Here is the way to think about how Autodesk is organizing its AEC products and services. They have them in three categories: Design, Simulate, and Manage. We are going to talk about what was shown or focused on at AIA26 in a moment, but briefly, products are organized like this:

• DESIGN — Forma Building Design, Revit, AutoCAD, and others
• SIMULATE — Forma Site Design, Forma Carbon Insights, and others
• MANAGE — Forma Data Management, Navisworks, and others

At AIA26 in San Diego, the business areas of Autodesk’s booth—based on our several visits to and by their booth—were focused on Forma Building Design, Forma Site Design, and other Forma-branded areas, including Forma Data Management, Forma Carbon Insights, Forma Design Collaboration, et cetera.

Meeting Autodesk at AIA26

Our primary visit to the Autodesk booth was to meet with Jesper Staahl, Senior Technical Marketing Manager at Autodesk, who was going to run us through Forma Building Design, including its newly launched schematic design model (LOD 200-300) and Revit integration.

MORE: Autodesk intros new Forma Building Design

Autodesk’s Forma Building Design is progressing at a reasonable pace. Jesper spent time reviewing the facade design capabilities that allow architects and designers to quickly and efficiently explore iterative facade design options. Despite being parametrically driven,  there is a fairly decent amount of plasticity and flexibility in the tool with respect to openings. And architects can also push and pull the building’s facade levels backward and forward. I asked if parts of the facade could be organized into groups (think base level, mid level, and upper levels), and Jesper quickly showed that capability.

Autodesk’s booth was clearly heavily visited at AIA26 San Diego. This was the first time at AIA that the new Forma rebranding and integration of products were on full display.

Another thing Forma Building Design can do with respect to facade design is to analyze your facade’s impact on the building design by taking that model into Forma Carbon Insights. Technically, you are not “pushing or pulling” geometry data between these two tools because they operate on a single, continuous cloud data thread. Once you begin looking at the impact of your design work—and especially your facade design work back in Forma Building Design—inside Forma Carbon Insights, you can explore and benchmark energy impacts. As an architect, you can see where facade decisions are costing you energy costs, and you can then balance trade-offs between geometry and orientations as they inform your building design.

To our eyes, the Forma Building Design area (station) was the hottest area within the Autodesk booth space. Lots of architects and designers were learning about this relatively new product offering that ties into Forma Site Design and other Forma cloud solutions.

Forma Carbon Insights (formerly Autodesk Insight) can also connect to Revit models and do the same kinds of things it does in Forma Building Design, giving architects the capability to refine design based on energy and carbon impacts even after the design work has moved from Forma Building Design to Revit. What has been described is what Autodesk refers to as connecting Design to Simulate.

As for Forma Site Design, this product is more similar to the original Spacemaker.AI tool Autodesk acquired and from which it is based. This is your early-stage design and analysis tool from Autodesk, and the one you use before jumping to Forma Building Design. Forma Site Design helps you with your site and building planning (test fitting), starting with GIS-level real-world coordinates and site context via native ArcGIS data and enterprise sign-in.

MORE: AIA26: Architosh 12th ‘BEST of SHOW’ honors for digital technologies at AIA San Diego

Environmental analysis for the impact on sites that buildings make and how contextual buildings impact new buildings, Forma Site Design (formally just Forma), shows you sun and shadow impacts, daylight potential, noise analysis, wind analysis, embodied carbon, and more. All of those technologies are why we have awarded Autodesk Forma our BEST of SHOW award in past AIA national conferences.

Forma Site Design also features Forma Board for organization and presentations. Forma Site Design also dovetails with other Forma-branded products and other Autodesk tools like Revit and Dynamo. Third-party sector leaders like McNeel’s Rhino 3D are also connected.

Architosh Analysis and Commentary

Autodesk’s global AEC “Forma” brand is probably one of the smartest things it has done recently. While it will take existing users some time to mentally switch from old names, the unification reflects Autodesk’s master AEC strategic product plans. Earlier in the year, the company implemented the rebranding integration with ACC, fully joining the Forma environment. Even BIM 360 is now known as Forma Design Collaboration. (see, Architosh: “Autodesk Construction Cloud (ACC) is now Autodesk Forma,” 31 Mar 2026).

BIM Collaborate Pro (formerly BIM 360) is now Forma Design Collaboration. This application runs in the cloud (web browser-based) and connects multidisciplinary teams, data, and workflows during the design phase of the project. It supports automated clash detection, issue tracking, simultaneous editing, timeline packages, and more.

Aside from seeing this unified Forma rebranding presented to the North American architectural industry for the first time, it seemed to us that Autodesk’s booth had even more energy than it typically has each year. Architects were flocking around the Forma Building Design station, the Forma Site Design station, and other Forma Data Management, Forma Build, and Forma Carbon Insights stations. These areas were the hottest areas of Autodesk’s booth, signaling perhaps that the US industry is beginning to grasp Autodesk’s AEC future direction. 

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Agentic and Agent-based AI

Over the last two years, AI technology at AIA24 and AIA25 has steadily matured, and we saw many AI solutions last year. However, this year, AI and automation were scaled up a notch. In particular, we are beginning to see Anthropic’s MCP (model context protocol) technology rolling out across product solutions and agentic AI technologies that orchestrate data and workflows. This is different than AI that simply finds information for you, whether about your application or data out on the internet.

Model Context Protocol

For clarity, Model Context Protocol (MCP) is closely tied to agentic AI, but the MCP standard is an infrastructure protocol, not an autonomous AI agent itself. Think of it as plumbing. In fact, the popular analogy for MCP is “USB-C for AI.” Tools that now support MCP are becoming numerous in AEC. Two key ones were awarded Architosh’s AIA26 BEST of SHOW honors yesterday. (see, Architosh: “AIA26: Architosh 12th ‘BEST of SHOW’ honors for digital technologies at AIA San Diego,” 22 June 2026)

MCP by itself doesn’t really do much. You need an AI architecture that can orchestrate the core software system and manage the AI’s state, controls, and logic flow. Such systems instruct the software on what step to take next. So we are seeing Anthropic’s Claude AI technology now connected to software systems like SketchUp and Bluebeam Max to do very useful kinds of things that normally take a considerable amount of time to do the old human-only way. Claude is used as a natural language user interface (NLUI) and can speak to the software and get work done.

SketchUp’s new Claude integration brings generative AI modeling to the popular 3D modeling platform.

In SketchUp’s case, it can create (model) 3D objects directly inside SketchUp. In Bluebeam Max’s case, Claude can produce Revu commands such as batch operations, batch search, highlight, and a whole lot more. Both of these tools were highlights of AIA26 San Diego this year.

Other solutions have chat-based palettes built directly into their interfaces. This is becoming table stakes for software in the age of AI. These solutions are often called “co-pilots” or “agent-driven UIs”. They don’t just answer questions about the software; the AI itself has an execution layer and can map natural-language intent directly into function-system operations. We discussed this intently in our recent feature on ARES 2026 software, where it was possible to talk your way into having the CAD and BIM software actually draw things for you, or create layers within your file, following your textual direction. (see, Architosh: “ARES 2027 Deep Dive: AI, Automation and BIM-to-DWG Workflows,” 5 May 2026). We also discussed this particular feature during an online event.

While CAD tools like ARES 2027 are nearly a full release cycle ahead of many CAD and BIM solutions in the industry in terms of this kind of AI capability, we are starting to see solutions like SketchUp, with its Claude integration, leverage AI automation to make work happen in a similar way. Basically, let AI drive the software and produce work for you.

So you may ask: what is the benefit of having AI drive the software in the same vein as having your Tesla drive itself?

The answer depends, but usually, if something is extremely repetitive, the AI can do it much faster. Or, if the task is quite complex and would require advanced skills in software you don’t have, the speed-up could be massive or even infinite, since you can’t actually do it at all. If you can’t model the Space Shuttle inside of AutoCAD or ARES, but you can use ARES’ AI tools to create it for you, the AI didn’t just save time; the AI made it possible for you.

Automation Matters Also

Not all the buzz in the AEC industry software involves artificial intelligence (AI). There are many ways general automation can occur without LLMs or agentic AI. With the new BIM 2.0 software tools, their data-centric workflows and API interconnections mean that data from tools like Arcol can stream directly into other solutions and data types via API linkages.

Arcol is showing its new integration of spreadsheets that can be bi-directionally synced with Excel files. This feature was highly requested by general construction and development companies so they could link building metrics with their own cost data.

As part of Arcol’s embrace of the construction industry (it is still focused on architects as well), the BIM 2.0 company added interconnections to spreadsheets (Excel) so that early-stage designs can be paired with cost data from large general contractors doing real estate development.

BIM 2.5?

We often write about BIM 2.0. But originally BIM 2.0 didn’t begin with AI in mind like we currently are thinking about AI. When firms like Spacemaker.AI (now Forma), Digital Bluefoam, TestFit, Arcol, and Snaptrude began their journey, it happened before the OpenAI explosion, and the public had no idea about such AI tools yet. But now that we are on the other side of this critical invention, what if someone built an AEC software ecosystem with agentic AI in its DNA from the ground up?

Newcomer (neoBIM), with its buildingOS system, is doing exactly that.

NeoBIM GmbH is a new German AEC software company aiming to reshape the industry with the industry’s first AI-native ground-up software ecosystem architecture. The company and its buildingOS system have several discrete tools so far, including a TestFit-like early-stage planning tool called Gen.

NeoBIM has a new AI-centric application system architecture for the complete building lifecycle, from early site test fits (shown above) to post-occupancy digital twins. The German software firm’s founder is Moritz Luck, who was co-founder and GEO of Enscape and is also the founding partner of SilverScale Capital. Their demonstrations at AIA26 were impressive, and so NeoBIM GmbH is definitely a company on our radar this year, and we look forward to learning more about what they are doing.

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Architosh BOS

This is our 12th year of judging what we saw at AIA as “BEST of SHOW.” These honors are aimed at directing our global readers’ attention to both interesting newcomer applications and critical trends that impact technology adoption. On this last note, the history of our selections for these honors is notable. Put another way, if our AIA BEST of SHOW were investment picks, Pete Evans and I would have done exceptionally well, financially.

MORE: AIA26: AI and Automation Shine in San Diego — Some Highlights

Just a few representative examples include Gehry Technologies’ GTeam (winner in 2013), which was later acquired by Trimble and is now Trimble Connect. Then there was IrisVR (winner in 2015), which merged with The Wild and was later acquired by Autodesk. We can say similar things about some smaller companies, which, perhaps not acquired (or recently acquired), have grown into powerhouse brands in AEC.

Honors and Prizes

For this year’s announcements, we are going to jump directly into the winners and write about our award categories, criteria, and thematic issues at the end of this article. We also always publish a “Perspectives” companion feature, but last year we switched that to a recorded discussion (video). Look for a forthcoming piece.

So let’s focus on the honorees. Without further ado.

Congratulations to the 2026 Architosh AIA ‘BEST of SHOW’ honorees!

BEST of SHOW — EMERGENT TECHNOLOGY Category

Winner: SketchUp (w/ Claude integration)

Trimble SketchUp has long been the standard for easy conceptual modeling in the early stages of design. Contractors also gravitated to this platform as it offered rapid visualization, which could be used for 4D visualizations and project realization. “This year, SketchUp transforms its accessible capabilities into a built-in, real-time collaboration space for teams and clients, a cloud-connected, multi-user workflow focused on the middle of the project delivery,” says Pete Evans, AIA, senior associate editor, Architosh. “It builds on its legacy of ease-of-use with an in-app chatbot for workflow assistance that can also generate 3D objects from text prompts and images, and likewise generate photorealistic images from models and text prompts.” 

More radically, it also introduced its first (Trimble-based) MCP connector, the “SketchUp Connector for Claude,” to open AI workflows more widely to vibe modeling. Pete Evans, AIA, Architosh, notes, “This multi-pronged AI approach includes a built-in intelligent core, but complements that with open, interoperable workflows and ease-of-use that SketchUp has forever been famous for by opening up and staying at the forefront of AI capabilities.” This is on top of other new features now built into the core of SketchUp, like the Analysis Hub and Lab tools, with specialized extensions such as Daylight analysis, which provides daylight metrics, illuminance data, heatmaps, and “right-of-light” submission capabilities. Live components also added more parametric-like capabilities for more powerful modeling alongside powerful cloud collaboration as part of its 2026 release. “At the heart of our decision to place this in the emergent technology winner category is the agentic AI interface with Anthropic’s Claude,” adds Anthony Frausto-Robledo, AIA, Founder and Editor-in-Chief, Architosh. “MCP and agentic AI workflows embedded into popular industry tools today are at the very heart of what is critically emergent in AEC tech in 2026.” 

Winner: Bluebeam Max

A mainstay in the AEC/O industry gained a new superpower thanks to agentic AI, coupled with both acquired and in-house-developed AI capabilities, in Bluebeam Max. “There are several different AI technologies in the Bluebeam Max product offering, but the Claude integration with the integral MCP server in Revu is the tech that has users exceptionally excited,” says Anthony Frausto-Robledo, AIA, Founder and Editor-in-Chief, Architosh. “Bluebeam Revu workflows in AEC are naturally highly repetitive, so Claude’s ability to automate these functions is a force multiplier in efficiencies. Moreover, the Smart Review AI features are already being used by GCs to find discrepancies in drawings within a day, which typically reveal themselves slowly over many weeks or months during the construction phase. As a result, it behooves AE professionals to deploy Bluebeam Max as part of their workflow prior to releasing drawings for bid or construction, so they find these errors first.”

Criteria Notes: The novelty of MCP with AI orchestrators like Anthropic’s Claude showcases a dramatic shift in how architects can work with existing desktop-era tools like SketchUp and Bluebeam, enabling users to experience a tremendous speed-up in software workflows. AI can request specific tools or data “on-the-fly” based on evolving tasks rather than operating on a pre-defined set of constraints. Claude powers both tools, revealing just the beginning of agentic AI’s capabilities. This speaks to our emergent technology award category at multiple levels, representing both convergence and a thematic change for practice. 

BEST of SHOW — INNOVATION Category

Winner: Kestrel Labs

“Kestrel Labs’ new compliance platform focused on building codes was one of AIA26 San Diego’s biggest highlights with respect to digital tools,” says Anthony Frausto-Robledo, AIA, Founder and Editor-in-Chief, Architosh. “While other AI code tools exist, Kestrel’s solution puts their compliance engine directly inside the design and documentation environment, whilst also having an intelligent web-based code analysis space for its users.”

An added unique feature of Kestrel’s strategy and implementation is the notion that your project’s “code work” moves with the project through different tools over different phases of the project’s lifecycle. While not all of this is available today, as Kestrel develops its solution for tools like SketchUp next and other BIMs, this unique feature will benefit its users. “Kestrel’s implementation is also particularly strong for a new application,” adds Frausto-Robledo, AIA, Architosh, “with a visually appealing GUI and brand identity that speaks to architects in a similar way that Monograph’s award-winning app does as well. “Every few years, maybe around every five, a brand new tool comes out that really has the ability to capture a critical beachhead—that Omaha Beach moment—where we just know a tool and its strategy is super strong and will have rapid success. We believe Kestrel is that,” adds Frausto-Robledo. 

Criteria Notes: Innovation winners often herald “new directions” in digital technologies often solving age-old pain points. Kestrel’s AI-powered compliance platform is a rather textbook example. The quality of attack on addressing code review in practice is particularly impressive, as is its implementation at version 1.0

BEST of SHOW — BIM Category

Winner: Arcol

Arcol short-circuited development by deeply connecting to Rhino3D instead of developing its own complex geometry engine. Today, this is a live feature in Arcol’s second year at the AIA conference. (Arcol won this award last year.) Arcol embeds live Rhino3D geometry in its modeling environment, where, if changed (remotely), it is continuously updated as native Arcol geometry within the data-rich collaborative web environment. Pete Evans, AIA, Architosh says, “Adding Rhino as a live, two-way directional bridge allows a new, very strong accelerator to data-rich modeling form that is unlimited.” Another distinct area of acceleration is in its tables and boards for team members beyond presentation. Specific data tables can be “soft time-stamped” to hold a state for a specific view, but they can be updated while still connected to the underlying project data.

This provides a contractor, for instance, with a more static view of a table that doesn’t dynamically change with model updates. This table can then be updated, but this clear communication shifts from static versioning and archiving, as in today’s practice, to an Arcol project that contains a live, data-rich core and narrative from start to end for continuous updates and shared decision-making. “We also like how Arcol, as both a company and a BIM 2.0 application, is gaining traction in the market with large general contractors and real estate developers,” adds Frausto-Robledo, AIA, “as this indexes Arcol’s stated goal of creating a BIM 2.0 application for the entirety of the industry and not just architects.” Finally, the company’s goal for agentic AI “agents” operating with IP knowledge from various industry leaders working alongside human designers is a compelling future vision. “This future aspect of the app isn’t factored into our award decision,” adds Pete Evans, AIA, “but it sharpens our watch on what we believe is the market forerunner on BIM 2.0 outside of Autodesk’s own similar tools.”

Criteria Notes:  While the BIM category winner can be new or old, Arcol (as a 2nd-year “Best of Show” winner) continues to rapidly expand its BIM capabilities and attack multiple pain points with its novel approach, and underpins that power with a full embrace of future agentic BIM (see notes below). Critically, this release includes Arcol’s ability to solve a critical pain point in advanced modeling integration with Rhino 3D, plus its worksheet functionality (bi-directional linking to Excel files like xRefs) to address the needs of large GCs (and we know of several as early customers), addressing longstanding cost-control issues in the AEC industry, by bringing these cost management functions up to the front of the process. 

The ability to corral multiple AI agents for its early-phase design includes costing, zoning, and structural agents, with a perspective that builds on the core real-time collaborative nature of Arcol. “Intelligent by default” positions Agentic BIM as a massive shift in the Macleamy curve itself, enabling a collaborative jumpstart with buildable information in a radically shorter timeframe.

BEST of SHOW —  CLOUD Category

Winner: Morpholio Trace

“Morpholio Trace has always been a special tool in the AEC universe,” says Frausto-Robledo, AIA, Founder and Editor-in-Chief, Architosh. “But a tight integration with this particular BIM authoring tool (Vectorworks) seems like the perfect match-up that will yield special advantages for both Vectorworks users and established Morpholio users.” While the sister brand Vectorworks acquired Morpholio, we don’t see Morpholio staying connected only to Vectorworks in the long term. “In addition to bringing the sketching-thinking process closer to an advanced BIM tool—where there are so many layers of interaction opportunities—Morpholio can serve as the ultimate first step to sketch-to AI-rendering and animation,” adds Frausto-Robledo, AIA.

Strategically, Morpholio Trace is a significant net benefit to the entire Nemetschek Group because sketch-to-AI visualization workflows are currently the highest accelerators in the industry. “Nothing in AEC is currently moving faster than AI-based rendering, and nothing is better to steer and control this kind of AI rendering than using a pen and digital paper,” says Frausto-Robledo, AIA. “Given that Nemetschek also owns Maxon with its rekindled interest in archviz, the next steps for where to take Morpholio Trace seem super obvious to me.”

Criteria Notes: Cloud-first and mobile-first solutions are those that drive at full utilization and maturing cloud-to-mobile or cloud-to-web tech stacks. Morpholio, with its new integrations with Vectorworks’s hybrid CAD/BIM environment, seems like it has found its ultimate dance partner. Morpholio Trace is strategically positioned to converge with AI visualization, and its underlying sketching environment is poised to drive such workflows. In the meantime, Morpholio Trace has so much to offer to the sketch-to-BIM concept at Vectorworks. 

BEST of SHOW —  VISUALIZATION Category

Winner: Chaos Veras

Chaos Veras 4.0 introduced a new AI rendering engine powered by Google’s Nano Banana Pro, which improved geometry fidelity, material realism, and lighting accuracy. Accuracy improvements were alongside reduced image artifacting and “AI hallucinations.” This creates better control and precision for both image generation from reference sketches or prompts, but also using a model as the underlying design to create more valid visual results. New capabilities also introduced 2D to 3D visualization with floor plans to generate spatial renderings and the ability to construct multiple perspectives from an initial view, without rebuilding geometry. Animation is also a new capability from a static image while controlling camera motion, animated entourage such as cars and people, time of day, and different weather conditions. Pete Evans, AIA, noted, “Veras is a whole new level of storytelling that invites more technically-based architects as well as non-technical designers, such as an office principal, to a new, rapid visual idea layer for interactive project visualization.

Veras radically reduces the need for a technically accurate, time-consuming 3D model during early-stage ideation. This frees up valuable resources for creative visual iteration and communication.” “The time-savings and yield advantages of AI rendering tools like Veras are major force multipliers in practice,” adds Frausto-Robledo, AIA. “While there are numerous options in the market, we see future advantages of Veras being a part of Chaos beyond just its integration with all of Chaos’ tools.”

Criteria Notes: Chaos continues to challenge and transform the way architects approach the visual landscape of architectural visualization. The release of Veras 4.0 this year presented significant and compelling materials for seeing architecture in unprecedented ways. This tool’s advancement easily meets the criteria for this category (see below), especially in implementation quality and the acceleration of solution quality. 

BEST of SHOW — The Economics Prize

Winner:  Chaos Veras

The Economics Prize is awarded to solutions that reflect substantial process improvements even through “creative destruction.” Chaos Veras is a leading mature AI visualization tool in the industry, Uber-izing a known process: photo-realistic 3D renderings and animations. “While Veras is a worthy winner of the Economics prize for the sheer speed-up of its abilities to produce useful visuals deployable to different purposes in the design communication process, it is also disruptive to established archviz professionals who have painstakingly developed advanced visualization and animation skillsets,” says Anthony Frausto-Robledo, AIA, Architosh. Architects today are finding Veras a force multiplier for securing client buy-in and for design exploration prior to it. “It’s not hard to see why Veras, and tools like it, are so incredibly popular,” adds Frausto-Robledo, AIA. “They accelerate both sides of the visualization coin: the part that helps us design as architects and the part that helps us sell our ideas to our clients.” 

Criteria Notes: Veras delivers sizable process improvements to a common industry deliverable: photorealistic renderings. The “Uber-ization” part of our comments relates to the accessibility of what Veras produces and the three-point superiority factors: cost, speed, and quality. The cost of final images is multiple times lower; the output speed (via the process) is multiple times faster than traditional rendering; and the quality is solid and fit for purpose.

Award Categories and Criteria

Our award categories are designed to be broad and flexible, enabling us to honorably note a product across multiple categories if warranted.

• Emergent Technology (emTech) Category Award — acknowledges industry potential for novel or bleeding-edge technology implementations that will offer “thematic” change for practice or create convergent technology paths and drive synergistic directions for the industry.
• Innovation Category Award — acknowledges the “most promising” companies and products that are heralding innovative “new directions” in AEC software or hardware technologies, as measured by: (a) implementation quality, (b) acceleration of quality of solution, (c) quality of attack on addressing “pain points” in practice, and (d) fitting convergent technology paths and driving at synergistic directions for the industry.
• BIM Category Award — acknowledges both new or mature companies and products serving the “BIM workflow” industry transformation, touching down at any segment of the MacLeamy Curve where value gets added, as measured by: (a) implementation quality, (b) acceleration of quality of solution, (c) quality of attack on addressing “pain points” in BIM workflows, (d) adoption, extension and commitment to Open BIM philosophies so that data and toolchains are social and democratized to their fullest extent, and (e) fitting convergent technology paths and driving at synergistic directions for the industry.
• Cloud Category Award  — acknowledges technology solutions (software or hardware) driving at full utilization of synergistic and maturing “cloud-to-mobile,” “mobile-to-cloud,” and “cloud-to-web” technology stacks, exhibited or seen at the AIA convention, as measured by: (a) implementation quality and novelty, (b) acceleration of quality of solution, (c) quality of attack on addressing pain-points in AEC, and (d) fitting convergent technology paths and driving at synergistic directions for the industry.
• Visualization Category Award  — acknowledges the “most compelling visualization solutions” and technologies that are “transforming the architect’s workflow,” heralding new ways of seeing architecture for all stakeholders and not just clients, accelerating design optioneering, material, and light discovery, design problem solving, and design collaboration, as measured by: (a) implementation quality, (b) acceleration of quality of solution, including rendering speeds and image qualities, (c) quality of attack at addressing “pain points” in practice, and (d) fitting convergent technology paths and addressing synergist directions in the industry.
• The Economics Prize — reflecting an important shift within the architectural industry to acknowledge the extent of poor economics for architects and a newfound demand for better working conditions and pay, the Economics Prize is awarded to digital technology that shines in the direction of better economics for architects, as measured by: (a) sizeable process improvements to common industry deliverables via creative disruption (ie, Uber-ize a known process), (b) notable value disruption by a vendor via license cost comparison without “bundling,” (c) notable outsized release update delivering exceptional value increase for users, and finally (d) performance capture due to innovative, leading-edge software or hardware solutions.  

Congratulations to the 2026 Architosh AIA ‘BEST of SHOW’ honorees listed below.

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Redshift for Revit

The distinguishing feature of Redshift is the quality of its raytracer technology, and bringing that to real-time BIM authoring solutions gives architects and designers another excellent choice for both real-time design visualization and final-render presentation visualization. Moreover, with a simple click, work in Redshift for Revit or Redshift for Archicad can send your scene forward to Maxon’s award-winning Cinema 4D DCC (digital content creation) software for more sophisticated animations and visuals.

Redshift for Archviz debuted in Vectorworks in March 2026, and Maxon intends to roll out its acclaimed Redshift technology across popular AEC modeling solutions as part of its growing AEC roadmap. Redshift for Graphisoft Archicad is now open for beta sign-ups; click here to learn more.

Maxon’s new AEC industry push continues with Redshift for Autodesk Revit and more. A beta version of Redshift for Graphisoft Archicad is also available.

“The world architects create is inherently three-dimensional, yet much of the industry still relies on workflows built around two-dimensional representations,” said David McGavran, CEO of Maxon. “With Redshift for Archviz, our goal is to make 3D design the new standard across architecture, engineering, and construction. Through enabling digital projects to be experienced as if they already exist in the real world, we’re giving architects and interior designers a more powerful way to communicate ideas, make decisions, and bring their visions to life.”

Redshift for Revit Details

Now available, Redshift for Autodesk Revit delivers physically accurate lighting, reflections, shadows, and materials while remaining highly interactive. Maxon is also introducing three new platform features for architectural visualization:

• Depth of Field enhances architectural renders by mimicking real-world camera effects in real time, helping designers guide visual focus and create more immersive client presentations.

• AI Context-Aware Library Search analyzes the current view and suggests suitable assets, helping users build richer, more detailed scenes with less manual searching.

• Maxon Plants Smart Transfer is designed to simplify the process of bringing high-quality vegetation assets into architectural scenes for more realistic environments and faster scene development.

Maxon says that for users on Apple Mac computers, Maxon Redshift leverages Apple’s new MetalFX technology for improved interactive frame rates and exceptional visual realism for macOS users.

”Architects and interior designers don’t think in floor plans. They think in light, materials, and how a space feels,” said Nicolas Burtnyk, EVP of Rendering at Maxon. “Redshift lets them shape all of that in real time, then see it at full photorealistic quality, iterating on and refining how a space looks and feels as they go.”

Maxon’s Ecosystem

Maxon’s Cinema 4D flagship application has long been a popular archviz application, particularly in DACH regions in Europe. Architosh has reviewed Cinema 4D in the past from the point of view of AEC visualization. And the solution is a stunning application for doing sophisticated animation work. As part of the Redshift Archviz solutions (Vectorworks, Revit, and Archicad), a single button pushes out the scene and its assets to Cinema 4D for more advanced still visuals and cinematic animation work.

To learn more and see the new Redshift for Autodesk Revit and Redshift for Graphisoft Archicad (beta), click on the appropriate links.

Architosh Analysis and Commentary

There are subtle differences in some of the implementations of Redshift for Archviz, but for the most part, the same features are common whether you are on Revit, Vectorworks, or Archicad. In terms of visualization competition, the new Maxon offerings do add competitive pressure for real-time interactive rendering solutions in the market. Both Chaos and Maxon are up against Epic Games and its Twinmotion tie-in with Autodesk Revit, which is partially integrated. On a cost basis, Maxon is undercutting Chaos’ pricing with Enscape, but the Chaos ecosystem is much larger and more mature. Ultimately, cost shouldn’t be the deciding factor between either of these solutions, but rather their other advantages. 

The post AIA26: Maxon’s new Redshift for Revit and More appeared first on Architosh.

Design Intelligence Strategy

“Building on the Design Intelligence Strategy introduced last year, Graphisoft is unifying key components into a single, cloud-native platform that extends from feasibility studies to detailed BIM and lifecycle collaboration,” said Márton Kiss, Chief Product Officer, Design Division & Graphisoft. “This next step reinforces our mission to deliver an intuitive, data‑driven design experience that helps architects and engineers focus on how buildings should be built, not just how they can be built.”

Advancing Open Collaboration

Graphisoft notes in its press materials that the global construction industry experiences an annual USD 2.1 trillion loss each year due to project overruns and delays. In response to this waste and inefficiency, Graphisoft has announced that the Nemetschek Group is developing what it calls an “open collaboration fabric” of the Nemetschek Group design ecosystem, one that is more broadly open to the greater AEC industry than anything currently offered elsewhere.

Design Intelligence Platform showing carbon analysis on a conceptual tower building in a city. See our discussion below on Previewing AI-Assisted Design.

To address roadblocks, cost overruns, broken handovers, misalignment, and miscommunication, the Design Intelligence technologies will synchronize models, documents, issues, and decisions across Graphisoft solutions and the broader Nemetschek portfolio while robustly supporting standards such as IFC (Industry Foundation Classes), BCF (BIM Collaboration Format), PDF, DWG, and RVT (Revit). The solution, due in early 2026, will be a browser-based, multidisciplinary collaboration environment that brings architects, engineers, builders, owners, and operators into a common single source of truth.

“Our goal is simple,” said Sylwester Pawluk, VP, Product Management – Collaboration, Graphisoft and Nemetschek Group. “To offer the AEC industry a truly open alternative — one that is trustworthy and accessible for everyone. This is the open collaboration layer our entire industry has been missing.”

Previewing AI-Assisted Design

Also in development is a next-generation, web-based design intelligence platform that is infused with AI-driven workflows and integrated simulations to help design teams make smarter decisions with greater impact on the project earlier in the design-build process.

Users will be able to explore hundreds of massing, layout, and building performance scenarios in seconds, all while keeping project stakeholders aligned in a shared, browser-based workspace, without requiring BIM expertise. This design intelligence platform (which will have an exciting name, Graphisoft executives tell Architosh) is being developed to scale across the Nemetschek Group and its solutions, with AI-assisted solutions planned for early access in October.

Márton Kiss, Chief Product Officer, Design Division & Graphisoft, stated:

Readers interested in gaining a further peek into Graphisoft’s Design Intelligence Strategy can do so at this link. And we provide additional contextual oversight below.

Archicad—Autodesk Forma Connection

In other critical news from AIA26 San Diego, Graphisoft also announced its new Archicad—Autodesk Forma Connection, coming this month (June). This connection enables Archicad to fully participate in the Autodesk Forma CDE (common data environment), formerly known as Autodesk Construction Cloud (ACC) and BIM Collaborate Pro. (see, Architosh: “Autodesk Construction Cloud (ACC) is now Autodesk Forma,” 31 Mar 2026).

A view of Archicad with its AI Assistant providing assistance to the user.

Graphisoft is also building its AI portfolio, including its new AI Assistant and AI Visualizer, plus additional upcoming AI services built on the common platform described above. In fact, AI is a core pillar of the Design Intelligence Strategy, and readers can learn more about that here.

Architosh Analysis & Commentary

It is important to clarify that this combined Graphisoft press statement timed for AIA26 is saying essentially two things. First, what was last year called “Project Aurora” is now simply Graphisoft’s “design intelligence platform,” a web-browser-based cloud software system akin to other BIM 2.0 systems with differences, of course. The design intelligence platform (DIP) helps with design intent exploration, including site potential or test-fitting, space planning, sustainability (energy impacts of early-stage design modeling and layouts), plus cost/time impacts from an early-stage looking forward. 

The second thing announced was the “design intelligence strategy,” which is exactly what it sounds like: a strategy to link together Graphisoft and Nemetschek tools with an open BIM model framework supporting wide data exchange via APIs and MCPs across portfolios. This means native BIM connectors (see below) and the synchronization of data with 2nd and 3rd party clouds, such as the newest (and certainly not the last) Autodesk Forma.

This “design intelligence platform” is just one component area of the larger Graphisoft – Nemetschek Group design intelligence strategy discussed above. Starting with Agentic workflows (AI embedded in all products), project intelligence, generative design, optioneering, quality checking, and simulations (all BIM 2.0 characteristics) feed into the project as it advances from these new cloud-based tools into Graphisoft’s and the Nemetschek Group’s older desktop era tools like Archicad. Importantly, the Nemetschek Group’s ecosystem strategy includes modernizing its portfolio of solutions to include updated APIs and MCP (model context protocol) for interoperability with modern data and AI workflows. This means that projects may begin in the design intelligence platform (which will have its own new name) and then push out data to Archicad and possibly other Nemetschek solutions.

Furthermore, Nemetschek’s existing desktop-era design tools will have native BIM data connectors. This means they will read each other’s data natively. This is a monumental change from past postures the daughter companies had toward each other. This means that Archicad users can benefit from Vectorworks Landmark’s superb land planning and terrain modeling capabilities, things that Archicad or Revit lack, for example. It also means more streamlined workflows between, say, engineers working in Allplan and RISA and architects working in Archicad or Vectorworks. Moreover, Vectorworks’s new acquisition of Morpholio Trace won’t stay exclusive to Vectorworks long-term. That tool will likely flush out its BIM integration path with Vectorworks users and push those capabilities to Archicad and maybe Allplan users as well. Morpholio—much like Vectorworks Landmark—is too valuable a tool to keep exclusively connected to one daughter company. 

These are just some of the plans and ideas that are both possible and coming when the Nemetschek Group pulls its diverse portfolio of solutions into an intelligent, cloud-native single platform with API and MCP data exchange and native geometry interoperability. When you step back and look at how the Nemetschek Group is now beginning to operate and compare it to its chief rival ecosystem (the world of Autodesk), we see new reflections of each other that echo how the AEC market and its users want to operate. All AEC/O users want better data and geometry model interoperability. They also want “mix and match” streamlined solutions within company ecosystems—something few of the big four AEC software firms truly deliver. This last point is crucial because AEC firms vary widely in size, expertise, building types, and regions. 

The post AIA26: Graphisoft Advances Design Intelligence Strategy appeared first on Architosh.

Kestrel raised USD 2.15 million in pre-seed financing from New Stack Ventures, FirstMile Ventures, Denver Ventures, and Avesta Fund.

Kestrel Labs

Kestrel Labs is the first software company to deliver this capability, bringing code compliance natively inside BIM workflows.

Key Takeaways

• Industry-first compliance platform built natively inside BIM authoring tool.
• Introduced first for Autodesk Revit, with SketchUp support coming soon. There is also live Trimble Connect integration
• Compliance analysis is also supplemented with an AI building code assistant available directly inside the plugin palette in Revit or in the web browser

This will give architecture teams the ability to check design elements against jurisdiction-specific code requirements directly inside Revit before drawings reach plan review stages.

Kestrel Labs, shown inside Autodesk Revit, is the AEC industry’s first native BIM compliance platform. With Kestrel, architects can bring building code analysis directly into the BIM authoring environment, where Kestrel’s unique technology works with the data and geometry in the BIM file to discover and instruct on code compliance issues.

Based on data from the Construction Industry Institute, the cost to fix a compliance issue multiplies tenfold at each successive project phase. So what might cost an hour to fix during design can multiply to a week’s worth of time after construction begins. For decades, architects have been navigating a compounding problem, and as senior architects with decades of tacit knowledge about building codes begin to retire, the knowledge transfer that used to happen on the job is beginning to disappear at exactly the same time compliance paths are increasing in complexity.

The Kestrel Platform

The Kestrel Compliance Platform consists of multiple components at this initial launch, including:

• Kestrel Compliance Analysis — One click inside Revit runs a full compliance check in about 30 seconds, with every result tied to the specific model element in question and cited to the exact code section.
• Kestrel Compliance Chat — A built-in AI building code assistant and thought partner that answers project-specific compliance questions in plain language, cited to the exact code section. This AI building code chat assistant is available in both the Revit Kestrel panel and in the web browser.
• Kestrel Portal — A web-based compliance dashboard for project managers and firm leadership with no BIM file required.

Marian Pulford, co-founder and CEO, Kestrel Labs has told Architosh:

“New hires are billable from week one now,” adds Micah Gray, AIA, Director of Technology and Innovation. “There is little runway to sit with a senior architect and transfer twenty years of code knowledge. Kestrel changes that equation. The code is in the model, visible to everyone, and it does not depend on who is in the room. That is not a small thing for a firm that is trying to grow.”

Deep Investor Positivity

“Construction is one of those industries where everyone knows the problem, and nobody has built the infrastructure to fix it,” says Nick Moran, General Partner, New Stack Ventures. “Kestrel came to us with deep domain knowledge, a product already running inside the tools architects use every day, and a data foundation that would take most companies years to assemble. That combination – inside the workflow, grounded in authoritative data, solving a problem the profession has accepted as unsolvable – is exactly what we look for.”

Kestrel Labs in action with the code violation window shown. As you work through the code issues list, Kestrel brings into view the specific BIM element in question.

“We invested in Kestrel because they understand what most AEC companies miss: compliance is not a feature. It is the foundation,” adds Aaron Stachel, Founding Partner, FirstMile Ventures. “Every permit delay, every round of rework, traces to building code issues in the design process. Kestrel fixes that from inside the BIM model. This is not a workflow improvement but a structural shift for the industry, and this team is built to lead that shift.”

Availability and Pricing

Architects can find Kestrel Labs’ solution inside the Autodesk Design & Make Marketplace, the Trimble Connect Marketplace, and soon with added SketchUp integration (coming soon).

Pricing works through a firm-wide annual license. There is no per-seat fees.

• No limits on users, projects, or compliance checks.
• Pricing reflects firm size, project complexity, and jurisdictional scope.
• Charter customers receive preferred pricing and input on the jurisdictional roadmap.

On that last point, Kestrel’s compliance platform intends to expand beyond North America to address code compliance for architects worldwide. In an upcoming Architosh interview feature, both co-founders discuss in detail how Kestrel Labs began, how the origin of its co-founders impacted the solutions they are bringing to market, what core technologies are at play, and numerous other details about Kestrel’s direction moving forward. So look for that upcoming interview feature soon!

To visit Kestrel Labs, go here now.

About Kestrel Labs

Kestrel Labs, located in Denver, Colorado, is the first AI-powered building code compliance platform built natively inside BIM and the first structured compliance data layer for the built environment.

Architosh Analysis and Commentary

This is a technology that should have been embedded in BIM authoring tools years ago, so we are excited to see Kestrel Labs tackle this age-old problem of code compliance and code-checking. Most large architectural offices either have a dedicated code specialist or regularly consult with a code specialist consultant, and there are many around. However, working with code consultants is a different kind of workflow and has limitations. What Kestrel is doing is democratizing code compliance knowledge, which is especially meaningful as we enter the crest of the Baby Boomers wave as they retire over the next decade. When they leave, so does decades of hard-earned tacit knowledge (know-how) about how code compliance works in architecture. Kestrel Labs has arrived just in time for the world of architecture.

The post AIA26: Kestrel Labs — Native BIM Compliance Platform appeared first on Architosh.

Now, NVIDIA has entered the same race—the race to deliver the world’s fastest and most capable processor for the personal computer. But unlike Intel and AMD, NVIDIA’s new RTX Spark Superchip runs the ARM instruction set, not the Intel-X86 instruction set, and thus joins Apple and Qualcomm (not to mention MediaTek) in the ARM architecture’s pursuit of taking over the PC landscape.

Death to Intel X86?

So, does this news mean doom for Intel X86? We have certainly discussed this possibility in great detail before in our critically received feature (see Architosh, “End of an Era: How Silicon Will Decide BIM’s Future,” 24 December 2025), first published for our Xpresso-4X newsletter readers. And we originally discussed ARM’s threat to Intel X86 in our even larger, critically received feature (see, Architosh, “Chip Technology, Geopolitics, and the CAD Industry,” 21 Jan 2022).

Key Takeaways

• NVIDIA’s RTX Spark Superchip is based on the ARM architecture and is similar to Apple’s and Qualcomm’s ARM SoCs in that it merges a CPU, GPU, and dedicated AI processing centers all on the same chip with a “unified memory” architecture that is incredibly fast.
• The RTX Spark has no benchmarks at this announcement, but company executives told Forbes editors that it will have all-day battery life and be performance competitive with anything else in the PC market.
• RTX Spark-based computers could massively disrupt sales of Intel and AMD X86-based computers, tilting the entire X86 Windows software ecosystem towards ARM. Leading PC makers will ship RTX Spark-based systems in the fall in premium laptop configurations and run Microsoft’s Prism X86 software emulator as well as support the growing ecosystem of native Windows on ARM software titles. 

But before we discuss why Intel X86 may be in real trouble now, let’s dig into the announcement and chip details further.

Jenson Huang, in his talk at Computex, Taipei, today, essentially says:

Huang goes on to say that with each generation of the new RTX Spark Superchip, there will be a new model for the laptop, the desktop, and the workstation computer. He further says in his talk that he is incredibly thrilled that 100 percent of the world’s PC market has joined Nvidia to reinvent the PC. Of course, Jensen Huang isn’t really capturing 100 percent of the PC industry to come on board and join them in reinventing the PC. Critically, Intel and AMD are not on board because the NVIDIA RTX Spark Superchip is the most existential threat to their PC chip business that they have likely ever faced.

NVIDIA and Microsoft reinvent the Windows PC for the Age of Personal AI. Introducing the NVIDIA RTX Spark Superchip for Windows ARM computers.

Historically, Nvidia relied on Intel and AMD to provide the X86 central processing units (CPUs) that acted as the brains, along with Nvidia graphics cards (GPUs), which ran graphics and specialized parallel processing tasks. Now RTX Spark represents a paradigm shift that targets the core profit engines of the legacy X86 giants through several critical competitive advantages.

RTX Spark Advantages

Namely, these advantages stem from the fact that NVIDIA is breaking the X86 Duopoly in high-end devices in the PC market. The RTX Spark Superchip running Microsoft’s Windows for ARM shatters this exclusivity. Now consumers will face a choice between RTX Spark-based systems from top-tier computer makers, including Dell, Lenovo, HP, Asus, and MSI, and X86-based systems running Intel and AMD processors. Which will they choose and why?

Computer buyers will want to choose NVIDIA’s RTX Spark-based systems for one very important advantage. The Spark Superchip is built from the ground up for what Huang calls the Native AI Agent Revolution. In other words, the leading AI chip company is going to bring its AI chip prowess to your everyday computing.

Let’s look at the NVIDIA Spark Superchip in detail. So what does it consist of?

• CPU Architecture — ARM (NVIDIA and MediaTek co-developed the design)
• CPU Core Count — 20-core (10 Cortex-X925 + 10 Cortex-A725)
• GPU Architecture — NVIDIA Blackwell (up to 6,144 CUDA cores)
• Memory System — Up to 128 GB of LPDDR5X Unified Memory
• Processor Node — TSMC-3 nanometer

The RTX Spark Superchip will fuse two chiplets: a GPU based on NVIDIA’s Blackwell architecture and a 20-core NVIDIA Grace (ARM-based) CPU. Unified memory is what the Spark Superchip has in common with ARM chips from Apple and Qualcomm, but to stand apart from them, the RTX Spark chip supports up to 128 GB of unified memory in configurations that are engineered for heavy desktop-class AI and graphics workloads rather than mobile-first efficiency. Unlike Apple and Qualcomm, the NVIDIA RTX Spark superchip includes NVIDIA’s NVLink memory bandwidth technology, yielding up to 600 GB/s. And the chip also features Blackwell CUDA cores, something that Qualcomm and Apple are locked out of, as this technology is proprietary.

MORE: ARES 2027 Deep Dive: AI, Automation and BIM-to-DWG Workflows

Even if Intel and AMD launched their own unified memory, ARM-based processors to compete with the RTX Spark, they would have to strike a licensing deal to obtain the Blackwell GPU with CUDA cores. CUDA is, indeed, NVIDIA’s strongest leverage in computing in the age of AI.

Architosh will share more on RTX Spark as we learn more details, but in our section below, we explore the industry impact of this new chip announcement. For further details, read here.

Architosh Analysis and Commentary

Early feedback from the computer industry over the NVIDIA RTX Spark Superchip is a mix of massive excitement over the hardware’s capabilities, mixed with a healthy dose of debate over its impact on the Windows X86 software ecosystem. It would be premature to rush to the conclusion that AMD and Intel cannot compete with NVIDIA in the PC market for central processing units. Much depends on the true performance advantages NVIDIA’s RTX Spark can deliver in general and AI computing. However, in general, the very fact that the Spark is out now and is ARM-based sends another powerful signal to the market that the ARM architecture is rising while the Intel X86 architecture is in decline. This begs the question about software ecosystem disruption.

How will Windows software be developed in the future? If software on Windows moves to an ARM-priority-based market, this will actually aid Apple as well, since their hardware is also ARM-based, and emulating Windows on ARM today on MacOS systems is very prevalent and performative. 

Furthermore, with NVIDIA focusing on getting Windows gaming developers and graphics app developers moved over to native ARM development for these new RTX Spark-based computers, this also shifts the tools behind the software development in a direction that will likely aid Apple as well. It will be easier for a developer to develop for ARM on both Windows and Mac since they share the same chip architecture and presumably an increasing set of ARM development tools. The question then becomes, how does the CAD industry react to all of this? What will Autodesk and SolidWorks do in response to a possible future where the world’s fastest Windows PCs are running NVIDIA RTX Spark Superchips? 

The post NVIDIA unveils RTX Spark—ARM-based Superchip for Windows PCs appeared first on Architosh.

Veras is Chaos’s popular AI-powered visualization tool and has been a hit within the larger Archviz professional community, competing against a sea change of new AI visualization platforms. This largely has to do with the integration of AI into the professional Chaos visualization tools that AEC visualization professionals already know and love.

Veras Integration

For years, Chaos’s library of visualization tools has been used from the earliest stages of design through final deliverables, and as the company’s software ecosystem grew, it became increasingly logical to tightly integrate Versa across it.

Key Takeaways

• Chaos is now issuing a single installer for all products, simplifying deployment and installation of Chaos ecosystem products, including Veras. With this comes a more unified licensing toolset.
• There are broad new updates for Enscape, V-Ray, and Corona beyond the Veras integration
• Veras is now deeply integrated across the product range listed above. 

“Our customers have spoken. Tool-hopping and disconnected workflows are burdens to anyone tasked with complex projects,” said Petr Mitev, Vice President of Product Development at Chaos. “Today, our ecosystem begins feeling a whole lot smoother, letting users tap a shared infrastructure, cross-product features, and the most purpose-built AI in the industry. This will speed up any workflow, without sacrificing quality or control.”

Veras is now fully integrated into all Enscape, V-Ray, and Corona renderer solutions.

Veras is highly important to the Chaos ecosystem of visualization tools because with it, designers, architects, and archviz pros can quickly turn hand sketches, 2D images, and 3D models into presentation-ready images and animations far faster than workflows that are missing the AI (artificial intelligence) technologies embedded in Veras.

Whether professionals are working in 3D modelers like SketchUp, Rhino, or 3ds Max, or working in BIM tools like Archicad, Revit, or Vectorworks, they can explore early design ideas, moods, and visualization styles easily when working in Chaos’s rendering tools.

Hybrid Licensing System

Chaos is also introducing a new hybrid-licensing system that adapts to the actual way users want to work. This license works on a new credit system that provides access to cloud rendering and AI services, and users can scale up or down the credits depending on what they actually need.

New ability for light to override materials, rendering example.

“Having AI capabilities integrated directly into our tools has made a big difference to our workflow,” said David Law, BIM Manager for Bellway Homes. “Going from Revit into Enscape with a click, and then into Veras with another click, is far more efficient than opening separate software and moving files around. Any design changes we make are instantly reflected, which keeps the whole process moving smoothly.”

Enscape Updates

As part of this launch, Chaos is also announcing fresh updates for several products, including Enscape. The new features include:

• vEnvision Live Link — Moving scenes from Enscape to Enscape Envision is now a one-click affair, helping users jump into advanced animations without a complex export-import process.
• 2500+ New Chaos Cosmos Assets — Chaos’ massive 3D asset library gains new real-time optimized people, vegetation, accessories and branded assets, making it easier to add AEC-ready entourage to a scene. In addition, a new AI-driven search tool will help users find their “perfect” Cosmos assets in seconds using natural language (also in V-Ray and Corona).
• Chaos Cloud Video Collaboration — New access to remote video collaboration tools connects the design, presentation and feedback process into a visually robust loop.

V-Ray and Corona Updates

• 1000+ New Chaos Cosmos Assets — New archviz-ready assets are available to visualization teams, including new high-quality accessories and furniture.
• Vantage in the Viewport — Chaos real-time rendering engine Vantage is now accessible within the V-Ray viewport, enabling rapid scene exploration and smoother design reviews, even while working with massive, fully ray traced scenes.

Corona-Only Updates

Today, also marks the launch of Corona 15, which will see Chaos’ push-button simple renderer continuing to evolve beyond visualization, as it brings AI ideation, photoreal rendering, and cinematic animation into one intuitive environment.

• Enhanced Material Detail — The new Glints layer simulates the sparkle of small, angled surfaces, making it essential for replicating metallic flakes in car paint, sand and snow.
• Improved Gaussian Splats Blending — Gaussian Splats now accurately bounce Global Illumination light onto 3D models, allowing captured environments to blend naturally into the scene.
• Faster Animation Parsing — Users can now reduce animation render times in 3ds Max, using a smarter rendering workflow that no longer reprocesses the entire scene for every frame.
• 3D Streaming — Anyone can now walk through their vision in real time. Users simply share a 3D streaming link and stakeholders can instantly explore the visualization interactively, at their own pace, on any device.

For more ecosystem updates, product tips and user stories, check out Chaos’ blog and social channels.

Pricing and Availability

All updates are available now. For full pricing information, please visit the Chaos pricing page.

The post Enscape, V-Ray, and Corona Get Veras AI Integration appeared first on Architosh.

Bluebeam Max

First shown at Bluebeam Unbound 2025 in Washington, DC, last fall, Bluebeam Max ushers in powerful new AI-powered workflows, including deep Revu and Anthropic Claude integration, automatic stitching, magic markups, and intelligent overlay and review technologies.

Key Takeaways

• Bluebeam Max has a tight integration with Claude from Anthropic via MCP (model context protocol), thus giving Bluebeam Revu users a natural language path to prompt Revu into automating numerous regular and repeating Bluebeam Revu workflows.
• Smart Overlay and Smart Review are new AI-powered features that quickly enable teams to identify design changes and discrepancies across entire drawing sets and disciplines, as well as provide clear, actionable insights. 

Max brings smart automation so that Bluebeam Revu customers can accelerate their workflows by automating away tedious and time-consuming tasks.

This image shows Bluebeam Max with Revu and Claude integration. Click the image to read the AI prompt workflow and the output that can be generated.

Usman Shuja, CEO of Bluebeam, stated:

Bluebeam Max delivers these specific functionalities that are either entirely new or substantially automated from regular Bluebeam Revu prior, including:

• Revu + Anthropic Claude via MCP — enabling natural language prompts to automate repetitive tasks and transform markup data into actionable insights.
• Stitching — automatically combines multiple drawing sheets into a single, navigable, to-scale view for large and linear infrastructure projects.
• Magic Markups — to automate repetitive markup and reduce manual clicks, making takeoffs faster and more accurate.
• Smart Overlay — allowing teams to quickly identify design changes and discrepancies across entire drawing sets and disciplines.
• Smart Review — provides clear, actionable insights into design discrepancies, scope gaps, and missing information to catch issues early and prevent costly setbacks.
• Connected Studio Sessions with Revit, linking Bluebeam markups directly to the correct location in Revit drawing and model views to collaborate effectively across PDF and BIM.

The results from over 2,000 beta program users reported that productivity gains from Bluebeam Max were substantial, calling it a “game-changer” for design and planning workflows.

Client Success Stories

Martin-Harris Construction 

Martin-Harris was a Max beta tester firm. They benefited from Bluebeam Max with multiple Revu workflows, including utilizing Max’s Smart Overlay and Smart Review features to compare revisions for pricing and impact analysis during both design and construction.

The Bluebeam Max supports a deeper integration between Bluebeam Revu and Autodesk Revit.

“Bluebeam is already the backbone of how we review and collaborate on projects, but Bluebeam Max takes that to another level,” said James Miranda, Director of Preconstruction at Martin-Harris Construction.  “Features like Smart Overlay help us instantly see what’s changed and where to focus, which is critical when you’re managing complex projects at scale. As the full AI capabilities continue to evolve, this has the potential to significantly reduce manual effort and free up our teams to focus on higher-value coordination and decision-making.”

KPFF Consulting Engineers – Los Angeles Office

KPFF also found notable gains with Bluebeam Max, where its LA-based civil and structural engineers benefit from Bluebeam Revu in their day-to-day work.

“Even small improvements can have a big impact on our workflows,” said Dillon Wilke, Associate and Bluebeam Max early adopter at KPFF LA Civil Office. “Features like offset are reducing the need to go back into CAD for certain tasks, especially when working with parallel utilities or curved geometry. What used to take multiple manual steps can now be done much more efficiently in one place.”

Bluebeam Max is available now, and readers interested in learning more can do so by following this link and reading more in our analysis and commentary section below.

Architosh Analysis and Commentary

Last year, Bluebeam announced it was acquiring AEC AI startup Firmus-AI. That technology included the foundations for Smart Compare and Smart Review, based on Firmus-AI’s. Bluebeam already innovated the industry’s first “compare” features, but Firmus-AI took it to another level, and now that technology is inside Bluebeam Max. 

Firmus-AI’s solutions were cloud applications, and we can see that the newly integrated AI-powered capabilities in Smart Compare and Smart Review are also cloud-based. Notice the browser window. But notice the dashboard summary.

The Smart Review AI technology is equally impactful, if not more so. AEC design professionals struggle to maintain consistency and catch conflicts and omissions in their drawings due to the sheer volume and time pressures to get projects out the door. Now Bluebeam Max has the tools to help solve that glaring issue in the AEC. This AI technology can read AEC industry drawings and identify scope gaps, contradictions, errors, and omissions. Running Smart Review and Smart Compare can help architects and engineers increase accuracy and consistency in their documentation before it heads out to the construction site, helping prevent construction issues and embarrassing conflicts that cost owners money and increase liability for design and engineering professionals. 

Another impact-building new feature is the stronger tie-in to Revit so that comment markups link back into the right locations in Revit, where architects, engineers, and designers live to take action on these issues. 

And last but not least, the Anthropic Claude integration enables Revu users to leverage AI to compare two documents (document 1 and document 2) and highlight the differences in the Bluebeam issues markup list. A perfect example would be different versions of a section in the building code. See how the building code or any kind of document has changed. 

The post AI-powered Bluebeam Max launches globally appeared first on Architosh.

Sketch-to-BIM

This integration comes with Vectorworks 2026 Update 5 and connects iPad sketching directly to Vectorworks.

Key Takeaways

• New Export to Morpholio Trace command — sends selected, scale-accurate sheets or viewports from Vectorworks via the cloud to a dedicated Vectorworks folder in Trace on their iPad.
• New Import from Morpholio Trace command — brings sketches from Trace back into Vectorworks files as images or vector-based linework, streamlining tracing to CAD/BIM workflows.

Architects today still begin design processes with hand sketching, and many use tablet-based software products like Morpholio Trace. The Apple Design Award-winning iPad app has been labeled “dream software for architects,” and combines the power of Apple Pencil technology with the incredible processing power of the Apple iPad.

Vectorworks 2026 now has full integration with Apple award-winning app Morpholio Trace.

From initial concepts and design details to construction administration stage markups, Morpholio Trace delivers intelligent workflows for architects using the power of immediate hand to sketch workflows.

MORE: Vectorworks acquires popular Morpholio—Leading Mobile Design App

The new Trace integration with Vectorworks reflects a market-proven fact that drawing, tracing, and sketching remain central to how designers think, explore, and communicate ideas. Through the connection with Vectorworks on desktop, designers can move between various workflow scenarios and personas, from the immediacy of hand sketching to the intelligence of their BIM and CAD models.

“With this integration, we’re bringing the power of sketching and the precision of BIM closer together than ever before,” said Vectorworks Product Planner Iskra Nikolova. “Drawings and sketches now move seamlessly in both directions through Vectorworks Cloud Services. Designers can start in Vectorworks and then sketch in Trace, or begin in Trace and bring those ideas back into Vectorworks, enabling a fluid, flexible creative process without extra steps or friction. The release of this integration in Vectorworks 2026 Update 5 marks another milestone in our commitment to connected, mobile-friendly workflows that honor the craft of design.”

Getting Features

This new integration comes with Vectorworks 2026 Update 5, available now. This update is now accessible for all currently released English-language versions of Vectorworks 2026 through subscription and Vectorworks Service Select customers. Vectorworks users can install by selecting “Check for Updates from the Vectorworks menu (Mac) or Help menu (Windows).

To explore the new Morpholio Trace integration and all the latest features, start a free 7-day trial of Vectorworks Design Suite and download Morpholio Trace for iPad and iPhone in the Apple App Store.

Architosh Analysis and Commentary

Morpholio Trace works with more applications than just Vectorworks, as it can ingest 3D models created in various applications, from BIM to professional 3D modelers. Usually, you export your model out to a (.USDZ) or (.OBJ) file format to bring into Trace. Of course, the Vectorworks integration is even smoother than this, and it’s automated in the cloud. 

Beyond Morpholio Trace, Morpholio Journal is another sister app for simply having a digital sketchbook. It features amazing pens and brushes, and you can also write in it. Then there is BoardPro, a mood board application. ELLE Décore magazine called it “addictive” and awarded it “Best Apps” for interior design, home decor, and interior architecture. This particular app is interesting because Vectorworks, as a company, has toyed with the idea of an industry vertical version of Vectorworks for interior professionals. Currently, interior professionals buy Vectorworks Architect or Vectorworks Design Suite to use as their CAD-BIM environment, but we could see an evolution in which both Vectorworks and this suite of apps (especially BoardPro) develop into a consolidated solution or package called Vectorworks Interiors. 

The advantage Vectorworks has created through its industry vertical solutions is the delivery of a tailor-made solution for a particular type of AEC/O professional. Architosh has written about this in the past in some detail: the one-size-fits-all approach will eventually lose out to highly focused, more pointed, and specialized solutions. We don’t know for certain if that is where the company will go next, but the acquisition of Morpholio Trace offers interesting suggestions. 

The post Vectorworks – Morpholio Trace integration redefines sketch-to-BIM appeared first on Architosh.

Importantly, Newforma announced a simplified, modular user-based software licensing model, which will help firms better align purchases with role-specific needs.

Newforma and AI

Artificial intelligence (AI) was front and center at Newforma World 2026, the company’s annual user conference. So was updating and modernizing the company’s product offerings.

Newforma announces its broad strategic visions for the AEC/O global industry.

Key new announcements include:

• Newforma Vojo — the company’s new AI assistant, built on an agent-driven framework that lets users search project information, analyze content, and complete tasks more efficiently. Initial capabilities include natural-language search across project data, AI-driven analysis of BIM models and documents, and AI-assisted submittal review workflows.
• Hybrid Modernization — continued investment in hybrid modernization with Newforma Project Center, a reflection of its strategic vision, helping with a seamless transition to the cloud, cloud-connected environments, and more.
• Newforma FedRAMP Moderate — new initiative to address ongoing work toward advanced compliance requirements.

At Newforma World 2026, the message was about flexibility towards the cloud, combining Newforma’s AI-driven automation and support of open integrations, and reinforced a “cloud-first, not cloud-forced” approach that supports customers wherever they are in their modernization journey.

Customers choose when and how they modernize. We decided not to be cloud-only, and it’s by design,” said Carl Veillette, Chief Product Officer at Newforma. “Everything we build must either lower risk, save time, or unlock scale.”

MORE: Newforma accelerates AI innovation and AWS expansion

The AI agent Vojo is embedding intelligence directly into project workflows, such as Smart Email Filing, an AI-powered capability that automatically associates emails with projects and recommends filing locations for RFIs, submittals, and action items, which aids firms in maintaining a more defensible project record.

These capabilities are supported by the company’s collaboration with Amazon Web Services (AWS), providing secure and scalable infrastructure for advanced AI innovation.

“AI is only as powerful as the data it’s built on,” said Ben Schreiner, Head of AI and Modern Data Strategy Business Development at Amazon Web Services. “Newforma’s approach combines secure, scalable AWS infrastructure with an agent-driven AI framework to help AECO teams surface insights, reduce manual effort, and make more confident decisions, and we’re thrilled to be partnering with Newforma.”

To learn more about Newforma’s latest announcements, go here.

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Benefits for AEC/O Clients

For firms in architecture, engineering, construction, and operations (AEC/O), Graitec’s new status provides tangible advantages, including deep expertise and technical product know-how. Additionally:

• • Expert Guidance: Access to one of the industry’s most highly trained Bluebeam teams 
  • Operational Efficiency: Proven onboarding frameworks for faster implementation and tailored workflow optimization 
  • Strategic Support: Priority support and strategic consulting to maximize ROI on software investments 
  • Future-Proofing: Early visibility into product innovation roadmaps and upcoming updates 

As a Sapphire-level partner, Graitec staff receive advanced training, next-level support, and early access to the latest software advances by the California-based software company. All of this ensures that AEC/O clients of Graitec’s receive top-level services on all their Bluebeam software deployment needs.

Graitec’s team received the award for Bluebeam Sapphire Partnership.

“Being named a Bluebeam Sapphire Partner is a tremendous achievement for our organization,” said Scott McMaster, Chief Revenue Officer of Graitec Group. “It reflects the strength of our strategic partnership with Bluebeam, investments we are making in our go-to-market teams, including the expanded expertise brought through Microsol Resources joining the Graitec Group. This recognition reinforces our commitment to delivering exceptional service, deep technical knowledge, and measurable value to our clients across North America.”

“We are proud to recognize Graitec as a Bluebeam Sapphire Partner,” said Curt Bramel, VP of Global Channel Sales of Bluebeam. “Their team consistently demonstrates a high level of expertise and a strong commitment to customer success. As the industry continues to evolve, partners like Graitec play a critical role in helping firms leverage Bluebeam to improve collaboration, productivity, and project outcomes.”

To learn more about Graitec, visit them online here.

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Claude Meets SketchUp

A new SketchUp Connector brings in the power of an MCP (model context protocol) service that allows Claude to interact directly with SketchUp (.SKP) files.

Key Takeaways

• SketchUp users can utilize Claude AI to generate 3D models from prompts, including both text prompts and pictures.
• SketchUp users will need a Claude AI account to utilize the new SketchUp Connector for Claude.

The connectivity benefits users by enhancing their ability to create 3D models, regardless of their SketchUp 3D modeling skill level.

What Can You Model

Users can create new geometry by simply describing their design goals, such as building massing models, landscapes, or furniture.

SketchUp Connector for Claude AI powers AI-generated 3D modeling in Trimble SketchUp.

They can provide plain-language inputs, reference images, sketches, photos, floor plans, and dimensions that they upload to give Claude the necessary context to understand the design modeling objective. Claude then builds the geometry in a cloud SketchUp session, iteratively verifying the dimensions.

Chris Cronin, vice president and general manager of architecture and design solutions at Trimble, says:

“Natural language prompts and the power of AI make it easy for anyone to get started and excel,” adds Cronin, “including inexperienced and non-traditional 3D design users, bringing us closer to our ‘3D for everyone’ goal.”

This new specialized Claude integration with SketchUp is consistent with Trimble’s overall initiatives to democratize advanced technologies and make them available to a wider range of users.

More Claude Advantages

SketchUp Claude Connector also tracks version history within a single chat, allowing users to quickly navigate, troubleshoot, and refine their models. If the design is not quite correct, the user can describe what is wrong, and Claude will make adjustments based on what is specified as wrong.

MORE: Trimble set to acquire AI-powered Document Crunch

When a model is complete, the Connector creates a 2D preview thumbnail and provides a direct download link to the (.SKP) file. Once downloaded, the user can then manually edit the model.

And one more final note. Users can train Claude on core skills and unique workflows to complete competitive tasks.

Availability

Users can get started today by enabling Trimble SketchUp in Claude’s MCP directory connector settings. Accessing the connector does require a Claude account and a Trimble ID for authentication. Users receive a free SketchUp entitlement that allows them to save up to 30 SketchUp models; after that, a paid entitlement is required. Resulting files can be opened in SketchUp for Web, Desktop, iPad, or iPhone.

Architosh Analysis and Commentary

As some additional directions. When you log into your Claude account, go to Customize, click on Connect your Apps, and then you will have a list of all of Anthropic’s partners. Search for Trimble. Hit the plus icon to connect Claude with SketchUp. 

View of Claude’s main sign-in page. You need an Anthropic Claude account in order to link SketchUp to Claude for AI-powered modeling.

In watching some users explore this technology, the results are varied but also quite solid. Reference images only type Claude-generations may be off quite a bit, while others are strangely very good. Perhaps most positive is that a combination of detailed reference images (those including dimensions), combined with detailed prompts with dimensions, can yield substantially good results. We are talking about whole combinations of rooms, like a bedroom suite. Another positive side is that Anthropic‘s Claude appears to be quite fast. Trimble doesn’t really note that in their announcement, but user tests are showing good speed for results. You still have to download the file, but that doesn’t take a lot of time in the grand scheme of things, especially if Claude saves you 30 minutes of modeling. 

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C4D on iPad

Naturally built for the iPad’s touch user interface, Cinema 4D for iPad delivers core 3D modeling and design capabilities in a streamlined, mobile-first interface.

Key Takeaways

• Cinema 4D for iPad will enable creatives to take their 3D and animation skills on the go, whenever inspiration strikes
• Cinema 4D for iPad is designed to complement the desktop versions and will be a mobile, touch-centric version with its own capabilities and functions
• Cinema 4D for iPad is due in late 2026

Moreover, the iPad version of Cinema 4D is meant to complement the classic desktop version of Cinema 4D, so artists can explore ideas on the go, when traveling, or whenever they have a creative moment, and bring that work back into the desktop version.

Maxon is slated to release Cinema 4D for iPad, a touch-optimized version of the award-winning 3D content creation software.

Now the iPad version of Cinema 4D will be tailored for mobile workflows and will not be a carbon copy of the desktop versions of the application. It will also support cross-platform workflows, dovetailing with both Mac and Windows versions of Cinema 4D.

Additionally, Cinema 4D for iPad will support Redshift rendering capabilities, and Sculpts from ZBrush for iPad will also open directly on Cinema 4D for iPad.

Availability

Maxon has only said the release and availability are late 2026. Readers interested can join the official beta program here.

The post Cinema 4D Comes to iPad appeared first on Architosh.

New this year is support for Windows 11 and macOS 26 Tahoe.

The same platform consistency extends to ARES Touch on Apple iOS and Google Android, and, of course, ARES Kudo runs in a modern web browser regardless of operating system. This “One CAD” experience means users can deploy ARES at work on a Windows workstation and continue to work on the go with a M5-based MacBook Pro. It also means schools can run ARES Kudo beautifully on Chromebooks in Chrome, just as effectively as in another modern browser on Windows.

Key Takeaways in this Feature 

• The ARES 2027 CAD ecosystem is the ultimate competitor to Autodesk AutoCAD; ARES products map directly to AutoCAD’s desktop, web, and mobile lineup. 
• ARES 2027 CAD ecosystem distinguishes itself for its AI generative capabilities: AI-assisted block creation, voice input AI features, and A3’s new strengths in “editing” and creating CAD entities, and more.
• ARES uniquely features both BIM-to-DWG automation capabilities, plus extensive cloud-based drawing automation that now works directly from its desktop solutions.
• ARES can now streamline BIM-to-DWG workflows with discipline (A+S+MEP) management control, reflecting how real BIM projects get coordinated, plus full support for Autodesk Forma Data Management (CDE) integration.

These are the big takeaways, but we dive deep into many of these aspects in our Product In-Depth below, plus be sure to read our Closing Remarks and references to other key articles. 

Part One — The AI Pivot

This year, Graebert has pivoted even harder toward AI technologies, though the company has already been at the forefront of AI within the broader CAD market. Architosh has written extensively about ARES in the past, including its A3 AI agent in ARES Kudo. (see: Architosh, “ARES Kudo adds BIM Drawings Automation and AI—Challenges AutoCAD,” 5 May 2027)

Graebert’s aggressive push into AI is not surprising given the rapidly rising importance of artificial intelligence in everyone’s lives. But it is especially critical for Graebert, given competition from its primary rival, Autodesk AutoCAD. For the Berlin-based “middle power” in the CAD world, competing with an industry “super-power” like Autodesk is no easy feat. ARES has managed this by being early, innovative, and aggressive.

The 2027 versions of ARES continue this AI push with new generative AI capabilities and a more even deployment of its AI and automation features across its desktop and web-based platforms. In this article, we explore those advances in detail.

Compatibility Focus

While several major native DWG CAD competitors operate in the broader CAD market, Berlin-based Graebert remains the most direct and interesting “dueling opponent” with Autodesk AutoCAD. This is not to say other competitors lack unique strengths—they do—but Graebert has challenged US-based Autodesk head-on rather than leaning primarily on industry-vertical differentiation. The result has been striking, with AutoCAD displaced inside major companies in Japan and South Korea. (see, Architosh: “ARES and AutoCAD — Locked in Global Duel for DWG Supremancy,” 23 April 2025).

Competing head-on means ARES Commander competes with desktop AutoCAD, ARES Kudo competes with AutoCAD Web, and ARES Touch competes with AutoCAD Mobile.

Both Autodesk and other DWG CAD platforms have introduced AI capabilities that overlap with ARES’s A3 AI-agent features in some areas and diverge in others. This product’s in-depth article, however, focuses on Graebert’s AI features and largely avoids direct comparisons with competitors’ AI capabilities.

Readers curious about Graebert’s AI and automation advancements in the ARES Trinity of CAD solutions should sign up for the company’s June event (see: Graebert neXt event, 3 June 2026 – highly recommended to register here!)

Part Two — AI Highlights

Meet A3—ARES’ AI Assistant

Graebert’s AI agent, called A3, is partially built on OpenAI’s technology—the same technology behind ChatGPT. It was first introduced in March 2024 as part of the desktop solution, while Architosh later covered its arrival in Kudo. (see: Architosh, “ARES Kudo adds BIM Drawings Automation and AI — Challenges AutoCAD,” 30 Mar 2025).

210 – A3 is a marvelous assistant and teacher and will guide the user’s queries about learning or how-to-do commands in ARES products with all possible answers, giving the users an education in both command-line and menu and toolbar-driven workflows. (click on image to expand large, typical all images)

As we noted a year ago, A3 has a commanding knowledge of how ARES products work and can provide step-by-step instructions. When multiple methods are available, A3 provides the steps for each approach. Because I learned this year that OpenAI’s technology powers A3, I asked it how to perform tasks as if I were a CAD user from another platform learning ARES for the first time. (IMAGES 210-211)

211 – Menu highlighting, when paired with A3’s CAD assistance, greatly helps the ARES user (new or veteran) execute commands they may be unfamiliar with.

Unlike Gemini, ChatGPT, or other general AI tools on the Internet, A3 is built directly into ARES. Its instructions are paired with user-interface highlighting, showing users where to find specific menus and tool buttons. This works multiple levels deep: A3 highlights a button, then, after you click it, highlights the next-level button, and so on.

As someone who has used several CAD/BIM/3D tools in professional practice and reviewed dozens more, I can honestly say that moving in and out of different CAD solutions over long periods naturally leads to forgetting how things work. This year, while using A3 to test features, it dawned on me how powerful an AI assistant like A3 can be at minimizing the switching costs of moving from one platform to another.

When starting a new conversation with A3, the assistant provides sample query suggestions, such as “What is a markup?” or “Show me where the hatch feature is.” A regenerate button produces three new suggestions each time. But here is a thought I had: “Why not make these suggestions part of a structured learning path for ARES—especially one aimed at users coming from specific tools such as AutoCAD, Solid Edge, Vectorworks, or BricsCAD?”

MORE: Graebert neXt 2027 Event Page

Given A3’s ability to connect answers to UI highlighting, this seems like a strong future opportunity as AI technology continues to evolve, with training that can provide more structured in-situ guidance and learning lessons.

A3 can also help customize the ARES user interface, answer general concept questions—such as “What is a custom block?”—perform unit conversions, function as a calculator, and respond to industry-specific prompts. For example, it can suggest layer names for an architectural drawing. (IMAGE 214)

214 – Industry knowledge is also a domain specialty of A3 in ARES Commander 2027 and ARES Kudo Professional. I was able to ask A3 to create layers in a blank file and make them conform to an industry standard. A3 prompted me back, asking for clarification on several good points, and with final answers, proceeded to create all the layers I needed in my drawing file. (see IMAGE 215 for results)

After generating an industry-standard layer list for an architectural drawing without interiors, structural, or MEP requirements, the obvious question becomes: wouldn’t it be useful if A3 could actually create all those layers?

In ARES 2027, it can. With one command next to A3, and after about 25 seconds, all my layers were created. (IMAGE 215) Because A3 can create layers from within the context of a chat session, users may naturally wonder whether it can create almost anything in the drawing or inside the ARES user interface.

215 – A3’s ability to create layers was one of the more practical and impressive AI features tested.

The short answer is no. A3 can create entities in a drawing and create items such as layers, but it cannot do everything yet. For example, it cannot change the background color to white or black directly from chat. Instead, it shows you the steps to make user interface changes.

A3 remains particularly strong at locating UI features. This is why I made a point of using A3 more deliberately this year when testing new features in ARES 2027 products. I have to say, A3 seems super solid in helping with the guidance aspects of learning ARES.

New Multi-Task Prompting

New this year in ARES Kudo is A3’s ability to perform “Editing” commands, including the creation of drawing entities. These features were already present in Commander last year and include commands such as selecting all polylines, arcs, or circles in a drawing. Users can also ask A3 to select all lines with a specific lineweight.

A3’s multi-task prompting enables selection and modification in a single prompt. For example, A3 can select all lines with a specific lineweight and change their color to blue. It can select all blocks on a named layer and rotate them by 30 degrees, provided the layer is cited precisely.

In one test file, I asked A3 to select all entities on layer 0—a common cleanup and block-control task—and it performed the task efficiently. (IMAGE 220)

220 – A3 Can select entities on a specific layer, for example, I asked to find any entities on layer 0, and it did that perfectly.

In another test, also executed in ARES Kudo Professional 2027, I asked A3 to select all entities on layer C-MUEBLES and change their line color to yellow. It completed the operation in a single prompt. (see images 221–222, and click on all images to make them large).

221 – Select entities and change their line color, part 1.

222 – Select entities and change their line color, part 2.

Although Graebert does not heavily emphasize this point, A3 can also create elements—not simply select them and perform actions such as changing lineweight. To begin a first line, A3 needs a coordinate point for the start point. In my first test, I supplied both start and end coordinate points for the first two lines and also instructed A3 to assign a specific lineweight and place them on a specific layer. A3 handled this without issue.

In another test, I again provided a coordinate start point for the first line. From there, I could command A3 to create new lines from the start, end, or midpoint of existing lines. It even handled a prompt like this:

“Draw a new line from the midpoint of the second line you created right on the x axis another 15 feet, then up on the y axis to a distance set parallel to the first line. Then draw a new line from the end of that line back to the endpoint of the first line you drew [sic] for me.”

A3 achieved the goal impressively. Notice a few things. First, my prompt contained a grammatical error in the last sentence, but A3 understood the intent. Second, I used natural language expressions such as “draw up,” “a distance set parallel to the first line,” and “the end of that line.” A3 accomplished all of this, including registering distances based on vertex points described in natural language.  (IMAGE 227)

227 – A3 can also create CAD entities. It can draw for you. This kind of capability is very early for AI and CAD, but it strongly suggests a more captivating future of commanding your CAD program to assist in drawing production.

Truthfully, asking A3 to draw these lines is not faster than drawing them manually. But the point of the test was to see how well A3 could interpret plain-language drawing directives. One can imagine using AI itself to create vastly more complex prompts, pasting them into A3, and seeing what happens.

For one final test, I wrote the following prompt in another app and pasted it into A3:

“Begin a line at 5,5,0 and draw that line 20 feet right on the x axis. Next draw a second line down on the y axis 20 feet. Then a third line left on the x axis 15 feet, then a fourth line up on the y axis 6 feet, then from the end of that line draw a line to the start point of the first line. Next draw a line from the midpoint of the first line down on the y axis 10 feet, then begin a new line from that line endpoint to the midpoint of the second line.”

The result was fast. It took exactly 16 seconds to execute the prompt just described and draw the objects, followed by about 2–3 seconds for A3 to describe what it had created inside the A3 palette. (IMAGES 227-228)

I then used A3 to change line colors by referring to the lines in the order they were created, using terms such as “first” and “last.” (IMAGE 228)

228 – A continuation of a more elaborate prompt for A3, described above, with A3 fully understanding terms like “first” and “last” in reference to already AI-produced lines.

While my examples—even the most advanced one—may seem primitive, they represent a shift from manual geometry creation to high-level orchestration: from explicit manual creation, to deterministic tools that follow drawing instructions, to declarative tools where users describe what they want.

New: Voice Interaction in Kudo

In considering the broader implications of deterministic and declarative AI tools in CAD and BIM, voice input could have a meaningful impact on speed. Typing takes time. Speech is often faster.

New in ARES Kudo Professional is the ability to talk to A3 using your voice.

230 – ARES Kudo’s A3 supports voice input. But you must first give it permission.

231 – A view of the voice input in A3’s palette.

Inside Kudo’s A3 palette, users click the microphone button at the bottom. Kudo then asks for microphone permission. (IMAGE 230) Users can speak to A3, which listens and converts speech into written prompts. The user then clicks the arrow button to execute the prompt.

I asked A3 to select all entities on layer 0, then asked it to change that selection’s line color to yellow. (IMAGE 231)

New: Command Recommender in Commander

Another new AI feature is Real-Time Command Recommendation. In the lower-right corner of the ARES interface, the Command Recommender palette lists six commands most likely to be used next. This AI-powered widget is based on Graebert’s own AI engine, using smart algorithms that analyze user interactions and command history in real time.

240 – The AI Commander Recommender is in the lower right of this image. This feature is handy, and we understand it will continue to advance. It is based on Graebert’s own AI technology.

In one 2D workflow, I created a series of lines forming a closed, complex triangular shape. The Command Recommender suggested likely next commands such as Delete, Move, Pan, Hatch, and Rotate. I selected Rotate and performed the command, after which the recommendation list changed. Some commands, like Pan, appear to remain in the palette continuously, but overall, this new feature seems quite useful.

New: AI Text Tools

New this year in ARES Kudo Professional, and previously available in Commander, Kudo’s MText editor now includes AI-driven tools for translation, writing refinement, spell checking, and summarization.

Users can access these AI abilities with Note and SimpleNote entities. This differs from using A3 to translate text, though A3 is also fully capable of doing so.

New: AI-Assisted Block Generation

One of the more intriguing AI uses in ARES this year is AI-assisted block generation. This rapidly evolving feature is part of A3’s cloud-based technology. Because it runs in the cloud, Graebert can deploy the same AI capability to both the desktop-based Commander solution and the browser-based Kudo solution. (IMAGE 250)

250 – AI-assisted block generation is “generative AI” inside ARES. This technology is highly useful for certain kinds of things you must draw.

The AI responds to “prompt descriptions” of the desired block and generates three versions. These initial results are non-vector graphics. The user selects the preferred option, saves it as a block, names it, and the AI translates it into a vector CAD object. (see IMAGES 251 – 252)

251 – Asking A3 inside the Trinity Block library to generate a Land Rover in top and side view.

252 – The finished product, the new AI-generated block of a Land Rover.

AI-assisted block generation appears best suited for complex elements such as furniture, site objects, trees, or cars in architectural drawings—items that can be time-consuming to create manually. Importantly, the process in ARES 2027 is generative and appears to create geometry in a “unit-less” environment. When the block is placed into the drawing, users can scale it before final placement, in addition to the normal block-insertion options.

Looking across the AI features in the ARES 2027 ecosystem, Graebert has further differentiated itself from DWG CAD rivals by positioning ARES as an AI-generative CAD leader, while A3 remains strong as an AI-driven assistant. These are two distinct sides of AI in CAD, and both benefit the user.

Part Three — BIM, Automation, and Cloud Processing

Online Drawings Automation — Now in Commander

While AI assistance helps users learn and get more out of CAD software, and generative AI helps users create content faster, Drawings Automation represents another major facet of Graebert’s competitive differentiation from Autodesk.

This year, the online automation features shown in ARES Kudo last year have come to ARES Commander. While the specific functions—such as DWG Drawing Compare—can be performed manually, online automation offers several key benefits:

• Server-based processing — saving the local computer from being tied up during the process, so users can continue working.
• Batch processing — enabling many files to be processed at once, with email notification when complete.
• Scheduling — allowing single or multiple tasks to run at specific dates and times, such as after work hours.
• Recurring jobs — enabling repeated processes, such as converting a DWG file to PDF every night and saving it to a chosen cloud storage provider.

Drawing automation processes include:

• DWG Drawing Compare
• DWG Data Extraction
• DWG Export to DWF, DWFX, JPG, PNG, SLD, SVG, or TIF
• Convert DWG to PDF
• Convert PDF to DWG
• Convert DWG to DGN — MicroStation format
• Convert DGN to DWG
• Print Sheet Sets (.DST) to PDF — (A new automation this year!)

To access Drawings Automation, users go to File > Online Automation. The automation dialog opens, where users select the desired process. (see list above and IMAGE 260)

260 – The Menus method to activate drawings automations in ARES Commander 2027. You can also activate from the Cloud palette, which is also where you can implement the BIM-to-DWG automation process.

The first automation I tested was DWG to DGN, configured as a recurring scheduled conversion. I then performed an immediate DWG-to-PDF conversion. The automation job status appears on the right, while an Open in Browser button opens the automation jobs in the ARES Kudo cloud system. (see IMAGES 261-262)

261 – Inside the drawings automation settings window. This is where you select your particular setup for your automation process.

We covered this window in detail last year as part of our ARES Kudo focus. (see, Architosh: “ARES Kudo adds BIM Drawings Automation and AI — Challenges AutoCAD,” 30 Mar 2025) Drawings Automation Jobs are listed with their template, job ID, status, creation time, and actions column. The status column provides a color-coded indicator, while recurring jobs are marked in orange in the template column. (see IMAGE 262)

262 – Automations in progress with status indicators and more. This window’s functionality largely remains the same this year.

Users can also initiate drawing automation from the Cloud Storage palette. Right-clicking a selected file opens a drop-down menu with the same output options for Drawings Automation, including BIM-to-DWG automations.

Finally, ARES automations can notify users when a process is complete. In the images above, note the checkbox for email notification. This is what the resulting email looks like in your inbox. (IMAGE 263)

263 – Email notification that your drawings automation process is complete.

One final note: a new automation job type this year is Print Sheet Set (.DST) to PDF.

Advanced BIM-To-DWG: Multi-Discipline Support

One of Graebert’s unique features in ARES Commander has been its ability to ingest BIM files—Revit and IFC—and automatically create DWG drawings for documentation. For example, an MEP engineer working in 2D CAD with ARES Commander may receive a Revit model from an architect. The engineer can use ARES Commander to automatically create floor plans, exterior elevations, and sections, then develop MEP construction plans from those DWG files.

In previous versions, each new BIM file received from a project stakeholder or collaborator produced separate plans, generating redundancy. Now, ARES Commander manages linked BIM models from different disciplines as part of an integrated project. Users can also configure drawing generation to include only selected disciplines, such as Architectural + Structural or Architectural + MEP.

This better reflects real-world BIM coordination workflows based on federated model coordination. And a few final points. ARES 2027 this year supports Revit formats from 2011 through 2026. And it also works with IFC files. (see also Forma Integration section below).

Smart Linking

Also new in 2027 is Smart Linking technology, which optimizes path management for external references, or XREFs. ARES now alerts users when critical location changes affect referenced drawings. This provides a more proactive way to manage broken links before they impact workflows. Few things are as frustrating as broken references right when a drawing must be printed.

Part Four — Collaboration and Performance

ARES has strong collaboration features thanks to its Trinity concept, which enables cloud-connected workflows linking desktop, web, and mobile for better teamwork. Teammates can be on site using ARES Touch, adding input to files that colleagues can immediately address back in the office.

Across devices and operating systems, ARES offers multi-user collaboration with solid session handling, version control, password-protected and date-limited file sharing, plus commenting and markup features that include voice notes, stamps, and photos from mobile devices. You can read more here. (see, Architosh: “ARES Trinity — A Review of the Industry Leading DWG CAD Software,” 2 Mar 2023)

Autodesk Forma Integration

This year, the ARES 2027 ecosystem adds integration with Autodesk Forma Data Management, formerly Autodesk Construction Cloud. Like other cloud systems, Autodesk’s CDE—common data environment—can now store ARES DWG files. Users connect to Autodesk Forma from the Cloud Storage palette in Commander or through the ARES Kudo web interface.

300 – Autodesk Forma integration.

Importantly, the Drawings Automation tools discussed earlier also work with files stored on Autodesk Forma Data Management. This includes automation of DWG drawings from Revit models in ARES BIM-to-DWG workflows. It also includes ARES’ BIM-to-DWG automation features. Revit files stored in Forma Data Management (FDM) can be linked to the BIM-to-DWG automation in ARES. When BIMRELOAD automates ARES, it produces new DWG files from the BIM model, and it can do this each time the BIM model is updated or whenever the automation is desired.

ARES Kudo Professional 2027 also supports connectivity to Autodesk Forma directly in the browser, including the free version, which supports viewing and commenting on files stored in Forma.

Drawing Insights in Kudo

Introduced this year, Drawing Insights helps users understand which collaborators have worked on files. Users can see who accessed, renamed, or shared a file. (IMAGE 310)

310 – Drawings Insights is a new feature this year in ARES Kudo Professional.

When a file is modified, Drawing Insights notes who modified it and the specific day and time.

Speed Gains

This year, Graebert says ARES Commander 2027 is dramatically faster than last year’s version. COPY operations are up to 50 percent faster, and version 2027 opens files up to 20 percent faster. The most noticeable gains, however, may come from 9–25 percent faster navigation.

For readers’ edification, in the CAD/BIM industry, the thresholds for perceived performance roughly break down as follows:

• Less than 10 percent — users may feel “placebo” speed gains; improvements are largely imperceptible.
• 15 percent — users notice gains in heavy commands, complex REGEN operations, or 3DORBIT workflows, but overall productivity rhythm remains similar.
• 20 percent — the “aha moment” or industry benchmark, where responsiveness becomes clearly noticeable.
• 50 percent or higher — transformative, often comparable to replacing a three-year-old workstation in the 1990s and 2000s.

This means ARES Commander 2027 delivers performance improvements at or above the “aha moment” level, especially on large and very large files. The larger the work, the more users will feel the gains. Zooming and panning are up to 20 percent faster on large drawings.

Commander 2027 also introduces extended multi-threading for SAVE, AutoSave, and CLOSE operations. These commands now run in the background instead of blocking the user interface.

AI and Admin Controls

A final note concerns collaboration within teams and organizations. Graebert has introduced a centralized administration layer for all AI features, addressing the primary concerns of enterprise CAD environments: security, privacy, and cost.

Area Note

AREANOTE was first released in ARES Commander 2027 SP0, was previously available in ARES Touch, and is now available in ARES Kudo.

The tool gives users a simple way to calculate areas quickly and represent them with color and variable transparency. Area regions can also be named, and their calculated area displayed, with user control over variables such as font size, color, and transparency.

500 – AREANOTE is a new command for ARES Kudo Professional that allows the user to quickly calculate areas and represent them in color regions.

The image above shows the new feature in ARES Kudo Professional 2027, but the tool works the same way across ARES products.

Competing with LT — Support for Print Styles in ARES Kudo

We have written in the past that Graebert views ARES Kudo not as a competitor to AutoCAD Web, but as a full-blooded competitor to AutoCAD LT. Why? Two reasons. First, Kudo is far more feature-rich than AutoCAD Web. Second, Kudo is so feature-complete that, despite running in the browser, it essentially matches AutoCAD LT’s capabilities.

When these two products compete, ARES Kudo scores points by being cloud-hosted and offering cloud-specific features. AutoCAD LT scores points by handling much larger files faster, since it is not browser-based. But Kudo previously had one workflow disadvantage: no support for print styles. In ARES Kudo Professional, print styles are now supported.

ARES Kudo users can now take advantage of the new Print Dialog box, including print style support. With print styles, users can maintain one set of line colors for optimal screen contrast and another set for PDF-based printing.

Because AutoCAD LT supports equivalent plot style systems—CTB and STB—this was previously one disadvantage for ARES Kudo when competing for LT users. ARES Kudo Professional now supports both color-dependent CTB and named STB plot styles. It can create these styles anew and also ingest existing (.CTB) and (.STB) files from AutoCAD, helping ensure printed PDFs look as intended from the original AutoCAD setup.

ARES Kudo Professional lets users create, edit, and manage print styles—just like LT—not merely apply them, as in AutoCAD Web.

Finally, ARES Commander can now export drawings in STEP format, not just import STEP. This round-trip capability strengthens workflows involving SOLIDWORKS, Inventor, PTC Onshape, and other MCAD systems.

Closing Remarks

ARES 2027 shows Graebert continuing to sharpen its “Trinity” strategy around a unified CAD experience across desktop, web, and mobile. The practical value of this approach is not merely platform breadth, but workflow continuity: users can move between Commander, Kudo, and Touch with a consistent DWG-centric experience. That remains one of ARES’s strongest differentiators, especially for organizations that need flexibility across Windows, macOS, Linux, browsers, tablets, and mobile devices.

The larger story in this release, however, is AI. A3 is no longer just a help assistant that explains commands or points users toward interface elements. In ARES 2027, it increasingly becomes an active participant in the CAD workflow—selecting entities, modifying geometry, creating layers, responding to multi-step prompts, and even supporting voice-driven interaction in Kudo. AI-assisted block generation pushes this further by moving Graebert into generative CAD territory, where natural-language prompts can produce reusable vector-based drawing content.

ARES 2027 also strengthens Graebert’s competitive position through automation and BIM-to-DWG workflows. Bringing online Drawings Automation into Commander gives desktop users access to server-based batch processing, scheduling, recurring jobs, format conversion, and sheet-set PDF output without tying up local machines. Meanwhile, advanced BIM-to-DWG improvements—especially multi-discipline support and Smart Linking—make ARES more relevant to real-world federated BIM coordination workflows where not every participant works natively inside a BIM authoring tool.

Taken together, ARES 2027 is not a single-feature release but a strategic one. It advances AI, cloud automation, BIM interoperability, collaboration, performance, and Kudo’s ability to compete more directly with AutoCAD LT. Graebert remains a smaller player than Autodesk, but ARES 2027 demonstrates how a focused competitor can move quickly, differentiate boldly, and continue expanding what native DWG CAD can become in an AI-accelerated, cloud-connected era.

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DACH Region

The news reflects the company’s interest in establishing a stronger European hub that builds on ComputerWorks’ market expertise, technical support structure, and sales channel developed over decades of service to German-speaking architects and designers. The acquisition is expected to be completed by 4 May 2026.

As part of the deal, ComputerWorks in Germany will be renamed Vectorworks Germany GmbH. ComputerWorks AG will spin off its CAD division to establish Vectorworks Switzerland AG, while the remaining business will continue as ComputerWorks AG.

Vectorworks has new corporate offices in Germany and Switzerland, acquiring its DACH region distributor, ComputerWorks AG’s CAD division. 

“For many years, ComputerWorks has represented Vectorworks to thousands of designers and planners in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland,” said Vectorworks CEO Jason Pletcher. “By bringing ComputerWorks into the Vectorworks family, we are not only expanding our presence in these specific countries, but also combining the strength of a global product organization with the expertise of trusted local professionals. This will enable us to help our customers move faster, collaborate more effectively, and deliver superior designs.”

German Language Market Needs

ComputerWorks AG has long localized Vectorworks products for the German language markets, tailoring the product line and offering complementary solutions to meet regional needs for the architecture, interiors, landscape, and entertainment industries.

“Designers in the DACH region face complex projects, demanding clients, and evolving regulations. They need partners who understand both the local context and global tools,” said Alexander Meier, CEO of Vectorworks Germany. “Becoming part of Vectorworks enables our team to bring our deep understanding of customer needs across all disciplines directly to the people building the software. Together, we can shape features, content, and services that reflect how our customers work today and where they want to go tomorrow.”

“With more than 30 years of development experience, we know that true innovation begins with a deep understanding of local needs and workflows,” said Andreas Hängärtner, CEO of Vectorworks Switzerland. “When that local insight is amplified through international collaboration and presented on a global stage, it creates new opportunities for our users to design with greater confidence and impact.”

German and Swiss Offices

The Vectorworks Germany office is located in Lörrach, Germany, and the Vectorworks Switzerland office is located in Basel, Switzerland. Vectorworks’s parent company, the Nemetschek Group, is headquartered in Munich, Germany, in the Nemetschek Haus, a large office complex that also houses several of its key brands, including Allplan and Bluebeam’s European offices.

Global Presence

Vectorwork, Inc., is an award-winning design and BIM software provider serving the entire AEC industry and the related entertainment design industry in 85 countries around the world. It is headquartered in Maryland, United States, with key offices in Newbury, England; Sydney, Australia; Vancouver, Canada; and Japan.

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However, new research from Bluebeam recently reveals encouraging signs of recovery momentum.

Recovery Efforts

Bluebeam, a leading developer of solutions and services for AEC professionals worldwide, reports that more than three-quarters of respondents (76%) have begun rebuilding, while a third say they remain dissatisfied with the pace of progress. This sentiment reflects not just new construction, but also the necessary new permitting initiatives put in place. Here are some details:

Hurdles For Homeowners:

• Nearly one-third (29%) remain uncertain whether their home can be fully rebuilt, underscoring the complexity of current requirements.
• Costs and financing challenges (43%), insurance issues (34%), and labor shortages (29%) are the most frequently cited obstacles.

Positive Momentum:

The reports show that delays in permitting persist as a significant frustration and point of uncertainty for homeowners navigating the rebuilding process:

• 27% of impacted residents cite permitting timelines as a key barrier to rebuild efforts.

• 88% of those homeowners who have applied for a permit in the wake of the wildfires have experienced delays.

• Only 4% of those surveyed said they were able to obtain a permit in under a month, and only 25% within two months, with most approval timelines far exceeding 30- to 60-day targets.

Despite this mix of signals, new initiatives pave hopeful paths forward.

Standard Plan Pilot Program

Based on the research, two-thirds (66%) of impacted homeowners are rather positive about the city of LA’s Standard Plan Pilot Program, which aids owners by offering a library of pre-approved, code-compliant home designs.

The use of standardized plans simplifies processes in meeting new requirements. One example is Bluebeam partner The Foothill Catalog Foundation (TFCF), a non-profit formed in response to the wildfires. TFCF offers pre-approved home designs in compliance with new permitting programs, helping residents rebuild more quickly. The organization has preapproved over 40 new unique designs to date, designs that help preserve the community identity as well.

Resilience for the Future

California ranks first in the nation for the number of homes at risk of extreme wildfire exposure (1.2 million), and homeowners are prioritizing long-term safety and resilience as they rebuild. Based on Bluebeam’s research:

• 83% of impacted residents plan to incorporate wildfire-resistant materials or design features into rebuild plans. Many are considering upgrades such as fire-resistant roofing, ember-resistant vents, defensible space planning, and use of non-combustible materials.

• 65% say they feel more confident in their preparedness for future wildfires because of these upgrades.

“With our global headquarters in Pasadena, the recovery from the 2025 wildfires is deeply personal to our team,” said Don Jacobs, Chief Innovation Officer at Bluebeam and local Los Angeles resident. “As homeowners rebuild, we’re seeing a meaningful shift toward resilient design that prioritizes long-term safety and durability. This research also highlights the opportunity to simplify and connect the systems behind rebuilding – particularly permitting – to remove delays and uncertainty. By streamlining permitting pathways, embracing resilient design, and fostering collaboration across all parties involved in the rebuild effort, we can help families return home faster and build communities that are stronger, safer, and better prepared for future wildfires.”

About the Survey

The survey was conducted in February and March 2026 with more than 500 Los Angeles County homeowners whose homes were damaged by the 2025 wildfires. The report provides insights into rebuilding progress, key challenges faced, and plans for future preparedness.

To learn more about the state of rebuilding efforts, visit: https://blog.bluebeam.com/from-cleanup-to-rebuild-project-mindset-wildfire-recovery/.

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MEP Designer

MEP Designer is Graphisoft’s BIM solution for engineers responsible for designing and documenting MEP systems in buildings. The solution is built on the Archicad BIM core engine, the industry-leading platform for architects, delivering complex collaborative BIM workflows between engineers and architects.

Graphisoft MEP Designer is a BIM design and documentation solution for MEP engineers in the AEC industry. It is built on the same Archicad core BIM engine and thus features some of the same visualization capabilities as Archicad, as well as being fully native for both macOS and Windows.

Available as a subscription-based product, MEP Designer is easy to learn and use, featuring an intuitive user interface and smart modeling tools that automate and simplify the MEP design process. Engineers and architects can obtain the software through MEP Designer Studio or Archicad Collaborate subscription plans. A flexible and adaptive solution, MEP engineers will discover how easy it is to develop MEP BIM models for their projects.

Márton Kiss, Chief Product Officer at Graphisoft, stated:

Key capabilities of the software include:

• Detailed documentation generated automatically — from floor plans and sections to schedules and parts lists — customizable and ready for submission.
• Built-in visualization tools and parametric libraries.
• Smooth communications and model consistency — on-site or remotely.
• Accurate planning and efficient coordination — CALHYDRA now connects to MEP Designer via a dedicated interface, enabling direct transfer of water and HVAC systems for hydraulic calculations; results are updated in the model for a seamless BIM-based workflow.

MEP Designer is currently available in select Asian and European markets on both Windows and macOS. It is the first native macOS BIM authoring and design tool for MEP engineers. For more information, visit graphisoft.com/mep-designer.

Architosh Analysis and Commentary

Graphisoft appears to be rolling out MEP Designer first in markets where it already has established bases of users in the engineering disciplines, as well as where engineering-focused sister subsidiaries of the Nemetschek Group consistently work with architects on the Archicad platform. These are likely Germany, Switzerland, Austria, Scandinavia, and perhaps Hungary. An exact list may be available only through Graphisoft sales channels. These European markets, plus select Asian markets, are the first targets for the rollouts. Graphisoft also owns DDScad, a MEP specialist software popular in Europe. The MEP Designer strategy seems to be tied to migrating DDScad users to MEP Designer adoption. 

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This year, Nirva Fereshetian (CIO of CBT Architects) and Niknaz Aftahi, CEO of aec+tech, will be hosting a similar event at the beautiful Carrier Johnson + Culture office in downtown San Diego during the AIA National Conference on Architecture & Design, the United States’ premier annual conference and exhibition for the architectural industry.

‘archi+tech’ Social Night

The evening event is a mixture of a social get-together with short presentations by technology providers and leaders in the global AEC industry. But largely, it’s a social event where attendees can have real conversations with members of the digital tech community in attendance.

A kind of class picture from last year’s first-ever ‘archi+tech’ Social Night at AIA National in Boston 2025. The event had sponsors from numerous AEC digital technology providers, including the industry’s largest companies.

Carrier Johnson + Culture is a larger architecture and planning firm in San Diego (with offices in Los Angeles and Seattle) with an award-winning portfolio spanning project types. They have graciously offered to host the event in their San Diego office.

Event Details

‘archi+tech’ Social Night will take place at 5:30 pm, Friday, 12 June 2026 (register here), during the week of the AIA Conference in San Diego. This year, the event is focusing on “innovation” and bringing together people who are actually shaping how technology is used in the architecture and AEC industry.

Nirva and Niknaz are curating a group of around 100 to 120 people at the intersection of design and technology, including:

• Architects and firm leaders
• CIOs, CTOs, and innovation directors
• BIM and design technology leaders
• AEC technology founders, investors, and accelerator teams

What is special about this event is the intimacy of the room and the opportunity to showcase the host firm’s location as a bit of an exhibition of their technological prowess. Last year, CBT Architects displayed a stunning set of digital solutions, specialty technology spaces, model shops, and interactive technology tools to give attendees a sense of what practice is like at a tech-forward large firm.

Registration

If you are attending AIA San Diego in early June and would like to attend this event, please register here: https://luma.com/dfmu0kut

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Steel Genie is New

Already a global leader in structural steel detailing and fabrication software and part of the Nemetschek Group, the launch of Steel Genie by ALLPLAN marks an AI-first for the German company in the critical area of construction estimating.

Key Takeaways

• The new product is called Steel Genie by ALLPLAN and automatically analyzes steel structural drawings using AI technology to power estimating workflows
• AI technology understands steel structural members and generates quantities and estimating-level 3D models in minutes.
• Steel Genie integrates into the ALLPLAN ecosystem of products, linking estimators’ workflows with steel detailing and fabricators

ALLPLAN Steel Genie utilizes AI technologies to automatically analyze structural drawing sets, detect key structural members, and generate quantities and estimate-level 3D models in minutes.

MORE: ALLPLAN 2026 — New ALLPLAN Model Viewer, AI, IFC4 and More…

Critically, the software addresses the pitfalls in today’s AEC market where manual counting and manual measurements are done by cost estimators using traditional methods, be they manual via printed documents or utilizing PDF drawings with some level of quantification automation. These new AI-powered automated methods are faster, thereby enabling the cost estimator to focus time on higher-value workflows.

Steel Genie by ALLPLAN is a new AI-powered estimating software that reads structural drawings to generate intelligent cost estimates.

Sunil Pandita, CEO of ALLPLAN and Chief Division Officer Planning & Design at the Nemetschek Group, tells Architosh:

Steel Genie employs artificial intelligence to analyze structural drawings and identify key design parameters. These factors encompass dimensions, length, weight, moment connections, camber, and shear studs. It subsequently identifies structural elements such as beams, columns, joists, and braces to automatically create material quantities and models that are ready for estimating.

ALLPLAN Steel Genie also boasts its own connection engine based on the AISC Design Guide and can export its estimate data to downstream workflows and fabrication teams. It also integrates fully into the broader ALLPLAN ecosystem, enabling estimating professionals to collaborate more effectively with detailing professionals.

Early customer feedback highlights the impact of the new technology.

“Steel Genie is an industry-changing tool for structural steel takeoff,” said Steven Tillery, Vice President of Preconstruction & Business Development at Steel Service. “Even during testing, we’ve seen how it can dramatically accelerate estimating.”

Availability

Steel Genie by ALLPLAN is now available to steel fabricators, estimators, and detailing teams seeking to automate steel takeoffs, improve estimating efficiency, and gain a head start on downstream detailing workflows.

You can sign up for a demo here.

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