD, Bluebeam Revu, Tally, Rhino, Grasshopper, Adobe, Navis, Enscape, and many others. It gathers data about these tools and their utilization by staff, the sizes of files, and how the hardware in your firm is running these applications. From this data it can surface patterns and provide insight about them, like file size warnings on projects, in-place Revit Families, total sheets, views, etc.

BIMbeats showing the hardware monitoring charts in its interface.

Hardware monitoring is useful so firms can better plan for future hardware based on their equipment is actually used. This can help firms reduce over-spec’ing computer equipment when users actually don’t fully push such equipment to the max or are not using apps that require that level of power. It can also show the opposite and reveal bottlenecks.

Other Show Reports

AIA26: Expo Show Report 1 — Autodesk

AIA26: Expo Show Report 2 — Nemetschek Group

AIA26: Expo Show Report 3 — Trimble and SketchUp

AIA26: Expo Show Report 4 — Chaos 

AIA26: Expo Show Report 5 — neoBIM, and other AI apps

AIA26: Expo Show Report 6 — xFigura, CODii, others

AIA26: Expo Show Report 7 — Layer, Arcol, Egnyte and more…

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The company was founded recently in 2020 and is based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. As a six-year-old AEC software firm, the company has grown from a niche startup to a venture-backed software platform after early pilots with over 100 leading architecture firms. In terms of their funding, prominent VC firms Graphite Ventures and the 519 Growth Fund helped PART 3 secure a major USD 2.8 million seed round.

A screenshot of PART 3 from their website showing part of their interface. PART 3 can hold all construction drawings, specs, and manuals as your single source of truth and can handle automatic sheet number numbering, ordering, and linking. It also does versioning.

The company has three co-founders: Jack Sadler, Jessica Luczycki, and Corey Stanford. Each of them has a different background, but Jessica’s background has involved years of working in construction administration.

PART 3 Is Different

What is immediately important to say about PART 3 is that the software platform has been developed for architects or whoever is the prime consultant on a construction job. It is the prime consultant who acquires and pays for the PART 3 platform, while all other stakeholders (general and subcontractors, clerk of the works, owner’s reps, the owner, and MEP and structural engineers) work as “collaborators” in the system for free.

Key Takeways

• PART 3 has been developed for architects because they deserve better tools for the CA phase of projects. 
• Only the prime consultant (usually the architect) pays for PART 3, while project “collaborators,” including engineers, contractors, owners, and reps, are free members of the system.
• PART 3 fully integrates with Procore so that if the general contractor uses Procore as their common data environment (CDE), the two systems work well together across various construction-stage workflows. 

PART 3 has a full suite of CA phase workflows and tools—from addressing the RFI and Submittals processes to managing and addressing Tasks and Assignments and Field Reports.

It also addresses project files like the construction drawings, so there is a single source of truth (SSoT) for the entire project team. The system can also handle version control, and users can also upload project manuals and specifications. To help organize things, there is a flexible folder structure in PART 3’s system.

View of PART 3’s UI when looking at the Overview screen. 

The ProjectFiles system also allows markup tools for drawings, submittals, RFI packages, and product cut sheets. PART 3 also notes that the reason why architects should want to manage their drawings inside of PART 3 rather than Procore when working on a Procore project is for complete control and visibility of the single source of truth.

On Procore integrated projects, RFIs and Submittals are automatically imported into PART 3, and you prepare your responses to both in PART 3, and those get sent to Procore.

Mobile and AI

PART 3 doesn’t have dedicated mobile apps that you download from the Apple or Google Store; instead, it operates as a Progressive Web App (PWA). Users load their browser on the mobile smartphone and go to app.part3.ca and tap the three dots in the top right and select Install App or Add to Home Screen. PART 3 is designed specifically for architectural site visits and fieldwork, and there is an offline mode so you can continue working. You can drop pins for issue locations, take field notes, log observations, and snap photos to go with. And you can distribute firm-branded PDF field reports directly from the smartphone app right from the job site.

Artificial intelligence (AI) is embedded in PART 3, where it powers the Submittal Assistant, surfacing issues before you begin your review.

Architosh Analysis and Commentary

One of the most critical things about AE professionals using the general contractor’s CDE solutions for project and CA phase management is the “disconnection factor” that typically comes down the line. At some point, the architect loses access to Procore or some other rival platform CDE. So PART 3 is fundamentally addressing that by delivering a CA platform for the architect first and foremost. All the critical work, like RFIs and submittals, happens in PART 3, and all that data remains there, even though copies are pushed to Procore. 

In a quick review of the product walk-through online, we also like PART 3’s simplified user interface and UX. This system seems very approachable, and for architects, especially those in the high-end residential market, who may not be managing all aspects of the CA phase, the critical elements they always must address—RFIs and Submittals and a single source of truth for construction drawings—appear to be managed extremely well in this system. 

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SIGGRAPH 2026 THIS YEAR WAS IN Los Angeles, California, on July 19th through July 23rd, 2026. The show had a very different atmosphere, being smaller. There are naysayers who will tell you there is a steady decline in attendance, but do attendance numbers give you a real sense of an evolving industry?

The exhibits were 6 booths deep and about 12 booths wide. Yet I found some gems worth knowing about. I think it is premature to calculate the success based on numbers on the exhibit floor, especially when you consider the Technology Papers, Technical Workshops, the Courses, Birds of a Feather, Production Sessions, Games Summit, and the private networking events throughout the conference. People still want to connect and see what new technology there is to offer. Is AI affecting attendance, or is it the downturn in the economy?

AI—The Focus

This year, there is a focus on AI for security and infrastructure, with workstations as a major topic. Windows, Linux, and Mac coexistence, GPU management, storage, monitoring systems, and cost control are part of a unified infrastructure. AI is expensive. Implementing it must be done carefully and with precision. Will studios and firms open their closed systems that were cut off due to protecting their data and IP?

Workstations will need to access tools on the web and many types of AI services with a new way to secure their infrastructure. AEC is not a focus of SIGGRAPH, but the technology is no longer about a profession. It is about identifying technological breakthroughs and products that can be valuable to architects, engineers, and construction professionals, as well as media and entertainment industry professionals.

NVIDIA was once again a major sponsor at SIGGRAPH in Los Angeles. The company highlighted its new NVIDIA RTX Spark superchip among other silicon technologies like its powerful GPUs for workstations and laptops.

In a time of chip shortages for CPUs, GPUs, and RAM, it is a good idea to explore new companies and technologies that have left a significant gap in the market, with a focus on data centers & AI. Generative AI is no longer trying to replace real artists or creators in the creative space after high-profile industry lawsuits.  The focus is on tools to help artists to work more efficiently. Copyright law is clear about creating with the human hand and AI. This is why navigating this space is no longer just about what AI can do; it is also about setting boundaries. I wanted to talk about affordable technologies and solutions in a time of shortages, so M&E industry creatives and AEC professionals can discover new tools.

NVIDIA

NVIDIA was a major sponsor of the conference. NVIDIA has invested significant time and effort in developing technologies for data centers. A few of these technologies will help create pipelines in the creative space.

Lately, NVIDIA GPUs for the Pro market have been difficult to get, so I wanted to see what technology was available now or new. NVIDIA did a keynote discussing neural rendering techniques, world models, and simulation methods for AI.

The NVIDIA RTX Spark superchip powers a sample OEM laptop running the Windows for ARM operating system. Architosh has written extensively about the significance of the ARM architecture in the broader computing landscape.

NVIDIA showed off its RTX Spark Superchip powering a Windows laptop, delivering up to 1 petaflop of AI performance. RTX Spark gives creators the power to render 90 GB 3D scenes, edit 12K 4:2:2 video, generate 4K AI videos, run 120B-parameter LLMs with up to 1 million tokens of context locally, and play AAA games at 1440p at over 1,000 frames per second.

MORE: NVIDIA unveils RTX Spark—ARM-based Superchip for Windows PCs

Adobe is re-architecting Photoshop and Premiere from the ground up for the Spark chip to double AI graphics performance. NVIDIA RTX Spark will be available from multiple PC makers in the fall. RTX Spark is also available as a standalone box.

NVIDIA RTX Spark laptop specs include:

• Up to 6,144 Core
• Up to 20 Core Grace CPU
• Up to 1 Petaflop GP4 AI Performance
• Up to 128 GB Unified Memory
• All-day battery life.

I watched an example at the NVIDIA booth: a large section of a city displayed in full high resolution, moving seamlessly without stutter on the new laptops. It can be a great option for smaller architectural firms looking for affordable GPU solutions. Moreover, the new NVIDIA RTX Spark Superchip laptops are battery-life comparable to Apple’s industry-leading laptops, giving creative professionals incredible processing performance all day long. These systems will be excellent for mobile professionals in M&E as well as AEC.

Autodesk

Autodesk had a booth on the show floor this year, focusing on its product FLOW. If you are using humans or characters in your scenes.

The Autodesk booth was focused on FLOW and, of course, Autodesk Maya. Maya continues to be a dominant tool in the M&E industry, but it has long since been of serious interest to AEC visualization professionals.

FLOW was demonstrating the latest AI-powered tools in FLOW and Maya, making creation more efficient, as well as other updates to their full creative suites. Autodesk featured their Vision series in a huge conference room with projects using the new AI workflow from different major companies like Riot Games, Industrial Light and Magic (ILM), Framestore, and more.

Autodesk University will be the focus of the AEC industry, so please look for this report in September.

TRIPO

Tripo is a new company focused on general-purpose artificial intelligence. Tripo is a native generative platform and a series of AI 3D foundational models.  Tripo wants to democratize creativity for creatives worldwide, enabling them to create, experience, and interact with high-quality spatial content.

TRIPO chief scientist Yanpei Cao.

Chief scientist Yanpei Cao spoke about the company’s clear direction and business model, explaining how simplified their platform is for users. The business seems to focus on games, but you can see how creating certain objects for architectural renderings would be quick and easy on this platform.

TRIPO booth at SIGGRAPH 2026.

Tripo recently received a $200 million investment for their research project, Project Eden. Project Eden is building the foundations of interactive worlds that are persistent, multi-agent, and universally authorable. After seeing it at SIGGRAPH, I will have to admit it is quite impressive.  If you are interested in building quick, easy objects for your projects, this is indeed a company worth exploring.

STEG AI

Steg AI is a forensic watermarking business for content security. The forensic watermarking tools for provenance, content leak protection, and deepfake security. The tools Steg AI creates protect videos, images, documents, and audio from misuse.  Their products include:

• Leak Protection and Tracking that can save content creators, marketing, and security teams from millions of dollars in revenue. Protecting your brand.
• Content Provenance creates a watermark embedded into your content. It provides authenticity verification to protect customers, employees, and your brand.
• Copyright Protection with forensic watermarking, so that each time an asset is downloaded, we apply an imperceptible watermark that points back to the user, license, and metadata.

Architects, Engineers, and Construction professionals must protect their work; it was refreshing to see a company like this among AI companies that have built businesses to protect your IP. AEC clients will appreciate the protection of their work while working for their clients.

BOLT Graphics

Bolt Graphics was a refreshing new company on the show floor at  SIGGRAPH. A new GPU company focused on the creative market. Jill Mueller, CMO and Creative Director, was at the booth demonstrating the new Zeus GPU for HPC, Rendering, & Gaming.

MORE: Bolt Graphics’ Advanced GPU to Take On Nvidia

Ms. Mueller comes from an interior design background, and she teamed up with Darwesh Singh, the founder, CEO, and CTO, to build something from the ground up for creatives who need a great graphics card at a reasonable price point. (starting at possibly USD 1,000)

Jill Mueller, CMO and Creative Director of Bolt Graphics. A new GPU architecture and board maker doesn’t pop up every day in the computer graphics industry, so the news about Bolt was exciting to say the least. Architosh has covered the news in a separate detailed report here.

Zeus features include:

• GPU can be a “Standalone PC” with a high-performance RISC-V CPU inside Zeus, so you can run it as a standalone PC with Linux out of the box.
• User-expandable memory so you are in control and can upgrade the memory based on the work you do. Up to 384 GB in your PCIe card or 9 TB in the 2U server. The unique architecture allows for memory to be shared across chips. (Preventing crashes.)
• Designed for Scale. There is a 400/800 Ethernet on the Zeus so you can directly connect all the GPU’s together or switch without expensive and high-latency network cards. (Definitely cost-effective.)

The first Zeus GPU cards will not be ready until the end of 2027 for a select few, and mass production is expected in 2028. Considering the chip shortages, this is a welcome relief for artists and those in AEC, especially given the performance projections of the GPU.

Maxon

Maxon was on the show floor at SIGGRAPH, and the coolest thing I saw was Maxon Cinema 4D on the iPad Pro. (see: Architosh, “Cinema 4D Comes to the iPad” 8 May 2026)

Cinema 4D on the iPad Pro is a big deal in the M&E industry. Digital content creators often use sketching as the starting point of the creation process, so tools that work on the iPad with the Apple Pencil are huge.

It was seamless and easy to use. It has not been released yet but after seeing how well ZBrush runs on the M chips by Apple, you can see how wonderful a platform the iPad Pro will be in the creative space with software like Cinema 4D.

ZBrush is another major tool from Maxon in M&E.

I believe running Cinema 4D on an iPad Pro brings an affordable solution for creatives. I can’t wait to use the Apple Pencil and play with it.  If you are a Mac user, the seamless integration will be really strong.

Wacom

Wacom introduced their new affordable Android tablets called Movink Pad to artists at SIGGRAPH that are wonderful for creating and drawing on a tablet the way you would with your hand with multiple tools.

Wacom tablets are a gold standard in the DCC industry.

It comes at an incredible price point starting at $450. I would like to point out that, unlike the iPad Pro or iPad, it does not yet run certain software apps, such as Final Draft or certain enterprise packages, so if you need to run other software, you may still need your iPad.

X-GRIDS

X-GRIDS is 3D content production powered by Multi-SLAM 3D Gaussian Splatting technology. Architosh has written about Gaussian Splatting technology several times recently (see: Architosh, “Chaos Launches Corona 14 with AI Material Tools and Gaussian Splat Support” 20 Nov 2025).

Lixel K2 is their gold standard for lightweight scanners. X-GRIDS showcased their LCC 2.0, an open-source LCC2 format, with the newly released LCC Plugin for Unreal Engine—enabling real-time rendering of 100M= Gaussian Splats for high-fidelity UE Virtual Production.

X-GRIDS’ new Lixel K2 is ideal for the AEC industry as a powerful portable, lightweight 3D scanner.

With LCC2, what you capture can work smoothly with a wide range of platforms and visualization tools.  It turns captures into interactive cinematic scenes.

X-Grids is used by AEC professionals for Façade Measurement, Real Estate Survey, Reverse BIM Modeling, and BIM Construction Management. The integration of the LCC plugin for Unreal Engine will make high-powered visualization easier.

Innovative technologies & Closing Thoughts

HP and Dell both showed off recent workstations and claimed that Blackwell GPU RTX Pro workstations are available now. As has been typical in recent years, Apple did not attend SIGGRAPH despite the popularity of Macs and iPads with DCC (digital content creation) industry professionals.

Despite this, I do think Apple hardware can provide an option for artists who need a powerful solution and are still within a reasonable price range. Apple’s lineup of professional hardware products, including the iPad Pro, is used by professionals to build their pipelines. Like all computer makers, Apple raised its prices due to a RAM shortage, but the Mac Studio and MacBook Pro are still amazing workhorses and are reasonably priced solutions for professionals.

NVIDIA helped drive demand for GPUs, and in some ways, because of the AI datacenter craze and shortages, demand for another GPU maker in Bolt Graphics. The new NVIDIA RTX Spark Superchip-based workstations running Windows on ARM offer stunning AI, GPU, and CPU performance and performance per watt ratios that only Apple and Qualcomm have touched. These pose solid alternatives for professionals using MacBook Pros today who need top-line absolute compute performance for 3D and animation or film editing workflows, but only if a Windows on ARM native version of their tools of choice is available. Professional software for Windows on ARM is beginning to materialize, with Adobe working on native products, and others already in existence.

If you need a high-end traditional workstation, Dell, Lenovo, and HP can certainly accommodate. This article doesn’t cover everything at SIGGRAPH 2026 because I wanted to focus on solutions for everyday artists. I hope that some of the options I discovered will help make it easier to find what is right for you.  There is more news to come.  Count on it.

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The multi-year commitment encompasses a complete overhaul of Newforma’s technology stack—spanning its flagship Newforma Project Center and native SaaS Newforma Konekt platforms—while laying the compliance groundwork for FedRAMP readiness to serve highly regulated public-sector clients.

AI Roadmap & Key

To execute the technical transformation, Newforma has partnered with zeb, an AWS Premier Tier Partner specializing in AI and cloud engineering. The collaboration focuses on four pivotal operational areas:

• Generative AI via Amazon Bedrock: Development of intelligent, automated tools for compliance tracking, contract administration, and complex document review.
• Platform Modernization: Upgrading legacy and on-premises cloud bridges in Newforma Project Center while continuing the cloud-native evolution of Newforma Konekt.
• FedRAMP Compliance: Preparing Newforma’s cloud infrastructure to meet strict federal security standards, enabling broader enterprise adoption among defense and infrastructure contractors.
• Enterprise Scalability: Improving speed, uptime, and cross-platform performance across complex architectural and engineering datasets.

“This collaboration marks an important milestone for Newforma and our customers,” said Peter Cannone, Chief Executive Officer of Newforma. “We’ve spent years helping AECO firms embrace digital transformation through both on-prem and cloud solutions that improve collaboration and project delivery. By deepening our relationship with AWS, we’re investing in the next generation of our platform, giving customers greater flexibility, stronger security, faster innovation, and a foundation for the AI-powered workflows that shape the future of our industry.”

Mal Vivek, CEO of zeb, stated:

“Newforma’s work with AWS will unlock powerful AI capabilities for AECO firms, from generative AI through Amazon Bedrock to scalable cloud infrastructure built for their most demanding workloads,” said Rich Geraffo, Vice President & Managing Director, AWS North America. “We’re proud to help the industry that builds our world shape its digital future.”

Newforma Preparedness

“This is much more than an infrastructure initiative,” said Ben Bazso, Chief Technology Officer of Newforma. “We’re strengthening the technology platform that powers Newforma today while creating the flexibility to deliver new AI capabilities, deeper integrations, and continuous innovation for years to come. Working alongside AWS and zeb allows us to further optimize our cloud platforms and accelerate our AI roadmap, providing customers with greater performance, resilience, and choice as their technology needs continue to evolve.”

Architosh Analysis & Commentary

Newforma is committed to moving beyond its on-premise heritage. For two decades, Newforma Project Center has served as the backbone of document control, email indexing, and administrative tracking for leading architecture and engineering firms. However, its historical reliance on local server infrastructure often presented modern hybrid firms with deployment challenges.

This seven-year commitment with AWS signals Newforma’s definitive shift toward a unified, cloud-first ecosystem—pairing the deep submittal/RFI search powers of Project Center with the modern web-based issue tracking of Newforma Konekt.

By choosing Amazon Bedrock as its generative AI engine, Newforma gains access to leading foundation models without exposing proprietary firm data or project records. In an industry where unstructured data—specifically decades of email correspondence, spec books, and drawing sets—causes significant administrative friction, applying AI to automate document review and compliance could save AECO project managers hundreds of hours per year.

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