The first result of the acquisition is Autodesk Point Layout, software designed for use at construction sites. It automatically creates points from BIM and computer-aided drafting models within Autodesk’s Revit, AutoCAD and Navisworks software. The data is designed to be used with robotic total station hardware to give contractors and subcontractors pinpoint accuracy when placing equipment.

“BIM continues to transform the building industry in new and important ways,” said Amar Hanspal, senior vice president of Autodesk’s information modeling and platform products group. “Connecting the digital model to the physical site is a key step in achieving efficiency and accuracy on the job site and across all aspects of the project. Autodesk Point Layout is a big step in advancing that effort. More broadly, it’s part of Autodesk’s expansive arsenal of tools to extend BIM and its productivity gains into all parts of the workflow, including construction.”

Some contractors who have already used the technology Autodesk Point Layout is based on say it has saved them time and money. That includes PCL Construction, a $6 billion Canadian firm with operations in the U.S., Australia and the Caribbean.

“On a recent project, PCL achieved a 27 percent reduction in waste, directly attributed to using the technology found in Autodesk Point Layout on concrete foundations,” said Nick Kurth, a virtual construction manager with PCL Construction. “This is a powerful way to extend our BIM workflow to the construction site, and we expect we can see similar – or better – savings as we use the new Autodesk software on future jobs.”