GISCafe Weekly Review : November 1, 2024

In a significant stride toward unifying the architecture, engineering, construction, and operations (AECO) sector, Esri and Autodesk have taken their collaboration to new heights by integrating Esri’s ArcGIS geospatial data directly into Autodesk Forma. The integration, announced at the 2024 Autodesk University in San Diego, brings transformative enhancements to the design and planning phases of AECO projects, arming professionals with precise geographic data to inform critical early decisions. This groundbreaking partnership promises to reshape the way buildings and infrastructure are conceived and constructed.

The announcement comes at a pivotal moment when AECO professionals are increasingly relying on digital tools to navigate the complexities of modern urban design. Traditionally, planners, architects, and engineers have had to juggle multiple platforms, often resulting in disjointed workflows and data loss between tools. This new integration of Esri’s comprehensive spatial data into Autodesk Forma addresses those inefficiencies head-on, creating a seamless experience that allows AECO professionals to access real-time geographic data from the outset of any project.

“Forma represents a new foundation for Autodesk in the 2020s, potentially akin to the impact AutoCAD had in the 1990s,” said Marc Goldman, AEC Industry Director at Esri, during our conversation at Autodesk University. He noted that incorporating ArcGIS data in Forma bridges critical gaps in the planning process. “The partnership between Esri and Autodesk is transformative. It combines the power of GIS and BIM in a way that allows teams to start projects with comprehensive geographic context—something that has been sorely lacking in the past,” Goldman emphasized.

The Year in Infrastructure Conference, hosted by Bentley Systems in Vancouver, became a stage for showcasing the future of digital infrastructure, with a compelling keynote from Patrick Cozzi, founder of Cesium and now Bentley’s Chief Platform Officer. Cozzi took attendees on an in-depth journey through Cesium’s path from a visualization tool for aerospace to an industry-defining, open-source geospatial platform now powering Bentley’s ambitious vision for infrastructure engineering.

Cesium, known as an open-source platform for creating highly detailed 3D applications, has made significant strides since Bentley’s acquisition, demonstrating a groundbreaking approach to digital infrastructure. Addressing a full auditorium, Cozzi highlighted Cesium’s evolution and Bentley’s vision to create a world where digital twins, geospatial data, and 3D models work together seamlessly, all powered by Cesium’s robust capabilities.